# Makita 2030N Planer Jointer woes



## Elliesdad717 (Jan 29, 2019)

Hello all! I am new here and to planing/jointing and seeking advice. I recently purchased a 2030N for $500 after reading lots of praise for the machine. I bought it from the original owner who bought it in the mid 1980s. He was a contractor and said he rarely used it as he bought it at the end of a fiscal year just to get his tax liability down. He never replaced or recovered the rollers. At his shop we ran a narrow piece of wood through it and it was fine. At my place I am running 6” and 8” wide rough hewn Ash boards and at random times the machine kind of “clicks”, the feed hesitates for just a fraction of a second, and then continues. This is very random and seems worse with taking more off per pass (typically I am taking no more than 1/16") and/or wider boards. It does not smoothly and continually feed without help from me. Not sure what to look for as far as rollers being bad. I had an issue with the jointer as well but solved that by raising the blades slightly as they were lower than the out feed table. Any advice about this machine would be helpful. Thanks in advance.


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## 13579 (Jun 23, 2018)

Elliesdad717 said:


> Hello all! I am new here and to planing/jointing and seeking advice. I recently purchased a 2030N for $500 after reading lots of praise for the machine. I bought it from the original owner who bought it in the mid 1980s. He was a contractor and said he rarely used it as he bought it at the end of a fiscal year just to get his tax liability down. He never replaced or recovered the rollers. At his shop we ran a narrow piece of wood through it and it was fine. At my place I am running 6” and 8” wide rough hewn Ash boards and at random times the machine kind of “clicks”, the feed hesitates for just a fraction of a second, and then continues. This is very random and seems worse with taking more off per pass (typically I am taking no more than 1/16") and/or wider boards. It does not smoothly and continually feed without help from me. Not sure what to look for as far as rollers being bad. I had an issue with the jointer as well but solved that by raising the blades slightly as they were lower than the out feed table. Any advice about this machine would be helpful. Thanks in advance.


Sounds like a skip. Check the chain for proper tension, if a chain, the chain does strech over time, so snug up the tensioner. If serpantene belt, do the same. May also check bearings. Is drive roller warn? If drive roller is out of round or hardened due to age replace it with a new one. This sounds like to me that something is slipping, especially as your project taking deeper cuts. Likely a little maintainance will cure the issue. Tom

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

fwiw a 1/16" pass on an ash board is a significant cut for most lunch box planers. on pine maybe.... but try a smaller cut. the audible click does sound like you are having a skip or miss on the drive system - chain, teeth, etc... take the cover off and take a look at the drive roller mechanism.


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## Elliesdad717 (Jan 29, 2019)

13579 said:


> Sounds like a skip. Check the chain for proper tension, if a chain, the chain does strech over time, so snug up the tensioner. If serpantene belt, do the same. May also check bearings. Is drive roller warn? If drive roller is out of round or hardened due to age replace it with a new one. This sounds like to me that something is slipping, especially as your project taking deeper cuts. Likely a little maintainance will cure the issue. Tom
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk


Thank you 13579. A slipping drive belt or chain makes sense and I will check it out as soon as it warms up a bit as it is in my unheated garage. What does a worn roller cover look like? I'm not sure what to look for.


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## Elliesdad717 (Jan 29, 2019)

TimPa said:


> fwiw a 1/16" pass on an ash board is a significant cut for most lunch box planers. on pine maybe.... but try a smaller cut. the audible click does sound like you are having a skip or miss on the drive system - chain, teeth, etc... take the cover off and take a look at the drive roller mechanism.


Thank you Tim for your response. I didn't think this machine is a "lunchbox" planer. It is a floor standing machine that I believe would be right at home in a commercial shop. I will try taking less off per pass.


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## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

Elliesdad717 said:


> Thank you Tim for your response. I didn't think this machine is a "lunchbox" planer. It is a floor standing machine that I believe would be right at home in a commercial shop. I will try taking less off per pass.


When I liquidated my Neighbor's estate several years ago he had one of those Makita Planer/Jointers. Looked like a nice machine, considered buying it until I did some internet research and found that they were problematic, including issues with the feed rollers deteriorating. "Western Rollers" seems to be the name you need.

All of that to say, I don't think you will see these in a Commercial shop, shops don't have time for the issues these machines have.

