DeWalt DW734 Review: consistently produces an accurate, well-defined, and smooth finish on various boards of different sizes and widths, making it an ideal option for beginners.

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This review found that the DeWalt dw734 model consistently produces an accurate, well-defined, and smooth finish on various boards of different sizes and widths, making it an ideal option for beginners.

Today, if you want to plane your wood and prepare it for sanding, you may need a planer. This is an easy-to-use device that you can generally find in any woodworking shop. A wood planer is a must-have tool for amateur carpenters. It is used for different reasons. Door adjustment, edge dressing, or even wood grinding; no carpenter can work without a planer.

9.5 Total Score
Excellent!

The DeWalt dw734 is a compact benchtop thickness planer with a weight of 80lbs at an affordable cost. The tool is excellent for any big or small-sized workspace. Thanks to its 15-amp electric engine power, this planer is a highly strong machine with 20,000 rpm when performing deep, long cuts in hardwood.

Speed
9.5
Fast and Easy
9.5
Accurate
9
Large Capacity
9
Dust and Debris Management
8.5
PROS
  • Cut easily
  • Perfect consistency
  • Additional enhancements
  • Extra-long infeed and outfeed tables providing 33.5 inches of support
  • Protection for bigger pieces of wood and avoiding sniping.
CONS
  • Frail dust collection
  • Noisy motor
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If you’re acquainted with the equipment and gadget market, you must surely have heard of DeWalt as a successful company that is consistently producing valuable and creative tools in the industry.

As brands all compete for ideas, you may find many great products on the market. Thus, you may not know which planer to choose. DeWalt has developed an excellent reputation as one of America’s best-selling machine tool brands. The dw734 concept is no exception. This benchtop planer has a strong 20,000 rpm motor and is capable of producing 96 cuts per inch.

In this extensive DeWalt dw734 review, we explore the essential components of this top model, assess its merits and disadvantages, and explain everything you might need to make a wise purchasing choice.

Let’s take a look at the specifications of the dw734 and see if it meets your requirements.

The Basics of DeWalt dw734

DeWalt DW734 Review

The DeWalt dw734 is a compact benchtop thickness planer with a weight of 80lbs at an affordable cost. The tool is excellent for any big or small-sized workspace. Thanks to its 15-amp electric engine power, this planer is a highly strong machine with 20,000 rpm when performing deep, long cuts in hardwood. It produces a seamless and beautiful finish every time. With a 10,000 rpm pace, the three-knife cutter head makes 96 cuts per inch to create one of the best surfaces of any compact plaster.

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The movement happens by using the three cutters during woodcutting, leading to a flat and smooth surface. The DeWalt wood planer dw734 provides you with edges that last for a long time to use them for years without changing the blades.

What Is The Function of a Wood Planer?

A planer is a woodworking machine used in carpentry and cabinet making for machining and woodworking. Wood planing consists of roughening and flattening a piece of wood by removing part of the material. 

The planer is generally used in the manufacture or restoration of furniture. Wood is a material that works well. Deformations caused by water and humidity can cause doors and furniture to no longer open or close properly. Planing corrects this.

DEWALT Benchtop Planer, Single Speed, 15-Amp, 12-1/2-Inch (DW734)
The DeWalt dw734 is a compact benchtop thickness planer with a weight of 80lbs at an affordable cost. The tool is excellent for any big or small-sized workspace. Thanks to its 15-amp electric engine power, this planer is a highly strong machine with 20,000 rpm when performing deep, long cuts in hardwood.

DeWalt dw734 Review: Main Characteristics

The DeWalt dw734 is not exactly thin, with an average weight of only 80lbs and a size of 24 x 17 x 21 inches, particularly when you realize that several planers weigh between 60 and 70 lbs.

Motor Power

The DeWalt brand is associated with force and energy, and this excellent wood planer is no different. With a strong 15-amp, 20,000 rpm engine, this workspace planer is probably one of the best in the industry, though it is not the most expensive tool on the list. The DeWalt dw734 engine is incredibly robust and can make significant, broad cuts into hardwood that may undoubtedly impress your colleagues.

The Basics of DeWalt dw734

Both softwood and hardwood can be treated with comfort. Also, there is a manual control document to keep control of how much power it requires.

Accuracy and Precision

Efficiency and accuracy distinguish any good thick wood planer. More precisely, the dw734 produces a stable, even completed surface. 

Although this is valid for most house repairs, however, when it comes to commercial and industrial plans, the dw734 struggled to some degree. If you work on projects of this kind, you may still achieve an exact cut, but it may take a lot more work, and it would be best if you buy a new heavy planer.

Cutting Capacity

If you are unfamiliar with the woodwork industry, concepts such as “width capability” and “thickness ability” may not be common to you.

The wood planer’s width capability defines the timber’s overall width that you can cut, while the thickness ability generally defines how deep that timber can be.

The Basics of DeWalt dw734

The dw734 benchtop planer is well suited to cut to 12 and a half inches in width and 6 inches in length, which is good enough for most home improvements and DIY works.

Build Quality

For nearly a century, DeWalt has not preserved its reputation as a pioneer in its sector by manufacturing mediocre materials. The company is a trustworthy name in building efficiency and performance. It produces wood planers designed to last and is constructed to perform a wide variety of activities. You are equipped with excellent build reliability. With proper treatment, you may admire what this material can achieve for years to come.

However, prolonged usage can contribute to the engine failing and increase the risk of damage. Nevertheless, you can be confident that this workspace planer is as powerful, durable, and well-designed as DeWalt would assume.

