Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Planer buying help Dewalt 735 vs. General 30-115

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Southeastern NH
    Posts
    11

    Planer buying help Dewalt 735 vs. General 30-115

    Hi all. I've been a regular reader of Sawmill Creek for awhile now, but haven't been a very good poster. Mostly because I've been starting a business and my fine woodworking hobby has taken a backseat for the past year or so.

    Well, I ready to et back up on the horse and make my tools sing again. I'm in the market for a planer and am trying to decide between the Dewalt 735 (with stand and in/outfeed tables) and the larger, floor-standing General International 30-115.

    I realize they are different beasts, but can anyone offer me some advice on why I should pay the extra 300 beans for the General?

    I make a lot of furniture and am really anal about joinery and final fit and finish. It's a hobby for me so I have the time to "get it right".

    Other than the 13" vs 15" and the fact that the General is a full floor standing model, what are the real benefits of upsizing to the General? Does it do a better job overall?

    Thanks in advance for any replies.

    -Al

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Modesto, CA
    Posts
    2,364
    I"ve got a DW735 and I love it to death. Three knives and two speeds and a great finish makes me very happy when I use it.

    But I'm a portable/mobile/outdoor shop kind-a-guy right now. If I had the room, I'd have a 15" (or larger) planer in a second. Thirteen inches just doesn't cut it sometimes when I need to plane a larger project. I find myself having to plan into the project my need to plane something in two or more pieces and then do a careful glue up and a little hand planing and finish sanding.

    Actually, I'd say get a 20" or a 24" if you can afford it. For a hobbyist, a machine like that would make easy work of larger cutting boards, small table tops and and the sides, shelves and doors for that once-in-a-lifetime wardrobe project. Mmmmmmm.....I'm drooling.....gotta go.
    Mark Rios

    Anything worth taking seriously is worth making fun of.

    "All roads lead to a terrestrial planet finder telescope"

    We arrive at this moment...by the unswerving punctuality...of chance.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    19

    DeWalt DW735

    Hi Al

    I cannot tell you anything about the General but I have been using my Dewalt 735 for 2 years now and really like it. I get a little snipe with it but not as bad as others I have seen. I am just a hobbiest thought so it is not used daily or anything.

    My 2 cents
    Dwayne Hunt
    In my shop hide out!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    Welcome to the 'Creek!!

    Bottom line...if you want/need to hog a lot of rough stock, than the heavier, "stationary" planer is going to be a better tool. More power, mass, etc. The DW735 is a very capable "portable" (and I use that term lightly as it's a very heavy machine that you really don't want to move around in your arms)...about the heaviest in the lot...and is a very nice choice. The "portables" do tend to put a better "finish" on the wood because of their much higher CPI (cuts per inch) but you will still be sanding or hand planing for your final surface to remove even the microscopic scalloping that a rotating cutter head will always leave. BTW, the DW has a reputation for being at the top of the "loud/screaming" pile, too...so make sure you absolutely wear hearing protection whenever you are using it. You should do that with any jointer and planer, but it's especially important with the DW planer.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker
    BTW, the DW has a reputation for being at the top of the "loud/screaming" pile, too...so make sure you absolutely wear hearing protection whenever you are using it. You should do that with any jointer and planer, but it's especially important with the DW planer.
    Quoted for truth! You cannot comfortably use this planer with no hearing protection, period.

    I do have a DW735, it does a decent job, but the other factor is that it has knives that are only 1/16" thick, rather than the more common 1/8" knives used on most planers (even larger stationary planers). These thin knives have a tendancy to wear faster, and even though you get 2 cutting edges on each knife, that's the case with most all porta-potty planers these days. I was quite amazed when I opened up the planer to flip the blades the first time, the edges were pretty bad...I will also add a disclaimer, I've only gone through 2 sets of blades. I ordered a set of HSS knives from Infinity Cutting Tools, they sell replacement knives in the specialty section, about $60 vs. $50 (list) from DeWalt. I haven't used them as when I went to go put them in, I still had another side on the 2nd set, so flipped them and have used them, but only have put through about 50 linier feet. The HSS are better quality, from appearance. All of our milage will vary...

    I have recentely purchased an older Parks 12" planer which I'm getting together to be my main planer until I can find a larger (18"-24") vintage planer that I can restore, preferably a Yates-American J-180. Noise of the DW735 was the main reason for doing this.

    For porta-potty benchtop planers, consider the Makita. It's not as sexy but a bit quieter, has thicker knives and is well liked by many owners. Not to discourage you from the DW735, ergonomically it is one of the best in it's class.
    --
    Life is about what your doing today, not what you did yesterday! Seize the day before it sneaks up and seizes you!

    Alan - http://www.traditionaltoolworks.com:8080/roller/aland/

  6. #6

    Wood Mag Review

    Take a look at the latest reveiw of planers in the latest issue of Wood Mag. It's not a review per se, but rahter an evaluation of what to look for. I found it quite interesting.
    If sawdust were gold, I'd be rich!

