The DEWALT is a BEAST of a machine! WHY? My local Community College has a woodworking program and Dewalt wanted some equipment tested for FREE to use and get beat up by the students. Class schedule had the Dewalt planer exposed to 6 days a week 8AM til 10PM at night for 6 months. NO problems nor any damage was ever shown during this testing process.
They weren’t “testing” They already knew the quality and wanted hundreds of people to buy their planer once they graduated since now they just spent years using it. Smart marketing
@@Saturn-Matrixthat is my fear exactly. There is a contractors type tool store here that also does warranyy work for milwaukee, makita, and was in the process of getting aurhotized to do Flex warranty work. I went in there one day and all the dewalt tools were gone. I asked about it. He said they no longer sell them or do warranty work for them. I asked why. He gave me a 10 minute profane laced reply as to what a rotten piece of $#** company dewalt was for both their customers and authorized techs. We was pissed. And he was the owner of the store. I never could get that out of my head. Every time i saw a dewalt at lowes that i wanted i just kept thinking about how angry that guy was.
Good review. I've owned both models. I purchased the DeWalt several years ago with no specific projects in mind, just to have as an addition to my shop tool repertoire. As such, I used it minimally, and after a year of non-use (other priorities in life), I sold it. It performed excellently so no complaints there. Very robust machine and it did what it was supposed to. I will say it screamed - the loudest shop tool I ever owned, and without ear protection, it was actually painful. About six months ago I purchased the Wen with specific purposes in mind. I have used it extensively to re-thickness a lot 5/4 poplar stock, and to refinish 13-inch wide surfaces after gluing and jointing. Most of this went into an extensive built-in bookcase. I also make much of the molding I use in remodeling my house and it has been a valuable addition to doing so in conjunction with my table saw and router. I've also run a dozen or so pine 2x4s through it. It has paid for itself several times over as I no longer need to pay a mill for that. I'm sure if I had done this same work with the DeWalt I could say the same. As pointed out in the video, both machines have essentially the same controls, just fabricated differently. Both were easy to use, and both produced excellent output. I always touch sand any output anyway so if there were quality differences they were non-issues. To me, the only differences are price and noise level. Oh, and I would add dust collection. My Wen accommodates a standard 2-1/2 shop hose, as I recall, the DeWalt required duct tape, a bit of a pain. At the time, I paid $396 for the single-speed Wen. They also have a two-speed available.
@@dylandempsey6103 I don't know what sort of answer you're looking for with that question. I suppose you'd want to get a decibel meter and test both. I can operate the Wen without ear protection.
I bought the Dewalt 735X several years ago and thought it did a pretty good job. Then I dropped a substantial amount on a Lux Sprial Carbide head and installed it myself. Now my 735 is a beast! Well worth the investment.
A good friend has had the Dewalt for over 20 years (very regular and heavy use for everything from furniture and cabinet making to building canoes). It recently burned out the motor, so I did a full tear down and rebuild for him. I was very impressed at how well made and easy to service it was. With the replacement motor, and a few other inexpensive “maintenance” parts, I fully expect he will get another 20 years out of that planer. I’m considering buying one so I don’t have to use his all the time ;).
20 years? Must be an older model. That's impressive! I've been recently investing in Dewalt tools for the planer, and some drills, cut off wheels, and reciprocating (sawzall type) saws. Sanding, I think I have to go Festool because I'm just not having luck with anything else no matter what kind of extraction or technique I use.
This is one of the most down to earth woodworking video I've seen. I feel like as a hobbyist you looked at these two with the exact kind of considerations I would have when picking tools. Really appreciate the honest take, and realistic expectations
Yes, IF you are desperate, these "planers" work in a pinch for a SHORT period of time on SMALL wood for a hobbyist willing to do a LOT of sanding afterwards, these tools work. Every woodworker has tried the cheap route and quickly LEFT the cheap tool route. Not for anyone running a business or hobbyist looking at going into business for say home remodeling etc. A real planer, ZERO sanding as there are ZERO cut marks = apply finish direct and has the POWER for correct feed rate to cut the correct depth the first pass through(or 2nd if both sides need to be seen) which means ALL your boards are the correct thickness and your joints match up. Neither of these machines can do this nor can you run long boards through due to their short beds = warped wood.
I too bought a cheap piece of junk which I thought would save me shop space as I would be able to move it around... Then I learned my lesson the HARD way. Hope you do not have to learn the hard way. Thought blades weren't sharp(they were, put in new ones in fact. Even bought a new spiral($1000 down the drain) head for it). Turns out is it is TYPE of blades combined with LACK OF POWER(feed rate too damned slow, can't do wider boards where you make your $$$, head slows down = burnish marks and accuracy of cut speed) and any knots are all proud and the fact it just did not WEIGH/Rigid enough. Spiral head helps a bit and why this rules out DeWalt and its straight blades, and both are utterly gutless in terms of power. Now ALSO throw in both are not rigid enough thus over a little time of use All those plastic/steel guide parts wear quickly = slop = ripples. There is a reason that those, in these threads talking about DeWalt version have bought SEVERAL of them over the years. Maybe they need the semi portability. I do not know. I do know that the fixed cabinet big boy Powermatic Planner with big rigid castings and bearings I have has has umpteen thousand board feet through it and it still to this day produces perfect wood everytime and the cheap piece of junk, like the ones tested in this "review" produced decently if the boards are tiny, the cut small with perfectly new blades, but quickly turns to ripples. Its your money/time, do with it what you will, I had to learn the hard way, you probably will too. @@henrikgrangaard7498
I've been looking seriously for a decent low-mid priced planer, and have no real experience with them. So, I have been watching lots of TH-cam videos of various reviews. This is the first I have seen where the possibility of using aftermarket carbide blades for the Wen was mentioned. That really makes me take notice of the Wen - especially since it has a significant price advantage. Thanks for taking the time to compare these two planers!
Yup, on Amazon, 10 inserts are about $22, so for about $50 you can change over to all carbide cutters on the WEN. Just need to pay close attention to the specs - these carbide inserts need to extremely exact dimensions.
Carbide can never get as sharp as steel can. But carbide will not abrade as fast as steel does. So carbide doesn't dull as fast as steel does. But carbide will never cut as cleanly as sharp steel can. That's what you're trading with carbide vs steel.
