Dewalt 20v Max* Xr Brushless Cordless Planer, Tool Only
Actually got this, and a bench top drill press and made $100. A big draw for me was that there are no worries about sharpening or replacing knives – just rotate individual cutterhead. The Shelix cutterhead is a premium 3rd party upgrade. It’s completely optional, and the added cost seems inline with how much it costs to step up from plain knives to helical-style insert cutters in larger woodworking machines. The potential benefits of a Shelix head include 1) reduced snipe tear-out, especially in figured woods, 2) longer-lasting sharpness, 3) easier cutting edge rotation and replacement.
I haven’t changed knives yet, but byrd makes a shelix head for the 744; depending on how long I get from the knives I might make the switch next year. I just put a garbage can behind the planer stand and sweep up whatever the can doesn’t catch. I also had to switch the blades but don’t remember it being that much of a pain. Other than that I agree with you, especially about the noise.
Its carriage lock is also a four-column lock that keeps the lumber in place for a smooth cut to avoid snipe. The depth capacity is 6 inches and it has a maximum depth of cuts of 1/8 inches in one pass. When you get the DW735X, you get infeed and outfeed tables and an extra set of planer knives to go dewalt tools along with it. One of the unique features the DeWalt DW735 Planer has is two feed speeds – one meant for quick thickness planing and the other for detailed finishing. Speed 1 slows the automatic feed, allowing the blades to cut the workpiece 179 times per inch which leaves a nice smooth finish.
These DeWalt planers use a brushed motor with a 20,000RPM no-load speed. The gearbox work on a 15Amp current and a 120V connectivity which allows you to use it comfortably on a regular home connection. The brushes are easily accessible and replaceable for the longest motor service. The planner weighs 92lbs, good for stability but bad for transport as you need an extra hand to move it around.
It is engineered more like a stationary planer, built around four threaded rods over which the head moves up and down. Based on the specifications, the DW733 and DW734 don’t seem to differ that much from the DW735. They have about the same capacity, the same power, and are only slightly lighter dewalt accessories than the DW735. The only significant difference is that the DW733 has two resharpenable blades, while the DW734 has three, two-sided, disposable blades. With a dust assisted dust ejection and dust port, you can easily handle and contain all the dust produced while working with the planer.