    Byron Trantham
    Fredericksburg, VA
    WUD WKR1

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Beaver Falls, PA
    Posts
    435

    The DeWalt

    I've owned it for almsot 2 years, and it has handled every project thrown at it with ease. Loud? You bet. Got hearing protection? You'll need it. But I use hearing protection everytime I joint/plane.
    The knives on my unit lasted nearly 2000bf (mostly cherry and red oak). I havn't seen any snipe yet. And I got it at the Hartville Tool annual sale for $439, including the stand. I did go back a few months later and plunk down another $59 for the in/outfeed tables.
    This unit is an absolute workhorse in my shop and I give it a five star rating all the way.
    Trees. Tools. Time.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Rochester, NY
    Posts
    4,717
    I know the 735 is a nice portable, but I don't view any portable with a universal motor as a lifetime tool. If you're willing and able to spend the extra dough, the General, or any quality stationary planer is a more robust lifetime investment, and that's the way I'd go if I were in your shoes.
    Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Southeastern NH
    Posts
    11
    Thanks for all the replies. They are much appreciated.

    I ended up going with the DW735 along with the stand and in/outfeed tables. It's my first planer, so I think I made a good choice. I've already run a few "test" boards through and am very happy with the end result (and that was at the "Dimensional" setting, not the "Finish" setting). Even more important, the wifey was impressed!

    I ended up haggling and got all 3 items for approx. $107 less than Woodcrafts current pricing (for Oct.) and $77 less than the regular Lowes price for all 3 items. I have the planer at home now, but the stand and in/outfeed tables had to be ordered and will be here sometime within the next 10 days. I can't wait!

    Thanks again for the great insight and advice.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    chicagoland
    Posts
    107

    I'll urge you to think...

    Outside the box. I was in the market for a planer, really drooling over the the dewalt, I liked everything about it except the "feel"; it seemed flimsy to me. I didn't have the budget nor the space for a big floor model, but the floor models I looked at had the feel that I was looking for. Low and behold, one day I was skimming the local ads and found a Parks 12" planer ($200.00 out the door). I will admit, that I did not know a thing about Parks when I first ran across it, but some sound advice from individuals here urged me to scoop it up and What a piece of equipment! Fit right into my gar..err shop, was solid, and cuts like a dream.

    I don't know how quickly you are looking to get a planer, but if you have the opportunity to look at Parks, old Arn as the OWWM puts it, I urge you to take a look.

    Just my humble opinion

    Dan

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan McGuire
    Outside the box. I was in the market for a planer, really drooling over the the dewalt, I liked everything about it except the "feel"; it seemed flimsy to me. I didn't have the budget nor the space for a big floor model, but the floor models I looked at had the feel that I was looking for. Low and behold, one day I was skimming the local ads and found a Parks 12" planer ($200.00 out the door). I will admit, that I did not know a thing about Parks when I first ran across it, but some sound advice from individuals here urged me to scoop it up and What a piece of equipment! Fit right into my gar..err shop, was solid, and cuts like a dream.

    I don't know how quickly you are looking to get a planer, but if you have the opportunity to look at Parks, old Arn as the OWWM puts it, I urge you to take a look.

    Just my humble opinion
    Dan,

    Parks is arguably one of the best 12" planers made, but there were a couple others, the PowerMatic 100 (see Jeff Horton's for a good example of a nicely restored version), but is a tad bigger. The Parks seems to be about the most compact.

    Good choice on the Parks, although as I have stated, I own a DW735 and it has some nice features, and ergonomics are superb.

    Seeing that Al got the DeWalt, I think he'll be happy with it, and it does put a decent finish on most all wood I've run through it.

    Congrats on your new planer Al, and wise to get the infeed/outfeed tables, without them I've experienced the snipe without them and bought the tables. I feel the dust chute is pretty much mandatory also, for anyone not owning a DC (looks around while I raise my hand), and the dust chute 'thang that fits over a garbage can really saves a lot of sweeping for me. In fact, I can fill half my 20 gal can up with shavings from the DW735 in about 15 minutes.

    You must only go for small amount of removal on the DW735, trying to take 1/8" at a crack is a recipe for snipe.

    I see that ScottV gets about "2000" bf on a set of blades. I don't know if he stuck an extra 0 in there by accident, because I get about 10 percent of that much, or in layman's terms about 200 bf. I guess all of our milage varies.
    --
    Life is about what your doing today, not what you did yesterday! Seize the day before it sneaks up and seizes you!

    Alan - http://www.traditionaltoolworks.com:8080/roller/aland/

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,494
    Blog Entries
    1
    I have the 734 which is the "tweener" model; 3 knives but single speed. If you like your 735 now wait till you try it with the tables. The 735 consistently walks away with the awards when folks test lunchbox planers. I built a flip-top stand for mine. Planer on one side, miter saw on the other. Enjoy!
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

Similar Threads

  1. I need some help with buying a planer
    By brad clinton in forum General Woodworking and Power Tools
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 02-22-2006, 8:29 AM
  2. Ready to buy - jointer or planer?
    By Matt Day in forum General Woodworking and Power Tools
    Replies: 29
    Last Post: 02-02-2006, 6:47 PM
  3. Initial impressions of the Dewalt DW734 12.5" Planer
    By Ned Bulken in forum General Woodworking and Power Tools
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 01-12-2005, 7:33 AM
  4. Planer blades for Ryobi 3 1/2 " planer
    By Bob Weisner in forum General Woodworking and Power Tools
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 08-08-2004, 4:02 PM
  5. Buying a planer on $300 budget
    By Rob Horton in forum General Woodworking and Power Tools
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 01-31-2004, 11:37 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •