Partially academic question but possibly leading to a purchase! I have read so many great things about the DeWalt 735 Planer. But at $650 and an additional $50 for extension tables, it starts to add up. Is it better to stretch and go for a floor standing planer with an induction motor? The Grizzly G0453 is listed at just over $1100 including shipping. I know that that’s still significantly more money, but what are the pros and cons of going with a bigger machine or the 735? Other than portability, they both take up floor space. I suppose the DeWalt 735 can sit underneath the side or outfeed table of my saw. The performance of my old two-knife DeWalt 732 is starting to under-whelm me, even with sharp knives.
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I have not used the Grizzly machine but I do own and frequently use my 735. In my experience it is a very good machine with NO problems so far - I've only been using it for half a year though. I have a a stand for it and the tables which I know right now there is a sale on the machine that includes the support tables free. In any case - I got mine for 498.00 at Lowes and have never actually seen it listed for MSRP. The machine changes blades easily as access is from the top and the top opens with an allen included in the case work (harder to lose this way). Mine planes cleanly and with the finishing selection I have been quite pleased. If you have more specific questions I am happy to try to answer but there are probably more qualified opinions in here.
$498!!!! That's quite the
$498!!!! That's quite the deal you got! My Lowes has it for $599. I don't know if it comes with the extension tables or not.
My local tool guy will sell it for a little bit less than that, but it definitely doesn't come with the extension tables.
Do the new 3-knife portable planers give a better finish because of the high-speed universal motors as opposed to the big induction motors?
The DW735 planer is a two feed rate unit. Giving 96 or 179 cuts per inch. A light sanding with 180 paper and your ready to stain on finish. You can't say that about the average "lunch box" planer and surly not about the bigger 15"-24" heavy duty beasts. The Perfect world! Having Both!! A hogger and a finisher.
I have the same question. Lucky me. I am planning on running material from 3/4 to 1/2 inch, unless I can find the thinner material to purchase. No luck so far. Sounds like the larger machine would be the appropriate one to buy.
John
No problems with the DW735 being used to take 3/4 stock to 2/4, I do it quite often. But have also resawn 5/4 stock and then plane to 2/4.
Bruce,
You just confirmed what I heard from my tool guy. The big planers with their steel in-feed rollers and slower cut rate aren't, in general, as smooth as the portable planers.
He told me that I need both just like you mentioned, a hogger and a finisher! :)
you dont need both if you have a wide belt or drum sander
Well, I have both. A Delta X5 15" anyway...
The 735 is my daily go-to machine. I use it all the time and use it for rough to ready all the time. With new knives, it is smooth as silk. After a few nicks from hard wood or knots, it leaves a few tiny ridges that sand out fine. However, the ease of use makes it my favorite tool.
With the Delta, the slow speed gives you a very smooth finish with sharp knives. You have to take off more to removed the serated edge marks from the infeed roller. With the Dewalt, you can sneak up on a thickness a few thousandths at a time due to the rubber infeed rollers.
I have such a small need for my big planer that it sits under a plastic bag to keep the moisture and dust off of it.
As far as a reccomendation, I would say get the Dewalt if you are in to woodworking as a hobby and not planing large amounts of wood. Also, skip the extension tables; you really don't need them.
Some quick pros for the 735: dead on accurate depth adjustment; change the knives as fast as you can turn an allen wrench (or cheat with a cordless drill); no cast iron to rust; knives flip; best chip ejection I have seen; very little snipe; repeatability of thickness settings.
Cons: only 13" wide (rarely matters); not for hogging off a lot of wood at a time;
I would try to find the machine a little cheaper than Lowes and get the Dewalt. BTW, I got mine for $400 at Lowes about 6 years ago. They had a 20% off sale just before Christmas.
Hope this helps, Dan
Jointer,
I have never used a lunch box. IMO the bigger units with the spiral carbides are hard to beat. I definately did not want to spend the money, but I don't regret it at all. I use few passes with a smoother and it is ready to go. Not much of a fan of 180 grit sandpaper, I think the color and grain look better from a plane and scraper.
AZMO
So, how do you know if the spiral carbides are hard to beat if you've never used a lunch box planer? How does the finish compare to the 735? Does it have to be a bigger unit? My understanding is that they do have spiral cutterheads for some lunchbox planers.
A short FYI for all of you DW735 owners. DeWalt offers an option kit of 24 TORX head knife screws and the wrench. I have a set on order.
Just remembered. If your looking for a DW735 ! There is one for sale on Craigs list (Cleveland OH) for $400. They claim it only has a few hours on it.
A stationary cast iron planer with an induction motor is a lifetime tool, a portable with a universal motor has a shorter life expectancy, and is less cost effective to repair. At $400, I don't mind getting 5-10 years from a tool, but $700+, I'd be more concerned.
