Best planer? Dewalt 735?

[Holmz]

...

Any other portable or moveable larger scale machine honorary mentions??

Looks portable.

 

[jbasen]

I am also a hobbyist with a small shop.  I have the 735 with the Shelix head on a cart from HF so I can easily move it around the shop.  I use the lower shelf of the car for additional storage. 

I have owned the 735 for about 1 1/2 years and have been very happy with the performance.  No tear out when planing QSWO. 

My shop is on the 2nd floor of my house so not only is the footprint of a tool important, how difficult it is to get to the 2nd floor is also a consideration.  Don't ask what it took to get my sawstop PCS up to the shop  [scared]. 

I have 3 HF carts in one corner of the shop; one with the 735, one with a Kapex, and one with my Jet 10-20 drum sander.  My Sawstop, 14" Grizzley bandsaw, ridgid drill press, and home made MFT are all also on mobile bases so I can rearrange the entire shop when I have to use the 735 to plane a long board. 

A stationary planer might have had a similar footprint but, for me, getting it upstairs would have been a major challenge and the added storage of having the 735 on a HF cart with a lower shelf is another plus.

 

[Kev]

I've owned the 735 for years. It is loud, but I use hearing protection anyway and good protection really eliminates the noise issue as  far as I'm concerned. Plus, I've only owned one other table top planer and it was loud also. As for the impeller, I wouldn't mess with it. The real effectiveness of the dust collection is related to the impeller. I do have good (maybe even extremely good) dust collection and there is virtually no dust anywhere (a few escaped chips on the table inside the planer maybe). It works great the way it is. Why mess with it? Dewalt designed it as a system with components that work together.

The problem with "good hearing protection" is that it only works for the person wearing it ... the people next door having a BBQ with their friends and family tend not to benefit significantly! [wink]

Noise pollution needs to be considered, if you're lucky enough to be using a tool in a position where nobody else is inconvenienced by the noise - Great!

I have a new neighbour that I now refer to as "Edward impact driver hands" .. they guy is a selfish idiot. I wouldn't want others to see me they way I see him [mad]

For me, I'd consider the 735 with the Shelix head, but from what I've seen I wouldn't plan to regularly use a standard 735 at my home for the sake of my neighbours and a peaceful life.

 

[slopjock78]

I've owned the 735 for years. It is loud, but I use hearing protection anyway and good protection really eliminates the noise issue as  far as I'm concerned. Plus, I've only owned one other table top planer and it was loud also. As for the impeller, I wouldn't mess with it. The real effectiveness of the dust collection is related to the impeller. I do have good (maybe even extremely good) dust collection and there is virtually no dust anywhere (a few escaped chips on the table inside the planer maybe). It works great the way it is. Why mess with it? Dewalt designed it as a system with components that work together.

The problem with "good hearing protection" is that it only works for the person wearing it ... the people next door having a BBQ with their friends and family tend not to benefit significantly! [wink]

Noise pollution needs to be considered, if you're lucky enough to be using a tool in a position where nobody else is inconvenienced by the noise - Great!

I have a new neighbour that I now refer to as "Edward impact driver hands" .. they guy is a selfish idiot. I wouldn't want others to see me they way I see him [mad]

For me, I'd consider the 735 with the Shelix head, but from what I've seen I wouldn't plan to regularly use a standard 735 at my home for the sake of my neighbours and a peaceful life.

I respect your opinion, and applaud you for your consideration of others around you.  However, I'm not sure I totally agree with your statement.  Myself and my neighbors are always using lawn mowers, trimmers, chainsaws, snowblowers, etc....as needed on a a very regular basis.  As well as all types of power tools as need arises.  But everyone is also very conscience to the hours at which they use these tools.  I'm not sure how using a planer within my own home, no matter the noise level, should have a major impact on my neighbors, and should be any kind of consideration when I'm purchasing a tool.  If i have a job to do that requires a certain tool, i would never hesitate to use that tool, assuming its withing "normal business hours" of the day.

maybe it is a cultural thing, being that we are from two very different parts of the world

 

[Kev]

I've owned the 735 for years. It is loud, but I use hearing protection anyway and good protection really eliminates the noise issue as  far as I'm concerned. Plus, I've only owned one other table top planer and it was loud also. As for the impeller, I wouldn't mess with it. The real effectiveness of the dust collection is related to the impeller. I do have good (maybe even extremely good) dust collection and there is virtually no dust anywhere (a few escaped chips on the table inside the planer maybe). It works great the way it is. Why mess with it? Dewalt designed it as a system with components that work together.

