Bench top Planer Recommendation?

[Art Mulder]

I have the DW735.

Check the dates on those reviews, Kyle. The DW735 had complaints about blade quality when it was first released, but I thought that those were addressed.

Yes I've had nicks in my blades. There is just a bit of side to side adjustment available in the blade mounts. So you can try opening up the planer and moving one blade left and one blade right in the mounts, and see if that will help improve the cut if you do have a nick.

I think the 735 is great for dust removal. I find it very good on snipe -- and I *don't* have the extra infeed/outfeed tables. I wonder how good it'd be if I did get those. I really like the two-speed option.

I have no idea what a Shelix head would cost, but now I find myself wondering...

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Thanks for all your replies!
The Shelix is around 450 or so. Can't remember. I just tried to get a price, but the site was not cooperating. Holbren.com

The Steel sity seems like a good deal, but the cutters are HSS not carbide. Anyone have one?

[Tom Esh]

...The DW735 had complaints about blade quality when it was first released, but I thought that those were addressed.
...

Yep, plus there are at least 3 alternatives now: the Shelix head, and Infinity offers replacement knives in both high grade hss as well as carbide.

[Myk Rian]

I have no idea what a Shelix head would cost, but now I find myself wondering...

www.holbren.com $402 shipped w/bearings using the discount code SMC10

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Anyone know about the Steel City planer, if you can get carbide knives for it? If so, where and at what cost?

Seems like the Steel City would be the best bang for the buck, provided you can find upgraded carbide knives once the factory ones have been chipped and turned on all four ends, so that you could replace them as needed with better.

[Brian Lindenlaub]

Don't rule out the Makita 2012NB. I bought one about 2 years ago and I am very happy with it.

[John Callahan]

..........+1 on the Makita. More quiet and portable than most, it's a great little planer.

[Darrell Bottoms]

I'll admit that I'm just a novice trying to learn and when shopping for a planer had decided against the dewalt because of all the negative stuff I heard about the knives. Then I came across an incredible deal and made the decision to buy.

I took it home, and like many who had complained, the knives dulled rather quickly. What I really didn't like was the whole "throw-away" part....can't even sharpen. The kid's needing food more than my needing the planer ended with me just trying to work around not having a planer.

A couple of weeks ago I decided that if I was going to just throw the knives away anyway, I would see what I could do about sharpening them myself. I got out my three sharpening stones and went to work. I worked the blade lengthwise across the rough stone to try and keep them straight. I moved on the the mid stone pushing the cutting edge in a diagonal across the stone, then went to the fine Arkansas stone working straight into the edge. I then flipped the knives over and worked them flat on the stone. I finished up with steel wool and leather to buff them.

I put the blades back on thinking that I would learn why ppl didn't try to sharpen them, but to my surprise, they cut better than they did when new. What surprised me was that the normal noise that a planer makes when it is working wood was barealy noticeable....other than the very loud noise of the planer running....was nice to NOT hear it screaming at me. I especially like the glass smooth finish it now leaves.

I now LOVE my DW734 planer!

If anyone has any dull "throw-away" knives for the DW734....send them my way!