▼EXPAND FOR TOOL LINKS and INFO▼ Watch Next: Oliver Planer with Byrd Shelix Review - th-cam.com/video/kMeNcyDqJ8Q/w-d-xo.htmlsi=hHHyXnX3_XtUF5Ec Pre-Installed DW735X with Byrd Shelix collabs.shop/w7wmr2 DIY Byrd Shelix Cutter Head for DW735 amzn.to/3S53ItT DIY Byrd Shelix OEM Cutter Head for DW735 amzn.to/3M6YVnO DeWALT DW735X with standard knives amzn.to/3rZkVdE Fe Sharpens Fe Shirt I'm Wearing - bit.ly/3OenDUK NOTE: Byrd OEM vs other is the OEM is the same size as the standard knife cutterhead but you have to remove all of the helical knives to install it. The other one is 1/16" smaller, but easier to install. The only difference this will make is your scales will be slightly off. All tool deals for this sale (continually updated) www.731woodworks.com/tool-deals/amazonprimebigdealdays101023 📲 Never miss another tool deal. Sign up for my Tool Deals SMS Alerts - NOTE: I text out tool deals so you don’t miss any! text DEALS to 1 (731) 207-7151 Be sure to add DEALS to your text to me so you get added to the proper list. You can also click this link my.community.com/731woodworks Important to add the word DEALS to the text! 🇺🇸 Join the Tubafour Nation on Patreon to get an exclusive Tubafour Nation sticker, access to exclusive member-only behind-the-scenes videos, member-only livestreams, discounts, and other cool member-only perks! www.patreon.com/731woodworks Some other useful links: Daily Tool Deals on my website: www.731woodworks.com/tool-deals Subscribe to our email Newsletter: mailchi.mp/7e44c16eefdc/731-woodworks-email-newsletter Check out our easy-to-follow woodworking plans: www.731woodworks.com/store Outlaw's Board Butter - So Good it Should be Outlawed: www.731woodworks.com/store/boardbutter
The numbers don't add up... $550 planer + $500 helical upgrade = $1,000 + or - $100/$200 Are they seriously charging $500/$600 to install the upgraded head? While keeping the original straight blade head and charging extra for the runoff tables...? 😂 Also, the blade change time is a little off. To change one tooth, ok, sure 30 sec, but to change all the blades on the helical will take 3 times as long as the straight. Also, finding the one chipped of 60 will take at least an HR to inspect all, unless it is just plain obvious. I love the helical cutter head, but I won't be spending $1,600 if I can save $500 for 2 hrs of my time. Also, in my experience, dirt or sand is the main culprit for lines from a chipped tooth.
Matt, the Amazon page shown at about 12:20 into the video shows the Byrd replacement that is 1/16 smaller that the OEM diameter. That smaller diameter cutter head will throw off the gauge. They have another version that is the same size as the OEM blades but requires you to remove all the carbide cutter heads to install. I think that is a better option.
I'll note on the standard blades that the included t-handle driver for opening it up and changing the blades has magnets on the handle for pulling the blades out and rotating them.
$1000 vs $400 for the DIY install cutter head. As another person commented, seems like a no-brainer to spend the 2 hours installing the helical cutter head yourself and then you have a spare straight cutter head.
@@curseddragon129 he did the pre installed one is 1500. the normal planer can be found on sale for 500 regularly. so the head is 400 but is 1000 if you buy preinstalled
Great video! One thing to pass along - to measure sound levels accurately you have to measure the distance between the microphone and the thing producing sound. Anytime you double the distance from the source it drops 6db, so if one measurement were at 2.5ft vs another at 5ft, you'd expect a 6db drop for the one at 5ft. If one measurement were at 1ft and another 4ft, then it'd be a 12db difference.
The surface after planing is very impressive, as well as the noise reduction. I do agree though that for the casual woodworker like myself couldn't justify the extra cost. I do appreciate the review as well as all your videos. It's nice to know for sure you aren't biased but very honest. Thanks Matt and Mrs. 731! 😊😊😊😊❤❤❤
An interesting note about sound level is that measured decibel level is not linear to apparent sound level. In sound engineering specs, a 6-decibel increase in measured sound compares to a doubling of apparent sound level. This means if your sound is 12-decibels lower, you are experiencing 1/4th of the apparent sound level. A very significant change.
I've always understood 3db to be a doubling in intensity, 6db to be a doubling in pressure, and 10db a doubling in perceived loudness, based on the 'A' frequency weighting scale.
Great video!! I have done the OEM Shelix upgrade for ~ $435 to my 3 year old 735 planer. I have ran about 15 bdFt so far and I think it is wonderful; quieter, smoother. Don't go for the "other brand" that is less in diameter than the OEM to eliminate removing the knives for installation. It messes up the presets.
I just went and looked this up and you have the right idea you can buy a brand new planer and the cutter for under 1,100 and put it in yourself. Smart guy
Nice video, I installed the oem version for my DeWalt took about 3 hours after testing the alianment of the cutters. I highly recomend using a torque wrench so you don't break the carbide cutters they are brittle. After 2 years I have only had to turn 3 cutters.
I upgraded my 17 year old Dewalt 735 a few weeks ago and I was amazed at how much a difference it makes in cut quality and sound level. I watched several videos before doing the swap. The one thing I didn't pay enough attention to was the belt on the small drive wheel and ate a belt in the process, but replaced it with a new one and all is good now. I've since upgraded my ridgid 6 inch jointer with the same quality cut and reduced sound.
Several years ago I bought a DW735x and a shelix head. I used the blades that came with the 735 for a few jobs and nicked one of the blades almost immediately. I put the shelix head in and have planed countless board feet of wood (I think for about 5+ years). Just a couple of months ago, I rotated my first insert. I would never go back to straight knives.
@@aaronoconnor606 I agree. I think I only had to rotate the one insert because I hit something metal. It only left the slightest tiny ridge and I could have left it, but why not just rotate the insert and get rid of it. I did find an old miniball bullet in some very old oak I was milling. I doubt it hurt a tooth since lead is softer than the wood.
I have a spiral head (not Shelix, but essentially the same) in my 734 and is game changing. Noise is down and dust collection is improved, and of course the cut quality on figured wood is greatly improved
Great comparison, and I've used Byrd Shelix planer and joiner heads for years. It's a huge game changer, as much as actually having those tools in the shop. One thing I noticed though is that you said there was a 10db difference, by my math, from 108db to 88db is 20 db... That's the difference between a circular saw, and a jet airplane... Personally, I'll never go back to a straight knife planer or joiner.
I’d suggest looking at the used market if you wanted one of these with a Shelix. I’ve seen some of these with a Shelix installed already for $300-500 around my parts. Definitely found them around $400. Lower $300s are the ones that pop up and disappear even with straight knives around me. Lots of people who install these move on to bigger planers eventually. Just make sure you understand there are a couple different models of the 735. Some parts for different 735s aren’t cross compatible. Also, you can’t be afraid of playing with your machines if this is the route you take.
Just bought my dewalt 735, Went to flip the blade around because it was dull out of the box which was annoying but the tool that it comes with has two magnets and I realize that's for picking up the cover and the blade so you don't have to risk cutting your hand. Little fun tip
I installed my Byrd Shelix head a couple years ago and haven’t regretted it at all. You’re right, if you intend on staying with the lunchbox planer this is the way to go!
