Yet another thread on portable planers..
Hey all,
First of all, this is my first time posting here in Knots. I usually just lurk over here, however I stay active over on Breaktime. My name is Nick and amongst “dabbling” in Paramedicine I run a small company specializing in finish carpentry and in-shop and on-site architectural woodworking/cabinetmaking.
My reason for posting is I’m on the market for a new portable “lunchbox” planer and right now I’m split between the Makita 2012 and the DeWalt 735. I like a lot about both planers and lately the reviews seem to favor the DeWalt by a long shot. I’ve heard an AWFUL lot of good about the Makita planer and personally prefer Makita equipment. Any thoughts to sway me either way? The planer will be used both on site and in the shop, however the weight of either machine isn’t too big of an issue for me. I’m also not planning on hogging off any more than 1/16 of an inch in a pass. I’d love to be able to get a stationary planer in the 15 to 20 inch range but that’s not in the cards for another few years.
In any case, I’m looking forward to hearing what people have to say.
Thanks,
Nick
Replies
Nick:
I have the Makita, so I may be biased. But my story: I first purchased the Delta planer and used it for several months when I put some birch through it for a table top. After several passes, the bearings gave on me...it was dead. It had a few other problems, so I never bothered to revive it.
Picked up the Makita, then saw the Dewalt and lusted after that one because it looks so much better, and had bigger capacity. OK, this is going to sound dumb, but I started to really abuse the Makita 'cause then I would be my excuse to get the Dewalt. Five years of abuse later, the Makita is still going strong. You can't kill it. And it performs as good now as the first day. I do WW full time now, and it never fails. Just last month I replaced the knives, and the tools that come with it to assist in this task are VERY well thought out. There is a reason this planer is at the high end for its class..it has quality components where it counts.
Down side, the dust hood is an expensive accessory, and it's only 3".
The Makita just keeps looking better and better. Particularly when I add in the lower cost of both the planer and the knives. Might order it tomorrow... we'll see.
Nick,
You won't get a very good comparison from me - I've never even looked at the Makita. I did a quick search of the net and couldn't determine how many blades the Makita has (the DeWalt is the only portable planer I know of that has 3). I own the DeWalt and am very happy with it. The dust collection is excellent and design is well though out. I have been very happy with everything I have ever bought by both Makita and DeWalt.
Chris @ flairwoodworks
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
I believe the Makita still has only 2 blades. Most other manufacturers (SC, Delta, etc.) have switched to 3, with two speeds, so the DW has some company. Many of them also have some kind of chip collection independent of a DC, though for the SC you have to buy a separate collector.
Jim
I have the Delta 12" now. In the past I have had the Ryobi 12" (sold it). And while working for a lumber yard in college used a Makita 12". All 3 of these units are basically the same. I have not pushed the Delta hard. But the Ryobi I first bought was used alot when I was making simple furniture to sell at my mothers store. The Makita we had at the lumber yard was definately abused by persons who relly didn't care about its longevity. It was still going just fine when I finally left after 3 1/2 years. The one thing is, I think I am getting more snipe with the Delta than my old Ryobi. But that could just be poor memory as there is 15 years in between one and the other.
Of course right after I bought the Delta several years ago, DW came out with the 13" 2 speed, and I was just banging my head. Had they both been out at the same time. I wold have definately gone with DW. Just for the added 3 blade knife and 2 speed.
I too am looking for a portable planer. Have read tons of material on both the Delta and Dewalt and they both are great and then not so great. Both have pros and cons depending on who is writing the review. Have you considered moving up a bit and looking at a Woodmaster. I understand they are suppposed to be really good, have not heard a bad report on them at all, except they are a bit pricey. Am interested in other comments you receive from some of the others regarding their experiences with either Delta or Dewalt. Good luck and let us know what you chose.
I've had the DW-735 for a little over a year now and really like it a lot. I think the earlier ones had issues with blades not lasting very long but I have not experienced it with mine but I must confess that I avoid knots as much as possible/practical. All told I've run about 200 bf through it of all kinds of different woods but mostly cherry, birch, hard maple and some pine.
Little to no snipe. What snipe I have had was due to a duh or three on my part. The surface comes out very smooth; I take light cuts of approx 1/16", no more. It's not a hog for thicknessing as far as I'm concerned but rather a finishing planer for me anyway.
The chip ejection system works like a power sprayer! It'll spew small shavings all over the place! That's a good thing by the way. If ya have chickens it works great for relining the nests; the horses don't like the noise. :-)
I'd buy one again in a heartbeat, but I don't think I'll have to though.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I have the 12" Delta and think it has excessive snipe. Admittingly I have not played with the infeed / outfeed tables to see if this helps any. But anything more than a 1/4 turn of the handle gives unacceptable snipe (let alone what the manual says is max cut). If it were to me I would not buy it again. Within 6 months of buying it the DW came out and I seriously considered giveing it to my father-in-law and buying the DW. Now I have moved and have the shop space for a full sized unit so that will be the direction I go when I finally do pull the trigger on a new planer. The Delta will be given to my wifes father.
