Planning Your Next Planer

You might think selecting a planer would be “plain and simple” right?  Actually this is one of the hardest decisions to make at Timberwolf Tools because all the options are good!  It’s worth your time to research these tools because a quality portable planer puts a gorgeous finish on rough timbers like no other tool.

Hopefully you know that Mafell makes the most powerful, precise and portable tools—so the Mafell ZH 320Ec 12-9/16" Planer must be considered.  But the Makita KP312 12-1/4" Planer is widely regarded as the best tool that Makita makes—setting up a true battle of the titans!  So today we’ll dive into the numbers and give you all the information you need for your next planer.

First Here’s What Our Customers Say:

“We are very pleased with our ZH 320Ec Mafell Planer that we purchased from Timberwolf Tools. The performance and durability of this machine is outstanding! We use it every day. It is much lighter than our other brands we have used so far!”
-Reuben, Woodland Timberframing

“Our ZH 320Ec has been in use for several years now. It has plenty of power and adjustability, which make it suitable for any planing task. In addition to planing large timbers, we also find it helpful in truing up large rough sawn timber slabs which are then made into tables and fine furniture. The ZH 320Ec has become an integral part of our shop. Mafell tools are rock solid and the Timberwolf team is always a joy to work with!”
-Joshua F. Gallet, Kaplan, Louisiana

Video Showing Mafell Planer in Action

“This thank you is long overdue. Timberwolf Tools came through like the Seventh Cavalry for us when we needed it most. That would have been in February of 16. That’s when our timberframe producing shop and office burned to the ground. Within a week we had relocated to a temporary shop and were back in business. That made the handful of clients that lost their frames breathe easy. You had every tool imaginable such as the Mafell ZH 320Ec planers in stock and thus into our hands instantly, like magic.”
-George Klemens, Timberbuilt

“The Mafell ZH 320Ec does a spectacular job on planing. The service we get for repairs is top notch.”
-Samuel Fisher, Mid-Atlantic Timberframes

“The planer has exceeded our expectations and we have been more than happy with it!”
-Benjamin T. Miller, Blue Ox Timber Frames

“I like it for sure, it’s a little heavy but that was expected. It does get clogged more than I would like, but we are planing green white oak. All in all it’s an excellent tool, and a nice step up from the 6-3/4” Makita, most timbers we are working on are wider than that so having the 12” width is awesome!”
-Mark S, Historic Preservation Training Center

“So far it was used for 2 weeks non-stop to plane down oak beams 4x12 and 4x8. Great tool.”
-Kris, Kalpol Construction

“It is wonderful....highly recommend it ...and your company!”
-Ed Croker, Cypress Log Homes, Edwardsville, Alabama

Side-By-Side Comparison

*Makita KP312 requires extra Dust Extracting Attachment to connect with vacuum systems

MAFELL ADVANTAGES

• Almost 10 pounds less weight!
• Blades cost less and last longer (especially with hardwoods)
• More durable parts (such as rubber drive belt instead of plastic)
• More powerful motor able to plane 33% deeper during normal operation
• Brake stops cutter head one second faster for increased safety
• Grounded power cord protects the tool electronics from static when user shuffles their feet
• 5/16” wider blades
• Eligible for up to 6% savings when purchasing Multiple Mafell Tools

MAKITA ADVANTAGES

• One third the price!
• Imperial depth gauge
• 7 dB(A) less noise (hearing protection is still required when using either planer)

Final Decisions When Ordering Your Planer

• 71% of Makita customers add at least one pack of Additional Blades to their order since it does not increase the shipping cost
• 76% of Mafell customers add at least pack of Additional Blades to their order since it does not increase the shipping cost
• 75% of Mafell customers prefer 120V over 230V for more portability
• Mafell offers smaller ZH 245Ec and ZH 205Ec planers available that can be backordered from Germany; these smaller planers are able to plane 1mm deeper, but 80% of our customers prefer the larger ZH 320Ec because of its capacity to plane 12x12 timbers
• Makita offers a smaller 1806B 6-3/4" Planer but we ship about four times as many KP312 12-1/4” Planers
• Don’t forget:  Makita’s 1002BA Curved Base Planer with the special Radius Planer Blades is the best solution for quickly creating the beautiful “hand-hewn” look on timbers and logs

Introducing the Sarmax Wheel Brush Sander!

Speaking of beautiful finishes on timbers, Timberwolf Tools is now an importer of the Sarmax SP2-300 Rusticating Machine.  Think of Makita’s Wheel Brush Sander for the “raised-grain look” but on a mass-production scale:  this 3-phase Italian machine is able to sand over 38 square feet per minute!  If you would like to have Timberwolf Tools import one of these for you we would be happy to put together a quote.  This is also a friendly reminder that every item currently on Timberwolftools.com is single-phase!

Video Showing Sarmax Rusticating Machine in Action

Wow, time flies since we last wrote you all!  It was great to see many of you at the AWFS Fair in July and the Timber Framers Guild Conference in August.  Sorry we couldn’t make it to the Garland Mill Rendezvous and Ekvn-Yefolecv Workshop this year, but we hope your beer was cold and your blades were sharp!

Final update if you haven’t noticed:  the SUMMER SALE PRICES on several Mafell tools have been continued until further notice due to high demand.  We appreciate you spreading the word!  Keep in mind Mafell prices normally go up slightly on January 1st each year.  WHICH TOOL IS NEXT ON YOUR WISH LIST?

Thank you for your business!

Jeff Powell and the Timberwolf Tools Team
Toll free:  1-800-869-4169
www.timberwolftools.com

Andrew and Jeff at the Timber Framers Guild Conference in New Hampshire