The problem with "good hearing protection" is that it only works for the person wearing it ... the people next door having a BBQ with their friends and family tend not to benefit significantly! [wink]

Noise pollution needs to be considered, if you're lucky enough to be using a tool in a position where nobody else is inconvenienced by the noise - Great!

I have a new neighbour that I now refer to as "Edward impact driver hands" .. they guy is a selfish idiot. I wouldn't want others to see me they way I see him [mad]

For me, I'd consider the 735 with the Shelix head, but from what I've seen I wouldn't plan to regularly use a standard 735 at my home for the sake of my neighbours and a peaceful life.

I respect your opinion, and applaud you for your consideration of others around you.  However, I'm not sure I totally agree with your statement.  Myself and my neighbors are always using lawn mowers, trimmers, chainsaws, snowblowers, etc....as needed on a a very regular basis.  As well as all types of power tools as need arises.  But everyone is also very conscience to the hours at which they use these tools.  I'm not sure how using a planer within my own home, no matter the noise level, should have a major impact on my neighbors, and should be any kind of consideration when I'm purchasing a tool.  If i have a job to do that requires a certain tool, i would never hesitate to use that tool, assuming its withing "normal business hours" of the day.

maybe it is a cultural thing, being that we are from two very different parts of the world

Yes - it may well be a cultural thing, or even a personal thing. My first step is always to consider how I would want to be treated, then I make an effort to treat others in that manner.

What you do in your own home is private, when it radiates out in a way that creates a negative impact on other peoples lives I would personally consider that very poor, particularly if it can be avoided.

In your circumstance the noise you create may be considered tolerable by the people around you .. if you lived next door to me here and made excessive noise on a regular basis just because you decided you had the right, you'd probably find yourself chewing your favourite hammer as I would consider you as selfish and a very bad neighbour.

To be clear, I'm not attacking your opinions or how you and your fellow neighbours behave in your part of the world ... but you frame your response as "I'm not sure I totally agree with your statement". My statement is simply a fact, how you deal with it is your personal choice. As you state, the way you personally choose to deal with the potential of a tool creating noise pollution is to simply ignore it. That is a choice.

I would imagine we are very different people - possibly quite good that we live half a world away [wink] [big grin]

 

[Kev]

I'm in the USA and have to agree with Kev.  If my neighbor was having a BBQ with friends,  I would not use a noisy power tool while the party was going on.

It's called common courtesy.

You made me smile ... seeing you're from Atlanta Georgia and all!

I remember walking round some back streets there one Sunday morning while I was over doing some work with TCCC (I recall it being a little suburban pocket, just to the north of Piedmont Park). I was waiting at a corner as a car approached. The car slowed and I simply assumed it was to let me cross, but no - they actually wound down the window to say hello and started to chat.

Friendly bunch [smile]

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Screw my neighbors.  I really don't care.

 

[Kev]

Screw my neighbors.  I really don't care.

... and you take that mouth to church [eek] [big grin]

 

[slopjock78]

I'm in the USA and have to agree with Kev.  If my neighbor was having a BBQ with friends,  I would not use a noisy power tool while the party was going on.

It's called common courtesy.

If my neighbors are having a BBQ, that is a special case, and I agree, I would most likely choose to mow my grass or build my deck on a different day, if at all possible.  My point was I wouldnt choose to buy a certain mower because it was quieter then another mower.  If the louder mower did the job that i needed it to do in the price point that i was looking to pay, the sound level of the mower would never enter into the equation.  But I certainly wouldnt be mowing at 5am or 11pm, or if my neighbors were having a BBQ.

Same with a power tool.  If I'm building a new deck on my house (which i actually did very recently), i'm going to use the power tools I have at my disposal.  I'm not going to drive each screw in that deck by hand because my very nice impact is too loud.....But to each their own

 

[Kev]

I'm in the USA and have to agree with Kev.  If my neighbor was having a BBQ with friends,  I would not use a noisy power tool while the party was going on.

It's called common courtesy.

If my neighbors are having a BBQ, that is a special case, and I agree, I would most likely choose to mow my grass or build my deck on a different day, if at all possible.  My point was I wouldnt choose to buy a certain mower because it was quieter then another mower.  If the louder mower did the job that i needed it to do in the price point that i was looking to pay, the sound level of the mower would never enter into the equation.  But I certainly wouldnt be mowing at 5am or 11pm, or if my neighbors were having a BBQ.