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Safety Component

Safety is perhaps even more critical than performance. This is not a game for kids, and any inappropriate use can lead to injury.

The Basics of DeWalt dw734

Fortunately, with some well-placed safety hallmarks, the DeWalt dw734 dramatically reduces your chance of harm. The control button can be conveniently reached on the front of the unit so that you can turn it off instantly in the event of an emergency.

Disposable and Reversible Knives

With the DeWalt dw734, most knives are interchangeable and removable, ensuring that you can have 30 percent more knife life and allowing you to change the blades comfortably and rapidly.

This is perfect for people who don’t know what they’re doing or someone new to the job. You can also adjust the edges to make them more natural to use or meet a specific task.

DW734 Wood Planer Pros and Cons

Pros:
  • Cut easily
  • Perfect consistency
  • Additional enhancements
  • Extra-long infeed and outfeed tables providing 33.5 inches of support
  • Protection for bigger pieces of wood and avoiding sniping.
Cons
  • Frail dust collection
  • Noisy motor

Who Is the DeWalt dw734 Benchtop Planer For?

The DeWalt dw734 is an outstanding alternative if you are a DIY fan and would like to purchase a good planer. It is not, though, the best option for technical and industrial use and heavy work.

Specification: Comparative Table

The table below provides a brief review of the best benchtop planers today and some key specifications.

DeWalt dw734DeWalt dw735XMakita 2012N
Tool Weight80lbs92lbs61.9lbs
Power15 amp15 amp15 amp
Blade Size12-1/2-Inch13-Inch12-Inch
RPM20,000 no-load speed20,000 (motor) / 10,000 (cutterhead) rpm.8,500
Dimension (LxWxH)24 x 17x 21 inches24 x 22 x 1830-3/8 x 19-1/64 x 15-25/32

How to Choose the Best Wood Planer?

Do you work in carpentry, or do you want to create furniture in the “home-made” way? The planer allows you to design your woods’ surface and make it much smoother for later sanding. But since brands have no shortage of ideas, you may surely come across a wide range of proposals, and you may feel helpless.

The Basics of DeWalt dw734

Although there are electric models available, a hand planer is a manual tool. Different wood planers are best suited for different types of projects. For example, if your project involves doors, a wood planer may be the best option for your project. This type of planer is best for cutting, squaring, and straightening the edges of doors or wood projects with longboards.

Overall, you should consider the four main buying criteria: power, type of wood, type of planer, and weight of the tool.

The Power

Indeed, if you are required to do carpentry work, this element is essential. In this case, choose devices that can overcome the hardest woods, without damaging the softer woods.

Ideally, it is recommended for regular use to turn to machines that have an output of 1650 watts to 2250 watts.

Type of Wood

First of all, be aware that it is not a question of finding a cheap model, because if this is your modus operandi, you may well regret your purchase. In addition to identifying the power rating of the machine, you must also make a quick inventory of the type of wood you use most. If you work mainly on hardwood, it would be much better to rush to the models that can deliver maximum power. 

Type of Planer

If you don’t know it yet, we inform you that there are three main types of planers. You can either turn to a benchtop planer, a stand planer, or a stationary planer. Depending on the type, prices may differ, so you may be faced with a cheaper or more expensive model, depending on your specific needs. 

The Basics of DeWalt dw734

If you intend to use it for domestic work, we suggest buying a bench planer. On the other hand, a benchtop planer is ideal if you plan to use it for renovation work or do some odd jobs. Finally, for professionals in the field, nothing beats a benchtop planer.

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The Weight of the Tool

In this regard, it seems important not to neglect this last point, allowing you to enjoy a practical and compact machine. Beyond the fact that it can enable you to move it around on construction sites, it is also a matter of your working comfort, especially if you have to work long hours.

To remain efficient at all times, we suggest you choose a planer that you can easily hold in your hands. As you can see, the grip must be pleasant to keep so that you can be meticulous about the smallest detail. From there, take your time to compare the various models and don’t rush into your choices, because it is not a small investment.

Final Thoughts

To summarize, the DeWalt dw734 may have its drawbacks, like noise, or it may have several confounding settings, but it is very much appreciated, and we recommend that you try it if you’re a newcomer and see how you like it.

Why trust Handyman.Guide?

s written by Itamar Ben-Dor, who has 25 years of experience in renovations, carpentry, locks, creation, landscaping, painting, furniture construction, and furniture renovation, works with concrete, plumbing, door repair, and more.

Itamar Ben-Dor has been in the home improvement business for over 25 years. Itamar Ben-Dor is a jack of all trades. He's worked in the renovation field for years, doing everything from locksmithing to carpentry. He's a small repairs specialist. But his true passion lies in furniture construction and renovation - he loves seeing old pieces come back to life with some new woodwork or a fresh coat of paint.

He has taken courses on many topics in these fields at professional colleges in Israel. Over the years, Itamar has also become quite skilled in gardening, carpentry, and renovations. He's worked on projects of all sizes, from massive renovations to small repairs. No job is too big or too small for him!


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Itamar Ben Dor
Itamar Ben Dor

My father is a practical engineer, and as a hobby he was also involved in construction, renovations, carpentry and woodwork at home; So there was always tools, saws, drills and more at home. Already I was a little kid Dad and I would renovate the house. Once we built a shed for garden tools, once we did flooring for the garden, once we renovated the bathroom and that’s the way it is. Long before there was an internet, directories and plans. We would build things, kitchen cabinets, install electrical appliances, do flooring, pour concrete and more ... I in this blog want to pass on to you the experience I have gained over the last 20 plus-minus years since I was a child to this day and give you information about the best tools, project plans, guides and more.

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