I’m a. retired Professional Woodworker and for my next personal Shop i set up i’m not even going to fool with the typical Lunch box or Portable Planer witha 121/2 or13” width my plan is to bite the bullet and just pick up a used Commercial thickness Planer off Ebay those machines. have the wider capacity and almost always have the Helical Cutter upgrade installed yes they are 220 volt but most home or low production shops need 220 for something and let’s face it very few of us rarely move our thickness Planers around anyway and if you. need to do so there are plenty of budget Lunchbox Planers to chose from if you need to. work with a mobile style Shop which of course will be a lower quality overall
This has been my dream planer for a while. Can't count how any videos I've watched on it already. Just not capable of pulling the trigger on it just yet. The shelix head surely takes it to another level.
I am so impressed with my Dewalt 735 even with just the straight knives. It's hard to imagine it being much better. My intention was to buy it and just use it until I had a setup that I could put a larger Powermatic (or whatever) planer in my shop but so far I haven't felt the need to upgrade. It does a beautiful job and I can get boards to such a precise thickness with the little gauge.
Matt, made an earlier comment but before I clicked away another though occurred to me. Based on your review if a smother finish is being provided by the Shelix head, another advantage is you will need less sand paper (think cost) and have less ware on your sander(s), not going to mention the reduced electric and sanding time. Just saying these things one might consider in the final analysis. Thanks again!
Matt, as always, I look forward to your "comparison" videos, because they are informative and well done. This one in particular was timely for me as I just purchased my Shelix equipped 735 planer from Byrd Tool Experts. Unfortunately, mine arrived with shattered cast base, because of apparent mishandling by a major parcel delivery service that drives brown trucks. 🤬 Byrd's customer service people were super. After ascertaining what the issue was, they told me what was involved with changing the base (very simple and straight forward, by the way), and immediately sent a new base out to me. After many years of using my Delta 2 blade planer, I was ready for an upgrade. I have reconciled myself to the expense of this machine, but have since fallen in love with it. I have no doubt that my son will get many years of use out of this machine after I am called home. To add to the excitement, I purchased a Wixey digital depth scale for my 735 planer. That installation was also pretty straight forward, and makes for an even nicer experience. If your time permit, you might want to consider demonstrating that addition for your many fans at 731 Woodworking. Keep up the good work!!!
The WEN PL1326 15 amp planer also has that thickness gauge at the front. It also has a spiral cutter head. I am not saying the spiral head is as good as a helix, but it would be interesting to see a comparison with the WEN with these 2 dewalts. But I have the WEN and I love it.
I own the DW735X, Installed the OEM Shelix cutterhead. Wow, for me it was a big difference. I did get the head at around $400 at the time. It wasn't the easiest to install, but once it was done would never go back to straight blades.
I have used the “w” version to plane purpleheart, hard maple, figured walnut and paduak. The only time that I had tear out was when I was aggressive with amount of material being removed. All I had to do was to back off the amount to be removed in a single pass. BTW hit does plug up the dust collector so I the small dust deputy and the problem was solved.
Your video with the attorney about the patents involving Saw Stop earned my subscription. Brilliant that you were able not only get the attorney on, but he was into woodworking too. This video is great too, keep em coming.
The shelix cutterhead makes an exponential difference in noise level as you get into bigger machines. My old high school woodshop replaced the cutterhead on a 24 inch Wadkins planer and it cut the noise by probably 70 percent. It use to sound like a jet engine and now you can actually have a conversation while it is planing. For me no matter what planer you have the spiral cutterhead is worth every penny. I would not buy a new planer without it.
Not to mention that the cutters on the shelix are carbide. Which stays sharp much longer than the high speed steel blades that come with the Dewalt machine.
This is definitely a good upgrade. I'm mechanically inclined so there's no way I would pay the hundreds of dollars extra to have it pre installed. Two hours of tinkering around and not losing the factory warranty is totally worth the little bit of time. Your motor and other parts should actually last longer, since you are lowering the resistance with blades that are more efficient. I love the fact that the blades have 4 sides so you can renew it twice as many times. I bet i could successfully sharpen these things at least once with my diamond plate sharpeners. One thing that is really amazing is if you hit a nail or something you are only ruining maybe one or two of the little square cutters instead of a whole big piece.
My understanding is the installation of the aftermarket knives voids the warranty even if installed by the owner. I am not 100% certain but arrived at that information when I was researching the topic last year.
@@surlycanadian Purchase the machine with straight knives, change out for the helix and if you ever need warranty work just put the old knives back in. 🙂
You would think you are lowering resistance, but I remember seeing on youtube that someone doing a test put a voltage meter to the machines and the helix head raised the voltage the machine pulled which seems to me would be more resistance. I am not very knowledgeable about that type of thing so don't really understand the theory behind the testing I saw. They were just saying the helix was harder on the motor.
@@fuzzywigglebutt that’s a great example of fraud. They very likely have some in-built mechanism that tells them if you’ve split open the panels to do anything to the assembly.
Nice job on the review . Very honest and pulled no punches. I like that when I watch a review . I have a 735 and the cutter head is on my Christmas list. Thanks !
I put my own Shelix head in before the plug and play option was offered. Yeah, it took about 2 hours. Your review is spot on. I don't even sand non-show faces right off the planer. Never had problems with tear out. It's worth the price in reduced sanding alone.
Were the straight knives brand new as well? I feel like you mentioned you would have to flip them to get a better cut. So the comparison seems pretty unfair.
Would be interesting to see a more in depth review of something like the Grizzly G0940 and how it preforms as a planer that comes stock with a helical head. Doesn't seem like its a planer that gets talked about much.
Grizzly makes a helical cutterhead for this planer as well. I bought it for my 735, it was an amazing upgrade. No tear out at all, no matter the figure in the wood.
Just a thought..... but I don't think you should be adjusting and lowering the planer depths while the board is already feeding. Needs to be set before feeding materials
A high-end technician friend warned against using any helical head within a plastic low-end DeWalt planer be due to the high heat- not a great decision
I figured I would use up the two sides of the installed blades and then on the replacement set that came with the machine before deciding if the upgrade makes sense. The disadvantage, the price may go up between now and then.
I can definitely see the benefit of the Shelix head on this, however I can't see spending this much for that planer, especially when there are options out there that are more versatile such as the Grizzly G0959 - 12" Combo Planer/Jointer with Helical Cutterhead, its a jointer and planer and is benchtop and list is under $1200
It’s a nice upgrade if you have the money, but in all reality, I finish hand plane my surface anyway so if you want to save money, that’s an option. I save the last 2-3 passes for ultra low depth planing so it doesn’t leave as much tear out on hardwood.
I got a new bird Shilex OEM for 375 on amazon , installation was super easy after watching a few videos. about 900 total for both. totally worth it after you run wood.
If you go helical, I recommend getting a torque driver so you can properly torque them down, got one as my jointer and planer both have helical heads on them.
@@jeffa847 same function but a wrench won't fit inside the body or your Planar. And instructions on most if not all torque wrenches are to not use extensions. Also the torque values are normally lower than the typical wrench. Yes they make the just most people have a 20lb/ft on up wrench.
@@brettpeckinpaugh Thanks for the info. I have a torque wrench in inch pounds I assume would do my jointer but I guess if I get a shelix for Dewalt I might have to buy another tool.
The next purchase for us is an 8" jointer....it will have the helical cutter head......I might see how involved it will be in our Dewalt planer to do the exchange myself. GREAT video Matt
They are older blades. Blades cut well. Helix cuts amazing. Basically is the gist of the comparison from me, and most anyone else who has the helical cutter heads. Not a "necessary" upgrade, just makes it better.
I have a helical head on my planer and my jointer. Those cutter heads are great, and I would struggle going back to a standard cutter head. Love your content sir please keep it up! God Bless!
