Dewalt 735 snipes like a $200 planer?

[Jeff Cord]

This is what the latest Wood Mag says (I'm paraphrasing this, but it also says this is if you don't use the optional table extensions. With these extensions snipe is minimal).
Do you owners of this planer agree with this comment?
I'm in between deciding on this planer and the Delta and this comment in the magazine floored me; I thought the Dewalt would be the best at minimizing snipe.
thanks,
Jeff

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I was never able to get rid of the snipe on my DeWalt (old) using the extension tables. I took them off and ran a piece of melamine through it instead, supported by trimmed 2x4s underneath. Cheaper, too.

You lose some height doing this, and the preset depth-stop turret thingies won't be accurate...bug I never used the full height or the stops.

I've also had the pleasure of using some very expensive industrial planers...and ALL of them sniped to some extent. That may be why I don't get worked up over it, because for all my life I've just always figured some extra length to allow for milling (snipe!).


KC

[Norman Hitt]

This is what the latest Wood Mag says (I'm paraphrasing this, but it also says this is if you don't use the optional table extensions. With these extensions snipe is minimal).
Do you owners of this planer agree with this comment?
I'm in between deciding on this planer and the Delta and this comment in the magazine floored me; I thought the Dewalt would be the best at minimizing snipe.
thanks,
Jeff

Jeff, NONE of the planers of this type can be snipe free or even at minimum UNLESS they use extensions, (and maybe a good outfeed table would be even better), because of the short distance across the planer bed. Due to that short distance from under the cutter/outfeed roller to the edge of the bed, you just have to have something further out to hold the wood up so it doesn't drop down when it comes off of the infeed roller, because when it does, the board's trailing end kicks up slightly into the cutter, thereby cutting the snipe. If you look at the Worst snipers in the Wood article, besides any other inherent problems they might have had, IIRC, neither of them had a provision to even add extensions.

PS: I intended to mention that you will also get snipe on the starting end of the boards if they are not supported until the board gets through the infeed roller, the cutter, and then UNDER the outfeed roller. This can be accomplished however by slightly holding up the trailing end of the board as you start it into the planer.

[Alan DuBoff]

Jeff,

Yes, in another thread I mentioned just that, and it was also in another article a year or two ago that was in one of the magazines.

This is a pretty well known fact, but I'm not sure which model Kirk is using as he says (old) and I'm not sure if that is a 734, 733, or if it's the 735 which you're referring to and what I own.

The extention tables should be included with the 735, IMO, and making the customer purchase those seperatedly doesn't make sense for the customer. If they're needed (which they really are in my experience), they should be included.

[Mike Null]

I've had occasion to use the Dewalt and felt it was the best of the small planers. But snipe is common to all portables.

I do not use extensions but feed a sacrificial piece ahead and behind the work and that pretty well eliminates it.

[Dennis Peacock]

I have burned up one lunchbox planer, used another just enough for it to stop feeding the wood through. For some folks, they work just fine, and others like me have a tendency to work one enough to make it throw a rod. I've bought, upgraded, replaced, upgraded and such enough that I could have easily paid for my current planer to begin with and saved all the lost money and frustration. I'm very satisfied with the Powermatic planer I have now. May you be satisfied with whatever you decide to purchase and may it serve you well.

[Doug Shepard]

...
The extention tables should be included with the 735, IMO, and making the customer purchase those seperatedly doesn't make sense for the customer. If they're needed (which they really are in my experience), they should be included.

I'll second that. I've got the older 733 and cant imagine trying to use that or any other benchtop planer without the extensions. They ought to be standard equipment on all planers.

