dw 734 lunchbox planer knife setting "jig", and next jointer

[Bob Riefer]

Edit... lol, in title I meant "next planer"

I've been using a dewalt 734 lunchbox planer for years, and it's been performing fine. It absolutely screams (soooo loud) but hearing protection for the win.

Yesterday I installed a new set of knives for the first time in awhile, and it occurred to me how imprecise the plastic jigs (which come with the tool) are compared to all the care I have (little by little) learned to take everywhere else in the shop to get things right. I use precision measuring gauges to set jointer knives, 5 cut method to build a table saw fence, and then I eyeball these plastic / magnet thingies to install planer knives.

Now, I will say that the boards have always come out pretty darn uniform... If you were you compare two successive boards to each other in any orientation, they are same thickness. I think if I were to more precisely measure, I'd learn that they're pretty good (but not perfect).

All that to say this... Pretty much all my other tools are upgraded to the point of my skill set at this point (or beyond... since my skill set is decidedly a work in progress), and I have found myself wondering lately if something "better" would be a good investment soon.

When I went through this same thought process and moved from 6" to 8" jointer, I was amazed at the improvement to my work quality and productivity (and enjoyment). Would upgrading here be like that?

Some buddies have gone to the dw 735 and swapped in a different cutter... and like that a lot. Price there is modest.

I've seen others go further up into Grizzly 15" options (again with non-straight knife cutter)... that seems to be good too. Price still pretty modest.

Then, others go wayyy up to places I don't have space for, would be overkill (I think), and price no longer modest.


So I guess questions are:
- Is it nuts that I'm using those plastic jigs to set knives on the 734 (i.e. should I be doing it another way, or is it "good enough")?

- Would upgrading from lunchbox to something "bigger/better" bring a lot of gain (similar to when I went from 6 - 8" jointer, or from contractor to cabinet saw etc.)

- And, if yes... how much of an upgrade is really sensible for a highly active hobbyist / small time business that also sells to about 1 customer per month on average. (yes, I have all licenses, insurance etc.)

[Mike Kees]

Bob I am a bit confused here, does'nt your planer use the knives that have holes and line up on the "pins" on the cutterhead ? I own a 734 that works this way, had no idea DeWalt ever made them with a conventional straight knife set up. I just bought planer #5 and am done . If you buy a four post type machine get one of the ones with the motor underneath. Honestly though every machine I have bought has been a step up. The machine I now have is a Cantech 20'' machine with a segmented head and 5 horse motor,like most of my stuff it was used. I spent about 6 hours cleaning it up and saved 85% of the new cost for a machine that is functionally perfect. Did I mention I am very happy. If I could start all over again knowing what I know now and with tons more cash I would have started with this machine. Life did not work that way for me so it took a bit longer, just makes it more sweet in the end. If possible go as far up the food chain as you can afford when you upgrade. Good luck. Mike.

[Myles Moran]

I run a dw735. I considered the 734 when I bought it, but I found the 735 at a good enough price I went with that. I had also considered a bigger planer with a 3hp motor. The deciding point for me was that I don't have a drum sander, I don't see myself getting a drum sander and I don't know where I'd really fit one in my shop. So having a lunchbox planer with rubberized rollers for me was a more versatile machine since I can make very thin passes if I need to get something with a difficult grain surfaced (and I have done that successfully too). A lot of the big machines aren't really intended for that since they have the serrated roller(s).

[Andrew Hughes]

I miss having a lunch box planer. The powermatic hh planer I have isn’t all the great for small thinner boards. I can see now I should have kept my 735. To me it’s looking more like a ideal woodshop set up is a small bandsaw and a big bandsaw. Small planer big planer,small jointer big jointer.

[lowell holmes]

I bought the DW734 as it was $100 less than the DW735.
It does everything I need and I am happy with it. If you lift up when feeding a board into it you get no snipe.
I mounted mine on a wooden base and kept the box it came in that covers it when it is not in use. I have had it for about ten years.

[Dick Mahany]

I bought the DW734 as it was $100 less than the DW735.
It does everything I need and I am happy with it. If you lift up when feeding a board into it you get no snipe........................