@@637mathias This is not a Dewalt upgrade. This is a different company offering. Byrd Tools makes the blade, and they also sell the upgraded planer. Nothing to do with Dewalt.
@@637mathiashe’s clearly wondering if Dewalt will ever offer this upgrade straight from their warehouse. Pertaining to this video, you are paying for the straight knife planer, with the old cutter head, then paying Byrd Shelix to remove the original cutterhead and install theirs. If Dewalt ever did make their own helical head and install it during manufacture, this would be $300 more than the regular one because you wouldn’t be first buying the straight knife cutterhead and you wouldn’t be paying for the labour for Dewalt to install a straight knife cutter head, finish the assembly, then pay Byrd shelix to unassemble, remove the old cutterhead, install new cutterhead and then reassemble all of the other pieces.
They never will. They don’t want to have to pay to have one designed or pay Byrd for the right to use their design. If they designed their own, they don’t want to have to build the manufacturing plant to construct a different cutter head. Byrd’s aftermarket cutterhead has done Dewalt the favour of making this planer a contender in the home Woodworking realm without them having to do anything AND they get to void the warranty. It’s win-win for Dewalt to not offer it. Capitalism would have to be replaced for Dewalt to consider this.
Two new DeWalt blades is $35, but you need three blades so let's just call it $52.50. You need 40 (or is it 50?) inserts to replace all the inserts on the helical cutter. At $35 for 10 inserts that's... a lot of money ($140 or $175). If the inserts last twice as long (because they have four cutting edges instead of two), it's still $35 more (or $70 more) to replace the inserts. Of course if the inserts wear slower, and therefore last even longer than double the DeWalt blade, it actually makes financial sense to go with the helical cutter, if there's only 40 of them. Also you can replace one damaged insert, rather than one entire damaged DeWalt blade, which would make a big difference in maintenance price.
I have this planer with the Byrd Shelix and it works beautifully. But, I had a problem with the motor. As luck would have it, the planer was still under warranty. I took the planer to our local Dewalt service center. The tech at the service center told me the Byrd Shelix violated my warranty. After several days and considerable phone calls, they finally replaced the motor. But , they told me that my planer would no longer be covered by the warranty unless I put the straight blades back on the planer. It seems crazy to me.
Nice presentation as an engineer of 42 years I wanted to point out an improvement on your next video that includes noise measurement it is imperative that the menter be placed in the exact place on each device. Sound measurement is a function of the square, meaning distance from the sound source is greatly affected by distance. So to really compare devices distance from the source must be the same to have credibility in the numbers. Keep up the good work.
If the user doesn't wear hearing protection, the difference in db between the two planers is the difference between hurting your hearing over time vs. not. As someone who deals with hearing loss, having the sheelix head is worth every penny
I know how much you don't like to sand, so hopefully this will come in handy. Enjoy my friend! 👊Oh and it's been 3 years since the Wahuda...I know...time flies..especially when you get OLDER LOL. I haven't changed a single blade on my Wahuda..they just last and last...
I just recently bought a Dewalt 735. I did do the review search thing. For the money it's ok. I get blade marks on every single piece I've ran thru it. I use a lot of walnut, maple, hickory, red oak and hickory. I'm thinking maybe i should have got the Oliver from the beginning. Not to impressed. I'd give it about a low 4 out of 5 As for your test. Definitely get the new cutter head. It seems like your saving a lot of time and money with it in the long run. Less sanding time is a big deal when your doing large or multiple pieces. Replacement time. And so on. I'm thinking now that I'm in to this for $600 I might as well get the new cutting head. 😊
I know you should expect a premium for pre-assembled, but man. It was about $1,100 total when I bought the DW735X and the Lux Cut III separately a year ago and DIYed the install. It wasn't a really difficult install, either. Save yourself a bundle and do it yourself, folks.
One of the major issues with small toy/benchtop planers like this one is the small cutter head diameter. A larger cutter head will provide better results.
I'd like to see you compare the WEN 1326 spiral planer for less than $500 against both of these. I know, there's LOTS of youtubers that go ga-ga over the dewalt planer, but $1600 is a lot for the average joe that doesn't get half his shop paid for by sponsors, the other half paid for by patreon. I love the built in fan in the dewalt, and know the shelix has more cutters than the WEN, but man, my WEN does a great job.
I bought the straight knife version with the beds, came with an extra set of blades. I figured I’d use those up and then invest in some of the better helix blade. Think I should invest the $400 now I’ll keep using what I’ve got.
Fortuitous timing… replacement blades for me 735 arrived today… I guess dropping by Home Depot to return them tomorrow and order this sucker right now.
If you put it in your new wartented dewalt planer yourself, the warranty is also voided. If it is a non cutter head issue, keep the straight blade head and install it before turning it in for the warranty work.
Great video, but I think there is a potential drawback when going to the Byrd. In my experience the Byrd has improved the quality of the surface, as you demonstrated, however it comes at a significant increase in time. My garage shop is wired for 120v at 15 amps throughout, and if I take more than a 1/32" pass the breaker will trip. Of course this always happens midway through the board, requiring adjust meant to the cutter's contact, and then super light passes to match where it left off on the breaker trip. The limitation of having to take light passes adds a tremendous amount of time to the overall milling process. Furthermore, even when taking super light passes, when this is done for extended periods of time the Dewalt's built-in fuse/breaker gets tripped, even when the shop's breaker holds stable. This is a major issue because, as stated above, the amount of time spent milling is greatly increase, which requires the planer to be run much longer. If the 15 amp limitation doesn't get you, the Dewalt's breaker will. I realize many people won't have this issue due to 20 amp capability in their shop. Maybe that will allow deeper cuts on each pass which will lessen the time spent running the planer, but I can't comment on that from personal experience. Overall, I am very happy with the Byrd, and the quality of cut is outstanding. For anyone with 15 amp limitations, be ready to spend a lot longer milling in order to enjoy the finish this cutter is capable of.
With professional planers the helix cutters normally put less strain on the machine but are a lot more work to sevice idk why it would be diffrent with small planers, i assume the blades are just not that great in terms of quality
Hi Matt, I have the Dewalt 735 and I am afraid I cannot give it a glowing report, I purchased mine in 2019 and I am chasing spare parts to rebuild the burn out motor for the second time! seems it is a common occurrence with these machines, how yours has lasted this long amazes me, I only use softwoods, and cut 1/2 mm passes, what sort of duty cycle do you use, to prevent heat buildup, as mine was destroyed when the rotor delaminated and destroyed itself. Oh yeah, if you get a chip in a blade (3 blade Unit) it is a simple matter of sliding the blades sideways as the holes are elongated so they do not line up and good for another run.
Great Review! I think I will change out the head when I need blades replaced. Of course it doesn't get used much, I enjoy using hand planes more these days. And I don't need hearing protection for those. For really ornery wood I will break out the 735.
I have a shelix in my Dewalt and something they tell you is that they draw more power, especially with a wide board. Maybe they have fixed that problem on the new ones, but it has not affected me.
I bought a Delta planer before the Dewalt was introduced. Nice planer. The Dewalt is better. I will absolutely get a helical carbide cutter head in the future. Yeah, it's expensive. In my opinion, absolutely worth the price. Oh, just an aside, the infeed/outfeed tables are more than worth having.
fantastic, i just cannot find the justification to buy over my Ridgid 13 in planer. It has been fantastic and two years into it, still works like new. Wondering though, if I can add these blades to what I have?
