We research in-depth and provide unbiased reviews and recommendations on the best products. We strive to give you the most accurate information. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
Overall, the Dewalt DW735 Two-speed Thickness Planer is a popular woodworking power tool. It features a combination of price, size, and capability to make it an attractive tool for those of various skill levels.
Before you rush out and buy it, you probably want to learn more about it to see if it’s the right power tool for you. Let’s get started with this review, then!
DW734 vs. DW735 vs. DW735X
There are three models for the wood planer from Dewalt (thickness planers). Each one has a similar planing capacity and footprint.
The DW734 is the budget-friendly option. It’s a lunchbox-style planer and similar to those sold by Craftsman, WEN, Triton, and Grizzly. With that, it features a 12.5-inch planing capacity and runs on one speed. Plus, it comes with a motor running at a no-load speed of 10000 RPM and weighs 80 pounds.
Next, you’ve got the DW735, which is the one being reviewed today. In a sense, the DW735 and DW735X are the same, but the DW735X features outfeed and infeed tables with an extra knife set. The knives are necessary eventually, but you might not need them at first.
Overall, the biggest difference between the 734 and 735 models is the pillar vs. lunchbox style. The pillar version is unique to the DW735 and has been around for about 20 years now. You know the brand is doing something well!
Both the DW735 and DW735X have a planing capacity of 13 inches, a blower for chip/dust control even with no dust collector, two speeds for quality cuts and quick material removal, and a 20000 RPM motor. However, it weighs 92 pounds, so it’s pretty heavy.
Features and Specs for the DW735 Wood Planer
- Three-knife cutter head
- Two-speed gear box ensures that users can change feed speed easily
- Longer knife life because of the three knives
- Motorized fan-assisted chip ejection system
- Turret depth stop
- Automatic depth lock
- 19 3/4-inch deep aluminum base
- Two feed rate options
- 20000 RPM, 15-amp motor
- 13-inch planing capacity
Pros:
- Two-speed gearbox for fast feed speed changes
- Handles rough stock wood
- Easy to change knives
- Great build quality
- Chip and dust control
- Small footprint
- Excellent cut quality
- Easy to set up
Cons:
- Loud
- Can’t sharpen knives
- Prone to snipe for thin boards
- Can’t completely raise outfeed table because of dust port placement
Overall Impressions of the Dewalt DW735 Wood Planer
Overall, you should be pleased with your Dewalt DW735 Two-speed Thickness Planer, and many people say that they might buy it again. It’s hard to find another shop tool that packs so much into a small footprint and has a decent price. Even though the knives aren’t able to be sharpened, they have a long life and are reversible.
Plus, the two-speed gearbox ensures that you’re optimizing cuts based on your needs.
Planer Setup
There is virtually no set-up required to get your planer going. However, if you get the DW735X, you must attach the feed tables. Still, this is quite easy to do.
The dust ports and crank handle must also be attached, and it takes about five minutes to do so. With that, your planer is ready to start using. You can rarely find tools that pull out of the box and get used so fast!
Ease of Use with the Cutter Head
There is no easier tool to use than the DW735. With the right safety precautions in place and some basic information, your machine runs itself.
With that, there’s a large crank to the left of the machine, which is used to adjust the cut height. Generally, you only have to give it a half or full turn for each pass. However, this depends on if you’re making finish cuts or quickly removing material.
The planer locks automatically at the height you set, so there’s nothing else to do there. Plus, the four-pillar design ensures that everything is solid.
When you set up a cut, there’s a dial on the front of your planer to indicate the deepness of the pass. Turn the planer off to adjust the cut height and then slide the wood into the planer. The dial moves based on the height of your three-knife cutter head and the thickness of the wood.
Plus, it seems to get to know the most frequently used thicknesses and stays set at those to give you the maximum depth cut you want.
The planer features a dial with preset depth stops at the most-used intervals. This is excellent when you’re working on projects with multiple pieces that must be the same thickness but must be planed at different times.
On the left, you see a speed switch. When the planer is running, you can change between 96CPI or 179 CPI for finishing. With that, it adjusts how fast the wood gets fed through the machine, which makes it easier for the user. Material removal gauge options ensure that you get the max depth you require without making life too hard on you!