My experience also. I started with a 733 2-knife planer but sold it after 10 yrs when I bought a combo J/P machine. After downsizing I was without a planer and purchased the 734 over the 735 due to favorable price. Other than the screaming loud motor, that machine is a joy to use and leaves a flawless finish. It stores compactly on top of a mobile shop cabinet and offers great performance in a small package that is right for my tight shop space.

[Alex Zeller]

I skipped the lunch box planer and went with the "buy my last planer first" mind set. Not wanting to deal with the loud noise and not wanting to think about upgrading I went with the 4 post planer with a segmented head and have no regrets. But it's large. Each time I roll it out to use it I realize just how big it is. A 15" might be a little smaller than the 20" but I bet it's still going to be much larger than what you have now. I wouldn't mind a good lunch box planer for those times when I need to do one or two boards. I suspect that when I move from my basement to my shop and don't need to move it that may not be the case. I usually plan my work out so it flows logically so I'm not switching back and forth between tools but every so often that's not the case or I'm doing something quick/ small. Not sure what your shop situation is but if room is something that enters into the decision then take a look at the over all size and weight (my 20" planer weighs something like 800 lbs). After reading about people having power issues with a Byrd head in the 735 I'm not sure if I would want to go that route but I would seriously think about keeping what you have now if you do upgrade and then decide a year or two from now if you still want to keep it.

[glenn bradley]

My DW 734 (circa 2002) had indexing pins. No "setting" required. The only reason I let it go was that I had moved into highly figured woods and wanted an insert head.

[Justin Rapp]

I also have a 734, purchased it in 2005 or so and also has indexing pins. It's served me well so far and as much as i'd love a 15" 3hp with spiral cutter head, i just don't have the space. I am strongly considering the 735 with a helical cutter head option.

[Bob Riefer]

Well, I learn a bunch on this site every week (thanks to you all of course!) and this one is a funny one... I've had my planer since about 2009 when a friend gave it to me for free. (he inherited a huge planer and felt it was good woodworking karma to help a new guy out). "Enjoy the DW 734!!" he said.

All these years later, I just learned that what I have is actually the DW 733 (2 one-sided knives that can be re-sharpened vs. the 3 knife setup of the 734).

haha, I never even thought to question his statement or look into it more deeply until now. Sorry for the confusion on that!


So, this should clear up my first question around setting the knives... the 733 comes with two plastic/magnetic "jigs" for setting the knives. The knives are spring loaded so that you can adjust them. So, my thought is that the jigs probably don't set the knives all that precisely.


Those of you that have the 734... the reference pins you mention eliminate the need to set at all on your model. That's nice, and would seemingly be more accurate than what I'm currently doing. But upgrading from 733 > 734 seems like a micro step forward overall perhaps.

Upgrading from 733 > 735, with the Byrd Shelix head seems interesting. More robust machine (from what I read), better cut. This is my first time learning about the Byrd Shelix... looks to me like the advantages are numerous. Many, smaller knives (vs. fewer long knives) means that fixing a nick means addressing just one insert (not a long knife). Seems as though the inserts can rotate so you can get 4 lives out of each one. And, it looks to me like there's no adjusting needed - install the insert where it fits, and done. Do I have it right?

One of the replies talked about space/size and fitting a larger machine into the workshop. My current planer location is pretty ideal and I wouldn't want to move it as that would require an extensive reorganization and DC re-do. Not interested in all that. I could fit a big machine in this location, but it would eliminate useful storage that is currently underneath my planer. I think something in the size of the 735 would fit right in and keep my storage.

Another reply mentioned people having "power issues" with 735 and Byrd head... I'll go research that a bit now.

[Myles Moran]

Your understanding of the inserts is spot on. I'll say that my jointer has a cutter head with those and I haven't had to move a single one yet while I've gone through both sides of the blades on my planer in that same time (with plenty of nicks on the planer blades)

Just to add some more confusion to your search, infinity makes carbide blades for the 734/735 that drop right on the existing cutterhead. No major power tool surgery, the price point is better than the byrd, but you do still have a straight knife. Between the cost and the power issues I'll probably be buying a set of those once I've worn through the set of blades on my 735.

[Tom Bain]

I miss having a lunch box planer. The powermatic hh planer I have isn’t all the great for small thinner boards. I can see now I should have kept my 735. To me it’s looking more like a ideal woodshop set up is a small bandsaw and a big bandsaw. Small planer big planer,small jointer big jointer.