After owning a DW735 lunchbox planer with knives and upgrading to a different helical head planer IMO there's no comparison. I understand the DW735 is a popular planer amongst the YT woodworking crowd. Probably because it's expensive, and putting an expensive helical cutterhead in it will greatly increase the performance. I don't understand why you would invest more money in the cutterhead than you have invested in the planer itself ?? I don't mean to be negative but it's putting lipstick on a pig. It's still a big piece of plastic and aluminum with a weak motor. I would highly recommend not wasting your money on upgrading lunchbox planers. Just buy a cast-iron model with real beds. It's like comparing a job site table saw to a cabinet saw. I know everyone wants to buy the most inexpensive tools when you're starting off so you can get more tools for your money, which is fine if you're on a budget. 9 times out of 10 you will be more satisfied with a better tool than trying to piecemeal new parts in cheaper tools. Especially something as important as a planer or jointer.
My DW735 is about 20 years old and I've been "looking" at the Byrd Shelix for a while. Something is not working when using the affiliate link its more expensive than doing the direct search. If you get that $10, I'm good with that - you earned it and do great work. If Amazon keeps it - NO WAY. You sold it and you should get the $10!!
Right now the DeWalt is $779 the Oliver $999 so it's pretty close when you add the DIY cutter head version. So I guess it's the DeWalt robust construction and if you want to do the work vs the Oliver ready to go. The Oliver won't ship until Jan 2024 though maybe Black Friday deals might help make my decision easier.
Did you change out your straight blades before testing? If they are older, obviously they could be duller thus leading to tear out. No doubt the helix is better but you can get really good results with the straight blades if they are sharp. That said, I have the 734 and have the helix cutter on my wish list!!
I bought a Wen that came with the spiral cutting head. Now, I'm definitely not saying that the machine is as good as the Dewalt. The machine that the Wen replaced was an 80s model Parks planer/jointer combo machine. While the Parks machine was way more powerful, I never could get it calibrated correctly. Being more interested in woodworking than in machine calibration, I sold the Parks. At a $400 price range, I went with the Wen over the Dewalt only because I wanted a segmented cutter head planer and wasn't in a position to put out $1600.
My 635 is still perfect. Curly maple, highly figured walnut, spalted maple, zebra, purple, all good. Why? Because if I can I’ll feed at angle vs straight. Also, shallow passes like 64ths and also using the finish speed. Takes time yes, but not that much time. Maybe as a production shop, but then again if you need that you’d have a 20” industrial planet at 240 or higher to keep shop humming. I like the shelix, but so much cash for something I can’t justify to the misses :)
Just buy the cutters for $400 and install them yourself. The Byrd Shelix factory is not doing anything special on the install. Clean the screws with acetone and put some blue loctite on them and tighten them properly. This is a pretty revolutionary upgrade really.
@@actionjksn I agree - IF you are a production shop and are in the profit zone, and it speeds your process up. Even if you are not, but it's trending that way then yes. For a person who uses it 1x a month. No, lol.
If I heard you correctly, you said you should have or did not, change the straight blades before starting this challenge? The sharpness of the blades will definitely make a difference in the noise levels and the finish in regards to the standard blades. The Shelix inserts are going to be sharper than the straights even if the straights were changed for new because the Shelix inserts are carbide and the standard blades are HS steel. The "tear out" was almost positively caused by the loose bolt unless there was a loose cracked piece when the board went through. I had one of the hold down set screws come loose in my portable power planer and oh my gosh what a mess it created in a Mahogany top I was making. Don't get me wrong though. I've wanted to change my Ridgid planer over to the Shelix for years but I just couldn't justify the cost with the small quantity of wood that I plane. Even at the price of just the Shelix arbor.
I have done the self replacement. Not mechanical inclined it takes me an effort when I was younger to overhaul an engine. It was a pain to do the swap out. If I remember correctly removing and reinstalling the belt. Involved a lot of cussing and a few skinned knuckles. I do like having the Helical head and it was worth the effort but give yourself at least a half a day to do the swap.
At that cost there are better options out there than a bench top planer. Also my Rigid planer has the material gauge. I would have bought the DeWALT planer but it wasn’t available yet when I got the Rigid.
There’s another brand on Amazon that offers a helical head or another option for spiral for much less than dewalt, Vevor or Cutech seem like great deals!!!
I don't think anyone will ever argue that the Shelix produces a better finish. But I wouldn't think it's worth it in this case. This planer fills a good void in the market. It's small enough for the average DIY/woodworker to toss around the shop, yet a step above the average bench top cheap planer quality wise. The standard version is also priced just cheap enough to be within grasp for most home workers. So for the hobbiest who wants a good quality attainable planer, it's perfect. But it's pro's are also it's cons when it comes to this upgrade after you factor in price. It's only a 13 inch planer in the end, and to me if you've graduated to the point where you're willing to spend $1500-$2k on a planer. It becomes pretty difficult to justify that price tag, for only a 13 inch planer. At that point you can start looking into a more commercial piece of equipment with more capacity. I have the standard version and couldn't be happier with it. I sand all my projects post planing anyways, and even then it's pretty rare the planer puts out anything bad. If the standard is $600 and they offered the upgraded version for say $1000 I could see it making sense. For most people though, I couldn't see it being worth it.
Wow I'm shocked! A 5 year old planer with dull blades, dirty chip breakers and generally dirty interior is nosier than a pristine planner. I have the Bauer two blade planer and there is a world of difference in the noise level between dull blades/chip breaker and fresh. The same goes for wash boarding and a raised line in the planed surface, both of these indicate dull blades. But that's what I've come to expect from this channel (Fe$$tool miter saw vs DeWalt)
▼EXPAND FOR TOOL LINKS and INFO▼
Watch Next: Oliver Planer with Byrd Shelix Review - th-cam.com/video/kMeNcyDqJ8Q/w-d-xo.htmlsi=hHHyXnX3_XtUF5Ec
Pre-Installed DW735X with Byrd Shelix collabs.shop/w7wmr2
DIY Byrd Shelix Cutter Head for DW735 amzn.to/3S53ItT
DIY Byrd Shelix OEM Cutter Head for DW735 amzn.to/3M6YVnO
DeWALT DW735X with standard knives amzn.to/3rZkVdE
Fe Sharpens Fe Shirt I'm Wearing - bit.ly/3OenDUK
NOTE: Byrd OEM vs other is the OEM is the same size as the standard knife cutterhead but you have to remove all of the helical knives to install it. The other one is 1/16" smaller, but easier to install. The only difference this will make is your scales will be slightly off.
All tool deals for this sale (continually updated) www.731woodworks.com/tool-deals/amazonprimebigdealdays101023
📲 Never miss another tool deal. Sign up for my Tool Deals SMS Alerts - NOTE: I text out tool deals so you don’t miss any! text DEALS to 1 (731) 207-7151 Be sure to add DEALS to your text to me so you get added to the proper list. You can also click this link my.community.com/731woodworks Important to add the word DEALS to the text!
🇺🇸 Join the Tubafour Nation on Patreon to get an exclusive Tubafour Nation sticker, access to exclusive member-only behind-the-scenes videos, member-only livestreams, discounts, and other cool member-only perks! www.patreon.com/731woodworks
Some other useful links:
Daily Tool Deals on my website: www.731woodworks.com/tool-deals
Subscribe to our email Newsletter: mailchi.mp/7e44c16eefdc/731-woodworks-email-newsletter
Check out our easy-to-follow woodworking plans: www.731woodworks.com/store
Outlaw's Board Butter - So Good it Should be Outlawed: www.731woodworks.com/store/boardbutter
The numbers don't add up...