The carbide blades for the Dewalt are $250 a set and are not reversible. EXPENSIVE! Using tool steel blades is another option for about $100 They give noticeably longer life than the cheap blades and give the mirror smooth cuts of the steel blades. The cheap carbon steel blades last quite a while and are reversible (turn them over for another run) so at under $50 a set are the poor man's option. (ME!) Both the carbon steel and tool steel blades can be resharpened if you buy the resharpening fixture. You can also send them in for resharpening for $10 a blade. (2019 price)
@@glasslinger The Byrd Shelix runs at $700 as an upgrade, or $1600 pre-installed in a new DW-735 as a complete unit, so it isn't cheap. But the blades can be rotated 3 times as each of the 4 sides wear out/chip, and a new set is $45, so depending on how much you use it it could potentially be a long-term money saver over those $250 carbide knives. At which point the Oliver benchtop might be one to consider as well. It's not built like a rock like the DW-735, but it includes the Shelix head by default at a current list price of $1000. If anybody has it in stock, that is.
I own that DeWalt with a Shelix blade upgrade. It's a beast, and I wouldn't trade it for any other bench top planer that I've seen on the market. Couple notes on mine. The stock blades for DeWalt are great.... Until they aren't. To keep that nice cut, you need to change the blades quite a bit. They are HSS and dull/chip easily. Upgrading to the Shelix saved me money in the long run because the blades last a lot longer. Your Wen seems to be shooting more chips out the front than through the dust collector. The DeWalt shoots the chips out the exhaust with such force you actually don't need a vacuum on it. I've used it many times by just putting a dust collection bag on a hose and running the hose straight off the planer. It works fine that way. The DeWalt also has the tool to take it apart built right into the lid, and it's VERY easy to maintain. My vote is for the DeWalt. It's an awesome machine and in my opinion, the best bench top planer you can get and even better with the Shelix (Get the diameter matching version)
You can see in this video, the Dewalt has a blower motor with a turbine impeller that shoots the dust chips out of the back. It basically has a small leaf blower impeller built into it, that blows the chips out. I have never owned one, but seeing that design makes me want one.
@@Ritalie That's exactly what it is. It can easily throw chips 30+ feet. I know this because when I first got mine, I ran it without any dust collection just for giggles, and was surprised with how much power that exhaust has.
@@DavidBoston-rx2yi Absolutely. The stock blades get chipped and dull pretty quick in that machine. I haven't had to change the blades yet on this new one. I've had to rotate them a couple times, but the savings in not buying so many replacement blades is huge.
I have the exact same Dewalt planer shown in this video, and I am very happy with it! I doubt that I could have made a better choice, and I'm saying this as a retired carpenter and woodworker with over 45 years experience.
I have two of the DeWalt planers - I bought the DW735 from the estate of a carpenter - great shape for $250 with stand! I then replaced the 3 blade cutter head with a Byrd Shelix cutter head (less than $400 when I bought it)...the cut quality is outstanding and as you mentioned, the individual cutters are easily changed...my sons use the DW 734 on jobsites.
I've had the same Wen planer for about a year. I've run ash, red and white oak, cherry, cedar, and pine through it and was really impressed with the finish I got out of it. I have no experience with any other planer as I've just recently gotten into woodworking. The Dewalt was the other planer I looked at but couldn't justify the extra $200. No complaints with the Wen at this point, and it's good to know that there really are carbide inserts for it.
Give you a hint: Both are garbage. There is a reason you pay more for REAL tools. What he calls an "awesome result" = garbage you can SEE EVERY single blade cut in the walnut even through a video let alone in person. Wood should come out of a planer without ANY need for sanding. You can apply finish immediately. Their adjustability also sucks. He was also putting tiny wood through and they were bogging down. I would hate to think what would happen if you actually put a wide 12" board through... There is a reason you pay more for REAL tools.
@@w8stral You have examples of better machines and their pricing? These are generic consumer grade machines, but for the most part, people are not going to be running 10,000 board feet a day through them. You do get what you pay for...
@@leofortey7561 Here is the REAL deal; REAL tools cost a lot of money, but you also can SELL them nearly for the same price you BUY them for unlike these reviewed tools as you said "generic consumer grade". Buy industrial tools used and you can then near guarantee to sell them for same price or sometimes even more. So your Powermatics of the world etc. Why do you need the High cost, HIGH power, heavy machines? Without enough power and stiffness in the machine, any wider board will be nothing but giant cut marks and will RUIN the wood. Why you NEED wide BIG boards??? The biggest expense is the WOOD and your LABOR cost, NOT the machine cost. Wood only pays for itself if you buy BIG WIDE boards you run through bandsaw/tablesaw and then the planer. Without the BIG REAL planer, you cannot do this and instead of your wood costing ~$5-->$15/lbft you will be paying double this due to LOST wood turned to scrap because you cannot buy LARGE boards to cut into what you need and instead buy smaller wood and then throw half of it out or pretend you can use the scraps piling it up in the corner of your shop. After 2 or 3 projects the cost of the machine vanishes due to SAVING wood costs ALONE irrespective of YOUR labor cost. If you are pushing 1000 board feet through then you MUST buy the bigger machine due to cost savings from NOT wasting wood and big wood is cheaper(within reason) An industrial bandsaw/planer/Shaper and their cutters and dust collection system will pay for themselves in a SINGLE LARGE house if you are doing trim wood to upgrade it. And it will take less of your time. You can get away without a high end tablesaw for most applications and that is pretty much the ONLY tool you can go ~partially cheap on regarding wood working. Router and router bits... nope. 6" dust collector minimum. 4" tubes cannot pull enough VOLUME of air and you will get dust all over your shop and YOU will then start down the track of becoming ALLERGIC to wood shavings/dust and then YOU will not be able to work with wood AT ALL!!! 5Hp and 230V minimum for a planer with consistent RPM/Feed rate so ZERO marks on the wood!!! Technically maybe 3HP if it has a SLOW feed rate. So, your Powermatics, etc of the world. If you are truly strapped, buy the HIGHEST end Grizzly(which is everyone else's low end) which you will then be forced to THROW OUT its cutting head and instead buy a spiral cutting head and it will perform fairly well. Yes, they will cost $5k or more unless you pick one up that was "damaged" cosmetically at a distribution center and if that is the case, just keep calling distribution centers and you can then pick one up for ~$3k. Yes, you will somehow have to get this ~500lb machine or MORE, into your garage, but this just requires bringing a friend or 3 over and "hang out" when it is delivered or you pick it up. Fire up the BBQ and enjoy!~!~ and they will be HAPPY to oblige. If you are desperate, something like this reviewed piece of junk works in a pinch for TINY wood and you have to do a lot of extra work to the so called "finished" wood to make it viable to work with. Your TIME is worth a Hell of a lot. I do not know how much you get paid an hour, but, I'll work overtime and buy a better machine which saves ME time. Your time adds up VERY quickly due to sanding and cursing cheap ass tools alone. You would be better off working at McDonalds and saving for a REAL tool than using trash tools These machines shown, you can't sell them used for more than $200 if you are lucky to some gullible "hobbyist" who knows nothing better.