This! I have an industrial 20" 5HP planer and a DW734. I probably use them almost equally.

[Bob Riefer]

I'm deep into the Byrd website now... and I see I can swap a Byrd Shelix head into my existing DW 733...

If my main objections to the tool are that it's hard to set the knives, they ding up quick, and a fair amount of chip out... seems like this would solve all those issues.

The tool will still be loud, but that's what hearing protection is for.

And replacing only the head keeps more $$ in pocket for other investments.


Any qualms around upgrading the 733?

[Bob Riefer]

Even more... If I were to keep the 733 and add the Byrd Shelix... the money saved (vs. buying a new planer with same/similar cutter) would enable me to simultaneously swap out the cutter on my DJ-20 8" jointer too...

[michael langman]

If the 733 uses the same motor as the 735 I would not spend the money on head. The lunchbox planers were not designed for it. A lot of money with too many problems.

I was fortunate to find a 734 on craigslist for 200 dollar. The 735 may be a nice planer but the 734 is a bit less money and has a history of reliability.

[Ryan Yeaglin]

There have been a lot of threads about the shelix causing over heating problems in 735's. Unless you use a lot of figured wood, there isn't a real need for insert cutters. Switch to infinity carbide knives if you want a more robust knife, they aren't cheap though. Do you run miles of board feet of lumber through your planer? Do you use a lot of boards over 12" wide? If so then a big boy planer would be a good choice, otherwise it's just a want and it's your dime to make that call.

[Andrew Hughes]

I agree with Ryan. Carbide tipped knives are what I had in my 735 and I miss that screamer.
I also have pics of a homemade fixture to sharpen them if anyone is interested to see.

[Justin Rapp]

So this thread inspired me to go take a look at the 735 again today. I found the 735x for $499 on Amazon so I grabbed it. The x comes with the outfeed tables and an extra set of blades. I just looked now and it's up to $550. The 734 is a great machine (mine will be up for sale soon) and I love figured wood so the helical cutter upgrade is next.

[Robert Hazelwood]

I'm not familiar with the 733 (I have a 734 and as others have said, there is no adjustment required or possible for the knives). But if the setup is similar to the knives in a conventional planer or jointer, you can probably get the knives set more accurately than the plastic jig allows, with a dial indicator and some patience. Search for "Bob Vaughan setting planer knives" on youtube and you should find a nice video showing how to do this. Some of it won't apply to the lunchbox planer but you should get the idea.

With that said, if you are getting a decent finish on your boards and they are accurate in thickness when put through both sides of the planer, then I wouldn't expect you can get much more improvement.

[Stewart Lang]

I have to disagree with some of the above comments. I've personally had a DW735 and installed a Byrd Shelix and absolutely loved it. Never had any problems with overheating, nor did I have any power problems. Obviously you can't push the machine into deep cuts like with a 5hp 20" machine, but it seems like the poster is smart enough to acknowledge that. I think he'd be plenty happy with a Byrd Shelix in the 733, assuming it has similar power to the 735. The ability to change knives individually is excellent. In a well-used hobby shop, I was only rotating knives about once a year, so that is also sublime.

[Geoff Crimmins]

I would either get a helical head for the planer you have, or buy a 15" four-post planer (like Grizzly) with a helical head. With the wonky coronavirus situation, you might check to see what the lead-time is with Byrd, and whether anyone has a larger planer in stock. I don't see any advantage to moving to the 735 instead of your 733 and adding a helical head to it.

Adding a helical head to your current planer is less expensive, and won't change the footprint of the machine. You might end up having to take lighter cuts to avoid overloading the motor. A 15" planer, will be much quieter, can take heavier cuts, and will probably work a bit better with longer or rough-sawn boards. It will take up more space, and will require a 230v outlet. Because of the serrated infeed roller, you can't take a super-light cut if you ever need to.

[Bob Riefer]

There have been a lot of threads about the shelix causing over heating problems in 735's. Unless you use a lot of figured wood, there isn't a real need for insert cutters. Switch to infinity carbide knives if you want a more robust knife, they aren't cheap though. Do you run miles of board feet of lumber through your planer? Do you use a lot of boards over 12" wide? If so then a big boy planer would be a good choice, otherwise it's just a want and it's your dime to make that call.


