If you’re thinking about picking up a new thickness planer for your shop, the Dewalt Planer is one you’ll want to consider. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your first ever planer, or you’re simply looking to replace a worn out machine you’ve had for a while. The Dewalt dw735 is a solid yet compact, 2-speed, 13-inch benchtop planer that can produce a surface that’s as smooth as glass.
The Distinctive Look of Dewalt
Chances are you are already familiar with the Dewalt brand and their distinctive bright yellow and black color. Most experienced DIYers and professionals alike acknowledge that Dewalt offers decent quality tools. It’s a brand that is often used by contractors, installers, and serious home woodworkers. But Dewalt tools are also used commercially – including in many small woodworking shops.
Dewalt Thickness Planer
The Dewalt 735 planer is a popular option in the home workshop space. Many buyers of Dewalt products remain loyal because it’s a well-established brand that builds reliable equipment. This model of planer is becoming increasingly popular and not surprisingly, scores an impressive 4.7 out of 5 possible stars – from over 250 actual customer reviews. That’s usually a solid indicator of a good product.
Dewalt sells a wide variety of corded power tools (and many cordless options too), including: drills, jig saws, grinders, circular saws, routers, radial arm saws – and more. But a lot of people might not think of Dewalt when it comes to a thickness planer unless they had seen one or heard about it previously.
Although the Dewalt Planer is not a super heavy-duty thickness planer meant for industrial use – it’s no lightweight either. This thing is solid, sturdy and built to last.
What’s In The Box?
– One DW735 Dewalt Corded Electric 13-inch Two Speed Thickness Planer (With three knife cutter head)
– Dust Ejection Chute – Dust Hose Adapter Attachment
It also comes with a limited manufacturer’s warranty for three years, with one year of free service and a 90 day money-back guarantee.
How is the DW735 Different From the DW735x?
Often referred to as the Dewalt 735 Planer, this machine is basically available in two different versions – the DW735 and the DW735x. At its core – it’s the exact same 13 inch thickness planer in both versions. So what’s the difference between the two? In short, the “X” model offers some additional components and therefore, sells at a higher price.
With the basic machine – the DW735 – you get exactly that. It’s a benchtop planer that’s ready to go right out of the box with the 15 amp motor and original set of factory-installed knives. With the DW735x – you also get two extension tables (one for the front and one for the back) plus an extra set of planer blades (or knives). With these extra in-feed and out-feed tables – you’ll gain an additional 33 1/2 inches of support for whatever material you’re feeding through the planer.
By the way, those extension tables are quite thick and durable, although they can easily be folded down when you need to move the planer from one location to another. When setting it up again, it’s important to align both tables accurately with the base of the cast iron planer, using a four foot level. For best results, adjust the screws until the entire table is in alignment. Another useful tip is to wax the bed and extension tables to provide a smoother feed for any type of wood you’re going to feed through.
Recommended: Dewalt DW735x
For better overall performance, functionality and accuracy, we recommend the dw735x. It’s nice to have the added support of the extension tables – particularly when working with longer stock. And if you’re going to be using your new toy regularly, you’re going to need that extra set of blades anyway, so if your budget allows, why not get them at the same time?
Main Features
This popular planer offers a 13 inch width capacity. It’s a portable, two speed machine with a powerful 15 amp motor and a 10,000 RPM cutter head speed. It’s got three knives (rather than the usual two) and according to the manufacturer, you should get about 30% longer life out of these knives. And when the time comes that you need to change them out for a new set – it’s a fairly quick and easy process to do so on this planer.
The built-in motor on the Dewalt thickness planer is capable for handling a variety of woods including softwoods like cedar, redwood and pine as well as hardwoods like birch, oak and cherry. The built-in depth gauge is a handy timesaver. And this machine boasts a two speed gearbox that gives you the option of feeding your stock in at 96 cuts per inch – or 179 cuts per inch. Choose 96 CPI when you’re rough dimensioning material and then select 179 CPI to get a finer finish.
Knives supplied with the Dewalt planer are both reversible and disposable. That means when the blades become worn, you can simply reverse them to get double the life out of each blade. Once both sides are worn, you can easily access the cutter head to replace the knives.
