Survey: Which Thickness Planer??

[John Viercinski]

So, I'm looking at buying a thickness planer in the next month.. I'd like to spend between $250-400. Any recommendations?? Delta, Grizzly, DeWalt?

[Bill White]

I've had the DeWalt 733 for about 8 yrs.(I think). Got it when they were over $400.00. Way less than that now. It has served me well on some really long-time jobs with rough sawn stuff. Mine has the blades that can be sharpened.
I would buy it again.
Bill

[Greg Crawford]

I'm happy with my Delta 22-580. Knife changes are fairly easy, leaves a nice finish, no snipe most of the time. I did have a problem with chips not being sucked up even when it's the only machine on the DC. They would get stuck to the infeed and outfeed rollers from static, and leave indentations on the wood. I glued a strip of rubber on the body just in front of the rollers, like a mud flap in reverse, and it took care of that problem.

[Gary Keedwell]

Another vote of confidence for the 733. Had mine a long time and still works great. Do they still make the 733?:confused: Almost bought the 735 about a hundred times.....Price never came down....must be selling well....tells ya something, heh?

Gary K.

[Scott Lingle]

I'll stand up for the Dewalt 735. I have one and it works like a charm. Its first task was a whole lot of oak (300ish bf) and it went through it like a champ. It's still going strong on its first set of blades. I would have rather gotten a powermatic 20in. planer, but this was all the budget would allow.

[Edit]
As odds would have it, there is one for sale new in the box over in the classifieds...of course, you might want to plan a Minnesota vacation around it. :) (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=56380)

Geez, starting to wonder...how about a Fla trip instead? (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=60987)


Scott

[Al Killian]

I have the Grizzly, cant remember the model# G0505?.It has planned tons of oak,walnut and pine pine no problems. I have had it for around three years now and has blades that will take several sharpenings. If you do get it order the dust hood.

[glenn bradley]

In budget - DW734 (three knives) or a DW735 (three knives, two speeds) on sale. A DW735 on sale is a rare occurrence but my dad got one for around $360 at a show. I have the 734 and have been very happy even though I paid $350.

[Dwain Lambrigger]

I just bought a used 533 this weekend. It seems you can find them for a good price, as I found three for sale in my area, all about the same price. I know I have some adjustments to make as there was a little snipe when planing some poplar, however, I am confident I can get rid ot if. I hooked it up to the shop vac while planing, and was pleantly suprised how well it kept things chip free (almost). Also, it is easy to find the 733 with additional blades. I thought this was an advantage because the blades could be sharpened. They aren't throwaways. I am looking forward to getting it tuned up, and having some fun.

I got some good advice here, and I will share it with you:

1) Test the movement of the carriage and the carriage lock.
2) Make sure the tables are free from scratches, as that may mean a nail or two has gone through and really screwed things up.
3) If they have the manual, get it.
4) Make sure to test it. Don't be afraid to bring some hardwood (maple) and see how it does 1/32 at a time.
5) If you are going out looking, try to find the manual on line so you have an idea of what you are doing when you test it out.


Good Luck.

[Dwain Lambrigger]

Sorry, in my haste write a reply, I wrote 533, I should have said 733, as in a DeWalt 733.

Just so excited when I am talking about tools!

[Dwain Lambrigger]

I agree with Glen, if you could find a 734 (three knives, big advantage) for between $275 and $300, that is a great deal.

[Jason Beam]

Since the 733 is no longer, and since I own a 734, i'd gladly suggest the 734. It weighs a ton and is loud as heck, but they're all like that, right? :P

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Felder Hammer.

[Bill Huber]

Ridgid has a new one out that is just about like the 1300 but has 3 knifes.
I have the 1300 and it works very well, I like the repeat cut feature of it and do a lot of planning to a fix width, like 1/2.

I do thing the dust collector could be a little better but then I am just using a shop vac.

http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/R4330-Thickness-Planer/EN/index.htm

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
Add me to the list of DeWalt 734 owners.
I bought one about a month ago from Amazon for an excellent price - $228.00 plus $49.00 shipping - minus a $40.00 rebate from DeWalt.

