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Product Ranking

The pecking order for the 12-13" Planers analysis has the DeWalt DW735 as 1st among 22 and 1st among 130 in the Planers category. The average price of is $376.31 and the DW735 is 14th in price. It is 33th in Planers at $2191.89. It is ranked 1st of 216 for DeWalt.

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grade A
WHAT'S THIS?

Rated Top Tool
Wood Magazine, Volume 173, 2006-11

The reviewer listed many positives about this planer. This planer had the best cut quality of any planers tested due to the three-knife cutterhead that could operate at two different feed rates. The cutterhead height can be comfortably and smoothly adjusted via a large crank on the side, all scales and gauges are easy to read, the entire top is removable for easy access to the cutterhead for changing knives, and the dust collection is aided by a blower and can be used with a half-bag filter to improve dust collection efficiency. One low point is that the extension tables are an extra $45 and are necessary if the user is serious about minimizing snipe. This planer is ideal if a smooth surface must be produced at all costs.

grade A
WHAT'S THIS?

Rated Top Tool
Wood Magazine, Volume 151, 2003-10

The reviewer said this "portable planer" is 92 pounds, so it comes close to being a small stationary planer. There are two speeds--"dimensioning" (96 cuts per inch) and "finishing" (179 cuts per inch)--though these speeds are so close that the difference is not very distinguishable, so this two-speed feature may not have been very well justified from the standpoint of benefit per engineering effort. This planer has a lot of power, and can easily cut through 7-inch wide red oak with a 1/16-inch-deep cut at "dimensioning" speed. There is an automatic cutterhead lock that almost completely eliminates snipe. The fan-assisted chip removal system works well, especially when combined with a dust collector. The cutterhead has three knives, the depth-of-cut gauge extends along the entire length of the cutterhead, and there is plenty of space for changing the knives. Some low points are its relatively heavy weight for a "portable" planer, and its 108 dB noise is quite loud for a portable planer.

The De Walt DW735 thickness planer is a great machine that performs planing operations quite satisfactorily. Most of its features are sensible and functional producing very accurate and smooth results on all but very curly woods.
The one tool feature for adjustments, servicing and blade replacement is one of my favorite features. It tells me the design engineers at De Walt get it when it comes to real-world features and solutions for this machine.

Replacing the 3 double-sided blades takes a little time but not due to poor design: there are just a lot of fasteners involved. The indexing system with alignment pins on the cutter head is foolproof and dead-on accurate even with slotted holes in the knives that allow the blades to be shifted side-to-side if a blade gets nicked.

The crank handle for adjusting planing thickness is absolutely accurate at 1/16 inch adjustment with a full turn. The internal dust collector feature is great for a shop without a dust collection system and I highly recommend the optional dust collection kit. The kit has a hose and cloth bag that attaches to a common garbage can for shaving collection.

Having 2 feed rates is a nice feature as well, allowing quick stock removal as well as a fantastically smooth finish on the slower speed. I was surprised that the fast speed is actually slower than the single speed De Walt models, but after getting used to the difference it has not been a problem at all.

On the negative side of things, packaging for the unit I purchased was insufficient for UPS delivery and the first two machines arrived with a corner broken off the base casting. De Walt may have remedied this problem with a sturdier carton and packing by now, although it would not be an issue with a store purchased unit rather than mail order sources. The repeatable depth stop feature seems redundant considering the accuracy of the thickness scale and adjustment crank, so I never use it. The main design issue, in my opinion, is that the out feed table cannot be flipped into the up position without taking off the dust chute or hose accessory. Both in feed and out feed tables work satisfactorily otherwise.

Make sure you wear good ear protection since this baby howls when you fire it up! And when you fire it up, I am sure you will be impressed and quite satisfied with the results you achieve.