Dewalt Warranty Service Story

[Julie Moriarty]

The back story - A couple of weeks ago I called Dewalt for warranty service on a DW735. They emailed me a UPS label. They said it was good for 24 hours. I ran to the store, picked up a heavy duty box, packed the planer and lugged it to the UPS store. (If you thought they would have a driver pick up the 90 pound package, you were wrong.)

That was on August 6. UPS confirmed the Dewalt location in Jackson, TN received it on the morning of August 9.

As of this morning there hasn't been a peep out of Dewalt. So I called the 800 number. Before giving them my information, they already had it up on the screen (caller ID I guess). I told them I wanted to check on the status. The rep said it had been shipped to the service center in Tampa and she gave me their number and said she would send them an email requesting they call me on the status.

Not wanting to wait any longer, I called Tampa. The rep there had no record of receiving the planer, no record of my name, no record of my phone number. I told her what happened and she said, "Why would they send you a UPS label shipping it to Jackson, TN? They are just a call center." I told her not only did they email me the UPS label for TN but also sent in the mail two more labels for the same address. She was baffled and said I need to call TN back, get a tracking number, call her back and she'd get to the bottom of this.

I called TN and told the rep what Tampa said. She put me on hold for a few minutes. When she came back she said someone from TN sent it some other place and they they will have to ship me a new planer.

I called the lady in Tampa back to let her know and probably get a good laugh. It sounded like they'll have another story to add to their collection.

TN said the new planer will be shipped within 24 hours and delivered in 7-10 days.

[Nick Decker]

Sounds like you got lucky. Don't know if that'll solve your problems from the other thread, but at least you'll be starting from square one, with new knives to boot.

[Bruce Page]

It sounds like the right hand dosen't know what the left hand is doing. It's the world we live in today.
It looks like everything will work out for you in the end.

[Jon Nuckles]

Based on my own experience with DeWalt/Porter Cable customer service, it sounds like you were dealing with the A-team. I hope you receive the new 735 and that it gives you better service than the original. My 735 has given me much better service than you have experienced, and I think it is a capable lunch box planer. I usually advance by 1/32" per pass on full width stock, and have never had it bog down or trip the breaker. That is on maple, beech and white oak, so I can't imagine that your woods should trip the breaker at 1/100". Best of luck!

[glenn bradley]

Sometimes hiring the cheapest employees you can get to act as your direct interface with your customers works out in the customer's favor. We sent your planer to the Twilight Zone so we have to send you a new one :)

[Mike Henderson]

It sounds like a good outcome but I'd wait until you receive the new planer and run some wood through it. I hope you come back and give us a good report in a few days. Good luck!

Mike

[Julie Moriarty]

Mike, I am really conflicted about what to do. After the problems I had with the last one, I have little faith they won't reoccur. And that means I could end up selling it. Once I open the box and put the new planer to use, its resale value plummets.

But that JP seems a long way off, if the latest discussion we had about the purchase is any indication. To help pay for it I said I'd sell the new planer, the PM701 mortiser and the two Strats I made. Hardly registered a blip on the radar other than don't sell the guitars.

It hasn't been much of a love affair with the DW735. Right out of the box, the noise blew me away, much louder than the Delta 22-540 I had for ~20 years. I got rid of that because, even with new rollers, it wouldn't self-feed. But in a couple of months, the 735 started having the same problem. Then came the tripping and dropping head. I'd love to get rid of it and get a real planer, or even better a decent JP.

And roaming through the halls of my mind is the old saying, "It's easier to be forgiven than it is to get permission." Oh, boy...

[Jim Becker]

The 735 is very well known for being a "screamer"...right from when it was introduced. :) Loud is an understatement based on the one time I was near one that was running. (Not that my J/P is quiet in any way, shape or form and the sound level increases with DC air flow for some reason!)

'Glad about the outcome with Dewalt, however. It's good that they are replacing what they lost for sure.

[glenn bradley]

Right out of the box, the noise blew me away, much louder than the Delta 22-540 I had for ~20 years. I got rid of that because, even with new rollers, it wouldn't self-feed. But in a couple of months, the 735 started having the same problem. Then came the tripping and dropping head. I'd love to get rid of it and get a real planer, or even better a decent JP.

