Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - Which planer?
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Familyzoo
11-25-07, 05:36 AM
Time to put a planer on my Christmas list. I dont see using it for boards great then 5 feet long and most will be in the 2 foot range.
I am considering the Dewalt, DW735
Anyone have any recommendations?
I am considering the Dewalt, DW735
Anyone have any recommendations?
chandler
11-25-07, 12:54 PM
Dewalt is a fine machine. I can only tell from experience, and I get great results from my Ridgid 13".
XSleeper
11-26-07, 04:46 PM
The DW735 is a nice planer... my buddy just got one. It's *VERY* heavy and you wouldn't want to move it around too much. Like all Dewalt products, replacement parts are quite pricy... the 3 blade set is priced in the mid 40's I believe. Amazon has some great reviews that have been written about it, I'd recommend you read them all. As for my first impression:
It cranks easily, but it isn't obvious to me how to zero it out on a board before beginning to cut. ('course I never read the manual!)
It leaves some snipe on each end, so you always want to plan for waste on each end.
I like the lift handles and the solid feel of the machine. the cast bottom plate is substantially stronger and flatter than planers that have flip down infeed-outfeed tables.
The blades seem very soft. The first 2 boards that ran through this planer (soft poplar) ended up having some scar marks on them- evidentally the blade hit some hard spots that put a groove in the cutters. Now everything that comes out has tiny indentation streaks.
I've heard that the 2 speeds on the DW735 make little to no difference in the end result, and I'd have to agree with that. I can't tell much difference.
It's *VERY* loud!
It throws chips quite well with the fan assisted discharge, and you might want to rig up a vacuum hose to it if you don't want your entire shop filled with shavings.
Short pieces (around 16" long) tend to get stuck as they exit the planer. They tip up and get wedged instead of just falling out. A level outfeed (which I didn't set up for such short boards) would fix that problem.
When I finally break down and buy a planer of my own, it's going to be the Makita 2012NB. It's weighs 2/3 what the DW735 weighs, is about half the size, and is the quietest planer on the market. I also like Makita's depth gauge that gives you an idea of how much is being removed as you stick it into the planer. Replacement blades for the Makita are reasonably priced and they are reportedly the quickest/easiest to change.
It cranks easily, but it isn't obvious to me how to zero it out on a board before beginning to cut. ('course I never read the manual!)
It leaves some snipe on each end, so you always want to plan for waste on each end.
I like the lift handles and the solid feel of the machine. the cast bottom plate is substantially stronger and flatter than planers that have flip down infeed-outfeed tables.
The blades seem very soft. The first 2 boards that ran through this planer (soft poplar) ended up having some scar marks on them- evidentally the blade hit some hard spots that put a groove in the cutters. Now everything that comes out has tiny indentation streaks.
I've heard that the 2 speeds on the DW735 make little to no difference in the end result, and I'd have to agree with that. I can't tell much difference.
It's *VERY* loud!
It throws chips quite well with the fan assisted discharge, and you might want to rig up a vacuum hose to it if you don't want your entire shop filled with shavings.
Short pieces (around 16" long) tend to get stuck as they exit the planer. They tip up and get wedged instead of just falling out. A level outfeed (which I didn't set up for such short boards) would fix that problem.
When I finally break down and buy a planer of my own, it's going to be the Makita 2012NB. It's weighs 2/3 what the DW735 weighs, is about half the size, and is the quietest planer on the market. I also like Makita's depth gauge that gives you an idea of how much is being removed as you stick it into the planer. Replacement blades for the Makita are reasonably priced and they are reportedly the quickest/easiest to change.
cwbuff
11-26-07, 05:26 PM
Visit Amazon.com and read some reviews. The last time I looked there (a year or so back) the Dewalt wasn't too highly thought of by people that bought them. Most complained about the expensive blades dulling quickly.