The Dewalt DW735 is a thickness planer for woodworkers and DIY fanatics alike. It helps smooth and curate the thickness of some wooden pieces like doors, tables, desks and boards, etcetera. The Dewalt DW735 has two speed selections. A slower one (for finishing and smoothing) and a faster one (for ‘dimensioning’, as written on the tag.) Ironically the slower speed cuts more off the piece of wood you will be using, whilst the faster one cuts a lot less. For something that can literally cut off half the thickness off of most hardwoods, the Dewalt DW735 thickness planer is fairly easy to use. The controls are simple, the design is simple. All you do is turn it on, select a speed and then put your preferred piece of wood and watch it automatically move through the machine and come out with a lower thickness. But this is not to say that the Dewalt DW735 thickness planer doesn’t have problems because it does and we’ll be taking a look at them today.
Table of Contents
1. The Blades Become Blunt
On some occasions you will put a piece of wood through the machine and whilst waiting on the other side for it to come out, you find that nothing happened. Although the wood moved through the machine it wasn’t cut (planed down.) When this problem occurs on the Dewalt DW735 thickness planer it I’d because the blade has become blunt. Usually due to too many hardwoods being put through the thickness planer.
- Another misfortune of the Dewalt DW735 thickness planer blade problem is that the blades are dull and can chip (break away) easily because of their build quality. Often leading to some parts of the wood needing to be sanded to smooth out the uneven lines caused by dull blades.
To Do
- First make sure that the height of the blade is adjusted in accordance with the thickness of the wood you are planing.
- You can learn to sharpen the blades on your own to help invalidate the dullness of the blades.
- You can also upgrade the blades to a more suitable quality.
- Never attempt to fix the Dewalt DW735 thickness planer on your own if you cannot. In which case you should refer to an accredited Dewalt repair technician.
2. Dust Collection System
One of the most exciting features on the Dewalt DW735 is how it collects the dust (from the shavings of the wood being cut.) Because dust can cause problems for the machine. However the Dewalt DW735 comes with a fan assisted chip ejector system that breaks down the wood cuttings and blows them out. This can sometimes disperse the cuttings or wood chips on the floor beneath, sometimes even your work space.
To Do
- Fortunately this is a model issue. Meaning the type of model you’d have purchased for yourself doesn’t come with an effective dust collector. In which case you’d need to buy one.
- When purchasing the Dewalt DW735 thickness planer make sure that the model you purchase includes a vacuum hose connection or dust collector hose that when connected lets you place the hose in a bin or disposal unit, whilst the wood chips from machine are directed into the bin via the hose.
3. Leaves Dents On Board Edges
This is a common problem with most thickness planers and the Dewalt DW735 is no exception. This happens when the wood passes through the thickness planer but is only in contact with one of the two roller (these are what move the wood automatically) on the way out. The tip or nose of the board will then be lifted up and the Dewalt DW735 thickness planer makes a deeper cut on the first and last few inches on the piece of wood (board).
To Do
- Always make sure that your Dewalt DW735 is placed on a level surface or table, such that wood passes through an even surface.
- You can always use some other pieces of wood, equal in height to the one you’re planing, to act as gatekeepers to keep the pressure of the rollers consistent sa as to not cause this problem.
4. It Is Heavy
For good reason too. The Dewalt DW735 thickness planer has to have a bit more weight in order to counter the sizes of the pieces of wood that will be put into it. When first taking it out of the box the thickness planer will be a problem to carry for some users.
To Do
- It is advised to have a specific work area for this type of machine so that you only ever have to carry it once. This way you place it once and never have to remove it.
5. It Is Expensive
Before the invention of the thickness planer, woodworkers had to spend hours sometimes days using handheld planers that took not only their time but their strength as well. They had to use their body weight to make sure their handheld planers cut. Thickness planers like the Dewalt DW735 negate all of that by solving the problem of time consumption and human effort. So it is only fair that a machine which saves a lot of time by doing the wood planning in a couple of minutes due to its high-end motors, costs a lot of money.
To Do
- Some people prefer non-electric handheld thickness planers simply because they like the work and depending on what their wood planing project is for, they like the authenticity and craftsmanship simple tools bring to the table.
- You can easily find more affordable alternatives that do exactly the same things as the Dewalt DW735.
Conclusion
The Dewalt DW735 is a great modern thickness planer, bringing a lot to the table and equally worthy of praise. Although riddled with problems, it has gained, and remained with, the title of one of the best thickness planers out there. The technology it affords only symbolizes how far we have come as humans, even though some would rather stick to traditional ways of planing down wood. It is a great power tool for planing down doors and boards, and basically any other pieces of wood that will fit through it.