I don't really consider any planer to be a finishing tool, plus the condition of the knives and setup are big contributors to the final finish. Once they get knicked, which can happen pretty quickly, they all need a little assistance before finishing.
Knott,
Very good points! I've
Knott,
Very good points! I've never thought about the fact that the planer or jointer are not a finishing tools. I'm always planing, scraping, and mostly sanding to finish.
At $450 which is what I paid for my 10 year old DeWalt 733, it's served me well, but the noise and pitch of the noise of the universal motor is really annoying!
What did you say?? Yes, noise levels are a problem ! Even with the bigger planers and any other power tool. Getting used to hearing and eye protection is just like wearing a seat belt in your car or truck, after a while you feel naked with out them. But nothing is more annoying than an old Sears shop vac. When $$ permit there will be a Fein turbo II or Festool MIDI in my shop.
I always wear hearing protection, with the exception of when I'm butchering something with a hand plane ;). But when using my DeWalt 733 Lunch Box planer, I often wear two levels of protection. Not because it'll protect the hearing more, but the it protects me from the annoying pitch!
As for the Fein vacuum. The low noise level made me upgrade the in-home vacuum to a Miele. I'd actually love to get a Festool vacuum because of the hose and cord storage, and the flat top that you can use to place the Systainers on top.
I am about the buy the G0453 so I am probably a little biased. However, the Amazon reviews on the DeWalt concerned me:
http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW735-13-Inch-Benchtop-Planer/dp/B0000CCXU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1263071268&sr=1-1
You always get some sour grapes from buyers. But about 50% of the reviews are in the 1 and 2 star range. Some of the criticism is pretty serious. Granted the other 50% of the Amazon folks, and most here, seem to like the machine.
Initially when the DW735 first came out there was a problem with the knives and a problem with one of the drive sprockets. But those problems were fixed long ago. But the bad (old) raps still persist.
Jointerman,
Several years ago I had the same decision to make. I needed a finish planer. It would have been nice to also have a roughing planer. At the time I also needed the ability to make custom moldings for some plantation shutters I was making.
Since I only had the funds for one planer I chose the the Grizzly planer/molder combo machine: http://www.grizzly.com/products/13-Planer-Moulder/G1037Z
It's a cast iron machine with an induction motor and it has replaceable gears to run at a slower feed rate for very smooth planing or creating moldings. It also seem to be to be more substantial then the portable machines.
Well, I finally bit the bullet today and went for the DeWalt 735. I decided that I don't hog enough wood to need anything heavier... yet.
I've only had a chance to do a couple of passes through the planer, but it's so much easier to adjust than my old DW-733. I still need to get the extension tables as my tool guy didn't have them.
Thanks for all the opinions!
Home Depot has Dewalt 735 planers on deep discount $279.00 in western New York. Call ahead to save yourself a trip. Many stores are already empty. Good luck.
Yeah. A friend bought one at Home Depot for $279 out here in San Jose this past weekend. Of course he's rubbing it in that he got it for $279. Someone else reported $279 at the Home Depot in Maui.
If there selling them for $279, it sounds like a clearance sale. So maybe does Dewalt have a Dw736 coming out and they are trying to get rid of the old models?
I have had a 3hp High Output Jet 15" planer for several years and have been really happy with it (running several thousand feet through it, including a 19' long 6x14"), but besides it being impossible to move it has a tough time delivering a great finish on thin pieces. After watching the Doug Stowe box making videos I decided I had to try out a bench top model. Of Course the 735 always has great reviews so that is what I wanted.
After reading about the $279 sales at Home Depot I called every store around to no avail, and then broke down and bought one new off a guy who picked one up at Home Depot. I paid $400 on Craigslist. This is the BEST $400 I have ever spent on tools. I was blown away at the cut quality right out of the box and even without the extension tables. I have planed very heavily figured maple with knots galore to almost a mirror finish on the high cut rate setting, figured walnut, yakal (incredibly hard and dense - like ipe) mahogany and more. It is awesome, even with 6" short pieces. The dust ejector is so powerful that a couple of nights ago I was running some boards and I did not know that I for got to hit the remote for my 1100 cfm dust collector, when I looked at the DC to see if it was on the, dw735 it had inflated the bags while running through 20' of hose, a cyclone Chip seperator and back into the DC. If doing fine work it gives amazing results.
Below is a picture of a partial completed box that I used the DW735 on. The main of the box started as a lumber yard scrap that was so warped and twisted it looked like you could almost get nothing usualble out of. I was able to get a 3/8" piece and a 1/4" thick piece from 5/4 stock. The top is claro walnut that had a pretty bad cup to it. I thought the fade was interesting. These needed little sanding to get them to the sheen they are currently. The finish is only sandind sealer right now, it is getting 4 coats of laquer.
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