I have the Wen planer and have been very satisfied with the machine. Cost was a consideration for me and I feel like I got my monies worth with the Wen. I have to say that the customer service at Wen, at least for me has been outstanding and am really impressed with that aspect. Well done comparison. Cheers
Side note: When you chip the cutters on a dewalt all you have to do is shift a blade to the left or the right to eliminate the chip line. No need to replace the set. You can also stagger the blades left, right, left and manage damage and chips easier but the easiest way to avoid chipping your blades is don't send garbage wood through and use a metal detector to eliminate the cause. I've had my Dewalt 735 since 2005 and use it for roughly 300 board feet per year on average and typically plane Red Oak, Black Walnut and Ash. Runs like a champ, maintenance is easy, blades can last up to 500 to 750 board feet before you need to flip them. You know the blades are warn when you have to assist the feed. Thanks for the video. Well Done.
Within about 4 months of getting the Dewalt I invested in the Shelix replacement head. Expensive, but very well worth it. It's been 7 years and I still have the initial set of cutters.
My dad and I both had the same Wen planer. The bearing on the drive shaft wore out on both in about the same amount of time. I think like 3 or 4 years. And not overly heavy use... I now have the Dewalt and have loved it ever since. I plan to eventually get the helical head for it.
Couple months ago I bought the 735. Works good now that I have the infeed/outfeed doors figured out and also made a couple simple melamine sleds for pieces that have to be shimmed. I like the high speed chip ejector fan it has. Since I have no dust collection, I roll it outside, point it downwind and blast away.
They don’t make them like they used to. I went thru a cheaper Dewalt in an hour before the rollers wouldn’t work right. Then I bought a ridged and that latest about 3 hours before rollers wouldn’t work right. Then I bought the expensive Dewalt you have there and it literally last 3 boards before rollers wouldn’t work right. All with just the minimal bite on the setting for depth and using red cedar. I should be able to use any kind of wood for that price point. 3 planners for one job!!!!!! What I do now for the most part is just buy a tool and just return, it even if it doesn’t break, I know it will in a day or two. Crap quality at every turn. That’s what they deserve for putting out such crap!
@@Mosessousa1 Meh. I have several high quality tools made by all the major higher-priced distributors like Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee. In regards to durability Milwaukee and Dewalt produce fewer lemons than Makita, but they are all good, and mostly durable even for a contractor who puts them to heavy use like myself.
First time viewer, and I like your speaking tone and presentation. I have a Porter Cable (Delta) planer, and I've been happy with it. When I look for a tool for any job, I don't want to pay more for it than what is needed. If I pay more, I should be getting more. Simple, right? The P-C does fine for me, and it cost one third of the price of Dewalt. I could buy a spherical cutter head for it and it would cut like the Dewalt, but then I've spent $200 dollars more. I'll keep what I've got.
I have an 3 blade Delta that's a decade plus old and does the job for me but I like that you can get inexpensive carbide cutters for the Wen and you only have to replace one if it get damaged.
Thanks for a good review. The Wen would be well worth the money for light hobby work. That being said, I've had my Dewalt for eight years and shoved a fair amount of wood through it without complaint, just wonder how the Wen would do after extended use?
As a cabinet maker of 40 years. 18 years finishing the interior of ships. Going through dozens of job site planners the DeWalt is hands-down better built last longer and cut better than any of the rest I've ever tried. The planner was the most used tool next to the table saw. From 8 to 12 thousand foot of teak planed once a week one of the DeWolf lasted six years
@@msromike123 well that would be obvious. You're not really saving money if you have to replace the tool every few months. You're going to do commercial work you buy commercial tools
Thanks for the list of cutters. I have a cutech planer and a wahudah jointer. Both have the segmented cutter head. The wahudah cutters are 4 sided and a different size instead of 2.
I have had my Dewalt for close to 20 years. It has preformed flawlessly the whole time. I purchased it on line as a reconditioned tool. I like Wen power tools. I have a great Wen drill press but hard to believe anything will match my Dewalt planer.
I have a very early DeWalt plainer it has served me well. I’d give it 4 & 1/2 stars only 3 small complaints 1 as mentioned it’s noisy 2 when my shop is cold it won’t feed correctly 3 tear out on highly figured woods must use skim cuts to minimize may up grade to a spiral carbide head And buy the mobile base
First Ridged planer lasted, with intermittent use, for almost two years. Then the drive assembly (sprocket and chain) disintegrated. I replaced that drive assembly and realized a signature noise that plainer made disappeared. Something similar sounding to a router chattering through end-grain. A few hours of work later I started hearing that noise again. Not having time to address the issue a second time I bought a second Ridged plainer to finish the job. I unpacked it. Set it up. As soon as I turned it on it was making the same chattering sound. I returned it unused. I have a dewalt now but haven’t used it enough to prove its longevity.
It was like a good and fair review. The fact that he rated the one that he doesn't own a little better says that he's being unbiased with it. It looks like if you're on a budget the Wen is a good way to go.
I have the Wen, my 30 year old Delta portable thickness planer died and parts aren't available (it wasn't very good, anyway). I wanted the "spiral" cutterhead and I couldn't resist the low price tag. We have been using the Wen planer on a jobsite to dimension and repurpose used or leftover materials that we are turning into paneling, trim, and gates. One of the teeth got nicked, I believe someone fed a board with a small pebble imbedded in it. Happy that I bought the Wen, and glad I found this video with a source for carbide cutters.
I received the 735X (came with extra set of blades) I ordered Amazon today which shipped to NC from UT and sustained a shattered cover over the drive side. I logged into the DeWalt web site and started a warrantee claim and within minutes there was a reply with a link a listing of parts so I could identify what I needed by part no. That level of customer service was impressive. I put the broken cover back together with CA glue and fired up the planer and was very impressed with the results.
Quite simply because it is a beast does a great job super chip ejection excellent finish and long life.I had a rigid looks jus like that wen lasted 3 years bought a dewalt after watching my buddy's run thousands of board ft of cedar and maple for years my planer is doing the same trouble free😊
I also have the WEN 8" jointer, and the carbide blades are exactly the same and interchangeable between the jointer and the planer, so I put the after-market carbide blades in both!
