Planers?

[gtriever]

It's about time to add a small planer to my shop. Suggestions for one that will be reliable, yet won't break the bank?

 

[Rodnall]

check CL, that's were I found mine

 

[jttheclockman]

It's about time to add a small planer to my shop. Suggestions for one that will be reliable, yet won't break the bank?

2 questions what is a SMALL planer look like?? What is a planer?? Not being facetious but that is a so wide open of a question. Are you talking jointer, board planer, hand held plane or hand held electric planer? Size?? Table top, floor model, or as mentioned hand held??

This will help to give suggestions.

 

[Dehn0045]

I got the DeWalt DW735. It's decent and has nice features, and not super expensive (though it is a little more than some other respectable options). One downside is the knives chip easily, it doesn't bother me much, but could be frustrating if you are looking for a finished surface that doesn't require sanding. I might go for the helical cutterhead upgrade at some point, but the cost is nearly as much as the planner and I just can't justify it. The Rikon (and probably others) comes with a helical head, and might be a good option versus the upgrade route.

 

[gtriever]

Sorry, John. Benchtop board planer, I'll use the Dewalt DW734 as an example. I'm starting to get a lot of requests for cutting boards and cheese slicers, so I think this is going to be a "necessary item". (Yeah, I know I can do it with a sander, etc, but it's an excuse for a NEW TOOOL!!)

 

[bsshog40]

I have had my Dewalt DW735 for about 10 years now. Love it.

 

[jttheclockman]

Sorry, John. Benchtop board planer, I'll use the Dewalt DW734 as an example. I'm starting to get a lot of requests for cutting boards and cheese slicers, so I think this is going to be a "necessary item". (Yeah, I know I can do it with a sander, etc, but it's an excuse for a NEW TOOOL!!)

OK you are looking for a thickness bench top planer. The Dewalt series is the best out there. The 735X is #1 rated. The features it has that make it so good is 13" wide, 3 heads, 2 speeds (great for cutting those exotic woods) and a 4 column system to keep the head straight and steady and helps eliminate snipe. You will still get some but if you set up the infeed and outfeed tables just right that will help also. Buy once and you won't be sorry.

Have to remember planers are like drum sanders. You can not hog off deep cuts and get fine results. Too many bad things happen when you force feed into a planer. A few extra passes will get a nice finish. You will never get a finished surface that a drum sander will give you. Thus why they work great in tandem.

Next is a nice performax 16/32 drum sander and you are golden.

 

[mmayo]

I have the Dewalt 13" and have run thousands of board feet through it. With dust collection it really rocks. Next year I'll buy the spiral cutting head. Great tool.

 

[gtriever]

Thanks for the replies so far. I think I have it narrowed down to either the Dewalt 734 or 735. Since it's strictly for "hobby" use, and I don't see myself running 100+ board feet at a time, what makes the 735 worth $200+ more than the 734?

 

[jxdubbs]

I have a WEN thickness planer that works great and didn't cost much. Not sure the model though.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[jttheclockman]

Thanks for the replies so far. I think I have it narrowed down to either the Dewalt 734 or 735. Since it's strictly for "hobby" use, and I don't see myself running 100+ board feet at a time, what makes the 735 worth $200+ more than the 734?

Big difference and this may help. Yes there are many other lunch box type thickness planners out there that will do the job especially if you have a drum sander. I have ak old Delta single speed lunchbox style planer that all I need it to do is plane wood to a close dimension of what I need and I finish with my Performax 16/32 drum sander. I do not take more than 1/4" off a board because I feel it is a waste of material if you do. If I need more than that I will resaw the board.

For your reading pleasure. Google is your friend.

https://toolsfirst.com/dw734-vs-dw735-vs-dw735x/

 

[Dehn0045]

here is a good fair comparison: https://youtu.be/9osTTcVz5c0

I personally think that either the 734 or 735 are for "hobby use". Aside from replacing blades, either machine will probably last most hobbyists a lifetime, but probably wouldn't hold up for more than a year with 40hr/week use. So I think it is more "what" you want to do, compared to "how much". If you are doing a lot of figured woods, want as nice of finish as possible, and don't want to do a lot of tinkering then go with the 735. If you are doing a lot of stuff like birdseye maple, then do the 735 and upgrade to the shelix helical cutterhead.