Sorry to sound negative, hope you get the problems worked out, might consider when it is a good time to cut your losses.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*When a planer "skips' ....*



Elliesdad717 said:


> Hello all! I am new here and to planing/jointing and seeking advice. I recently purchased a 2030N for $500 after reading lots of praise for the machine. I bought it from the original owner who bought it in the mid 1980s. He was a contractor and said he rarely used it as he bought it at the end of a fiscal year just to get his tax liability down. He never replaced or recovered the rollers. At his shop we ran a narrow piece of wood through it and it was fine. At my place I am running 6” and 8” wide rough hewn Ash boards and at random times the machine kind of “clicks”, the feed hesitates for just a fraction of a second, and then continues. This is very random and seems worse with taking more off per pass (typically I am taking no more than 1/16") and/or wider boards. It does not smoothly and continually feed without help from me. Not sure what to look for as far as rollers being bad. I had an issue with the jointer as well but solved that by raising the blades slightly as they were lower than the out feed table. Any advice about this machine would be helpful. Thanks in advance.



When it skips, the feed rollers have lost their "bite" or friction. This may be caused by a variation in the rough board's thickness out of the saw mill. It may be caused by a build up of chips on the board before it gets to the feed rollers, so make certain your dust extraction is working well. The feed rollers may be rubber or serrated steel, I donno on this model. If they are rubber, they may be dried out and have lost their grip. There is help:
https://www.amazon.com/Sprayway-Rubber-Cleaner-and-Rejuvenator/dp/B0005JNPE4


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## MICHAELOFCHARLESTON (Dec 13, 2020)

Hi, all....I am new here and while my post here is not about the skipping (although I agree with the suggested solutions), my post is kind of a woe. I have a 2030N which I bought and upgraded with a Byrd shelix on the planer (I love it) but they (Byrd) prefer not to make them for the jointer....lot of fitting/shimming I guess because of incomplete adjustability of infeed/outfeed tables. It is my intention to try and convince them to make me one anyway (I will sign any waivers they require if they will accomodate) but for the near term, I am using the HSS jointer knives. I would like to purchase a new set of these (I got very lucky finding one pair of NOS at a local hardware store) but have struck out finding another set (Part No 7310218)....not from Makita, not from ancient local hardware stores within a 400-mile radius, etc. Does anybody have a source for these they can recommend? Thanks for whatever you can offer,


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## Tom-G (Nov 11, 2012)

Is this what you are looking for?









Freud 12 1/2 Planer Knives for Makita 2030N


Freud 12 1/2 Planer Knives for Makita 2030N - Planer Knives sold at Highland Woodworking, authorized Freud dealer.



www.highlandwoodworking.com





or this?





Jointer Blade 155 [D-63915] for Makita Power Tools | eReplacement Parts


Buy a Makita Jointer Blade 155 [D-63915] for your Makita Power Tool - This is an original Makita replacement part. The jointer blade is designed by the manu...




www.ereplacementparts.com


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## MICHAELOFCHARLESTON (Dec 13, 2020)

Thanks very much for the response but, no, neither is correct....the first is for the planer and the second is not the right part number.....


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

Your post skips between the planer and the jointer. Which do you want new knives for? Both were offered in the reply above. I'm as confused as he is.
Clarify your request.


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## Tom-G (Nov 11, 2012)

Makita may have superseded the original part number with a new part number. You may want to check with them directly. Their phone number is in this webpage:









Makita USA


Makita USA: The Leader In Cordless with 18V LXT Lithium-Ion. The best in class for cordless power tool technology. A leader in power tool technology for the professional.




www.makitatools.com


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## MICHAELOFCHARLESTON (Dec 13, 2020)

You are right....my bad...the link you sent me for the jointer blades indicates it indeed fits a 2030N and the photo certainly appears to be the correct part...Mea culpa! However, the price plus shipping is over $70 (I purchased the NOS I previously mentioned for $23 + tax at the hardware store)....so now I ask myself, "Would the $70+ be more wisely spent (plus a bit more) and just go ahead and get the Shelix for the jointer side (I already have it on the planer) and just fiddle with the installation?" So, to that point, I ask you and the rest of the community, has anyone successfully installed a Shelix on the jointer side of a 2030N and how much of a bear was it to do so? Thanks for all of your helpful insights thus far.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

When my Delta planer skipped, it due to a broke outfeed . Couldnt maintain outfeed pressure. Bought the new part and problem stopped...the heavier the pressure the more intense the skip.


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## Tom-G (Nov 11, 2012)

MICHAELOFCHARLESTON said:


> You are right....my bad...the link you sent me for the jointer blades indicates it indeed fits a 2030N and the photo certainly appears to be the correct part...Mea culpa! However, the price plus shipping is over $70 (I purchased the NOS I previously mentioned for $23 + tax at the hardware store)....so now I ask myself, "Would the $70+ be more wisely spent (plus a bit more) and just go ahead and get the Shelix for the jointer side (I already have it on the planer) and just fiddle with the installation?" So, to that point, I ask you and the rest of the community, has anyone successfully installed a Shelix on the jointer side of a 2030N and how much of a bear was it to do so? Thanks for all of your helpful insights thus far.


You can order the jointer knives through Home Depot for about $38 for the set.


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