12 years ago I bought a 10 inch Ryobi 2nd Hand. It was probably 7 or 8 years old. I have gone thru 3 belts and sharpened the blades twice. I keep hoping the thing will die so I can buy a new, wider planer. The thing is indestructible. Are the new Ryobis like this?
I too have the Delta 12" planer. I can't complaint too much...but a little.
The hand straps used to move & carry the unit are too snug and
awkward to grab. As of late I am having trouble with boards actually
stalling (getting stuck & stopping) as I try to feed the wood thru.
Often (very) the boards shift diagonally once fed into the machine.Not sure what the problem is. I've cleaned the darn thing top to
bottom & it still happens on occasion. I make it a habit to only
take light passes - so I'm not sure what the issue is. The unit is
approx. 9 years old and gets low to moderate use.FWIW.Bill-
Take a look at the Tool Guide on Fine Woodworking. We recently finished a test of benchtop planers. You can read the editor's reviews of individual products, reader reviews--even add your own review. here's a link:
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ToolGuide/ToolguideDirectory.aspx?dir=Planers
David Heim
Managing Editor
FineWoodworking.com
Dear Nick,
I am a contractor and use these things to make my living. I have little patience for things that don't work. My onsite trio are the Tablesaw, Compound Miter Slide Saw, and 12" Planer. I mainly do interiors with some cabinetry thrown in as well. I typically work in older homes where the old materials were dimensioned differently than modern materials, therefore, we mill an awful lot of the materials that we install. I got to the point where I was burning out one Delta planer a year, until I bought the Makita. That was, perhaps 10 years ago and the d#*%n thing still won't die. I have run miles of maple, cherry, Brazilian cherry, Ipe, pine, oak, the works and it just goes. The blades are reasonable, the finish is great and the machine is very uneventful, it just does its job, period.
Best,
John
Edited 2/15/2008 7:53 pm ET by Jmartinsky
I've got the Makita 2012 model where the table elevates to the cutter head. How's that for old! It still keeps going and going and going! I'm wondering if it will ever die. Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Dear Bones,NICE! I was planning on killing this one and then upgrading to a 15" for the shop. I might have to forgo that plan as this one shows no sign of demise yet. Outstanding tool.Best,John
Nick,
I've owned two 734's (not 735's) and now have a 2012. The 734's were good for about 100 hrs of operation. Then they both died. The 734's often overheated and shut down if they ran more than a half an hour at a time. My 2012 has been around about a year. I've planed about 1200 LF of hardwood, and just changed the blades for the 1st time. It has never shut down during continual use, and I often plane a couple hundred LF at a time. I think you'll be happier with the 2012. I know I am.
GRW
Hi Nick, I own the 735 and really like it. The only problem I ever had (2 years) is I put a piece of highly figured ash with several tight knots through and it blew apart. a piece apparently got caught up and grabbed a roller drive chain and a small sprocket broke (right side). I went to the DW web site and ordered a $3.00 sprocket and fixed it myself in about 10 minutes. No problems.
If my shop burned down tomorrow (God forbid) I would replace the DW 735 with another one with no questions asked. I really love the thing. Plenty of power and the 2 speeds for dimensioning and fine cuts are great.
I added the Wixey digital gauge recently too which was really just for OOHs and Aahhhs. The simple scale that comes with it works fine and is easy to read.
I HIGHLY recommend the DeWalt. I have very little experience with Makita but do know they have the reputation of making a good product. But there you go.
Brian
Where did you get the Wixey digital gauge ?
Hmmm...ordered alot of things lately. Pretty sure it was Woodcraft but I just checked there and it was $59.00 and I believe I paid 44.99 so either it was on sale at the time or I got it elsewhere. Either way it's a good addition for the planer. Especially if you are concerned about really getting down there in cutting height. Great when you just want to take a hair off. I would recommend it. And its pretty easy to install. You do have to drill a couple small 10/24 sheet metal screws through the stock scale( on the DW735 ) which is simple enough and then just attach the gauge and calibrate it. Plus it looks really really cool which, of course, is the whole idea right? Seriously tho, I would get one.
And again, I'm hoping you pick the De Walt. You won't be sorry.
Heres the link on the gauge:
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=5330&cs=5894&pcs=fam
Brian
Oh..one more thing. Couple of others that have the 735 and the gauge advised to used pop rivets to install the gauge instead of screws which is a great idea. I will probably reattach mine that way.
Brian
I love my Makita. It has given me several years of trouble free service. It does a great job planing anything I throw at it - cherry, walnut, hard maple - never a complaint. As for 2 versus 3 cutters, I would ask why three are better is the quality fo the planed surface is excellent on the Makita. It's like those razors wars between Gillette and Schick wher every year they add another blade to the head and claim superiority to the poin that razors now have 6 blades or some such! Number of blades is a red herring if you ask me - the question is the surface produced due to the cutting action of those blades as they are spun at a given rpm etc. And the Makita blades are easy to get and east to change out.