Thanks! At the time I published this video, WEN had not yet released their 2-speed planer. Since then, I was able to get ahold of a Cutech 2-speed planer (same as WEN, just branded differently), and I did a video review of the 2-speed planer as a separate video. here is the link to that video... th-cam.com/video/v-VADYaQ8-M/w-d-xo.html
Great video! My WEN blew up after a few months. Maybe 1,000 bd. Ft. Went with the Dewalt after that. Several thousand bd. ft. later and it still works like new. The Dewalt does AAA Curly/Birdseye Maple very nice. That depth gauge going the entire way across is a bug deal. To wear the knives evenly you are never just putting boards thru in the center. I don't think Shelix makes a WEN option either.
I think what you’re sensing with feeling that the DeWalt is better designed and built is simply that it is both better designed and better built. I have a Wen 8” drill press I use for small hobby stuff and a couple of Wen belt sanders. One bench top and one handheld. All three are great… But only for what they are. Which is cheap Chinese tools I will simply throw away when they wear out. End of story. That’s not something I even consider on the extremely rare occasion that a DeWalt tool lets me down. I either send it in for repair or fix it myself. But getting back to the planers showcased here. I think you did a very fair and well thought out comparison and I can definitely see the spiral cutting head of the Wen being a net positive, especially with carbide inserts. But I do have a couple of notes… While both have 4 leadscrews and the mechanisms are connected via a chain system. They are actually quite different. First, the Wen is turning the leadscrews while the DeWalt is turning nuts on stationary leadscrews that are also double the diameter. Second; the “footprint” of the cutter gantry on the DeWalt is also double the size of the Wen. Making for more a much more stable and rigid machine. As a side note. You can absolutely buy either a helix or spiral cutting head with carbide inserts for the DeWalt. However, to be fair. They’re extremely expensive these days and that’s on top of voiding the warranty. Plus DeWalt just raised the price of their planer. So between the planer and an aftermarket cutter. You could easily spend $1,500, give or take a little depending on if you get new bearing and an extra set of carbide inserts or two…
I’ve watched a few similar comparison videos and surprised none mention the in my opinion huge advantage of easy portability of the dewalt over other compared thicknesses which is for me also an important facility. I enjoyed your videos too 👌
Very good informative review. Common sense, concise and good comparisons. Nice job! I might even upgrade my very functional Delta planer which yeilds usable, but not the best finish.
Thanks for making that awesome tool comparison video! You gave all the details we need to understand the differences between those machines, your unbiased tests and conclusions were super helpful.
Good review, well done. One major difference is that the Dewalt has a dedicated chip extractor/blower. This is a nice feature because I use a dedicated bag to collect chips without filling up my primary dust collector. If I'm only milling a couple boards, I use my dust collector out of simple convenience... However, if I'm milling many boards, I use the dedicated bag. Also, you can get after-market helical cutter heads for the Dewalt. This is an expensive option, but a nice option to have. With the helical cutter head in my Dewalt, I have a small lunchbox planer that will compete with a much more expensive floor model planer.
Great information!!!!!11!2!!!+ BubDewalt! I lookead at many 1older units at the time and it looked smart. Love it. Dust colection is great as it helps spit the dust out. Dont know about the other unit though. Only thing Id like is to replace the cutter with carbide.
The wen cutter knives have 4 edges that can be used before replacement so cost is even less im in market for planer so thanks for this review and either way i go i will be swapping it to updated cutting heads
Steve, good video since im shopping for my first planer. As a separate question what software do you use to type the text in your videos? I like its simplicity.
Relatively fair comparison but you left out a couple things to make it more apples to apples instead of apples to ... pears (as opposed to apples to oranges): * Helical/spiral cutterheads: You can purchase (after market) the helical (true helical) cutterheads for the Dewalt. I'm using the Byrd Shelix cutterhead and it gives great results. It does, of course, raise your initial outlay but a) it offers 40 cutterheads in a true helical pattern where each blade is shearing the wood instead of cutting it. * Dust collection: I don't know if I missed it in your comparison but it wasn't on the features: the Dewalt has a built in blower to get the chips out. This is most effective either using it with a true dust collector (as opposed to a shop vac conversion) or without any dust collector attached. The shop vac simply can't keep up with the exhaust and chips come back in. Using a true dust collector liike Harbor Freight's 2 HP system, the exhaust is nearly flawless in getting the chips away from the machine. Quite candidly, this alone nearly makes the Dewalt a better system than the competition (such as the Wen).
Thanks so much for the great comment and info. Agreed, the helical after market cutter makes the dewalt a crazy awesome planer. Note that the WEN also has the integrated dust collection blower very similar to the dewalt, and I do regret not including in the video a side-by-side evaluation to see if one was better than the other.
@@jkmwoodworking Thanks for the reply. Does the Wen have an actual blower or simply an exhaust chute? It looks an awful lot like my old Ryobi and the "blower" function was provided simply by the chips being pushed out by the cutting head where the DW735 has an actual fan blower that pull the chips away from the cutting head and forces them out. With enough force that a shop vac can't handle it (but, like I said, the Harbor Freight DC I use handles it great). Looking the Wen up, I can't tell if it's an actual blower or an exhaust chute/port. Regardless, thanks for the video comparison. Just found your channel and will sub.
Hi Greg, yes the WEN does have an actually blower, mounted on the main motor shaft like the DeWALT. The configuration is a bit different in how it blows through the dust chute, but it definitely creates a lot more blowing force than just the cutter head alone.
Sorry for the multiple replies, but just occurred to me that you can see in the video at about timestamp 3:20, when i take the dust chute off, you can see a rectangular opening in the main motor housing with a foam gasket (surrounding). There is a blower inside of there that blows a strong airflow through and out the dust chute. Hope this helps. Thanks so much for the questions, and thanks for subscribing!
I’ve had same when for a few years and it’s rather great. But having not a fantastic dust collection system in my shop I wonder if the blower in the dewalt would make a big difference sending the chips out. I don’t believe when has one of those..
I do like some wen products, but with something like the the DeWalt planer, everything about it is just so premium. I got it on sale with the cart and extra blades and tables for $700, incredible value.
Thanks! Yes, I've run cedar through it, and no problems. Both eastern red cedar (aromatic cedar), and I've also planed the cedar fence panels that you buy at home depot with no problem using the WEN planer.
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I’m so glad you mentioned cedar fence panels. We plan to purchase the cedar fence panels, plane them, and use them to line our DIY sauna. So much cheaper than buying boards or tongue and groove!! I really do appreciate your response. Thank you.
