DW735 Planer and Byrd Shelix Head Cutter

[kevinculle]

I have the original small diameter Byrd head in my DW735, been using it for 6 years.  I'm a hobbyist but it has seen some pretty heavy project use over the years.  The planer hasn't missed a beat in all that time and produces very nice surfaces that require just a reasonable amount of sanding for beautiful results.  I will say that my work habits do not include hogging off a quarter inch in one pass...when thicknessing I usually go in steps of a full crank or less on the elevation wheel and I always make a couple passes on each side taking 0.005"-0.010" (the Wixey is indispensable here) that provides minimal snipe such that the snipe and the shallow cutterhead scallops sand out at about the same duration of sanding.  Had a full diameter head been available when I bought it I would have gone that way but I wouldn't change it out now even if I could do it for free.