DW734 knives

[Mitchell Ristine]

Questions on the knives for the DW734. It's cutting board season and I am about to put in the second set of knives after 10 boards. I am wondering if tne name brand HHS knives are better than the knockoffs. Also, are the carbide knives worth the extra $$$.

Please don't tell me to get the Byrd. I am not in a position to buy that right now.

[Mel Fulks]

Pay no attention to brand. Much of the stuff sold as HSS is not high speed ,it's kinda like it. Get the the specific grade. Insist on REAL M2 or better.

[Mike Manning]

Great question Mitchell! I'll be following along to see what people offer up.

[Mike Manning]

I have a DW735 and this is a good question for anyone who owns a planer and is still using knives. I'm surprised and disappointed there hasn't been much response to Mitchell's question. Mel states a lot of stuff sold as HSS isn't. I didn't know this. Anyone else care to comment?

Who sells the real stuff and what's best?

[glenn bradley]

Something is wrong here. I ran a DW734 for years and the knives lasted quite a long time. So long that I sold a couple new sets I never got to when I sold the planer. The knives are double sided so are you saying you burned through both sides in 10 boards? If so, we need to figure that out ;-) What is the material, how much per pass, were the blades new when you started and all that?

[Mel Fulks]

Mike,this has come up a number of times . You might want to look at some old threads. While back someone here said that that a premium steel set for your machine was going to be on the market. I can't remember the specifics. Since the knives are thin and the feed rate slow, heat is an issue, heat resistance is an important part of real high speed steel.
If there are no real HS knives available ,carbide knives might be the only answer. Even the large planers are usually sold with low grade. The advent of spiral heads is largely a result of tear out problems. By selling unsuitable dishonestly labeled steel good small machines are intentionaly kept "entry level".

[Mike Manning]

Mike,this has come up a number of times . You might want to look at some old threads. While back someone here said that that a premium steel set for your machine was going to be on the market. I can't remember the specifics. Since the knives are thin and the feed rate slow, heat is an issue, heat resistance is an important part of real high speed steel.
If there are no real HS knives available ,carbide knives might be the only answer. Even the large planers are usually sold with low grade. The advent of spiral heads is largely a result of tear out problems. By selling unsuitable dishonestly labeled steel good small machines are intentionaly kept "entry level".

I guess I've missed those discussions Mel. Very disappointing to read. I find it hard to believe no one is selling good blades for these lunchbox planers. Please say it ain't so!!!!

[Mel Fulks]

Kramer says: it's so !! Jerry ! It's so!!

[brian platt]

When I had a DW735, I found the DeWalt knives tended to nick rather easily. I found aftermarket knives to hold-up better and provided a smooth surface longer than the OEM knives. Infinity tools makes both HSS and carbide knives for the 734 & 735. I have not used their knives, but I have been satisfied with their router bits and other products. Here is a link:

https://www.infinitytools.com/jointing-planing/jointer-planer-knives/dewalt-dw734-and-dw735-planer-knives-2904

[Roger Marty]

Are you running end grain cutting boards through a DW734? I thought that was a huge no no.

[Mitchell Ristine]

Edge grain.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?191912-Carbide-Tipped-Planer-Knife-Set-for-DeWalt-DW735

I use carbide tipped knifes in my 735. I bought them from Holbren. Current link is (https://www.holbren.com/Titan_Knife_PKH-12800-C) no idea if these are the same as I have since they last me for so long.

The 735 blades are probably different form the 734, so, do not order those I linked above. I did not immediately see carbide tipped for the 734, but...

https://www.infinitytools.com/jointing-planing/jointer-planer-knives/carbide-tipped-knives-for-dewalt-734-planer-3-pc

They work well for me, but I am also not planing end grain.

[lowell holmes]

I bought Infinity knives. I am completely satisfied with them.

[Jamie Buxton]

Just to clarify, HSS is a class of steels, not a single material. High Speed Steel just means a steel which holds its edge to a higher temperature than simple carbon steel. Holding an edge at higher temperature is useful if you're machining metal. It also may be useful if you're milling wood with power tools. Buying HSS almost never makes economic sense for handheld wood tools, like hand planes. HSS is made by adding any of several alloying elements to carbon steel -- chromium, vanadium, molybdenum, cobalt, and others. Different alloys have different properties. Some offer better shock resistance. Some offer higher temperature resistance. The downside to HSS is that it costs more than carbon steel. There are standardized high speed steels. Two of the common standard ones in woodworking tools are M2 and M42. Of those two M42 is usable to a higher temperature, is supposedly less prone to chipping, and is more expensive.

If your supplier is telling you only that his knife is HSS, he's like a restaurant telling you that they're serving "meat". More information is usually desirable.

[Mitchell Ristine]

I am also not planing end grain.

Me neither