I hear that overheating statement a bit this week as I've started to research... but then I also hear more folks state that they've never had a problem, especially if they take reasonable cuts.

Infinity carbide blades are in the $200 range... Byrd Shelix in the $450 range... but each insert can be rotated 4 times. So price for first surface is in the $120 range, and the payback comes over the long haul.

My jointer is 8" wide, so I tend to plane that same width after preparing one face.

Since my particular jointer allows for the knives to spring in/out as you install, my biggest concern is accuracy. (but not looking to just spend money for the fun of it)

[michael langman]

I think the different opinions about the motor overheating is because of the different variables.

Planing harder woods seemed to have a big effect on the problem. Pine, not so much. Some people overheated the motor taking light cuts in denser woods.

Carbide inserts are not as sharp as HSS blades. And the constant contact of the inserts upon the wood while planing adds considerably more torque to the head.

[Bob Riefer]

I have to disagree with some of the above comments. I've personally had a DW735 and installed a Byrd Shelix and absolutely loved it. Never had any problems with overheating, nor did I have any power problems. Obviously you can't push the machine into deep cuts like with a 5hp 20" machine, but it seems like the poster is smart enough to acknowledge that. I think he'd be plenty happy with a Byrd Shelix in the 733, assuming it has similar power to the 735. The ability to change knives individually is excellent. In a well-used hobby shop, I was only rotating knives about once a year, so that is also sublime.


This is where my mind keeps going... Continue to use the existing planer sensibly and upgrade the cutter in order to enjoy ease of accurate setup (vs. current spring loaded "hope it's accurate" or "spend a bunch of time with a dial indicator" approach), high quality cuts that last a long time (vs. current HSS knives that don't last that long and tear out in some cases), and insert rotation to efficiently return to a perfectly sharp surface down the road when the time comes.

[Bob Riefer]

I would either get a helical head for the planer you have, or buy a 15" four-post planer (like Grizzly) with a helical head. With the wonky coronavirus situation, you might check to see what the lead-time is with Byrd, and whether anyone has a larger planer in stock. I don't see any advantage to moving to the 735 instead of your 733 and adding a helical head to it.

Adding a helical head to your current planer is less expensive, and won't change the footprint of the machine. You might end up having to take lighter cuts to avoid overloading the motor. A 15" planer, will be much quieter, can take heavier cuts, and will probably work a bit better with longer or rough-sawn boards. It will take up more space, and will require a 230v outlet. Because of the serrated infeed roller, you can't take a super-light cut if you ever need to.


I bold faced the last part because I'd like to learn more about that please.

What I think you're saying is that bigger/more robust planers will use a roller that has "teeth" to pull the lumber in. These teeth marks are then removed by the cutting action in most cases, UNLESS you're taking a very light cut... in which case you would need to handle those teeth marks via sanding / card scraping etc.

Do I have that about right?

[Bob Riefer]

I think the different opinions about the motor overheating is because of the different variables.

Planing harder woods seemed to have a big effect on the problem. Pine, not so much. Some people overheated the motor taking light cuts in denser woods.

Carbide inserts are not as sharp as HSS blades. And the constant contact of the inserts upon the wood while planing adds considerably more torque to the head.


I tend to work with locally available hardwoods, usually buying rough. I typically buy enough for whatever project I am building, and tend to get 4/4 and 5/4 material, and typically work in lengths shorter than 8 feet. So I'm not preparing miles of board feet at a time (usually about 1-2 hours worth of stock prep, using table saw, jointer, planer at various times), am not using the planner to take inches of material off, and am not usually working on super long boards.

You say that overheating happened while taking light cuts, which seems opposite of what I would have expected... I would have thought lighter cuts would be easier on the tool. Can you help me understand that one?

Would your opinion be that my sort of usage includes the types of variables that would cause the overheating?

[Tom Bain]

I bold faced the last part because I'd like to learn more about that please.

What I think you're saying is that bigger/more robust planers will use a roller that has "teeth" to pull the lumber in. These teeth marks are then removed by the cutting action in most cases, UNLESS you're taking a very light cut... in which case you would need to handle those teeth marks via sanding / card scraping etc.

Do I have that about right?

