DeWalt planer - a real Hummer

[Jerry Crawford]

My DeWalt 735R arrrived on Friday. Two days shipping time from Tool King in Denver and a heck of a good price - under $400 to my door. I opted for the factory refurbished model and saved many more bucks. I am really impressed with this thing.

Out of the box it is a hefty 92 pounds which pushes the threshold of "portability" but I like that mass because the tool won't get shoved around when I start pushing planks through. It's also squat like a GM Hummer so it's not tipy like some of the other planers on the market. The other thing I was impressed with is the chip extractor and blower system. I've never seen another portable planer with this detail. The chips are vaccumed up inside and litterly blown across the shop up to 10 feet from the planer. I'm going to need a high volume chip collector to keep up with this thing.

This is the first NEW power tool I've owned in about fifteen years and I'm well pleased with it.

[Warren White]

Hi Jerry,
I bought the Dewalt 735 also, after waiting for some time for it to come out. I had heard rumors about it and when I saw it at my local Woodcraft dealer I got one of the first.

I too have been very impressed with it. No problems at all; snipe is minimal if any. (I had one of the original Delta 12" planers and it drove me crazy with horrible snipe. I tried everything to overcome it, but I finally gave it away.)

Very nice piece of equipment that you will only grow to love as you get more and more use out of it.

Good buy!
Warren

[Jerry Crawford]

yeah - I had the same snip experiences with a Delta 12" several years ago. I picked it up in a Pawn Shop and thought the snip problem was a function of age and machine wear. I went to a lot of time /trouble to build IN/OUT feed tables for that thing but I was never really happy with it.

[Greg Heppeard]

I've got the 735 also. I got the I/O tables and adjusted them with a slight upward tilt, now closest to no snipe as possible. I also opted to get the planer stand too, I'm really glad I did, don't have to horse that thing all over the shop.

[Allen Bookout]

Jerry, I have been interested in a planner and noticed your post. What do you know about Dewalt reconditioned products? If they are as good as new I would go for it but have not had any experience with their recondidioned products except that I just received a Dewalt reconditoned brad nailer but have not had time to see if it will hold up or not. Thanks! Allen

[Jerry Crawford]

Allen, I've been a big advocate of factory reconditioned tools for a number of years. I've had a shelf of Milwaukee hand tools I bought at the Milwaukee Tool outlet in Rochester NH. In my opinion factory recon's will work and last as well as new-in-the-box tools for a lot less money, especailly if you deal with name brand items. Generally, a recon'd tool has been checked out by a factory and stamped for resale and comes with a factory warranty just like a new tool. I didn't think twice about putting my money on a DeWalt recon planer

[Allen Bookout]

Thanks! Allen

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Generally Factory reconned tools are actually better than new. The reason that I say this is that they have been totally taken apart and any worn parts replaced with new. I used to have a dewalt drill and saw cordless combo that was reconned. Man that thing was great! I used it every day and just beat the crap out of it. It just kept on ticking. I finally gave it to a cousin when I got my current kit.

[Jerry Crawford]

mmmm,? well, I have to question the "better than new" term but you're right about the factory checkout. Especially if it's something like a planer or other tool that may have been used for a one week job and then returned carefully packaged back to some place like Big Box who has a very generous return policy. They can't sell used tools so they are sent back to the manufacturer for rehab. Then some place like Tool King in Denver buy's them up for resale either by on-line auctions or through their retail outlet. I just called up and put a buy on one. My delivered price was $398 and I see nationally advertised catalog prices of $540+.

[Scott Esbrook]

Real quick, what is "snipe" exactly? TIA

[Michael Ballent]

Real quick, what is "snipe" exactly? TIA

Snipe is the little divot that occurs as the wood either enters or exits the planer. It is mainly caused by the rollers of the planer shifting the wood. Some planers have none, others a lot, most are somewhere in between. Some folks just deal with it by feeding boards that are 2-4" longer than they need them and cut off the sniped part.

[Scott Loven]

Any one up for a snipe hunt?

[Michael Ballent]

Any one up for a snipe hunt?

I'd rather hunt jackalope :D

[Mike Stanton]

:D I have the 735 planer also.I got the inlet an outlet tables plus the stand. The blower for the chips has so much forcer that it sent chips past my trash can separter to my dust collector. I got an home made cyclone and it stoped that. Don't get the dust cover for the can. I does not work.On another board they had a talk about it. Nice planer also. I had a guy sharpened my blades when they got dull.the blades are 45 dollars or more. Mike

[Ellen Benkin]

The DeWalt is a terrific planer, but it has to be the loudest power tool I've ever used. I hope everyone who has one uses ear protection or you will be deaf by the time you finish a project. I've also used the Delta planer and find it much more manageable -- noisewise.

[Jerry Crawford]

That's probably a good point Ellen. Hearing safety is always a good idea.

Incidently, am I the only one who thinks this planer looks like a Hummer?

[Allen Bookout]

Ellen, How does the Delta planner compare to the Dewalt? What model Delta? I looked at the feedback from some owners at Amazon and it seemed like some of them were having in feed problems. Allen