I have the similar Cutech spiral cutter head 13” planer but I got it with factory installed carbide cutters. The results with carbide are mostly similar with the additional benefits of extreme long life. Router bits, circular saw blades, Forster bits are now all carbide tipped - planer knives need to also move out of the HSS era and into the carbide era.
I agree, seems like carbide cutters should just be default and assumed on planers, but yet still HSS seems the norm for some reason. Good info on the ability to get a Cutech planer with carbide from the start. The cutech is the same planer, actually WEN buys their planers from the parent company of cutech, then are both made in the same factory. Cutech does have an option to get a dual feedrate planer (like DeWALT), and I'm really interested in that planer, haven't tried it, but I would think it might be even closer to competing with dewalt on quality of cut, because you can go to the slower feedrate.
True, but the difference is largely offset by the rapid dulling of HSS in production usage. Carbide today is so much better than the stuff from forty years ago marketed to the consumer
@@wallacegrommet9343 carbide is the same thing today as it's always been. Unless you're buying machining inserts you don't know what kind of tungsten carbide you're buying either. Then even if you're told it still won't mean anything to you. There's only a handful of people on the entire planet that understand any of that. To say it is a dense subject is putting it mildly.
Had my DeWalt for a year before putting a Lux Cut helical head on it - should’ve done it sooner! Really great finish on anything I’ve ran through it, even end grain mesquite. Can’t speak to the Wen since I’ve never used one, but the dual speed of the DeWalt has been useful and it’s a very solid machine. Definitely not something I’d want to be lifting on and off a bench, but build quality is solid.
Excellent video! Very informative! I really like your straightforward, “just the facts” presentation style. You have a new subscriber! Having very limited discretionary income, I’ve bought and owned a few Wen tools and I’m always impressed (and somewhat surprised) by the quality and performance given the price. Even before seeing this video, I would have been strongly inclined to choose the Wen over a DeWalt. As for the issues that BOTH planers had with the maple, I always plane by hand any stock that has special grain and/or figuring. In my view, if it’s particularly interesting (and therefore beautiful), why take the chance of messing it up with anything other than a well-tuned (and expertly used) hand plane?
Great comparison. One question on dust collection - do you use one of those big dust collection machines with your WEN? I only have a cyclone separator connected to a 6.5hp shop vac. Not sure if this type of setup will work with the WEN. On the other hand I have heard great reviews about the built-in dust extractor system of the DW735. Apparently, it doesn't need any external assistance. Thanks and looking forward to more of your videos.
I got my DeWalt years ago when the state didn't make Amazon charge tax for items out of state. 425.00 new. Even got DeWalt blades for 16.00 a pack a few years ago.
I'm tempted to get a planer but I can say I bought a WEN drill press late last year and I have been extremely satisfied with their product. Thanks for your insight on these planers! I think I would go with the WEN.
@@sailingeric - I absolutely love my Wen drill press. The support is great and its an impressive product. We'll see how long it lasts. It replaced a drill press that was over 40 years old and I bought that one new too!
On more figured and tough grained boards sometimes skewing the board slightly will yield a better cut. I once had access to a DeWalt and loved it. I'm ready to try out the Wen brand and save a few dollars. I have recently started using more recycled and pallet wood. The cheaper blade and ease of replacement on the Wen looks promising.
If you have to "skew" your wood in a planer to get a "good" finish = GARBAGE head, buy something, ANYTHING else without straight blades!~!~!. Why they make spiral cutting heads.
My first planer was this WEN because of the price. I thought it was a good planer and worked fine for me for 3 months at which time the motor burned up. I bought the WEN online from Home Depot, but since Home Depot doesn’t carry WEN in stores, they gave me a refund and I paid a little more money and bought the Dewalt 734 lunchbox planer they had in stock. I was amazed at how much better the Dewalt was over the WEN. It was a far more refined machine, in my opinion, but don’t know that the cut was any better. I’ve been using the Dewalt 734 for about 6-7 years now, maybe longer with no complaints, although I’ve wanted to upgrade to the 733 for quite some time as I believe it’s a better planer and it has a blower for the dust exhaust which I believe will help with the chips that always blow back on the table. In addition, I want to add a helical head. I might also look at the Oliver which comes with the helical head. A couple years ago someone gave me a Ridged lunchbox planer which was pretty much identical to the Dewalt 734, but gave it to my son as I preferred the Dewalt brand over Ridgid, and the Ridgid was definitely louder. If anyone is considering the 734 or similar planer and has the budget, I’d recommend the Dewalt 733. I’ve never owned one, but I’ve used them and for the difference in price, I believe you’re getting a much better machine.
The deciding factor for me was weight! I don't leave my planer set up and ready to use...at 92 lbs, the DeWalt was just too heavy to move comfortably (and safely for my back!), whereas the Wen is 64lbs, which I can comfortably haul up onto a storage shelf. You left out the fact that the cutters on the Wen are 4 sided and can be rotated as they dull (or get nicked), to use all of the faces!
The 90 degree discharge on the WEN for the vacuum seems like a good touch. The dewalt can leave the hose hanging down and in the way of the material being fed.
That is a good question, but I just got the Dwalt about a week ago, because it was on a decent sale. Do you have any other Wen tools? Been thinking about their bandsaw and drill press
I have the WEN drill press, and the WEN 8" spiral jointer, and really like both of them. I also have the WEN biscuit joiner, which I'm not at all happy with. No other WEN tools. My bandsaw is a Rikon that I really like. For more info, I have a product revew video on the WEN jointer... th-cam.com/video/bK2jMRvFkHQ/w-d-xo.html and another video on the Rikon bandsaw.. th-cam.com/video/CcGu-tQRBd4/w-d-xo.html
one thing I noticed in this video, the WEN hight adjustment gears are plastic with a metal chain while the DEWALT appeared to be metal gears and metal chain. After a lot of use, that metal chain could really eat though those plastic teeth on those gears and youll be really SOL. Especially after a long day of use and a lot of heat build up.
I have an older Dewalt 733, two cutting blades, pretty sure the Wen would outperform it. It was given to me in a box, in pieces. The former owner overworked it, broke a $5.00 gear, which he didn't know when it quit working, broke it down into parts and pieces, then bought the newer model. After some serious cleaning, a new gear, it works as well as that model can. I definitely like the slower feed rate of the 735x, adding helical cutters would be a must.
I'd say the Dewalt wins on dust collection based on your video. I have one, and there is almost zero dust coming out the front. I actually am shocked how well it captures dust. Defiantly exceeds expectations on that level. I did have a thermal breaker tripping issue with mine but replaced it and have had no problems since. My personal opinion is that it's a pretty decent lunch box planer. I bought mine used so sticker price was not an issue. I do like the cutter design of that Wen though!
