Makita or Dewalt 735 planer?

[JoAnn Duggan]

I have decided to get the planer instead of the drum sander thanks to the great advice I received from this forum. Now I need your opinions on which one. I have been looking at the Dewalt 735 and the Makita Planer. Any one have either of these two bench top planers?

[Sam Murdoch]

I have the Makita 2012 nb. I have used many thickness planers in a professional setting over 35 years and this little planer stands up to all of them. It is a very good shop machine, for all the things I wrote in your earlier thread.

[Jerry Thompson]

I have the DW 735 and love it. I should add I had a Delta lunch box for several years prior. Comparing the two is not fair. The Delta did give me years of trouble free preformance as has the DW.

[Greg Peterson]

+1 for the Makita. Hard to imagine a better unit. Have used a 735 and think that unit is fine too.

[Charles Lent]

I have the DW735. I bought it because snipe is almost non-existent. It produces very smooth cuts and the faint snipe line (if you can find it at all) can be sanded out with a couple of swipes of 150 grit sandpaper.

Charley

[Cary Falk]

I don't have either of them. The Makita is reported to be the quietest and the DwWalt the loudest.

[Bobby O'Neal]

I have the 735 but its the only unit I have ever used. It works beautifully...... when the knives are sharp. Without sharp knives it really loses its abilities. Probably true for all units, I am sure. Its just a bit frustrating because the knives aren't cheap and I wish I could get more out of them.

Cons...

1. Loud. VERY loud.
2. Knife life seems low for the price.
3. Heavy. Not a big deal for me. It is on a stand and doesn't get moved. But it is heavy.

Pros...

1. Very consistent. Positive stops are helpful.
2. Snipe is almost non existent. I don't have the infeed/outfeed tables. I just feed with pressure up on both sides of the feed.
3. Chip ejection works very well. I have run it independent of any DC and it clears the mess decently on its own. I now have a separator in between it and my shop vac and it works well.
4. When the blades are in appropriate shape, the finish is very nice. Not finished, but nice. Tearout is minimal in standard domestics. I don't have much experience with exotics so I can't comment there.

Overall, a good machine I think. If I had it to do over I think I'd go another route. I spend $375 on mine, used. I'd put that towards something with a spiral head. I feel like that would eliminate my two biggest complaints. That is a big leap, I know. An affordable Grizzly 15" with a spiral head is $1650. That is nowhere near the same price range but I'd look into the used market or investigate installing a spiral head on the 735. That is something I still may do down the road.

[Mac McQuinn]

1212NB Makita, light, quite(relatively speaking) and accurate. My second Makita, it's a nicely finished machine I can carry to my outside shop space.
Mac

[Jack Lemley]

I have decided to get the planer instead of the drum sander thanks to the great advice I received from this forum. Now I need your opinions on which one. I have been looking at the Dewalt 735 and the Makita Planer. Any one have either of these two bench top planers?

+1 on the Dewalt 735. Great planer, loud and heavy but otherwise good. I have gotten pretty good use out of my blades though your mileage may differ. There are carbide blades available and of course the Byrd Shellix(spel?) spiral cutter head that is expensive but most 735 owners say it is a good upgrade, reduces noise and improves blade life considerably.

Jack