DW735 Sheiix

[Cheese]

[member=72312]Rick Herrick[/member] there’s nothing wrong with finish from sharp straight knives on most planers. The main complaint on the Dewalt was that the stock knives didn’t stay sharp very long. There are straight knife alternatives these days that last longer.

You’ll probably get less tear out on figured woods or woods where the grain is wild. But it’s not a miracle worker. Their biggest appeal to me any way is the automatic setup rather getting the dial indicator out. Plus the ability to replace single knife blocks instead of the whole blade.

Ron

I'll just add to Ron's  [2cents] 

I've gone through standard Dewalt knives planing normal cedar. There were probably some mineral deposits within the wood but still the Dewalt knives are very soft. Also, they cannot be sharpened so they just get pitched.

I found some carbide replacement knives but they were $250-$300, more than half of what a Shelix was going for at the time.

What really helped make up my mind was when I was planing birds eye maple and the straight knives removed 50%-60% of the eyes...I was left with boards that had tiny craters in the surface. [crying] To finish that project I had to rent a Timesaver.  [sad]

The Shelix works very well with birds eye maple, curly maple and tiger maple. It would also work well for planing any crotch woods and each carbide insert gives you 4 new edges. If you need to purchase an insert they're only $8-$10 each. I keep 6 of them on-hand for any emergencies.

 

[kevinculle]

A not yet mentioned benefit of the Shelix head on the DW735 is the considerable reduction in the noise level of the planer in operation.  I measured mine before and after the head swap using the same piece of wide maple stock and taking the same depth cut and the Byrd head reduced the noise level by about 12dB, which is a huge improvement.  If you're smart you will still wear ear protection but the people in other parts of the house will easily notice the difference.

 

[Rick Herrick]

It appears, from these last few replies, that it still may be a good idea to make the change.  Its hard to understand how many blade/insert changes would be needed for, say, a 5 year period.  I am definitely using it more than I did its first 2 years.  I also like the thought of less noise. I have to work in my garage and I don't start making any noise until at least noon, just to keep my family from as much noise as possible.  Thanks Cheese, Ron and Oldwood for the extra information.

 

[edwarmr]

Replacement inserts are only $3 a piece so you know. 10 for $29.95 at Holbren. That comes out to less than $1 per side of each insert. And actually Holbren sells them cheaper and with free shipping through Amazon. 10 for $29.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BSEWXG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATZIFHS3ARDEL&psc=1
https://www.holbren.com/Byrd_Tool_B...G5nxjbNZNIExToQRw7j0_q4hOXpWPiBhoCEb0QAvD_BwE

 

[Cheese]

A not yet mentioned benefit of the Shelix head on the DW735 is the considerable reduction in the noise level of the planer in operation.  I measured mine before and after the head swap using the same piece of wide maple stock and taking the same depth cut and the Byrd head reduced the noise level by about 12dB, which is a huge improvement.  If you're smart you will still wear ear protection but the people in other parts of the house will easily notice the difference.

To add to Kevin's statement, there's another thread floating around here that specifically mentions how much the noise level is reduced. I measured it with a simple app that I added to my phone and noted a 10db reduction in sound pressure level. The sound signature goes from a mind numbing shriek to something that is a lot more family & pet friendly. There are so many good reasons to swap the straight blades out for the Shelix.

This discussion rather reminds me of the HSS table saw blades vs the carbide insert table saw blade discussion that we had 30 years ago. There was a very vociferous contingent that felt HSS table saw blades were sharper and thus produced a better cut. Well, we now know how that discussion ended.  [smile]

 

[Cheese]

Replacement inserts are only $3 a piece so you know. 10 for $29.95 at Holbren. That comes out to less than $1 per side of each insert. And actually Holbren sells them cheaper and with free shipping through Amazon. 10 for $29.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BSEWXG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATZIFHS3ARDEL&psc=1
https://www.holbren.com/Byrd_Tool_B...G5nxjbNZNIExToQRw7j0_q4hOXpWPiBhoCEb0QAvD_BwE

Thanks neighbor  [smile]  for that information...those prices have seriously declined in the last couple of years. The original inserts were made in Germany by Tigra.

 

[kevinculle]

...Its hard to understand how many blade/insert changes would be needed for, say, a 5 year period. 

In 6 years of moderately heavy hobbyist use I have replaced I think two inserts that cracked and have maybe rotated 3 or 4 others that developed a small chip in the edge.  Otherwise I am running on the original edges.  I don't think I'll live long enough to have to replace inserts due to wear.  When I was running the DeWalt blades I would guess I would get perhaps one to two years on a set.

 

[Bob D.]

How long would it be before you see a mark from a chipped insert?

Don't they overlap from one row to the next so wouldn't it take a couple of inserts to be chipped before you see any sign in your workpiece. Or are you doing a visual inspection periodically and seeing the nicked or cracked inserts.

Since I just recently installed the Shelix head I want to know what to watch out for.

 

[Rick Herrick]

Just placed the order for the head, their little torque wrench and a spare box of inserts.  Fingers crossed.  Guess I need to go get some snap ring pliers and a 24mm socket.  Thanks for everyones help.

 

[Rick Herrick]

This baby got here in 2 days.  Very nice service Holbren, thank you.  Got half a dozen cutting boards to clean up in the planar and then I hope to install the new head.