@@jkmwoodworking : I also not at a planer. But years ago that was a (intended) method to change the speed of small analog photo developing machines. Well, if possible material for an update video? 🙃
I have this Dewalt and only ever use it on the slower setting with higher cuts per inch. Honestly, projects take so long in general, I don’t feel I buy any savings going in the faster mode. All the planing happens in one day for the most par anyway.
A carbide cutter head _is_ available for DeWalt, but as an aftermarket product from Shelix. It has 4 wings of 4-sided carbide cutters arranged in a helical fashion, with 10 cutters per wing. 423$US + S/H.
I purchased one of cutters for my dewalt planer,made a huge difference too me,plus you can rotate the cutters three times before purchasing new ones,just do not cut any steel,it’s detrimental.
@@kyzor-sosay6087 Yikes. You certainly wouldn’t want to run steel thru it. But if you were to discover, say, a hidden nail, you would only need to replace or rotate the cutters in that one spot. You would not need to replace all three 13" blades as you would with the stock cutter head.
Bought a WEN planer and the lift mechanism died after two weekends. Got the similar Ryobi one and the feed mechanism started 'hickupping' on the first day after it hit some hard spot in the wood. Now it's completely shot. Spent about $200 on each, so $400. Finally got the DeWalt for $499 (about what I spent on the two garbage routers). Used it for two weeks now and all is well, so I hope it will last. Sure feels much sturdier.
Thanks for the updated Info.! I have an old (35-year) Delta planer that has been a faithful and dependable tool for me. I don't know much about the new ones but when I bought the Delta it was because of the ease of changing the blades (2 - 12") and that they came sharpened on both sides so you basically got 2 sets for the price of one, the head has a small spring in each end of the blade slots so when you loosen the bolts you just hold the knife down into the slot against the springs with a simple jig and tighten the bolts and its perfect every time. After 20 years I figured out how to make a simple jig to hold the knives so I can sharpen them on my 6" x 48" belt sander so now I always have several sharp sets ready to go. I can do a change-out in less than 10 minutes. I grew up working in a shop that had a really old industrial planer and you had to have a degree in Wizardry to change and get the knives adjusted properly! Thus my fetish with easy change planer knives.
@sam Tollefson I might have the same Delta as you but Mine is only 20 yrs old. Unlike the Dewalt and Wen all the settings and gauges are on the top of the machine at eye level so they are easy to see without bending. It also has a 4 inch dust chute, so it connects right to my full size collector. All adjustments are tool-less. If I needed a new one I would definitely look on the used market for a similar model since the ones in the video seemed more difficult to use.
@@lancomedic Agreed, top access for changing the knives, I didn't think about that. It seems some manufacturers have lost sight of the "user-friendly" aspect in favor of the bells and whistles. That said I can see the benefit of having two speeds, however, if I feel like if I need more power, I just take a lesser "bite" of the wood and it seems to work out OK for me.
I was lucky enough to get the dewalt on sale, but I would have no problems using the wen planer if I hadn't. So far wen has been very impressive on the few larger tools I've purchased. (bandsaw, drill press, oscillating sander)
I wonder if the WEN will still be running and cutting just as well after 10 years? I've had my Dewalt for almost 10 years and have only had to change blades when they get dull. Not a single other issue with it. Looking at Amazon here in Canada, the WEN with the spiral head and the Dewalt are pretty similar in price.
No doubt the Dewalt is a better planer, and if you can get it for the same price, that is awesome. As of now at Amazon in the US, the WEN is about $400, and Dewalt is about $700, so pretty big price difference. I've been using my WEN multiple times per week for about 18 months since I bought it, and still seems like new, so likely it will last 10 years. But still, i can't argue with dewalt being the better quality planer. Thanks so much for the great comment, and thanks for watching the video!
I have a DW733 and I just sharpen the knives when they get dull. Really I sharpen it every time I want it to cut good. So pretty much every time I'm going to use it. I'm still on my original knives. I do have a brand new spare set though.
Great question, I really should have included that in the video. The WEN is very easy to change out the blades, can be done in a matter of minutes. The DeWALT is also easy, not as easy as WEN, but still just takes 5-10 minutes.
At 2:18 it looks like the Wen is shooting a bunch of wood chips out at you. DeWalt has some but not near as much. I like the Wen cutters but like you show only one per revolution. I think the DeWalt has 3 blades. Lack of cutter support from Wen is a bad omen. I would still go DeWalt even with the price difference. Good job pointing out the variations and differences.
Bought the WEN about a week ago. Satisfied so far. Much quieter and faster than the 20 year old (not model 375) Delta that it replaced. That it is made in Taiwan vs red china was a determining factor.
Update. A sprocket on the roller drivetrain broke but I called WEN and they quickly sent a replacement. It probably broke because I saw my own wood with a woodmizer and a pine board I was feeding may have been wedge shaped.
Good to know it is Taiwanese. I am just getting into woodworking but have been using metal tools for 2 decades and the comparison is similar between mainland Chinese mills and lathes with highly variable (often poor) quality vs Taiwanese tools which compare very favorably to Bridgeport Hardinge, South Bend and other American tools that they often replace. so that is a sharp recommendation for the WEN.
I been getting more Dewalt tools every since I started working with my impact & drill gun, the brand looks good and feels nice I want one of these, lot easier than using a table saw for the same result
I have the same planer as the WEN, just another brand. It meets my needs, but the DeWalt is a superior planer. Most 'lunch box' style planers, such as the WEN, are tall and narrow when viewed from the side. In contrast, the Dewalt is short and squat. Both planers support the cutter head with four posts. The DeWalt's posts are larger and farther apart. This provides a more stable platform for the cutter head. Do you need this robust design for a planer? Mine has served me for several years and it works just as well today as it did when new. But, I don't use it all that often. If I were using it several days a week for several hours at a time, I don't believe my planer (or any of a similar design) would hold up nearly as well as would the DeWalt. So, make your choice based on how often you will use your planer (or on how often you might need the DeWalt's extra-slow speed for use with tricky grain).
I have the old DeWalt DW733 planer. It is only 2 knives and just a single speed. But the knives are sharpenable and when the knives are sharp it does a good job.
Maybe I missed it, can you clarify? Were your cuts with the WEN done with the aftermarket carbide blades, or the stock non-carbide blades? Trying to decide at the moment which planer to get
The DEWALT is a BEAST of a machine! WHY? My local Community College has a woodworking program and Dewalt wanted some equipment tested for FREE to use and get beat up by the students. Class schedule had the Dewalt planer exposed to 6 days a week 8AM til 10PM at night for 6 months. NO problems nor any damage was ever shown during this testing process.