$550 planer + $500 helical upgrade = $1,000 + or - $100/$200
Are they seriously charging $500/$600 to install the upgraded head? While keeping the original straight blade head and charging extra for the runoff tables...? 😂
Also, the blade change time is a little off. To change one tooth, ok, sure 30 sec, but to change all the blades on the helical will take 3 times as long as the straight. Also, finding the one chipped of 60 will take at least an HR to inspect all, unless it is just plain obvious.
I love the helical cutter head, but I won't be spending $1,600 if I can save $500 for 2 hrs of my time.
Also, in my experience, dirt or sand is the main culprit for lines from a chipped tooth.
Matt, the Amazon page shown at about 12:20 into the video shows the Byrd replacement that is 1/16 smaller that the OEM diameter. That smaller diameter cutter head will throw off the gauge. They have another version that is the same size as the OEM blades but requires you to remove all the carbide cutter heads to install. I think that is a better option.
I got the smaller one. I dont use the gauge anyway.
That’s exactly what I did. That was like 4 years ago and was about $600 if I remember correctly
Wow! I bought my Shelix head about 10 years ago and it was $350! One of the best upgrades I ever made to a tool. Just used it yesterday.
I'll note on the standard blades that the included t-handle driver for opening it up and changing the blades has magnets on the handle for pulling the blades out and rotating them.
$1000 vs $400 for the DIY install cutter head. As another person commented, seems like a no-brainer to spend the 2 hours installing the helical cutter head yourself and then you have a spare straight cutter head.
Exactly, they buy the new head wholesale, probably around $250.00, with no difference in assembly cost and charge an extra $1,000.00. Good for Delta.
Yep, not a lot of us making over $300/hr
You also have to consider the price of the planer if you go with the DIY version
@@curseddragon129 he did the pre installed one is 1500. the normal planer can be found on sale for 500 regularly. so the head is 400 but is 1000 if you buy preinstalled
Great video! One thing to pass along - to measure sound levels accurately you have to measure the distance between the microphone and the thing producing sound. Anytime you double the distance from the source it drops 6db, so if one measurement were at 2.5ft vs another at 5ft, you'd expect a 6db drop for the one at 5ft. If one measurement were at 1ft and another 4ft, then it'd be a 12db difference.
The surface after planing is very impressive, as well as the noise reduction. I do agree though that for the casual woodworker like myself couldn't justify the extra cost. I do appreciate the review as well as all your videos. It's nice to know for sure you aren't biased but very honest. Thanks Matt and Mrs. 731! 😊😊😊😊❤❤❤
Thank you Gary!
An interesting note about sound level is that measured decibel level is not linear to apparent sound level. In sound engineering specs, a 6-decibel increase in measured sound compares to a doubling of apparent sound level. This means if your sound is 12-decibels lower, you are experiencing 1/4th of the apparent sound level. A very significant change.
I've always understood 3db to be a doubling in intensity, 6db to be a doubling in pressure, and 10db a doubling in perceived loudness, based on the 'A' frequency weighting scale.
@@adrianscarlettsame
12db lower will feel like half as loud.
Great video!! I have done the OEM Shelix upgrade for ~ $435 to my 3 year old 735 planer. I have ran about 15 bdFt so far and I think it is wonderful; quieter, smoother. Don't go for the "other brand" that is less in diameter than the OEM to eliminate removing the knives for installation. It messes up the presets.
I just went and looked this up and you have the right idea you can buy a brand new planer and the cutter for under 1,100 and put it in yourself. Smart guy
Nice video, I installed the oem version for my DeWalt took about 3 hours after testing the alianment of the cutters. I highly recomend using a torque wrench so you don't break the carbide cutters they are brittle. After 2 years I have only had to turn 3 cutters.
I upgraded my 17 year old Dewalt 735 a few weeks ago and I was amazed at how much a difference it makes in cut quality and sound level. I watched several videos before doing the swap. The one thing I didn't pay enough attention to was the belt on the small drive wheel and ate a belt in the process, but replaced it with a new one and all is good now. I've since upgraded my ridgid 6 inch jointer with the same quality cut and reduced sound.
Several years ago I bought a DW735x and a shelix head. I used the blades that came with the 735 for a few jobs and nicked one of the blades almost immediately. I put the shelix head in and have planed countless board feet of wood (I think for about 5+ years). Just a couple of months ago, I rotated my first insert. I would never go back to straight knives.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the different blades! I appreciate it!
My 24 inch planer I have rotated the the teeth 2 times in about 20 year
They are definitely worth the investment they last for ever
@@aaronoconnor606 I agree. I think I only had to rotate the one insert because I hit something metal. It only left the slightest tiny ridge and I could have left it, but why not just rotate the insert and get rid of it. I did find an old miniball bullet in some very old oak I was milling. I doubt it hurt a tooth since lead is softer than the wood.
Glad to hear they make a Shelix head for the 734 which I have in my shop. I may have to have a chat with Santa!!
I have a spiral head (not Shelix, but essentially the same) in my 734 and is game changing. Noise is down and dust collection is improved, and of course the cut quality on figured wood is greatly improved
Changing it out is a act of congress
Yea I didn’t know that either! I may have to look into it...
Great comparison, and I've used Byrd Shelix planer and joiner heads for years. It's a huge game changer, as much as actually having those tools in the shop.
One thing I noticed though is that you said there was a 10db difference, by my math, from 108db to 88db is 20 db... That's the difference between a circular saw, and a jet airplane...
Personally, I'll never go back to a straight knife planer or joiner.
I’d suggest looking at the used market if you wanted one of these with a Shelix.
I’ve seen some of these with a Shelix installed already for $300-500 around my parts. Definitely found them around $400. Lower $300s are the ones that pop up and disappear even with straight knives around me.
Lots of people who install these move on to bigger planers eventually.
Just make sure you understand there are a couple different models of the 735. Some parts for different 735s aren’t cross compatible.
Also, you can’t be afraid of playing with your machines if this is the route you take.
Right. I don't see where the $1000 comes from. $1600 is better spent on a floor standing planer.
I’ve been thinking about changing the head in my 735, this has made me make up my mind. Thank you
Glad it helped.
Just bought my dewalt 735, Went to flip the blade around because it was dull out of the box which was annoying but the tool that it comes with has two magnets and I realize that's for picking up the cover and the blade so you don't have to risk cutting your hand. Little fun tip
I installed my Byrd Shelix head a couple years ago and haven’t regretted it at all. You’re right, if you intend on staying with the lunchbox planer this is the way to go!
I’m a. retired Professional Woodworker and for my next personal Shop i set up i’m not even going to fool with the typical Lunch box or Portable Planer witha 121/2 or13” width my plan is to bite the bullet and just pick up a used Commercial thickness Planer off Ebay those machines. have the wider capacity and almost always have the Helical Cutter upgrade installed yes they are 220 volt but most home or low production shops need 220 for something and let’s face it very few of us rarely move our thickness Planers around anyway and if you. need to do so there are plenty of budget Lunchbox Planers to chose from if you need to. work with a mobile style Shop which of course will be a lower quality overall
This has been my dream planer for a while. Can't count how any videos I've watched on it already. Just not capable of pulling the trigger on it just yet. The shelix head surely takes it to another level.
I am so impressed with my Dewalt 735 even with just the straight knives. It's hard to imagine it being much better. My intention was to buy it and just use it until I had a setup that I could put a larger Powermatic (or whatever) planer in my shop but so far I haven't felt the need to upgrade. It does a beautiful job and I can get boards to such a precise thickness with the little gauge.
Matt, made an earlier comment but before I clicked away another though occurred to me. Based on your review if a smother finish is being provided by the Shelix head, another advantage is you will need less sand paper (think cost) and have less ware on your sander(s), not going to mention the reduced electric and sanding time. Just saying these things one might consider in the final analysis.