[Brent Harral]

I own the 735 and yes, I agree you need the ext. tables to keep snipe to a minimum. FWIW, I've owned the delta 580 and the two knife older version of the dewalt 734 and they are both fine planers. I could give a hoot about noise (they are all loud), cut depth indicators and thickness stops. That said, I think the 735 is worth the extra $80. The ext. tables needed for the dewalt is almost a wash with the dust hood you'll need (?) for the delta. I like the fact the dewalt 735 has no head lock and the 179 cpi speed is incredible for a final pass! The dewalt also "feels better" to use and the overall quality is a notch up than the delta, imho. Lastly, the dewalt (or any lunchbox) could never replace my 15" which does the bulk of my planing. I use the dewalt for the final pass or two and for small jobs. Hope this helps.

[Byron Trantham]

I own the 735 and extension wings and have experienced far too much snipe. Having read the article in the latest Wood magazine, I adjusted the in-feed and out-feed tables 1/16" higher on the outer edges as suggested and Wa La, no snipe! I have run different species of wood at varying thicknesses and now have a perfect (as a planer can be) planer. Frankly, I found their article a BIG help. BTW, I sharpened my throw away blades with the Tormek system and I can't believe the results. After sharpening them I tested the edge by feel against new ones and the Tormek edge is sharper! As to how long the edge will hold up remains to be seen.

[Lars A Stole]

I owned a Delta 580 for 2 years with very heavy use (2 sets of motor brushes and I don't know how many blades). Snipe on the Delta was quite common. I sold it and bought a Dewalt 735 and I'm very happy for it. Besides having absolutely awesome dust collection, the snipe is far less after careful adjustment, and when it happens it can easily be sanded out -- no need to cut off the ends.

My interpretation of the Wood Mag artcile is that they tested the Dewalt unit as is -- i.e., without infeed-outfeed tables. (Didn't read the article carefully, since I have my planer already though.) The Delta comes with them standard. I'm sure the Dewalt generates a lot of snipe without the tables or if the adjustments are off.

My only complaint with the Dewalt is that I recently broke the drive belt. I'm calling Dewalt tomorrow (still under warranty) to see if they'll set me up with a new belt free of charge.

Hope this helps in your decision.

[Tony Falotico]

I have the 735 with extension tables, when running long boards I use roller stands on both infeed and outfeed side and it works well. I surface finish prior to final sizing, so any snipe I may get is cut off.

I think its more technique rather than brand of machine when dealing with the smaller lunchbox planers. As Dennis said, the lunchbox planers are not meant for heavy duty production shop use, but it works fine for a weekend woodchipper like me. There is a level of finesse needed when working larger projects through smaller machines.

[glenn bradley]

My DW 734 (close cousin) came with ext tables. I don't get why the 735 doesn't unless its to put it at an attractive price point. Now that the price has gone up instead of down as I'd hoped, maybe they'll have specials like "free ext tables"(?). To the question: my 734 is snipe free on short pieces with the tables adjusted correctly. For longer pieces I always use roller stands as opposed to trying to control the piece all by myself. I only get snipe when I fail to do these things. Don't waste your time, get the tables. Great little planer.

[Scott Vigder]

My experience using different planers is that snipe is usually related to operator error caused by pulling up/pushing down on the board as it exits the planer. I experienced snipe with my DeWalt 735. After attaching the extension tables and changing my technique to guiding the board out rather than holding it virtually eliminated my snipe. Same planer, same knives, different technique. By the way, I had a similar problem on my new Grizzly G4090 8" jointer until I relaized I was placing my push block all the way at the rear of the board, effectively pushing it down into the knives instead of across the cutting surface. Moving the rear push block about 10" from the rear of the board eliminated that problem. Operater error again!

[Tom Hintz]

I use the DeWalt 735 frequently and with the extension tables angled up just slightly, I get no snipe at all. When the wood gets too long, i add work supports before and after to take the weight.

[glenn bradley]

I've seen the slightly elevated ext table method referred to as the ten cent solution. You level the outer edge of the ext table with the planer bed but place a dime on the planer bed before adjusting. Did that make sense? End result is that the end of the ext table is a dime's thickness higher than the bed. Works for me. I should have mentioned that little detail in my previous post. "Old-timer's" disease.