A new planer

[Greg Wieskamp]

I have decided on the Supermax 19-38 drum sander. I have not ordered it yet, but plan to today. Now I am in the market for a new planer. I am torn between the Dewalt 735X with 3 knives, and 2 input speeds. $629, or the Jet, JWP-13BT, with 2 input speeds, and helical head. $960 Also available is the Dewalt T32190-13" (735X) planer with the Grizzly helical cutter head kit, which you install yourself, and also comes with a portable stand. $1298

I'm afraid if I don't get a helical cutter head, I am going to be disappointed, and this is something I only want to buy once.
Would you have a preference?

[Greg Parrish]

If you plan to go with a benchtop, I'd certainly choose the Dewalt over the Jet for one simple reason. With a segmented head in the Dewalt, you get 4 sides on each cutter where the Jet uses a 2 sided rectangular cutter.

I currently have a DW735X with Shelix head in it. I started with one of these, graduated to a Hammer combo machine and then sold my shop a few years ago. Getting back into some light woodworking and I didn't hesitate to start with another Dewalt DW735. The only nuisance I've had with the Dewalt is the dust port location, but that is easily overcome with a right angle elbow or by other means of holding the hose up off the rear table. I'm not familiar with the grizzly head but the shelix heads have been great. Grizzly looks to have 30 cutters where shelix and lux have 40. Apparently the shelix heads are severly backordered but from what I understand the Lux Cut heads are almost identical to the shelix. https://mywoodcutters.com/LuxCutIIIH...735_or_DW-735X

Good luck which ever way you go.

[John Kananis]

If you're planning on only buying one, think 15". Of the two you posted, I would go with the dewalt and straight knives. Otherwise, look at 15" helical head with 3hp. The 735 is a little beast actually but screams at you constantly.

[Bill Dufour]

Location in the world? Do you have room for a full size planer. I bought a Powermatic 18" for less then your budget. Several on Clist right now for around 1,400 so keep looking.
Bill D

[Will Blick]

Lots to consider, budget being the biggest constraint...
I would offer the following based on my experience...
I have Byrd Helical head in my planer and jointer...
previously straight knives in both.
It is a huge breakthrough in ww tooling. No tear out, sand quality finishes, less load on motor, would never go back to knives.
oh, and the obvious thing, NOISE! u can hold a conversation next to the machine vs. a 747 jet engine sound, as u prob. know, lunch box planers are the loudest of all machines.

Width - there is sooo many benefits of width, even if you dont use boards as wide as the machine width. The obvious reasons, u can pass two boards through at the same time (based on power and amount of material removed and wood hardness). When running boards side by side, and slightly staggered, you can remove the inevitable snipe...when u dont over cut your boards, this is VERY beneficial...
Helical heads are must more costly, but I now see them offered on most of the lunch box planers as well...

[Bill Dufour]

Search tempest show several belsaw style planer molders in San Diego or Santa Barbara.
I saw this Oliver lunch box planer with a selix dead for $800 used. Never heard of that model.
Bill D.
https://santabarbara.craigslist.org/...519699618.html

https://olivermachinery.net/12-5in-planer

Looks like the c-list one includes the wixley thickness gauge installed.

Do the jointer and planer use the same inserts? Do all makes use the same inserts. it is easiest if all your inserts are the same so you can have a few extras around if needed.

[Greg Wieskamp]

After reading all the comments, I am beginning to wonder if I am thinking this all wrong. Maybe I should concentrate on a QUALITY planer first, and then save my pennies again for a drum sander. I was considering his one.
Grizzly G0891 - 15" 3 HP Fixed-Table Planer w/Helical Cutterhead

[Greg Parrish]

After reading all the comments, I am beginning to wonder if I am thinking this all wrong. Maybe I should concentrate on a QUALITY planer first, and then save my pennies again for a drum sander. I was considering his one.
Grizzly G0891 - 15" 3 HP Fixed-Table Planer w/Helical Cutterhead

if you have room for a floor standing planer, I’d much rather that route. I didn’t do one because I needed to stay mobile this time around. But, if you could live without the sander for a bit longer, a 3hp 15” planer would be a wonderful option. But for home use and light hobby use, there is nothing wrong with a bench top planer and the drum sander as well. Two tools to use now and you can always sell the bench top planer and upgrade later. Those DW735’s surprisingly always seem to sell for more than you would think.