Thanks again!
Matt did mention that less sanding would be required.
Matt, as always, I look forward to your "comparison" videos, because they are informative and well done.
This one in particular was timely for me as I just purchased my Shelix equipped 735 planer from Byrd Tool Experts. Unfortunately, mine arrived with shattered cast base, because of apparent mishandling by a major parcel delivery service that drives brown trucks. 🤬 Byrd's customer service people were super. After ascertaining what the issue was, they told me what was involved with changing the base (very simple and straight forward, by the way), and immediately sent a new base out to me.
After many years of using my Delta 2 blade planer, I was ready for an upgrade. I have reconciled myself to the expense of this machine, but have since fallen in love with it. I have no doubt that my son will get many years of use out of this machine after I am called home. To add to the excitement, I purchased a Wixey digital depth scale for my 735 planer. That installation was also pretty straight forward, and makes for an even nicer experience.
If your time permit, you might want to consider demonstrating that addition for your many fans at 731 Woodworking.
Keep up the good work!!!
Great to hear about their customer service! I have the Wixey DRO in the shop and will be videoing that soon!
The WEN PL1326 15 amp planer also has that thickness gauge at the front. It also has a spiral cutter head. I am not saying the spiral head is as good as a helix, but it would be interesting to see a comparison with the WEN with these 2 dewalts. But I have the WEN and I love it.
I own the DW735X, Installed the OEM Shelix cutterhead. Wow, for me it was a big difference.
I did get the head at around $400 at the time. It wasn't the easiest to install, but once it was done would never go back to straight blades.
I have used the “w” version to plane purpleheart, hard maple, figured walnut and paduak. The only time that I had tear out was when I was aggressive with amount of material being removed. All I had to do was to back off the amount to be removed in a single pass. BTW hit does plug up the dust collector so I the small dust deputy and the problem was solved.
Your video with the attorney about the patents involving Saw Stop earned my subscription. Brilliant that you were able not only get the attorney on, but he was into woodworking too. This video is great too, keep em coming.
The shelix cutterhead makes an exponential difference in noise level as you get into bigger machines. My old high school woodshop replaced the cutterhead on a 24 inch Wadkins planer and it cut the noise by probably 70 percent. It use to sound like a jet engine and now you can actually have a conversation while it is planing. For me no matter what planer you have the spiral cutterhead is worth every penny. I would not buy a new planer without it.
Not to mention that the cutters on the shelix are carbide. Which stays sharp much longer than the high speed steel blades that come with the Dewalt machine.
This is definitely a good upgrade. I'm mechanically inclined so there's no way I would pay the hundreds of dollars extra to have it pre installed. Two hours of tinkering around and not losing the factory warranty is totally worth the little bit of time.
Your motor and other parts should actually last longer, since you are lowering the resistance with blades that are more efficient. I love the fact that the blades have 4 sides so you can renew it twice as many times. I bet i could successfully sharpen these things at least once with my diamond plate sharpeners.
One thing that is really amazing is if you hit a nail or something you are only ruining maybe one or two of the little square cutters instead of a whole big piece.
My understanding is the installation of the aftermarket knives voids the warranty even if installed by the owner.
I am not 100% certain but arrived at that information when I was researching the topic last year.
@@jimkonrad2528correct. Dewalt does not honour any warranty if the cutter head is upgraded, regardless of who installs it.
@@surlycanadian Purchase the machine with straight knives, change out for the helix and if you ever need warranty work just put the old knives back in. 🙂
You would think you are lowering resistance, but I remember seeing on youtube that someone doing a test put a voltage meter to the machines and the helix head raised the voltage the machine pulled which seems to me would be more resistance. I am not very knowledgeable about that type of thing so don't really understand the theory behind the testing I saw. They were just saying the helix was harder on the motor.
@@fuzzywigglebutt that’s a great example of fraud. They very likely have some in-built mechanism that tells them if you’ve split open the panels to do anything to the assembly.
Nice job on the review . Very honest and pulled no punches. I like that when I watch a review . I have a 735 and the cutter head is on my Christmas list.
Thanks !
Thanks 👍
I put my own Shelix head in before the plug and play option was offered. Yeah, it took about 2 hours. Your review is spot on. I don't even sand non-show faces right off the planer. Never had problems with tear out. It's worth the price in reduced sanding alone.
Were the straight knives brand new as well? I feel like you mentioned you would have to flip them to get a better cut. So the comparison seems pretty unfair.
Would be interesting to see a more in depth review of something like the Grizzly G0940 and how it preforms as a planer that comes stock with a helical head. Doesn't seem like its a planer that gets talked about much.
Grizzly makes a helical cutterhead for this planer as well. I bought it for my 735, it was an amazing upgrade. No tear out at all, no matter the figure in the wood.
Just a thought..... but I don't think you should be adjusting and lowering the planer depths while the board is already feeding. Needs to be set before feeding materials
Thanks Matt, I added the Byrd Helix to my Delta 22-580. Absolutely worth the time, effort and cost.
Great to hear!
A high-end technician friend warned against using any helical head within a plastic low-end DeWalt planer be due to the high heat- not a great decision
I figured I would use up the two sides of the installed blades and then on the replacement set that came with the machine before deciding if the upgrade makes sense. The disadvantage, the price may go up between now and then.
I can definitely see the benefit of the Shelix head on this, however I can't see spending this much for that planer, especially when there are options out there that are more versatile such as the Grizzly G0959 - 12" Combo Planer/Jointer with Helical Cutterhead, its a jointer and planer and is benchtop and list is under $1200
It’s a nice upgrade if you have the money, but in all reality, I finish hand plane my surface anyway so if you want to save money, that’s an option. I save the last 2-3 passes for ultra low depth planing so it doesn’t leave as much tear out on hardwood.
I got a new bird Shilex OEM for 375 on amazon , installation was super easy after watching a few videos. about 900 total for both. totally worth it after you run wood.
If you go helical, I recommend getting a torque driver so you can properly torque them down, got one as my jointer and planer both have helical heads on them.
When you say a torque driver - is that different that a torque wrench?
Any reason why a torque wrench couldn't be used?
@@jeffa847 same function but a wrench won't fit inside the body or your Planar. And instructions on most if not all torque wrenches are to not use extensions. Also the torque values are normally lower than the typical wrench. Yes they make the just most people have a 20lb/ft on up wrench.
@@brettpeckinpaugh
Thanks for the info. I have a torque wrench in inch pounds I assume would do my jointer but I guess if I get a shelix for Dewalt I might have to buy another tool.
The next purchase for us is an 8" jointer....it will have the helical cutter head......I might see how involved it will be in our Dewalt planer to do the exchange myself. GREAT video Matt
Matt....I noticed an adaptor on the back of your planer for the dust collector. Mind telling me where you got it?
When doing sound testing you should try to keep the measurement at the same distance as the DB will decreases with increase distance.
🤷🏻♂️
Moving to a Shelix made a night and day difference on my curly maple.
Are the knives new in the old machine? Just bought a new knife machine and it does a beautiful job.
They are older blades. Blades cut well. Helix cuts amazing. Basically is the gist of the comparison from me, and most anyone else who has the helical cutter heads. Not a "necessary" upgrade, just makes it better.
This is a fantastic educational video and is yet another reason to love and follow 731!!
Thank you Jody! 👊
wow I bet that pinky hurt when you mashed it.
God bless you and your 731 family!
I have a helical head on my planer and my jointer. Those cutter heads are great, and I would struggle going back to a standard cutter head. Love your content sir please keep it up! God Bless!