It really does sounds like your requirement may be more than the machine is designed for. I sold my DW734 to a lumber importer who had one and wanted another despite having larger planers in the shop. They run a variety of jatoba, koa, bloodwood and the like through the lunchbox machines relentlessly with good success.

Do you have infeed and outfeed support so that the planer is not subjected to the leverage of the material's weight? My dad lives a few miles from the pacific ocean and some rubbers and plastics will perform fine for some period of time and then suddenly and catastrophically fail. I wonder if the elements are playing into your machine troubles.

I'm just exploring possibilities. It would be a shame to spend big on a machine and have it fail as well due to something beyond the machine that we haven't identified.

[Mark Rainey]

I bought a Wen lunchbox planer last year. Worked nicely until I rammed 10 inch wide 10 foot boards thru it. It was a bit ridiculous looking with the boards overwhelming the machine. Then it wouldn’t feed & Wal-Mart gave me my $250 back. Got the Dewalt 735. Holding up for now, but I suspect if I ram 12 foot boards I am taking chances. As Glenn said above in feed & outfeed tables will help. I think big, wide hardwood boards just push the limit of this machine. There are individual experiences but the concensus here is that bigger machines exist for a reason.

[Randy Heinemann]

In this case, it's lucky for you that Dewalt's service and support systems have deteriorated. It gets you a new planer which, I would imagine will eliminate the problem of not maintaining the thickness you set. Hopefully the new planer will serve your needs for awhile longer. I know there have been times i've run a lot of oak or maple through the planer. While it may take a little longer than a heavier duty planer, the biggest problem I've noted is that I may have to get new knives or flip them. Other than that, the 735 does a fantastic job.

[Adam Chin]

Julie,

Thanks for sharing your experience with DeWalt with the DW735. Your post was very timely for me - thank you so much!

I'm new here on sawmill creek. About a week ago I started this thread (https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?267030-Buying-used-6%94-Jointer-amp-12%94-planers)

Now I'm realizing I shall not skimp on a new planer to by best ability ($). I've realized I should afford more, and the DW734 came into focus.
Yesterday, I was looking at the Home Depot brand's Ridgid R4331, and the appeal of the coverage seemed reasonable. But for $369 (R4331) to $399 for the DW734
seemed kind of a no brainer. I'm starting to think customer service for these heavy bits of machinery is all basically hit or miss.

Smoothness to me is key, and I don't need to put really wide large pieces thru as I'm a guitar builder.

391978

Anyway, thank you for giving me a bit more to ponder.

[Michelle Rich]

have you seen the 3hsp bare bones planer that grizzly has out? 950.00 I think...Just a suggestion as I have zero knowledge on how it performs.

[John C Cox]

The issues tripping the breakers may be an electrical system problem too.....

My current house was built in 1974 and I am in the process of replacing old worn out breakers. I am also getting ready to replace my AC sub panel as about half the contacts on the bus beneath the breakers are burnt.... That has caused me immense hang as that sub panel supplies my shop... and it had a tendency to single-phase me or overheat equipment when I least expected it....

[Jim Becker]

John, have you had a licensed electrician examine your electrical system? Given what you write, that might be a good idea, even if you opt to do any renovation work yourself just to be sure you don't miss something important to safety. I do all my own work, but if I was faced with what you describe, I'd get a professional opinion just in case.

[Jon Nuckles]

Adam: Don't confuse the DW734 you mentioned and the DW735 that Julie has (or had, now that UPS has delivered it to limbo). The 735 is a bit more expensive. While Julie has had nothing but trouble with her 735, there are many (including me) that are happy with theirs. It produces smooth results until the inevitable knife nicks start leaving tracks. One warning: it is an absolute screamer. Buy ear protection and be prepared for complaints from anyone nearby. I should note that I don't mean to disparage the 734. I have no experience with that unit. Just want to make sure you are aware of the difference.

John C. Cox: Julie is an electrician, so I expect that she eliminated that as a cause for her own problems!