I'd say satisfied owner -but - much to my wife's disgust, the "big yellow box" it came in is still stiing in the living room unopened. I haven't had the free time to unpack it, set it up and try it out.

[James Suzda]

I've got a DeWalt 735 and am happy with it. However, there is some controversy about the longevity of the knives. (I dulled my first set of knives that came with the 735 very quickly.)
I think one of the high points of the 735 is the chip extraction fan. I don't think the 734 has this fan. (?) Also, you can count on one hand the times I've used the second slower feed rate. With the three knives I cannot find any chatter/mill marks in the planed stock when using the faster feed rate.

[scott spencer]

The Delta 22-580 (http://www.epinions.com/content_156115177092), Delta TP400 (http://www.epinions.com/content_55772089988), DW734, Ridgid 1300, or Makita 2012 are all safe bets...pick a good deal. The DW735 occasionally comes into the $400 range. I don't see the Grizzly has any advantages over the others in this case.

Whatever you get, look for some sort of a cutterhead lock and DC capabilities.

[Gary Ratajczak]

I sold my original Dewalt 733 for a pretty good price, and opted to go with a 735. As a side note, I picked up a HD coupon off of E-Bay for a few $$, and was able to save 10%.

Even though most people seem not to use the two speeds of the 735, I have made some good use doing a small batch of Tiger Maple. At the cuts go from 96 cpi (cuts per inch) to I believe 179 cpi, it did make a difference in my case. I would agree that for general planing, the faster 96 cpi rate is fine.

I have not planed that much stock yet, so knives are still fine. Again, it seems to be hit and miss. If you remember that it's not a 1000 pound cast iron machine, and try not to take off 1/4" in a pass, the knives seem to hold up well. When my set needs replacing, I think I'll try a set from Infinity Cutting tools. Just ordered a set of jointer knives, and they were FAST delivery - seems like a good company to deal with.

A nice feature of the 735 is the fact that there is no knuckle buster lock to the cutterhead. You simply turn the handle, and the lead screws lock automatically. That scheme seems to work well, and I have not read any posts complaining of the cutterhead slipping. I had plenty of sore knuckles on my old 733! I see that the new Rigid also has that feature. if you can get away without the two speed, the new Rigid might be a winner - I know they always offer a great warranty.

Lastly, I am running the 735 in my basement right now, hooked to a Jet collector. The result is a full bag pretty quickly. Trash can separator is not an option as I am running 6" ducting - to much vacuum. As the 735 has a built in ejector fan, you can simply hook to a garbage can. One of the guys in the club has one, and he really likes it. I plan on relocating my 735 to the garage, for better access. I plan on setting up a trash can setup using only the on-board vacuum. I'll give that a try first.

So... don't forget about the collection. The volume of chips make a typical vacuum pretty un-usable. You will spend all your time emptying the vacuum. If dust and chip removal is an issue, then the 735 gets another +.

Can't speak on the Delta units as I have not had the opportunity to own or use. I did look at some specs one time, and noticed some differences in the cpi ranges.

Hope this helps a little.

Gary Ratajczak

[Art Mulder]

I also have a DW735. I also am very pleased with it's quality and performance. (I also, though, am just a hobbiest, so I do not use it that heavily.) I also find it does a good job with dust removal - I hook it to a single stage 4" DC line and it is spotless.

HOWEVER, do be aware that this is a very heavy planer. They call it portable, and I can move it myself. However, I would NOT want to be slinging this down to a shelf and then up onto a bench. I built a permanent cart for it. I think that is the only way to go.

HOWEVER, now that I've got a permanent cart, this planer take up just as much space as a 15" floor-standing big planer. If you come across one of those on sale, or second hand, you might think about it.

(on the other hand, I made my stand a flip-top, so I can save a bit on storage that way, and no way was I trying to haul a 15" planer down the stairs into my basement.)

Just some stuff to keep in mind.

best,
...art

[Nick Clayton]

I would echo what many have said and that is make certain you have dust collection capability. I have a Delta 2-speed lunch box(I forget the #) that I bought used and boy did it make a difference when I got the dust chute cover; cleaner cuts and a much cleaner floor!

