In the never ending quest for more tools I don't need or have room for... looking for a planer 12.5-13" wide. Big difference between 2 and 3 blade models?
Dewalt 735. If you want real awesomeness get the Shelix blade kit. Cuts hardwood so smooth you don't even need to sand it.
We’ve got a felder joiner/planer combo. Digital scale. Spiral head with the 4 sided replaceable carbide knives. I’ve never heard a more quiet machine, especially when facing wide material. The noise difference that style head vs old skool knife heads is incredible.
I agree with the Dewalt 735 recommendation. For that price point, it’s hard to beat. It leaves a very smooth finish and is easily upgradable to a different head, digital scale, etc so you choose.
As mentioned, for that size the only answer is the 735 unless you're running stupid amounts of wood and need a floor model. My dad has a 15" Grizzly with a helix and I have a 735 with normal blades. The finish from the 735 is still awesome just a fair bit louder to run.
I just picked up a used mint Dewalt 734 for $225 and it works pretty damn good. I was really impressed with the finish on some cedar and pine I planed down. FWIW, it came with the vacuum discharge hook up. A 4" CPVC street 90 slides right in and redirects the shavings down into a trash can without plugging up. From what I see, the 735 is a better machine, but for $225 the 734 was a deal that was too good to pass up.
How often are you going to use it? I thought about getting a much, much nicer planer than the Ryobi I currently have. However, I don't do woodworking nearly as much as I'd like. Hence, for the little I do, the Ryobi works just fine. Don't get too hung up on spec and getting the "best." Check the Facebook Marketplace. I've seen many decent planers listed there before.
I try not to think about how much I'll use it...cause then I wouldn't buy one. The fact that it's a space hog deters me more than anything. Seeing lots on FB and Craigs, will probably go that route.
My neighbor has one and it's pretty decent. I've used it several times and have no complaints at all. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/bauer-planer.388053/ https://thetoolsmag.com/bauer-thickness-planer-review/
Dont do that. Just look around on facebook and wait for at least a Delta model. But the DW735 is the SV650 or R6 of the hobby woodworking world. You will see 1 or more for sale at least once a month. And for space there are lots of pans to build a flip top cabinet to store it. So you have flat space or a sanding station or something when not using the planer.
What do you think of this deal? On Craigs for 25 days... "Needed for 1 small project and just taking up garage space, great shape, used for 10 boards so basically brand new. It’s the 735x so comes with both feeder tables and extra blades. Asking 400 no trades" I threw out a $350 offer, he came back at $375. They're on Amazon right now new for $600 (more than I wanna spend)
Almost half price for a barely used machine, be silly not to. You can sell it for what you paid when your done, you wont get 600 for a used one for sure.
Back when I bought mine 20 or so years ago, the dewalt was the best of the lunchbox planers and I wanted one, but ended up with the delta 13" (22-580) instead because I got a great deal on a home depot closeout. It's served me well, but I see those dewalts on market place all the time, and still wish I would have bought one. Based solely on the better dust collection, vs the terrible delta. I think the machine is more rigid too, which will give you better finishes.
You are really gonna quibble over $25? That’s like tripping over a dollar to pick up a nickel. $375 seems fair in this case.
