Dewalt Heavy Duty Thickness Planer
We knew that the 1×8 Poplar at a maximum cut depth would tax the power of these planers. We also wanted to see how the different hardwoods would exercise the planer capacity. The graphic above shows the no-load feed rate for each machine along with the feed rates of each machine for each sample of wood.
Thankfully I stocked up as they’ve gone up a good bit since. However, I had to send the first planer back due to a quality control issue at the factory. The belt pullys were misaligned and ate the belt in about 10 minutes. The second one has been good, but I’m done with Delta as their quality has definitely gone down hill lately.
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The power difference was clear during the planing operations as it didn’t seem to care what we ran through it. But it’s important to note if you’re going to buy the DEWALT DW735X you MUST have a dedicated 20A circuit as it’s not going to run well on a 15A circuit. We’re not going to rank this category as we feel a bench-top shop tool like this will always require some setup and fine tuning. Of the 8 planers Makita definitely has the best system for making those adjustments.
I ended up doing everything in speed 2 because I thought the finish in speed 2 was perfect. Besides having a two speed gear box as a nice option, this machine uses three knives which is a great feature. Might be one of the reasons that speed two looks so nice. When I was looking for a thickness planer this one was the only one on amazon that didn’t have a some sort of major flaw like its competitors in the same price range. I have never had any issues with changing the knives i found them very easy to set especially compared to my jointer. As of right now I am on my second set of knives after owning the machine for 2 years.
It gives the wood a nice, smooth finish and the thickness is accurate. It’s heavy enough that it doesn’t jump around or vibrate excessively. You will get snipe with it unless your board is well supported at both the infeed and outfeed of the machine. That being said, even without that good support the snipe will only be on the last inch or so of the board and can sometimes be sanded out.
Snipe is a common problem in planers that occurs when wood passes through the planer and is only in contact with one of the two rollers on the way in or out. The nose or tail of the board lifts slightly, and the planer makes a deeper cut over the first or last few inches. Coming in at a whopping 92 pounds, this benchtop planer is the kind of tool that you put on a bench or stand and leave there. Coming in at a whopping 92 pounds, the DeWALT benchtop planer is the kind of tool that you put on a bench or stand and leave there. I have to blow directly into my shop vac, because the airflow from the planer blower pushes the top off of my dust separator. It’s a small price to pay for barely needing to clean up afterwards.
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As unlikely as it sounds, a thin film of wax on the support bed is essential for wood to pass smoothly through every planer I’ve used. This applies to the dozens of machines I’ve tested over the years, as well as the three different planers I’ve used personally in my own workshop. dewalt Hand tools Eventually, the wood stops feeding through properly without wax. Most woodworkers that I viewed online recommend upgrading the blades. There are many different replacement blade brands available, though I haven’t tried any so I can’t recommend one from personal experience.