[Grant Wilkinson]

I have the 735 and, if I had it to do over again, I would go with a planer with blades that can be sharpened. The planer itself is excellent, but if you put a lot of wood through it, you would be much better off with something else. The blades for the 735 are very expensive and while they can be honed, they cannot be sharpened. Dewalt calls them "disposable", but at $80 in Canada, that's a lot of disposing.

[Tom Luecke]

I too am in the market for a new PORTABLE thickness planer, having gotten a lot of years out of my trusty AP12 Ryobi, still going strong but want a 13".

I see Metabo has a new unit, DH316. I am also looking at the Makita 2012NB, and SORTA looking at the Dewalt 735 - but at 92 Lbs WITHOUT the extension tables - included on every other brand - I can already feel my shoulders separating! I would guess the flipper tables take it over 100lbs, so for me it is not the portability I really want. I'm putting together a mobile shop in a step van, so the other important factors to me are: noise level, compact design, and ease of loading/taking up stairs.
Makita comes in at 61 lbs and 83db noise, pretty good.
Metabo DH316 is 77 lbs, no noise rating found.

Both Makita and Metabo are 2-knife machines. IS the Dewalt 735 THAT much better to justify the likely extra 39 lbs (w/exten on), noise factor, and higher blade replacement cost? Metabo is good stuff, but would parts availability/cost be an issue? Who knows these things? I have been researching but not yet found anyone who can compare all the new planers on the market.

[Todd Jensen]

I've got the DW733 and its a fantastic planer for the money. I tried the Makita twice and its not half the planer IMO. When hooked up to my dust collector, I can literally run it in my garage with no windows open - it does a fantastic job of collecting nearly everything. I run everything from maple for face frames to laminated stair treads and rails, and it doesn't hiccup with the glue residue. Its definitely not perfect, but for the money its a very good choice. I have a friend who beat the junk out of his for 8 years before replacing it.

Also, my number one tip (I may have gotten it on here) for a portable planer is to wax the table and outfeeds. Made a night and day difference in the operations of this planer; I thought I had roller problems, but it turned out the table just wasn't slick enough out of the box.

[Gary Ratajczak]

I agree with the previous post on using paste wax on the tables. I found it a must on my older 733, as well as the 735.

Another tip is to clean the rollers with rubbing alcohol. Does a great job of cleaning the residue off the rubber rollers. That's one of the main differences between a "lunchbox" having rubber rollers, and a stationay unit having steel serated rollers.

[Mac Cambra]

I'll stand up for the Dewalt 735. I have one and it works like a charm. Its first task was a whole lot of oak (300ish bf) and it went through it like a champ. It's still going strong on its first set of blades. I would have rather gotten a powermatic 20in. planer, but this was all the budget would allow.

[Edit]
As odds would have it, there is one for sale new in the box over in the classifieds...of course, you might want to plan a Minnesota vacation around it. :) (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=56380)

Geez, starting to wonder...how about a Fla trip instead? (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=60987)


Scott

I would highly recommend the DW735, the only reason I am selling mine is because I upgraded to a 20" floor model (Shop Fox 5HP, W1718 with spiral cutter) and I need to free up the floor space. The cut quality with the DW735 is EXCELLENT and the issues with blade life haven't been a problem for me. Granted I am a hobbyist but I have run mostly hard maple through it and the blades seem to stay sharp. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one. One complaint though, it is LOUD, LOUD, LOUD ............ Hearing protection is a must.

[Paul Dwight]

I've had my Delta 22-580 for years and have been very happy with it. I use the slower speed all the time for the final pass. It leaves a very nice finish with minimal planer chatter. Blades are quick and easy to change and fairly reasonably priced ($30-$40, IIRC).

My biggest complaint is that it snipes pretty badly on long heavy boards. Stock up to about 7 feet has not been a problem, but over 8 feet I get nasty snipe about 50% of the time. To some extent, I think this is inherent in the nature of lunchbox planers (when the stock weighs as much as the planer, you're going to get snipe). Some lunchbox planers may be better at dealing with this than the Delta, I guess.

At current prices, the 22-580 looks like a heck of a bargain. Maybe not the equal of the big DeWalt, but not as expensive, either.

[glenn bradley]

Felder Hammer.