Great info! Thanks for sharing!
They weren’t “testing” They already knew the quality and wanted hundreds of people to buy their planer once they graduated since now they just spent years using it. Smart marketing
X x😊tv xc x
Dewalt seems to be stingy when it comes to honoring their warrenty so I wager it was for marketing
@@Saturn-Matrixthat is my fear exactly. There is a contractors type tool store here that also does warranyy work for milwaukee, makita, and was in the process of getting aurhotized to do Flex warranty work. I went in there one day and all the dewalt tools were gone. I asked about it. He said they no longer sell them or do warranty work for them. I asked why. He gave me a 10 minute profane laced reply as to what a rotten piece of $#** company dewalt was for both their customers and authorized techs. We was pissed. And he was the owner of the store.
I never could get that out of my head. Every time i saw a dewalt at lowes that i wanted i just kept thinking about how angry that guy was.
I have had the Bauer planer from harbor freight for three years. I love it!!
I've had the Wen for 3-4 years and completely happy with it.
Thanks for not deciding which one was "better". Excellent, unbiased comparison.
Thank you!
Good review. I've owned both models. I purchased the DeWalt several years ago with no specific projects in mind, just to have as an addition to my shop tool repertoire. As such, I used it minimally, and after a year of non-use (other priorities in life), I sold it. It performed excellently so no complaints there. Very robust machine and it did what it was supposed to. I will say it screamed - the loudest shop tool I ever owned, and without ear protection, it was actually painful.
About six months ago I purchased the Wen with specific purposes in mind. I have used it extensively to re-thickness a lot 5/4 poplar stock, and to refinish 13-inch wide surfaces after gluing and jointing. Most of this went into an extensive built-in bookcase. I also make much of the molding I use in remodeling my house and it has been a valuable addition to doing so in conjunction with my table saw and router. I've also run a dozen or so pine 2x4s through it. It has paid for itself several times over as I no longer need to pay a mill for that. I'm sure if I had done this same work with the DeWalt I could say the same.
As pointed out in the video, both machines have essentially the same controls, just fabricated differently. Both were easy to use, and both produced excellent output. I always touch sand any output anyway so if there were quality differences they were non-issues. To me, the only differences are price and noise level. Oh, and I would add dust collection. My Wen accommodates a standard 2-1/2 shop hose, as I recall, the DeWalt required duct tape, a bit of a pain. At the time, I paid $396 for the single-speed Wen. They also have a two-speed available.
Great info, thanks for the detailed comments!
So the Wen is quieter? How much quieter?
@@dylandempsey6103 I don't know what sort of answer you're looking for with that question. I suppose you'd want to get a decibel meter and test both. I can operate the Wen without ear protection.
@@rla1000 thanks just meant if it's a bit quieter, noticeably quieter etc. Sounds like it's a bit quieter but makes a difference
I bought the Dewalt 735X several years ago and thought it did a pretty good job. Then I dropped a substantial amount on a Lux Sprial Carbide head and installed it myself. Now my 735 is a beast! Well worth the investment.
A good friend has had the Dewalt for over 20 years (very regular and heavy use for everything from furniture and cabinet making to building canoes). It recently burned out the motor, so I did a full tear down and rebuild for him. I was very impressed at how well made and easy to service it was. With the replacement motor, and a few other inexpensive “maintenance” parts, I fully expect he will get another 20 years out of that planer. I’m considering buying one so I don’t have to use his all the time ;).
The Jet is the easiest...by far..
Very good review to inspire people, looking at cost and time of service its worth owning one, thank you.
Buy a Dewalt today see the difference
The 733 was a workhorse. Not fancy, but it held up well.
The 734 was a step down.
The 735 type 1 was good, but the 735 type 12 is absolute junk.
20 years? Must be an older model. That's impressive! I've been recently investing in Dewalt tools for the planer, and some drills, cut off wheels, and reciprocating (sawzall type) saws. Sanding, I think I have to go Festool because I'm just not having luck with anything else no matter what kind of extraction or technique I use.
This is one of the most down to earth woodworking video I've seen. I feel like as a hobbyist you looked at these two with the exact kind of considerations I would have when picking tools. Really appreciate the honest take, and realistic expectations
Thank you so much!
@@jkmwoodworking Thank you! Easy subscribe
Yes, IF you are desperate, these "planers" work in a pinch for a SHORT period of time on SMALL wood for a hobbyist willing to do a LOT of sanding afterwards, these tools work. Every woodworker has tried the cheap route and quickly LEFT the cheap tool route. Not for anyone running a business or hobbyist looking at going into business for say home remodeling etc. A real planer, ZERO sanding as there are ZERO cut marks = apply finish direct and has the POWER for correct feed rate to cut the correct depth the first pass through(or 2nd if both sides need to be seen) which means ALL your boards are the correct thickness and your joints match up. Neither of these machines can do this nor can you run long boards through due to their short beds = warped wood.
@@w8stral Have you tested any of them?
I too bought a cheap piece of junk which I thought would save me shop space as I would be able to move it around... Then I learned my lesson the HARD way. Hope you do not have to learn the hard way. Thought blades weren't sharp(they were, put in new ones in fact. Even bought a new spiral($1000 down the drain) head for it). Turns out is it is TYPE of blades combined with LACK OF POWER(feed rate too damned slow, can't do wider boards where you make your $$$, head slows down = burnish marks and accuracy of cut speed) and any knots are all proud and the fact it just did not WEIGH/Rigid enough. Spiral head helps a bit and why this rules out DeWalt and its straight blades, and both are utterly gutless in terms of power. Now ALSO throw in both are not rigid enough thus over a little time of use All those plastic/steel guide parts wear quickly = slop = ripples. There is a reason that those, in these threads talking about DeWalt version have bought SEVERAL of them over the years. Maybe they need the semi portability. I do not know. I do know that the fixed cabinet big boy Powermatic Planner with big rigid castings and bearings I have has has umpteen thousand board feet through it and it still to this day produces perfect wood everytime and the cheap piece of junk, like the ones tested in this "review" produced decently if the boards are tiny, the cut small with perfectly new blades, but quickly turns to ripples. Its your money/time, do with it what you will, I had to learn the hard way, you probably will too. @@henrikgrangaard7498
I've been looking seriously for a decent low-mid priced planer, and have no real experience with them. So, I have been watching lots of TH-cam videos of various reviews. This is the first I have seen where the possibility of using aftermarket carbide blades for the Wen was mentioned. That really makes me take notice of the Wen - especially since it has a significant price advantage. Thanks for taking the time to compare these two planers!