Thanks
I installed the grizzly spiral cutterhead on mine and have been pretty happy with it.
We're the straight knives new as well? If not, I would think the comparison to be unequal.
No, they weren't new.
i dont know how much of a difference it would make but are the straight knives a brand new set?
Makes me wonder if Dewalt will wise up and offer this as an upgrade one day.
Did you miss that he told you already can buy this upgrade... Even showed price twice and it was about $400
@@637mathias This is not a Dewalt upgrade. This is a different company offering. Byrd Tools makes the blade, and they also sell the upgraded planer. Nothing to do with Dewalt.
@@637mathiashe’s clearly wondering if Dewalt will ever offer this upgrade straight from their warehouse. Pertaining to this video, you are paying for the straight knife planer, with the old cutter head, then paying Byrd Shelix to remove the original cutterhead and install theirs.
If Dewalt ever did make their own helical head and install it during manufacture, this would be $300 more than the regular one because you wouldn’t be first buying the straight knife cutterhead and you wouldn’t be paying for the labour for Dewalt to install a straight knife cutter head, finish the assembly, then pay Byrd shelix to unassemble, remove the old cutterhead, install new cutterhead and then reassemble all of the other pieces.
They never will. They don’t want to have to pay to have one designed or pay Byrd for the right to use their design. If they designed their own, they don’t want to have to build the manufacturing plant to construct a different cutter head.
Byrd’s aftermarket cutterhead has done Dewalt the favour of making this planer a contender in the home Woodworking realm without them having to do anything AND they get to void the warranty. It’s win-win for Dewalt to not offer it. Capitalism would have to be replaced for Dewalt to consider this.
Thanks for explaining how I misunderstood this 👍🙂
Two new DeWalt blades is $35, but you need three blades so let's just call it $52.50.
You need 40 (or is it 50?) inserts to replace all the inserts on the helical cutter. At $35 for 10 inserts that's... a lot of money ($140 or $175).
If the inserts last twice as long (because they have four cutting edges instead of two), it's still $35 more (or $70 more) to replace the inserts.
Of course if the inserts wear slower, and therefore last even longer than double the DeWalt blade, it actually makes financial sense to go with the helical cutter, if there's only 40 of them.
Also you can replace one damaged insert, rather than one entire damaged DeWalt blade, which would make a big difference in maintenance price.
I have this planer with the Byrd Shelix and it works beautifully. But, I had a problem with the motor. As luck would have it, the planer was still under warranty. I took the planer to our local Dewalt service center. The tech at the service center told me the Byrd Shelix violated my warranty. After several days and considerable phone calls, they finally replaced the motor. But , they told me that my planer would no longer be covered by the warranty unless I put the straight blades back on the planer. It seems crazy to me.
Nice presentation as an engineer of 42 years I wanted to point out an improvement on your next video that includes noise measurement it is imperative that the
menter be placed in the exact place on each device. Sound measurement is a function of the square, meaning distance from the sound source is greatly affected
by distance. So to really compare devices distance from the source must be the same to have credibility in the numbers. Keep up the good work.
If the user doesn't wear hearing protection, the difference in db between the two planers is the difference between hurting your hearing over time vs. not. As someone who deals with hearing loss, having the sheelix head is worth every penny
Anyone else notice the height of the plane was adjusted mid cut? That would most likely account for the gouge...
I know how much you don't like to sand, so hopefully this will come in handy. Enjoy my friend! 👊Oh and it's been 3 years since the Wahuda...I know...time flies..especially when you get OLDER LOL. I haven't changed a single blade on my Wahuda..they just last and last...
Thanks 👍 It means more than you know! 👊
I just recently bought a Dewalt 735. I did do the review search thing. For the money it's ok. I get blade marks on every single piece I've ran thru it. I use a lot of walnut, maple, hickory, red oak and hickory. I'm thinking maybe i should have got the Oliver from the beginning. Not to impressed. I'd give it about a low 4 out of 5
As for your test. Definitely get the new cutter head. It seems like your saving a lot of time and money with it in the long run. Less sanding time is a big deal when your doing large or multiple pieces. Replacement time. And so on. I'm thinking now that I'm in to this for $600 I might as well get the new cutting head. 😊
I know you should expect a premium for pre-assembled, but man. It was about $1,100 total when I bought the DW735X and the Lux Cut III separately a year ago and DIYed the install. It wasn't a really difficult install, either. Save yourself a bundle and do it yourself, folks.
Thanks for the effort. Nice demonstration.
One of the major issues with small toy/benchtop planers like this one is the small cutter head diameter. A larger cutter head will provide better results.
Im a big fan of paying for convenience too but an extra $600 for them to install the Shelix in factory is crazy over installing one yourself!
I'd like to see you compare the WEN 1326 spiral planer for less than $500 against both of these. I know, there's LOTS of youtubers that go ga-ga over the dewalt planer, but $1600 is a lot for the average joe that doesn't get half his shop paid for by sponsors, the other half paid for by patreon.
I love the built in fan in the dewalt, and know the shelix has more cutters than the WEN, but man, my WEN does a great job.
I bought the straight knife version with the beds, came with an extra set of blades. I figured I’d use those up and then invest in some of the better helix blade. Think I should invest the $400 now I’ll keep using what I’ve got.
Or
Fortuitous timing… replacement blades for me 735 arrived today… I guess dropping by Home Depot to return them tomorrow and order this sucker right now.
If you put it in your new wartented dewalt planer yourself, the warranty is also voided. If it is a non cutter head issue, keep the straight blade head and install it before turning it in for the warranty work.
Neat test. But you had old straight blades versus new Shelix blades. Not fair!
Great video, but I think there is a potential drawback when going to the Byrd. In my experience the Byrd has improved the quality of the surface, as you demonstrated, however it comes at a significant increase in time. My garage shop is wired for 120v at 15 amps throughout, and if I take more than a 1/32" pass the breaker will trip. Of course this always happens midway through the board, requiring adjust meant to the cutter's contact, and then super light passes to match where it left off on the breaker trip. The limitation of having to take light passes adds a tremendous amount of time to the overall milling process. Furthermore, even when taking super light passes, when this is done for extended periods of time the Dewalt's built-in fuse/breaker gets tripped, even when the shop's breaker holds stable. This is a major issue because, as stated above, the amount of time spent milling is greatly increase, which requires the planer to be run much longer. If the 15 amp limitation doesn't get you, the Dewalt's breaker will. I realize many people won't have this issue due to 20 amp capability in their shop. Maybe that will allow deeper cuts on each pass which will lessen the time spent running the planer, but I can't comment on that from personal experience. Overall, I am very happy with the Byrd, and the quality of cut is outstanding. For anyone with 15 amp limitations, be ready to spend a lot longer milling in order to enjoy the finish this cutter is capable of.
With professional planers the helix cutters normally put less strain on the machine but are a lot more work to sevice idk why it would be diffrent with small planers, i assume the blades are just not that great in terms of quality
The Rigid R4331 has the depth guage to show how much will be planned.
Hi Matt, I have the Dewalt 735 and I am afraid I cannot give it a glowing report, I purchased mine in 2019 and I am chasing spare parts to rebuild the burn out motor for the second time! seems it is a common occurrence with these machines, how yours has lasted this long amazes me, I only use softwoods, and cut 1/2 mm passes, what sort of duty cycle do you use, to prevent heat buildup, as mine was destroyed when the rotor delaminated and destroyed itself. Oh yeah, if you get a chip in a blade (3 blade Unit) it is a simple matter of sliding the blades sideways as the holes are elongated so they do not line up and good for another run.
