I'd say it depends, to some degree, on how much wood you will run through the planer and/or jointer, not only for the upcoming project, but in the future. The kind of outlay for a hammer combo might be worth it for all the reasons the others have said. I don't know because I couldn't justify that kind of expenditure.
I have a Jet 8" helical head jointer and the same Dewalt 735 planer you have. For the volume of wood I run through these, the performance and results are great. Just the upgrade to the 8" jointer with the helical head and a much longer bed than I had before yielded an incredible improvement to my work. I almost never use boards wider than 8" so for flattening the first face and jointing edges there is no downside. Anything wider I normally must glue up anyway. The helical head on the Jet was worth it. It is quieter and the results are much better. The carbide square knives never seem to wear out.
As for the planer, the 735 is a great planer. Is it noisy? Yes. Could the blades possibly wear longer? Yes, but I understand there are carbide blades available. I've never seen the economy, given the price, but it might be worth it in some situations. I have always gotten great results with it and, for the original price, I just don't think it can be beat.
If you are going to run huge volumes of wood through either the planer, then maybe a Hammer combo would be worth it. However, the price of an 8" Jet HH jointer is less than half the price of the Hammer, or less if it happens to be on sale. Since you already have the planer, you can buy a lot of knives for $2,000. So, if you are not a professional furniture maker or carpenter or remodeler or builder, etc. and are into woodworking to make some cabinets or furniture for your house, friends, or relatives, it might be worth savings to think about your future needs. On the other hand, I would never stop someone from buying a cool tool like the hammer combo jointer/planer. Maybe you could find one used in great condition. I know someone who did that recently.
I have a Jet 8" helical head jointer and the same Dewalt 735 planer you have. For the volume of wood I run through these, the performance and results are great. Just the upgrade to the 8" jointer with the helical head and a much longer bed than I had before yielded an incredible improvement to my work. I almost never use boards wider than 8" so for flattening the first face and jointing edges there is no downside. Anything wider I normally must glue up anyway. The helical head on the Jet was worth it. It is quieter and the results are much better. The carbide square knives never seem to wear out.
As for the planer, the 735 is a great planer. Is it noisy? Yes. Could the blades possibly wear longer? Yes, but I understand there are carbide blades available. I've never seen the economy, given the price, but it might be worth it in some situations. I have always gotten great results with it and, for the original price, I just don't think it can be beat.
If you are going to run huge volumes of wood through either the planer, then maybe a Hammer combo would be worth it. However, the price of an 8" Jet HH jointer is less than half the price of the Hammer, or less if it happens to be on sale. Since you already have the planer, you can buy a lot of knives for $2,000. So, if you are not a professional furniture maker or carpenter or remodeler or builder, etc. and are into woodworking to make some cabinets or furniture for your house, friends, or relatives, it might be worth savings to think about your future needs. On the other hand, I would never stop someone from buying a cool tool like the hammer combo jointer/planer. Maybe you could find one used in great condition. I know someone who did that recently.