The Delta may bea great machine too, I've never used one.
Well hopefully you haven't already bought one, here is my data. I have a DW735, before that I had a DW733. Never owned a Makita anything. Don't dislike Makita, just never bought anything of theirs yet.
I think the thing with snipe is that it really depends on your specific machine. My 733 had no snipe until it started to die, the 735 has given me snipe from day 1. I've tried all sorts of things, but I cannot stop the snipe on it. I don't think people can make definitive statements about a particular model of planer, only about the specific machine they have. I believe it is totally hit or miss, you won't know till you run your first piece of wood through it. Sorry.
The chip collection is outstanding with the built in chip extractor, connected up to my crappy 4" system it literally blasts the lid off my trash can separator! Very little in the way of stray chips escape.
I hate that the blades have to be replaced. I know that it's a wash in terms of cost, I just hate the 'razors and razorblade' model of doing business. Printers and ink are the same thing. Now Dewalt's blade factory in China scoops up all the money instead of my local sharpening shop.
The blades also dull quite quickly. I have not found any difference with the replacement blades from Infinity, in any case they are MORE expensive than the DW OEM ones!
Unbelievably noisy. Easily the noisiest machine in my home shop. By far.
Well built, well designed. Access to the cutterhead for blade changes is a breeze. Obviously changing 3 blades instead of 2 takes 50% longer though
Would I buy another? If I was in the market for another lunchbox planer, I would still do the research. Tie goes to Dewalt though.
Dan
Hi Dan,
the 735 has given me snipe from day one
I've had mine for a little over a year and the only time I had any snipe was the first few times I used it. I wasn't feeding the stock correctly - holding onto the board and held too high. Not sure why it did that, but I haven't had any problems since. Still one the original blades after about 400'. Yeah that's not much but I really like mine too.
I did get the fold down wings for it about a year later but I can't say as they've improved it al all. The other night I ran about 80' thru it for some stepped crown molding and they came out spot on. Was using the TS for an outfeed.
You may be right about the hit or miss thing. Doesn't speak too highly about DWs QC does it?
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 2/16/2008 9:39 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Dan,
I've got the DW735 and never have had any problems with snipe as long as I am paying attention. I don't use any accessory tables. I just apply upwards pressure when feeding and receiving stock until it contacts or clears both rollers.Chris @ flairwoodworks
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Well, thank you all for your responses. Things have taken a slightly different spin, and if all goes well I will be picking up a lightly used Delta DC-380 stationary planer in the next few days. As I have gone over the features and pros/cons of all the portable planers I have found myself more and more discontent with what they will do for me. I rarely if ever utilize a thickness planer on the jobsite - I definately see its uses, just haven't found a real need for it - and lately I am more frequently prefabricating EVERYTHING in the shop. Should the need arise down the road, I'll pick up a Makita 2012, but for the mean time the Delta should more than meet my needs until I get a bigger shop space and room for a nice 20" model.
Thanks again,
Nick
I don't think you will be disappointed with a stationary planer. Track down the back issue of FWW that had the article (might have been by Robert Vaughn, 10, 15 yrs ago?) on how to tune them up, then you should be good for many happy linear feet of trouble free planing. As a bonus, your planer is likely to have an induction motor in it, which will be far quieter than the universal motor in a lunchbox planer.
I don't think I will be disappointed either. Lunchbox planers have their place, but for my needs they just have too many drawbacks to be my go-to planer for everything. I have run a few older RC-33s that I have always been impressed with. Newer Delta equipment doesn't impress me too much, but I've heard pretty good things about the DC-380 so I'll give it a go. I will try to find that article as well, I'm sure I'll be giving this a good tuneup as soon as I get it home.
Now just to find a matching Unisaw... hehehe.
August 1994 #107 Page 72 Getting Peak Planer Performance by Robert VaughanGreat article.
Yeah, it's actually frustrating, as I generally work with shorter stock, so the percentage of waste is higher, or I need to spend a lot of time cleaning up with a handplane afterwards. I've tried adjusting the #$%^ thing until I am blue in the face. I bought the infeed and outfeed tables for it. I've tried lifting the wood up with varying degrees of force. I've tried the Infinity blades. I've tried using a sled. And I ALWAYS pay attention!The only thing which seems to work is to feed in sacrificial pieces immediately in front of and behind the piece I am planing. That way the snipe lands on the sacrificial pieces. Anyways, I don't want to hijack Mr. Squash's thread anymore. Snipe is a topic that deserves an entire forum of its own!!Dan
I have had the Delta 12 1/2 planer for 7-8 years. Not one problem. Have probably run 1K bd ft of cherry, walnut, maple, oak & popular thru it. On my 2nd set of blades now. I don't "hog" w/ it, 1/16 max. I here a lot on Knots of people w/ problems w/ Delta tools. Not me!! Guess i've lucked out, cause most of mine are Delta.
James
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