Same with a power tool.  If I'm building a new deck on my house (which i actually did very recently), i'm going to use the power tools I have at my disposal.  I'm not going to drive each screw in that deck by hand because my very nice impact is too loud.....But to each their own

Yes, we do have a fundamental difference there I suppose and it's not a geographic difference. I've recently switched the majority of my gardening tools over to 36V cordless battery ... they can now achieve a decent result much more peacefully. My mower is the quietest four stroke I can reasonably acquire, but my end game is for robotic mowers (when they're available to suit my need). I'm not a monk, but I do like peace.

I guess some people just don't find loud noise disturbing or distracting and just figure "hey it's day time, I'll do what I want". There's others that would go completely postal when their karma is disturbed. I guess I fall somewhere in the middle.

There are obviously exceptional circumstances like building a deck, getting a pool installed, etc. Back to the 735, if my neighbour decided to fire a standard one up every weekend for hours I would feel compelled to demonstrate the flexibility of human anatomy! Hence my personal decision making process of treating people how I would want to be treated.

 

[live4ever]

I'm in the USA (California) and tend to agree with Kev.  I suppose I could say screw my elderly neighbors (and yes, they are both crazy), but I believe in being a good neighbor, and I wouldn't want anyone else treating me or my family any differently.  Even as we try to minimize our interactions with others and isolate ourselves further, community is and always will be important.  I say this as a total antisocial hermit.  [tongue]

 

[slopjock78]

well I guess i'm the odd ball here.  I grew up on a farm and on a job site.  power tools, loud tractors, chainsaws, etc...all a part of my life before I can remember.  I live in a very small town (less then 1000 people) where everything outside of the city limits is farm ground.  There is large machinery within feet of my house on a regular basis.  I typically do not even notice lawn mowers and power tools.

The world is full of different people, and that is what makes the world an exciting place.  All things affect people in different ways.  However, I do not believe that i'm an inconsiderate person.  I am very friendly with my neighbors, and they have never once complained of the noise coming out of my shop.  One in particular is always asking what project I'm working on at the time, and enjoys seeing my work.

 

[josephgewing]

Take a look at the Steel City planer,  It does  a great job, has carbide inserts, (used to be HSS), will handle very hard woods (like Jotoba/Brazilian cherry), about the same weight as the DeWalt 735, not *too* noisy, will take more than a 1/6 inch cut in some fairly hard woods, has given me no trouble in 6+ years of use. [big grin]

 

[jbasen]

Take a look at the Steel City planer,  It does  a great job, has carbide inserts, (used to be HSS), will handle very hard woods (like Jotoba/Brazilian cherry), about the same weight as the DeWalt 735, not *too* noisy, will take more than a 1/6 inch cut in some fairly hard woods, has given me no trouble in 6+ years of use. [big grin]

It is my understanding that Steel City is out of business.  They still have a web site but if you look at the planer on amazon it is listed as unavailable.

 

[bertv]

I think that Steel City planer is OEM. The same machine, painted orange, is sold in Europe under the Triton brand. AFAIK it is a reasonably good machine.

 

[Wuffles]

well I guess i'm the odd ball here.  I grew up on a farm and on a job site.  power tools, loud tractors, chainsaws, etc...all a part of my life before I can remember.  I live in a very small town (less then 1000 people) where everything outside of the city limits is farm ground.  There is large machinery within feet of my house on a regular basis.  I typically do not even notice lawn mowers and power tools.

The world is full of different people, and that is what makes the world an exciting place.  All things affect people in different ways.  However, I do not believe that i'm an inconsiderate person.  I am very friendly with my neighbors, and they have never once complained of the noise coming out of my shop.  One in particular is always asking what project I'm working on at the time, and enjoys seeing my work.

Same here in Somerset in the UK. We have tractors and all sorts constantly on the go.

 

[grbmds]

Screw my neighbors.  I really don't care.

Kind of figured you wouldn't care.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Screw my neighbors.  I really don't care.

Kind of figured you wouldn't care.

My planer is whisper quiet, but my forklift is a bit loud.

As far as I am concerned, 7am to about 1030 pm is fair game for whatever I please.

 

[glass1]

I never liked the 735 too much. Ridiculously heavy for a portable planer, crazy loud, and the blades dull quickly. The Makita is quieter and lighter and gives a good result in this level of planers. Or you could try to find an old Hitachi p12ra the true standard of portable planers.