Ideal Tool For Machining Stock to Custom Thicknesses
It’s an excellent little planer for creating custom-sized stock to your liking. You can work with narrow trim pieces, or use boards all the way up to 12.5 inches in width. Whatever your small shop needs are – the Dewalt planer can likely handle it.
It’s engineered to give you accurate, clean cuts every time with a four column carriage that minimizes movement that could damage materials. There’s a depth stop that will save you time when setting the machine to commonly used thicknesses.
Heavy Benchtop Model
The DW735 planer is a benchtop design, so you’ll need some kind of stand to support it. Or, you could temporarily use a workbench to more conveniently operate the device and save your back, when your only other option is to use the shop floor.
Dewalt does offer a stable steel base made specifically for this machine as an add-on purchase. Or you can build a bench yourself. But if your new planer is not a tool that you’re likely going to be using on a daily basis, or you simply don’t have the space to set it up as a permanent shop tool, the temporary workbench idea might make more sense.
It’s not a lightweight planer by any means – weighing in at a hefty 92 pounds. The cutting with capacity is 12 1/2 inches and the depth 6 inches. That means you’ll be able to use it for a wide variety of stock sizes.
Easy To Operate
The Dewalt Planer has all the controls on the front – the feed side – of the planer. This gives the operator total control.
It cuts flat, even and smooth surfaces, without the scalloping that you sometimes get on other planers. According to Dewalt, you can take off as much as 1/8 inch of material in a single pass. But we don’t recommend that you take off nearly that much at once. Slow and steady is best. Taking off a little bit of material at a time will give you better results and extend the length of trouble-free service you get from the knives and built-in motor.
Powerful Performance From A Solid Machine
The DW735 is a more capable and beefier planer than others in its category. Built-in handles are provided to make it a little bit easier to move. But it is heavy and two adults are suggested – especially if you’re lifting it to a workbench. Handles are provided on both the top and the bottom of the unit, making it more convenient to move. But it’s a safer lift with two people.
Wood chips are ejected powerfully – even without using a dust collector – thanks to the design and the extractor motor. However, it’s probably best to add a hose to the spout and direct those chips and dust away from the machine. It’s always a good idea to draw the chips away from your work area to keep it clear so you can see what you’re doing. It’s best to lead the hose off to the side – so it doesn’t land on your stock and get caught as wood goes through the planer.
Quick and Efficient To Service
To access the knives for inspection or to change them out – be sure the machine is unplugged first. The top cover easily removes with four screws and the provided tool that is housed right on top. Three wing-nuts over the extractor motor can be removed to give you full access to make adjustments or change the knives.
Pros
– Not as loud as one might expect (it is still recommended that you wear ear protection however)
– Very little dust produced when connected to a good dust collection system
– Instructions are easy to follow and set up was quick and painless
– Solid unit with no loose parts (it’s a well constructed planer)
– Portable planer (but heavy to lift)
– Works faster, smoother and quieter then larger planers
– In-feed rollers are effective in guiding wood through the planer
– Due to its weight it usually stays put and does not drift across a workbench
– Can feed material into the planer without it moving it all
– Built-in wood chip exhaust is effective
– Rotating the cutter head and changing the blades is easy
– Built-in locking bar helps prevent snipe
– Cuts cleanly – provides a smooth-as-glass finish (even when processing exotic hardwoods) on the final pass particularly if you set it up to remove just 1/64 of an inch of material
Cons
– It’s a heavy planer and not as portable as some other brands (although two adults can move it using the built-in handles)
– Although it’s billed as a “portable” planner – due to its weight – you probably won’t want to move it around too much
– Built-in chip exhaust tapers down to a 2 1/4 inch size (4 inches would be better to prevent clogging the hose)
– Chip extractor hood is held in place by three tiny screws (a simple clip system would be better)
– Sawdust can build up on the feed end when doing lots of continuous machining
– In colder temperatures, the rollers don’t seem to pull the stock into the planer as effectively – If you’re using this tool in your shop every day – you will tend to go through knives fairly fast (since there they’re made of high-speed steel, the edge doesn’t last as long as carbide tipped knives)
The Verdict
The Dewalt Planer is perfect for the avid do-it-yourselfer, or casual user. It also makes a welcome addition to any small commercial woodworking shop that could benefit from even occasional machining of wood to exact thicknesses. This one is capable of handling a wide variety of woods including, birch, pine, redwood, oak, elm, walnut and maple.