Of the planers with two-knife cutterheads, the Makita produced the best surface quality. The knives are very narrow and a bit tricky to change, but Makita provides two magnets for lifting them off the cutterhead, and these make it easier. The machine’s dust port is an odd size, with an outside diameter of approximately 2-7/8 in. I used an adapter to connect it to a 4-in.-dia. hose, but dust collection was only fair. Finally, a full revolution of the height-adjustment wheel moves the cutterhead 3/32 in. The other machines move 1/16 in. with a complete revolution of the handle, a dimension that’s much easier to work with because the most common thicknesses for furniture are in multiples of 1/16 in.

Power: Excellent
Cut visibility: Excellent
Control: Good (with standard fixed base)
Bit changes: Excellent
Depth adjustment: Fair

This precision square is incredibly versatile, from checking squareness to dialing in machine setups.

Knife changes on this planer were easy enough, except that you need an Allen wrench to open the dust cover and gain access to the knives, and it’s not the same size as the wrench used to loosen the screws that secure the knives. The 2-1/2-in.-dia. dust port can be reversed for use on either side of the machine. Two material rollers on top of the machine aid with transferring stock from the outfeed side back to the infeed side. Finally, there is no gauge that indicates how much material you’re about to remove, a convenience that three other planers also lack.

Especially considering the price, among the lowest of the bunch, the Ridgid R4222 has impressive adjustability. It has the largest crosscut capacity of all the saws. And the miter and bevel settings have the largest range of travel, and a bevy of detents. However, the power switch is clumsy, a bad design especially for lefties. The adjusters are either hard to use or hard to reach. Plus, its slider needs the most room out of any of the saws.