which planner

[Tim Trammell]

Dewalt 735 and buy a helix head, a jet 13" HH BT (comes with a helical head), Grizzly G0889z also comes with spiral head. or Cutech 40200h-CT again comes with a spiral head?

From what I can tell the dealt is the only one that doesn't come with a spiral head. They all are priced about the same, again except for the dealt if I have to buy a head for it.

Of the machines listed which would be the best. Or if you have other recommendations.

[Jon Nuckles]

Hi Tim,

I have the DeWalt 735 and, while I like it a lot as a beefy lunchbox planer, I would not buy one with the plan of switching to a spiral head. By the time you add that expense, you will have spent enough that you could have bought a bigger and better machine. I can't speak to the ones you listed, but figure out what you'd spend on the DeWalt and replacement head, then see what you could buy for the same amount.

I will say that the DeWalt gives a very good finish with the straight knives when they are new, and they are inexpensive and easy to replace. The downsides to the machine are that it is extremely loud and you cannot take a very big bite at a pass. It is also only 13" wide, obviously. Switching to a spiral head won't fix any of those problems.

Good luck with your decision.

Jon

[Jay Rasmussen]

Tim,
Like Jon I also have the 735. Does a very nice job aspurchased other than the chip ejection port is a little weak. I decided to down size a few years ago that’s when I purchased the Dewalt. I had a heavy-dutyDelta planer I installed a Shelex head on, it was awesome but I would not do iton this one.
Jay

[Michelle Rich]

I have had a 735 for 15? yrs and it is a great, tough little planer. Dewalt knives suck, but other than that, and the screaming noise, it does the job. When I saw the cutech had cutters instead of knives and for less than putting a head on the OLD 735, well I bought the cutech. Quieter by lots, finish on the wood, superb. I have the 735 to do rough work, and the cutech to make my wood easy to finish.

[Grant Wilkinson]

I have the 735 and use straight knives. It makes no sense to me to spend as much on a head as the planer itself costs, but many do it. Keep in mind that, if you install a helical head when it is knew, your warranty is gone. Dewalt is clear that the added load on the motor will shorten its life and they will not cover it. Keep in mind, too, that with the helical head, you must take an even shallower pass than with straight knives for the same reason. They put a higher load on the motor.

IMHO, if you want a helical head, buy a heavier duty planer that comes with one.

[Anuj Prateek]

Dewalt 735 and buy a helix head, a jet 13" HH BT (comes with a helical head), Grizzly G0889z also comes with spiral head. or Cutech 40200h-CT again comes with a spiral head?

From what I can tell the dealt is the only one that doesn't come with a spiral head. They all are priced about the same, again except for the dealt if I have to buy a head for it.

Of the machines listed which would be the best. Or if you have other recommendations.

I have a DW735 with default knives. With stand it's already a costly machine, verging into next up machines.

It leaves nice surface, and light sanding (or smoothing plane) finishes it. The only downside is that it makes noise. It screams as if it's on fire. This is the only machine I run that annoyed my neighbor.

I would not spend anymore money on it. If I had to do it again, I will buy a quieter machine helix or no helix. Based on what I have read, the heavier planers from Grizzly are relatively quite.

[Ben Grefe]

Anuj,

Universal motors are loud. Straight knife cutter heads are loud. I’m not sure which one is louder than the other, but moving from a straight knife lunchbox to a floor standing helical head unit will result in a much quieter setup. It’s not quiet by any means, but it’s nothing like my old lunchbox planer.

[Anuj Prateek]

Anuj,

Universal motors are loud. Straight knife cutter heads are loud. I’m not sure which one is louder than the other, but moving from a straight knife lunchbox to a floor standing helical head unit will result in a much quieter setup. It’s not quiet by any means, but it’s nothing like my old lunchbox planer.

Did not know that. When time comes (bigger shop), I will keep this in mind.

[Michael A. Tyree]

I bought a "Transpower" Taiwan , 20" planer about 1990 or so, paying extra for a 5hp motor. it looks like many it's size and came from a California importer.
Loud matters not as any planer one should have ear protection to begin with! I suppose if your shop was in your home maybe sound matters but mines 150 yds away and no real neighbors.
I lost my old blade sharpening guy to death, he was a university prof who had a hands on hobby of blades. Now they are done by same place I have my sawmill blades done and pay by the inch. I rotate 3 blade sets of HSS blades.
I would buy this planer all over again! I worked 27 years in education, almost all was tech education in the KY system where they have always bought Powermatic planers. My Taiwan performs as well as any PM I was around. I'd hate to guess how much lumber but easily in the many thousands of BF overall. An e.g. is that I ran all my timberframe beams through it for a large great room I built onto our home plus all the flooring for that room plus all my hardwoods for furniture hobby plus two cedar flooring porch redo's and far more. It's tough and the only maintemnance to date has been a belt set, blades and lube plus blow out the mouse nests before each use...

[Mark Daily]

Somebody mentioned Cutech planers in another thread here. I had never heard of them but apparently they are very good and much quieter than the DW735.

Here’s some more info:
https://www.bestplaners.review/cutech