[Julie Moriarty]

Just got an email from UPS. The planer is coming tomorrow. Let's see what kind of emotions it stirs up when it's in hand. Considering the bad marriage thus far, I'm not sure I'll be in a forgiving mood.

As far as the problems with the breaker tripping, Jon is correct - I replaced the panel and all breakers shortly after moving in and the feeds to the workshop are all new (wiring, devices, etc). Two 120v circuits dedicated for the machines and one dedicated only for the DC.

[Adam Chin]

Adam: Don't confuse the DW734 you mentioned and the DW735 that Julie has (or had, now that UPS has delivered it to limbo). The 735 is a bit more expensive. While Julie has had nothing but trouble with her 735, there are many (including me) that are happy with theirs. It produces smooth results until the inevitable knife nicks start leaving tracks. One warning: it is an absolute screamer. Buy ear protection and be prepared for complaints from anyone nearby. I should note that I don't mean to disparage the 734. I have no experience with that unit. Just want to make sure you are aware of the difference.

John C. Cox: Julie is an electrician, so I expect that she eliminated that as a cause for her own problems!

Hi Jon, agreed.

I'm interested in context to the level of service for Dewalt mainly. Having to return or get serviced a unit which such weight (734/735), and where I purchase one
is what I'm considering now.

I hope Julie gets a good 735 :)

Thanks, Adam

[Justin Ludwig]

I sent one of my Dewalt clutch drills to the wrong Dewalt location. It took a month, but they managed to get the drill to the right location (a mere 2.5 hour drive from my place) in Little Rock, AR. After speaking to the technician on the phone, he told me a short cut: just send your busted hand tools directly to us - no need to go through the warranty claim on the Dewalt site. He said they can tell a different in blatantly broken versus "wear and tear." They'll fix it and then call you for return shipping payment.

This is for HAND TOOLS ONLY

Dewalt
9600 Maumelle Blvd
N. Little Rock, AR 72113

Be sure to include all your contact info in the package.

[Jon Nuckles]

Hi Jon, agreed.

I'm interested in context to the level of service for Dewalt mainly. Having to return or get serviced a unit which such weight (734/735), and where I purchase one
is what I'm considering now.

I hope Julie gets a good 735 :)

Thanks, Adam

Thanks, Adam. I understand now. While I do like my DeWalt planer, I cannot recommend their customer service. DeWalt and Porter Cable share customer service now (I assume they are owned by the same company). I bought a Porter Cable drill press from Lowe's about a year ago and it had runout so bad that you could watch the chuck wobble. I called customer service to see if they could help and perhaps send out replacement parts. They said my only option was to send them the entire floor drill press at my expense for them to fix and then pay to have it returned. I just took it back to Lowe's and bought a good used Clausing. Not a good experience.

[Julie Moriarty]

Hi Jon, agreed.

I'm interested in context to the level of service for Dewalt mainly. Having to return or get serviced a unit which such weight (734/735), and where I purchase one
is what I'm considering now.

I hope Julie gets a good 735 :)

Thanks, Adam
While them losing my 735 and me needing to call them to learn this, from that point, the service was excellent. I spoke with the people at the Tampa service location three times. The first time was to explain the problems I'm having and find out how I send it to them. Tampa is a two hour drive from here so they said call the 800 number and get a shipping label. I received three, one by email right after calling the 800 number and two is regular mail a few days later.

The second time I spoke directly with Tampa service was to find out if they received my planer from the TN location is was originally shipped to. The lady I spoke with was very helpful. She's been there 25 years and said the majority of people at that location have been there 20 years or more. That speaks well for the company.

The third time I called Tampa was to tell them what happened to my planer, figuring they would get a good laugh. The lady there told me should I ever have problems in the future to call her and she'd make sure it was handled properly.

From that experience I'd rate Tampa service highly but their 800 people not so much. But their incompetence got me a new planer. It just arrived. I was wondering if they would send the 735X (includes the extension tables and extra set of knives), which is what I originally ordered, but they sent the 735. Good thing I kept the extension tables.