Justifying A Major Tool Purchase

[Julie Moriarty]

There's no question the DW735 planes smooth as butter. But with the problems I've had with it, I probably need something with more power. Reviews I've read on the Silent Power cutterblock on Format4/Felder/Hammer planers and jointers are impressive. From what I've seen in videos, you wouldn't need a second planer to smooth the surface.

BTW, the DW735 I sent in for warranty service seems to have been lost by Dewalt. They are shipping me a new planer.

[Steve Jenkins]

Sounds like you got the best resolution for the 735 that you can . I hope it works for you. I have a Felder 20” planer with a urethane infeed roller and smooth steel outfeed and you can take off just a couple thou if you need to. Mine just has straight knives. Occasionally with highly figured woods I wish for a helical head but not all that often. Planes nearly glass smooth with zero snipe.

[andy bessette]

...They are shipping me a new planer.

I would resell it immediately as a brand new planer.

[Ben Rivel]

I would resell it immediately as a brand new planer.

Good advice!

[Charles P. Wright]

I got a 16" combo and am super happy with it, but I realize that this is very expensive. I did a set of kitchen cabinets with a 6" ridgid jointer and a DW735. It was doable, but the bigger machine is a joy to use. The one piece of advise I have is that I was able to get by with a 1hp double bag dust collector, but the new J/P overwhelmed it because of the size of the shavings. A trash can separator sort of worked. This is maybe not an issue if you don't get straight knives like I did; but it would be terrible to blow all that money on the J/P and then have the frustration of jamming your DC system whenever you use it without having to drop even more money.

[Julie Moriarty]

The one piece of advise I have is that I was able to get by with a 1hp double bag dust collector, but the new J/P overwhelmed it because of the size of the shavings. A trash can separator sort of worked. This is maybe not an issue if you don't get straight knives like I did; but it would be terrible to blow all that money on the J/P and then have the frustration of jamming your DC system whenever you use it without having to drop even more money.

I've been wondering about that. My DC is only 3/4HP. If I managed to swing a JP, it would definitely have a Silent Power cutterblock. That would ease the load on the DC some. I used to have a 6" jointer and that, and the 12" planer, would occasionally clog the ductwork at one 90 bend. When I installed the ductwork in the new place, I made sure to avoid the pitfalls of the last ductwork layout.

I've got 6" coming into the cyclone, reduced to 4" to the machines, so I planned to upsize the run from the JP to 6", if I bought it. I'll worry about that when, and if, I place the order.

[Jim Becker]

Julie, your DC is "a bit" undersized if you start milling wide stock with the J/P (or similar tools), so you'll want it as close as possible and with as short a hose as you can manage.

[Julie Moriarty]

Julie, your DC is "a bit" undersized if you start milling wide stock with the J/P (or similar tools), so you'll want it as close as possible and with as short a hose as you can manage.

In my last shop there was 15'or more from where the jointer or planer were hooked into the ductwork. Now it's about 5'. It's taken everything I've thrown at it so far, even when the DW735 head dropped on a 12" wide board.

On another note, one thing I wasn't crazy about with the JP combo was raising and lowering the planer bed every time you switch it over. This may solve that problem.

[Jim Dwight]

A small DC is more compatible with a lunchbox planner. I had a really small one and it could not keep up with my 8 5/8 jointer. The thin stock removal per pass generates chips at a lower rate than is possible with a bigger sturdier and possibly wider tool. Removal of more chips requires more airflow.

I do not love making a bunch of passes for my lunchbox planner but it is an upgrade from the planner head with manual feed for my old Inca. That was REALLY a chore. But not as bad as hand planes. I guess it's all relative.

With a big jointer/planner you could do what I do now and just sweep up. The chips from planning are a lot easier and quicker to sweep up than is the dust from sawing or sanding.

[Jim Becker]

Julie, a number of folks use the old drill/driver trick to raise/lower the thicknessing bed on a J/P for convenience. I don't mind cranking mine and it doesn't take much time, but the method is valid for sure.

Don't underestimate just how much material you can produce from the J/P out the DC port...and DC is required for it to work. It's a real mess to clean out the hood if you get ti clogged with the "fluffy" shavings that come off some kinds of materials, especially softwoods. DAMHIKT....my cyclone upgrade was predicated on this from, um....experience...

[Julie Moriarty]

Maybe my physics is flawed, but if I am taking the same thickness from the same width board at the same speed, the amount of shavings from any planer should be the same. The max width board on the Delta was 12-1/4", the Dewalt is 13". Since setting up the DC here, I haven't had any problems with clogging. The max width board on the Hammer A3 31 is 12". Unless I start hogging off big chunks from full width boards, physics says there shouldn't be any problems.

Am I missing something here?

[Brian Holcombe]

The Dewalt has a blower, if I'm not mistaken. I think that is the difference.

A good dust collector is a must, IMO. If you have room for it get the largest bin or double bins so that you can work for a while without emptying them. I have a 30 gal and it is a PITA. I made bookcases recently and created something like 200gal of shavings. That's dumping the container about 8-10 times (you can't fill it up all the way), with a 55 gal that would be 4-5 times. Seems trivial until you're doing it all the time.

I have a V-3000 and I would not have regretted a more powerful DC.

[Greg Parrish]

Same here. V-3000 here too and my dewalt fills it quickly too. It does have a blower so I’ll be interested to see how the hammer likes it.

The Dewalt has a blower, if I'm not mistaken. I think that is the difference.

A good dust collector is a must, IMO. If you have room for it get the largest bin or double bins so that you can work for a while without emptying them. I have a 30 gal and it is a PITA. I made bookcases recently and created something like 200gal of shavings. That's dumping the container about 8-10 times (you can't fill it up all the way), with a 55 gal that would be 4-5 times. Seems trivial until you're doing it all the time.

I have a V-3000 and I would not have regretted a more powerful DC.

[Ben Rivel]

The Dewalt has a blower, if I'm not mistaken. I think that is the difference.

A good dust collector is a must, IMO. If you have room for it get the largest bin or double bins so that you can work for a while without emptying them. I have a 30 gal and it is a PITA. I made bookcases recently and created something like 200gal of shavings. That's dumping the container about 8-10 times (you can't fill it up all the way), with a 55 gal that would be 4-5 times. Seems trivial until you're doing it all the time.

I have a V-3000 and I would not have regretted a more powerful DC.

Same here. V-3000 here too and my dewalt fills it quickly too. It does have a blower so I’ll be interested to see how the hammer likes it.

You guys satisfied with the suction of the V-3000 and just wish you had gone with the 55 gal drum? Or you're finding that the 3HP isnt enough for a 12"+ planer?

[Brian Holcombe]

My planer is 16". 3hp is enough, but I would not have regretted more.

35gal drum is a PITA, I would much rather have 55gal.