DW 735 Planer for Pine ?

[Paul K. Johnson]

I've had no significant issues with mine and it's mostly seen a whole lot of pine.

Two things though. First, I thought my knives were all chipped up and I replaced them with a second set I had. When I looked at the ones I took out there wasn't any chipping. There was just a bunch of tar and wood bits adhered to the back of the blade.

The second thing is that every once in a while a knot comes loose inside the machine. It makes quite a racket and you're sure your machine is going to need some replacement parts. That's happened to me several times and so far I haven't found any damage.

It's very loud and your dust collector needs to be able to keep up with the exhaust or be attached very solidly. Otherwise it will blow the hose right off.

[John Connelly]

Having worked in a shop that went through several of these 735's, planing thousands of feet of clear sugar pine, there are a couple of things to be aware of. First of all, the pitch from the pine will stick to everything. Plan on having to clean the rubber feed rollers frequently and clean and wax the bed often. Second, the dust collection used must be up to the task. The planer's internal dust collection struggles with wide boards, leaving a layer of dust and chips on the board which will find themselves stuck to the outfeed roller and then the infeed roller or the bed on the second pass through. The dust outlet works best if it see's no restrictions such as flex hose or tight elbows in the first couple of feet. A large collector is a must, no shop vacs. The last concern are the knots. The material we ran was clear with the occasional pin knot or pitch pocket. They would almost always leave a nick on a knife. Large knots will cause premature dulling of the knives. Dull knives will create more dust than chips and the pitch laden dust will stick to everything (including the cutter head, knives and dust collector impeller). Plan on a lot of down time for cleaning and knife changes. The planer is certainly up to the task if you keep in mind the pitch and dust concerns. I still use a 735 in my shop although it is in a "pine free zone".

[Dan Hahr]

A couple things... I have the 735 and a Delta 15" machine. The 735 is hands down the best small planer I in that price range. Mileage on the blades is purely subjective though. It all depends on what you put through it and how you do it. The slightest bit of sand on the end of a board and your blades are nicked or dulled. In fact, after the first couple of feet you will probably see nicks appear, definitely after the first knot. But longevity just depends on what is acceptable to you. The knives will plane very well for a while with several nicks, but you will have to deal with the ridges. I have planed 14' 2x6s in mine with no issues, as well as thousands of board feet of everything from cedar to maple to kempas. (Don't plane kempas; trust me...)

Dan

[Marc Jeske]

After studying all replies, I've decided to use a better grade of SYP w no knots.

I did not need the knots aesthetically,although they were acceptable for this project, clear is even better for what I need to do.

Just originally wanted to keep costs down was the idea.

And getting a MC meter.

I expect to still have the pitch accumulation / cleaning issues.

And understand importance of clean stock, NO sand, etc.

So I think I'm good for now.

Thank you all for your help. Marc