For smaller cutting boards and cheese slicers the cheaper planer might actually be better, as the minimum board length can become an issue with the 735.

 

[Charlie_W]

As far as using a thickness planer for cutting boards, I would only plane a straight grain glue up cutting board with a thickness planer......never, ever an end grain cutting board. For these, the thickness sander would be the better tool.

I have never heard the term "Board Planer"....must be a new term generated by folks who don't use a jointer to true a face of a board before running it through the thickness planer.
I've worked in kitchen cabinet shops for more than 25 years and had my hands on wood for over 50 years...a thickness planer is a thickness planer. I prefer to get kiln dried lumber in the rough and dress it to my needs instead of buying S2S boards.

Buy the best thickness planer you can afford.....you will appreciate the purchase for years instead of saying "I wish I had bought the better one" for years.

 

[eharri446]

If you are going to make cutting boards and cheese slicers, you might want to take a look at a thickness sander. They will sand your piece smooth and take it down to the final thickness in one machine.

 

[moke]

I would like to second what has been said in the last few posts....never plane end grain or even cross grain segmented cutting boards. DAMKIT..... A thickness planer is a much needed tool, but it has problems, too. Maple especially will give you some occasional tear out and some cherry will too.

While a drum sander is not a substitute for a thickness planer, it can do some of the same work......just slower, as it can not take much off at a time. I have a Jet 16" that is a beast, and a supermax 19-38 drum sander.....I find myself using the drum sander more and more.... It is not cheap but a great tool. There are many Jet, Performax or supermax 16-32 model out there on the used market. I would not pay more than $450 for one used and NEVER buy a drum sander that the table goes up and down instead of the head....ie; Delta...... DAMHKIT again.

Oh using a planer or drum sander with out DC is troublesome too.....

 

[gtriever]

Once again, thanks for all the responses. I'm still torn between the 734 and 735... And since I know exactly zip about planers, Google has been and will be my friend for a while longer. Next question : what's the minimum length of stock to put through these two?

 

[jttheclockman]

Once again, thanks for all the responses. I'm still torn between the 734 and 735... And since I know exactly zip about planers, Google has been and will be my friend for a while longer. Next question : what's the minimum length of stock to put through these two?

If you use a carrier sled then there is no minimum. If passing stock through alone probably no shorter than 12". You have to be able to have both the infeed roller and out feed roller touch that board while under cutter head, or else it will get stuck in between and a hassle to get out or gets kicked back at you.

To me if you are choosing between the 2 I would hands down go with the 735 or 735X because of the 2 speeds.

Again without a drum sander a planer will be tough to surface wood to a finished piece. Especially if you are using to dimension lumber to exactness. Have to ask yourself what are your real intentions and go from there. Resawing on a bandsaw can do just as well and then use a drum sander. Could be money better spent on a thickness drum sander if money and space are a factor.

 

[gtriever]

I've always used a ROS and old-fashioned elbow grease for finish sanding. You guys have been very helpful with this - We'll go with the DW735.

 

[socdad]

Once again, thanks for all the responses. I'm still torn between the 734 and 735... And since I know exactly zip about planers, Google has been and will be my friend for a while longer. Next question : what's the minimum length of stock to put through these two?

Again without a drum sander a planer will be tough to surface wood to a finished piece. Especially if you are using to dimension lumber to exactness. Have to ask yourself what are your real intentions and go from there. Resawing on a bandsaw can do just as well and then use a drum sander. Could be money better spent on a thickness drum sander if money and space are a factor.

This post reinforces the decision I made, ordered a Byrnes thickness sander to clean up wood I put through my bandsaw. My new 'toy' came yesterday ...