[Bill Dufour]

Save $750 and buy this one.
The Grizzly is about $2,750 delivered with tax.
Or wait awhile and get one with an onboard knife sharpener. They are expensive to buy separately but add little to the cost of a complete planer.
Bill D.

https://ventura.craigslist.org/tls/d...520558829.html

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/...524522113.html

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/...522721615.html

[Randy Heinemann]

After reading all the comments, I am beginning to wonder if I am thinking this all wrong. Maybe I should concentrate on a QUALITY planer first, and then save my pennies again for a drum sander. I was considering his one.
Grizzly G0891 - 15" 3 HP Fixed-Table Planer w/Helical Cutterhead

I spent the first 40 years of my woodworking without a drum sander. For me, the drum sander has always been kind of an add-on; nice to have for some things but not as useful (for me at least) as a planer and jointer. I use my Dewalt 735 (with the factory steel knife head) and an 8" HH Jet jointer. The planer allows flexibility in the hardwood I use as I can plane anything to any thickness I want. The jointer allows me to flatten one side of boards (under 8" at least) before planing the other side and to put a truly straight edge on boards for gluing and final ripping to size. The two together are invaluable. While I really like the drum sander I bought a couple of years ago, I really could get along without it. It is nice to have for some tasks.

However, whether a drum sander or planer is more useful for you would depend on what you do. Keep in mind that a planer performs a different task than a drum sander. Planer are excellent for taking boards to an exact thickness to meet your project needs. While drum sanders will do this, and can be a bit more precise with thickness, they aren't designed to take a rough board and take off 1/8" or 1/4" of wood to get the board down to size. That would take forever on a drum sander. Drum sanders are more suited to flattening rather than thicknessing.

If you can afford a 15" planer with helical head and an 8" jointer with helical head, my recommendation would be to get those tools in place before buying a drum sander. I do love my drum sander but could not get along without the planer and jointer.

[Will Blick]

Good post Randy...everything needs to be planned, most things will not run through drum sander.
I have a drum sander, but its really a specific tool... very finicky use....
what grit? 100? what do you do next? if you want to get to 200grit? Change the paper on the drum? u wont. It's perfect for production, i.e. u make 100 cutting boards and run them all through at once, change paper, and run them through again, etc.
With a HH jointer and planer, that wood would never require drum standing, unless you join many boards together and need flatten them... but a good Festool orbital sander can do it just as well, and its easy to rip through the grits...

[John Goodin]

For my opinion just reread Greg’s first post. He said as I would. We even have the same planer and Byrd head.

[Jack Frederick]

I’ve had my 735 straight knife for probably 20+ yrs. It has been very reliable. It is a screamer and the ear muffs conveniently hang off the corner post. Given the performance of my 8” Grizzly jointer with the segmented head I’ve considered adding the Byrd head to the 735, but it this so old at this point that I will just let it keep on keeping on. The planer/jointer combo I could not function without. I have a pro cabinet shop locally who are very accommodating to local WW’ers who need a belt sander. I’ve used them a few times and it has worked out well and by the time I need the sander the piece is pretty large and I need their 48” or 60 inch capacity. You might consider looking around for a pro shop that can help you as mine does me. Sanding is a pitn, but consistently dimensioned lumber from the planer/jointer makes it a bit less odious.

[Bernie Kopfer]

I only have a 6in jointer with HH. So frequently I use a planer sled and the planer becomes a wonderful 13in jointer. my drum sander is a poor substitute for a planer and is relegated largely to sanding not thicknessing But it is wonderful for panels.

[Robert London]

I had this Cutech spiral planer and highly recommend it. I sold it off only because I bought a 12” grizzly combo machine and no longer had the room. Had carbide tip cutters, snipe lock and was a Taiwanese made machine. For under $700, it’s a very nice, well built machine.

I also have a Supermax 25x2 5hp drum sander. A luxury indeed for a lot of shops. A drum sander can take minor warp and twist out of boards that a planer will not without setting up jigs with a planer sled. Drum sanders are pricey and can take up a lot of space, but they have their place and can save many hours of sanding time.

https://cutechtools.us/products/plan...31617274282087