It’s a bit cheat. The planner gauge shows you took much more on straight knives vs helix. Could it be a difference in finishing?
Great Review! I think I will change out the head when I need blades replaced. Of course it doesn't get used much, I enjoy using hand planes more these days. And I don't need hearing protection for those. For really ornery wood I will break out the 735.
You can change the cutter head to the shelix yourself for 425. So dewalt is more than doubling the cost to do it for you.
I have a shelix in my Dewalt and something they tell you is that they draw more power, especially with a wide board. Maybe they have fixed that problem on the new ones, but it has not affected me.
Are your straight knifes also brand new?
I bought a Delta planer before the Dewalt was introduced. Nice planer. The Dewalt is better. I will absolutely get a helical carbide cutter head in the future. Yeah, it's expensive. In my opinion, absolutely worth the price. Oh, just an aside, the infeed/outfeed tables are more than worth having.
I really appreciate all your videos thank you 😊
fantastic, i just cannot find the justification to buy over my Ridgid 13 in planer. It has been fantastic and two years into it, still works like new. Wondering though, if I can add these blades to what I have?
After owning a DW735 lunchbox planer with knives and upgrading to a different helical head planer IMO there's no comparison. I understand the DW735 is a popular planer amongst the YT woodworking crowd. Probably because it's expensive, and putting an expensive helical cutterhead in it will greatly increase the performance. I don't understand why you would invest more money in the cutterhead than you have invested in the planer itself ?? I don't mean to be negative but it's putting lipstick on a pig. It's still a big piece of plastic and aluminum with a weak motor. I would highly recommend not wasting your money on upgrading lunchbox planers. Just buy a cast-iron model with real beds. It's like comparing a job site table saw to a cabinet saw. I know everyone wants to buy the most inexpensive tools when you're starting off so you can get more tools for your money, which is fine if you're on a budget. 9 times out of 10 you will be more satisfied with a better tool than trying to piecemeal new parts in cheaper tools. Especially something as important as a planer or jointer.
My DW735 is about 20 years old and I've been "looking" at the Byrd Shelix for a while. Something is not working when using the affiliate link its more expensive than doing the direct search. If you get that $10, I'm good with that - you earned it and do great work. If Amazon keeps it - NO WAY. You sold it and you should get the $10!!
Thanks Tony. I'll check it out.
Don't know if you will get this but I'm looking at the 10" Wahuda with helical cutters and wondered how pleased you are with your equipment?
I did a 2 year review on mine last year, (search 731 Wahuda) It's been a great machine for me.
Right now the DeWalt is $779 the Oliver $999 so it's pretty close when you add the DIY cutter head version. So I guess it's the DeWalt robust construction and if you want to do the work vs the Oliver ready to go. The Oliver won't ship until Jan 2024 though maybe Black Friday deals might help make my decision easier.
I have that planar but for some reason i get a solid 3" of snipe on each end of my boards
Did you change out your straight blades before testing? If they are older, obviously they could be duller thus leading to tear out. No doubt the helix is better but you can get really good results with the straight blades if they are sharp. That said, I have the 734 and have the helix cutter on my wish list!!
I bought a Wen that came with the spiral cutting head. Now, I'm definitely not saying that the machine is as good as the Dewalt. The machine that the Wen replaced was an 80s model Parks planer/jointer combo machine. While the Parks machine was way more powerful, I never could get it calibrated correctly. Being more interested in woodworking than in machine calibration, I sold the Parks. At a $400 price range, I went with the Wen over the Dewalt only because I wanted a segmented cutter head planer and wasn't in a position to put out $1600.
My 635 is still perfect. Curly maple, highly figured walnut, spalted maple, zebra, purple, all good. Why? Because if I can I’ll feed at angle vs straight. Also, shallow passes like 64ths and also using the finish speed.
Takes time yes, but not that much time. Maybe as a production shop, but then again if you need that you’d have a 20” industrial planet at 240 or higher to keep shop humming.
I like the shelix, but so much cash for something I can’t justify to the misses :)
Just buy the cutters for $400 and install them yourself. The Byrd Shelix factory is not doing anything special on the install. Clean the screws with acetone and put some blue loctite on them and tighten them properly. This is a pretty revolutionary upgrade really.
revolutionary, that's good. @@actionjksn
@@actionjksn I agree - IF you are a production shop and are in the profit zone, and it speeds your process up. Even if you are not, but it's trending that way then yes. For a person who uses it 1x a month. No, lol.
If I heard you correctly, you said you should have or did not, change the straight blades before starting this challenge? The sharpness of the blades will definitely make a difference in the noise levels and the finish in regards to the standard blades.
The Shelix inserts are going to be sharper than the straights even if the straights were changed for new because the Shelix inserts are carbide and the standard blades are HS steel.
The "tear out" was almost positively caused by the loose bolt unless there was a loose cracked piece when the board went through. I had one of the hold down set screws come loose in my portable power planer and oh my gosh what a mess it created in a Mahogany top I was making.
Don't get me wrong though. I've wanted to change my Ridgid planer over to the Shelix for years but I just couldn't justify the cost with the small quantity of wood that I plane. Even at the price of just the Shelix arbor.
I have done the self replacement. Not mechanical inclined it takes me an effort when I was younger to overhaul an engine. It was a pain to do the swap out. If I remember correctly removing and reinstalling the belt. Involved a lot of cussing and a few skinned knuckles. I do like having the Helical head and it was worth the effort but give yourself at least a half a day to do the swap.
Don't you have a video on how to fix snipe with this planer?
Well done!! Thank you for comparison
Glad you liked it!
At that cost there are better options out there than a bench top planer. Also my Rigid planer has the material gauge. I would have bought the DeWALT planer but it wasn’t available yet when I got the Rigid.
There’s another brand on Amazon that offers a helical head or another option for spiral for much less than dewalt, Vevor or Cutech seem like great deals!!!
I've never used those. The Wahuda (once made by Cutech, and possibly still is) has been good for me.
Dewalt needs to make a jointer with the quality and price of this planer.
I don't think anyone will ever argue that the Shelix produces a better finish.
But I wouldn't think it's worth it in this case.
This planer fills a good void in the market. It's small enough for the average DIY/woodworker to toss around the shop, yet a step above the average bench top cheap planer quality wise. The standard version is also priced just cheap enough to be within grasp for most home workers. So for the hobbiest who wants a good quality attainable planer, it's perfect.
But it's pro's are also it's cons when it comes to this upgrade after you factor in price.
It's only a 13 inch planer in the end, and to me if you've graduated to the point where you're willing to spend $1500-$2k on a planer. It becomes pretty difficult to justify that price tag, for only a 13 inch planer. At that point you can start looking into a more commercial piece of equipment with more capacity.
I have the standard version and couldn't be happier with it. I sand all my projects post planing anyways, and even then it's pretty rare the planer puts out anything bad.
If the standard is $600 and they offered the upgraded version for say $1000 I could see it making sense.
For most people though, I couldn't see it being worth it.
Was under the opinion that Shelix cutters require more HP as they are always in contact with the wood?
Wow I'm shocked! A 5 year old planer with dull blades, dirty chip breakers and generally dirty interior is nosier than a pristine planner. I have the Bauer two blade planer and there is a world of difference in the noise level between dull blades/chip breaker and fresh. The same goes for wash boarding and a raised line in the planed surface, both of these indicate dull blades.
But that's what I've come to expect from this channel (Fe$$tool miter saw vs DeWalt)
the fact that i am still going to sand and wear ear protection... then its best to spend that 1000$ elsewhere