DeWalt 733 - Rollers stopped moving

[Dwain Lambrigger]

Help! I have a DeWalt 733 planer that I have been using to thinkness some doug fir. I was running one piece through, and the rollers stopped. The cutterhead still spins just fine, but I can't get up and in there to see if something has jammed. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Robert Payne]

Dwain,

In all likelihood, you have broken one of the small sprockets on the rear roller that transfers power from the left end of the cutter head to the rollers (a second set of sprockets and chain then drive the front compression roller). Best news is they are cheap - $3.21 each. You can order them online at DeWalt ServiceNET (http://www.dewaltservicenet.com/Products/DocumentView.aspx?productid=5505&typeId=3438&documentId=323) or go to a Black & Decker/DeWalt Service Center and they usually have them is stock (there is a store locator at the DeWalt ServiceNet (http://www.dewaltservicenet.com) home page). It is part #38 on the diagram. Been there, done that.

[Larry Frank]

I had the same thing happen with mine. Initially, it broke one of the sprokets. I replaced it and then found that the rollers would not turn. I traced this to the bearing blocks being bound up. I used some penetrating oil very lightly and slowly worked the bearings free. I then used a very small amout of machine oil and it has worked fine since then. Do not use too much oil as it will attract dust and make the situation worse. I did buy the new bearing blocks and will install them when I have time.

[Dwain Lambrigger]

OK,

What kind of effort is the repair? The manual has an exploded view of the machine. Do I start by removing the top and working down?

Sorry for what is probably a stupid response, but I have never worked on these types of machines before.

Thanks,

Dwain

[Wayne Cannon]

Sprocket replacement is almost trivial.

[Larry Frank]

I think that you are best off taking the side off to see the sprockets and bearing blocks. From there, you can use the exploded diagram and figure out what to do next. Take your time and make certain that you keep parts separate and labeled. You may also want to take a couple of digital pictures as you take things apart. These can be very valuable when putting it back together. Every job is trivial after you have done it one or more times. The first time is always the difficult one.