Cliff, where can I get one of those Felders for $250 - $400? I want one :D:D :D

[David Tiell]

Anbother vote for the Delta 22-580. I've had it for a couple years and have never had any problems with it at all. And if you are patient, you can find it on Amazon for well under $300.

[Jack Ganssle]

Here's a vote for the Rigid. I've had mine for about 6 months. No snipe. Still on first edge of blades (they can be flipped, and it comes with a spare set). It fills a vacuum pretty quickly, but with the vac it's very clean. Cut quality is excellent. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

Jack

[Tim Dorcas]

Earlier this year they have the Dewalt 734 on clearance for $270 CAD. I thought what the heck. What a sweet machine! I do wish the blades lasted longer but that's about the only thing I have to complain about. If you can find one cheaply, I would highly recommend it.

Tim

[Kurt Rosenzweig]

Hey John. I have a 735 I'm getting ready to sell. It has only been used a few times. Right after I bought it I ran into a deal on a 20" powermatic I couldn't turn down (FREE). I had all intention of using it as a back up, but it's at the same time hard to see it just sitting there collecting dust. I'm down in the N. Cape May area if your interested. You can come on down and get your feet wet at the same time and make it a family thing. built in excuse. I'd like to get $400 for it.

[Jim Dunn]

Makita 2012NB. I love it! Course I've never used anything else:)

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Cliff, where can I get one of those Felders for $250 - $400? I want one :D:D :D

I guess ya gotta follow a truck till one falls off.

[Eddie Darby]

This might help:

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/upload/contents/335/planers.0204.pdf

[John Viercinski]

I just purchased a used DeWalt 734 for $200 on ebay. It was a local pickup and I didn't have to pay shipping. I only need to replace the blades. Not a bad deal. Thanks for everyone's help!

[Chris Holder]

I have the 13" Rigid and it has been great. I normally stay away from the big box brands, but one of my mags (I think it was popular woodworking) recently rated it as a best buy. The blade changing is easy (less than 5 minutes), it has reversible blades (so they last longer), it comes with its own integral toolbox for the usual Allen wrenches and such), it comes with a stand and infeed/outfeed tables, it has the repeat a cut feature, and is well under your $400 price tag. Finally, you won't have to search far to find replacement blades (and they are not too overpriced) when you need them. It has produced glass smooth finishes thus far for me. I'm sure the 13" Dewalt is much nicer, but you will buy the stand, and infeed/outfeed tables separately (altogether well over $650). For the money, you can't beat the RIGID.
Just my humble thoughts.

[Bryan Rygiel]

Ridgid has a new one out that is just about like the 1300 but has 3 knifes.
I have the 1300 and it works very well, I like the repeat cut feature of it and do a lot of planning to a fix width, like 1/2.


I lamented that the DeWalt doesn't have this as it could be really useful. Then this weekend I finally figured out what that dial was on the side of the machine! :rolleyes:

Problem was, it went slightly past the designated marking, but I suppose it's good that it's repeatable just the same.

Bryan

[Kirk Poore]

I just purchased a used DeWalt 734 for $200 on ebay. It was a local pickup and I didn't have to pay shipping. I only need to replace the blades. Not a bad deal. Thanks for everyone's help!

That's the way to do it, John. Keep an eye out for blades on ebay, too. I found some there a year ago for $30 (inc shipping), and I should have bought two sets instead of one. I use my 734 with a trash can separator and my shop vac. The results have been excellent, though you have to clean the shop vac filter about twice for every trash can load of chips.

Kirk

[Mike Monroe]

Probably not one for you to consider... but I own a Ryobi AP12 that's gone though a lot of BF. These past few days I've been planing some native bur oak and the AP12 does a fine job. It was getting really loud, so I changed the blades ( 15 min. operation) and she was back to purring along. I found the sales receipt in the instruction manual, $360 bones at Menards back in the day. She does give much snipe for being so old, but I have the infeed and outfeed tables adjusted about perfect.

BTW - The bur oak has a nice tight grain and the color is a beautiful light tan. Using it on a 4-H project, a small bench my daughter chose to build. This stuff has been air drying outside for about 4 years and the moisture content of the planed wood varies from 17% down to 12%.