Bob -- Not trying to jump in line, but that is essentially correct. Industrial planers typically come up with serrated steel infeed rollers which can leave impressions when the cut is very slight (like less than a 32nd). So called lunchbox planers usually have rubber infeed rollers that don't have that issue. You can sometimes spec rubber infeed rollers on the larger planers.

[William Hodge]

Using a planer for what it does best works for me.

I have a 1996 Delta 12" planer for wood with sand on it, so I don't dull my knives on the good machines. It's quicker than hand planing the sand off.

I have a 16" jointer, and a 20 " planer for milling.

This spring, I bought a Dewalt 725 planer after reading about them here. I use it to skim almost 1/32" off milled wood. The finish with regular knives is great. I never run rough lumber through it, or take off more than 1/32". The feed rate at 11 feet per minute is slow. The time is made up when the wood barely needs sanding or hand planing. There is no tear out in Sapele. I have probably run 700 board feet of lumber through that little planer.

[lowell holmes]

I looked at planers and had a choice of a DW734 and DW735. I bought the DW734 and it has been all I have needed.

[michael langman]

Bob, I read some posts online about some people having trouble planing had woods with the 735 and a helical head. The motor was heating up taking lighter cuts, which surprised me because I would have thought differently also.
If I could find the posts I would post them here. I would tend to believe the people here. If they are not having problems with the 735 and hard wood with the helical head maybe it would be ok, but when you get different messages it doesn't make it easy to decide. I don't mean to make this more difficult for you.
I just hate to see you spend the money for the helical head and then have problems.

[michael langman]

I went searching for those posts on the problem with the motors heating up, but found some posts at fine wood working and the festool blog site. Seems the circuit breaker was a problem with some people having it trip using a helicval head. The motor would draw more amps under load with the helical head.

But many guys posted good results with the helical head and hard wood. The all said to stay away from the larger diameter head that byrd makes for that planer. The smaller diameter helical head works much better with that planer.

[Curt Harms]

Re motor load - I have a Jet JJP-12 that can be purchased with either straight knives or helical head. They have the same motor as far as I know. The straight knife version feeds at 20 feet/min., the helical head version feeds at 12 feet/min. That would imply to me that helical heads require more power.

[Jeffrey Hood]

I was one of the guys that posted when I was having problems with my DW735 with the Shelix head when trying to take heavier passes in white oak and maple... the overload breaker on the unit kept on tripping if I tried to take a half turn or 3/4 turn on boards over 6" wide... so now I just don't do that... ;)

I get my rough sawn lumber at a local place (Groff and Groff - Lancaster, PA) and since they have great service and will rough thickness for very little extra cost, if I am getting 4/4 I just have them skim it to get it closer to what the dimension I need is, and then just finish it off in the shop with the 735 a quarter turn or so at a time... seems to be the best of both worlds... the finish from the 735 with the Shelix head is amazing (and the noise level is lower than it was before, which is a plus...)

Last night I planed some cherry down, between 8" and 10" wide, and didn't have any problems taking a quarter turn at a time... just put the headphones on and listened to a few more songs... :)

BTW, with pine and other softwoods, you can take a much heavier pass... 1/2 to 3/4 turn doesn't seem to cause a problem...

JH

[Bob Riefer]

Really good stuff guys, many thanks.

Curt - my 733 has only one speed, so being able to run is slower isn't an option... so it would be a case of "fingers crossed" that it works fine.

Which, on one hand makes me pause...

But, on the other hand.. if it was a very broad problem, wouldn't Byrd discontinue the offering? (i.e. it must be relatively rare problem right?)

[Curt Harms]

Really good stuff guys, many thanks.

Curt - my 733 has only one speed, so being able to run is slower isn't an option... so it would be a case of "fingers crossed" that it works fine.

Which, on one hand makes me pause...

But, on the other hand.. if it was a very broad problem, wouldn't Byrd discontinue the offering? (i.e. it must be relatively rare problem right?)

I emailed Byrd about their head for my Jet JJP. They said they'd sold quite a few and had no complaints about overloaded motors but I chose not to proceed. For one thing I could have gotten Jet's segmented head for around $600 vs. $1000 for the Byrd. If I wanted to I could get parts from Jet to make my machine feed at 12 FPM but I just don't feel the need right now. I'm not familiar with the DeWalt planer to have any idea if it would be practical to slow the feed rate on them.