Cut Quality with the Two-Speed Gear Box
The cut quality of this planer is great. Typically, you run about 95 percent of the material at high feed rates and don’t get any snipes or tears at the end of your boards. However, there could be an issue with snipe if you’re running thinner boards through. Therefore, it might be best to run your boards back to back, using a waste board last.
Running boards through the Dewalt DW735 Thickness Planer on the fine finish setting ensures that you get a surface that needs virtually no sanding at all. Since it’s a straight knife planer, that’s quite surprising!
This setting works well for figured wood, such as curly maple. Many exotic wood species do well on this setting, too. For example, when working with Purpleheart, use the fine finish speed to reduce the risk of tear-out.
Another great feature here is that the planer provides a stable base with a maximum cut depth of 6 inches. Therefore, you can run the boards on their sides and give everything a uniform width. This might not work well for thin boards, but if you use an extra-large thickness scale, that shouldn’t be a problem!
Dust Collector
The Dewalt DW735 and DW735X feature a built-in blower to remove dust and chips through its dust collection port. If you’ve used the planer and allowed the chips to self-eject, you know that this blower doesn’t lack power!
On the few occasions when the dust collector hose falls off the port of the planer, you may notice the shop covered in wood chips and wood shavings. However, it’s impressive to see the power behind this dust collection system.
Overall, though, this Dewalt planer produces very little dust and attaches to almost any Shop-Vac. In fact, the Dewalt planer might be one of the cleanest machines and handles dust control effortlessly!
Noise
The biggest drawback of this machine is ultimately the noise. This Dewalt planer is exceptionally loud.
While you might be able to use some tools without using hearing protection, this tool isn’t one of them. With that, you may have to consider the placement of your shop to determine when to work.
Though you could upgrade the cutter head to a Shelix, there isn’t much you can do about the noises. Just wear hearing protection, make sure no one is asleep in the house, and get to work!
Blade Changes
It’s fairly easy to change the blades on the Dewalt DW735. You just have to remove the four screws from the planer’s top and remove the cover. From there, you have three hand screws to remove, as well as the dust shroud.
Each cutter head has eight screws you must remove. When the blade’s gone, you can flip it. If both sides of your blade have been used, you should replace it with a new one. Remember, you cannot sharpen the blades because you can’t set the depth of each blade separately.
You may choose to swap out the straight knives for a Shelix head, which features carbine teeth. The benefits of this are that you have a somewhat quieter operation, can rotate the cutter heads instead of replacing them when they get chipped, and have a longer life on the cutter heads.
However, if you replace the cutter head with the Shelix brand, you may have slightly off-depth stops.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a beginner in the woodworking world and want your first wood planer ever or own a large shop and require a backup machine, the Dewalt DW735 has you covered. It has a decent depth capacity when compared to other planers and promotes air flow.
With that, you don’t have to worry about the dust getting everywhere in the shop.
If you’re a beginner, it’s crucial to read the user manual on how to change the disposable knives and operate the machine.
The Dewalt DW735 review is now complete, and you should know if this is the right planer for your needs. Happy planing!
FAQs
Is the Dewalt DW735 Planer Good for Beginners?
Overall, the Dewalt DW735 Planer might not be the best model to get if you’re just beginning. It’s more expensive, and many beginner woodworkers don’t want to pay that much. Plus, it comes with many features you might not need right away.
Still, this model isn’t hard to figure out. If you want something that can grow with you as you learn and expand, then it could be the right choice. Just make sure that you have the funds available and be prepared to spend some money!
Does This Benchtop Planer Have Value for Money?
The Dewalt DW735 Planer is fairly priced as a semi-professional tool. However, it is slightly more expensive than other brands. Though the model costs a bit more, Dewalt ensures that its customers are satisfied. Therefore, you get a good warranty.
Overall, this power tool features a 3-year limited warranty, a 90-day money-back guarantee, and 1 year of service for free!
Is the Dewalt DW735 Planer Durable?
As with other Dewalt products, the DW735 is quite durable. The knives are quite impressive because they’re razor-sharp. With that, they have a longer life than other knives in wood planers. With that, you’re sure to enjoy the dust ejector and dust shroud, which extends the life of this model overall.