Thanks for the great comment! I agree having the option for carbide cutters is really a bonus.
Yup, on Amazon, 10 inserts are about $22, so for about $50 you can change over to all carbide cutters on the WEN. Just need to pay close attention to the specs - these carbide inserts need to extremely exact dimensions.
Carbide can never get as sharp as steel can. But carbide will not abrade as fast as steel does. So carbide doesn't dull as fast as steel does. But carbide will never cut as cleanly as sharp steel can. That's what you're trading with carbide vs steel.
The carbide blades for the Dewalt are $250 a set and are not reversible. EXPENSIVE! Using tool steel blades is another option for about $100 They give noticeably longer life than the cheap blades and give the mirror smooth cuts of the steel blades. The cheap carbon steel blades last quite a while and are reversible (turn them over for another run) so at under $50 a set are the poor man's option. (ME!) Both the carbon steel and tool steel blades can be resharpened if you buy the resharpening fixture. You can also send them in for resharpening for $10 a blade. (2019 price)
@@glasslinger The Byrd Shelix runs at $700 as an upgrade, or $1600 pre-installed in a new DW-735 as a complete unit, so it isn't cheap. But the blades can be rotated 3 times as each of the 4 sides wear out/chip, and a new set is $45, so depending on how much you use it it could potentially be a long-term money saver over those $250 carbide knives.
At which point the Oliver benchtop might be one to consider as well. It's not built like a rock like the DW-735, but it includes the Shelix head by default at a current list price of $1000. If anybody has it in stock, that is.
I own that DeWalt with a Shelix blade upgrade. It's a beast, and I wouldn't trade it for any other bench top planer that I've seen on the market.
Couple notes on mine.
The stock blades for DeWalt are great.... Until they aren't. To keep that nice cut, you need to change the blades quite a bit. They are HSS and dull/chip easily. Upgrading to the Shelix saved me money in the long run because the blades last a lot longer.
Your Wen seems to be shooting more chips out the front than through the dust collector.
The DeWalt shoots the chips out the exhaust with such force you actually don't need a vacuum on it. I've used it many times by just putting a dust collection bag on a hose and running the hose straight off the planer. It works fine that way.
The DeWalt also has the tool to take it apart built right into the lid, and it's VERY easy to maintain.
My vote is for the DeWalt. It's an awesome machine and in my opinion, the best bench top planer you can get and even better with the Shelix (Get the diameter matching version)
You can see in this video, the Dewalt has a blower motor with a turbine impeller that shoots the dust chips out of the back. It basically has a small leaf blower impeller built into it, that blows the chips out. I have never owned one, but seeing that design makes me want one.
@@Ritalie That's exactly what it is.
It can easily throw chips 30+ feet. I know this because when I first got mine, I ran it without any dust collection just for giggles, and was surprised with how much power that exhaust has.
You paid for that ridiculous blade upgrade??? 😅😂😂😂😂
@@DavidBoston-rx2yi Absolutely.
The stock blades get chipped and dull pretty quick in that machine. I haven't had to change the blades yet on this new one. I've had to rotate them a couple times, but the savings in not buying so many replacement blades is huge.
I have the exact same Dewalt planer shown in this video, and I am very happy with it! I doubt that I could have made a better choice, and I'm saying this as a retired carpenter and woodworker with over 45 years experience.
You'd prefer this to a SCM??
I have two of the DeWalt planers - I bought the DW735 from the estate of a carpenter - great shape for $250 with stand! I then replaced the 3 blade cutter head with a Byrd Shelix cutter head (less than $400 when I bought it)...the cut quality is outstanding and as you mentioned, the individual cutters are easily changed...my sons use the DW 734 on jobsites.
you wated you money on a new cutter head
So you paid $650 for the planer. Is that good?
How difficult was it to install the Shelix?
@@toddh4617 I followed written AND youtube video and it wasn't to bad.
@@richardbaynes3862 Thanks. I just bought a 735 today, but I’m gonna have to wait a bit for the Shelix. Appreciate the input bro!
I've had the same Wen planer for about a year. I've run ash, red and white oak, cherry, cedar, and pine through it and was really impressed with the finish I got out of it. I have no experience with any other planer as I've just recently gotten into woodworking. The Dewalt was the other planer I looked at but couldn't justify the extra $200. No complaints with the Wen at this point, and it's good to know that there really are carbide inserts for it.
Give you a hint: Both are garbage. There is a reason you pay more for REAL tools. What he calls an "awesome result" = garbage you can SEE EVERY single blade cut in the walnut even through a video let alone in person. Wood should come out of a planer without ANY need for sanding. You can apply finish immediately. Their adjustability also sucks. He was also putting tiny wood through and they were bogging down. I would hate to think what would happen if you actually put a wide 12" board through... There is a reason you pay more for REAL tools.
@@w8stral You have examples of better machines and their pricing?
These are generic consumer grade machines, but for the most part, people are not going to be running 10,000 board feet a day through them. You do get what you pay for...
@@leofortey7561 Here is the REAL deal; REAL tools cost a lot of money, but you also can SELL them nearly for the same price you BUY them for unlike these reviewed tools as you said "generic consumer grade". Buy industrial tools used and you can then near guarantee to sell them for same price or sometimes even more. So your Powermatics of the world etc. Why do you need the High cost, HIGH power, heavy machines? Without enough power and stiffness in the machine, any wider board will be nothing but giant cut marks and will RUIN the wood.
Why you NEED wide BIG boards??? The biggest expense is the WOOD and your LABOR cost, NOT the machine cost. Wood only pays for itself if you buy BIG WIDE boards you run through bandsaw/tablesaw and then the planer. Without the BIG REAL planer, you cannot do this and instead of your wood costing ~$5-->$15/lbft you will be paying double this due to LOST wood turned to scrap because you cannot buy LARGE boards to cut into what you need and instead buy smaller wood and then throw half of it out or pretend you can use the scraps piling it up in the corner of your shop. After 2 or 3 projects the cost of the machine vanishes due to SAVING wood costs ALONE irrespective of YOUR labor cost.
If you are pushing 1000 board feet through then you MUST buy the bigger machine due to cost savings from NOT wasting wood and big wood is cheaper(within reason) An industrial bandsaw/planer/Shaper and their cutters and dust collection system will pay for themselves in a SINGLE LARGE house if you are doing trim wood to upgrade it. And it will take less of your time. You can get away without a high end tablesaw for most applications and that is pretty much the ONLY tool you can go ~partially cheap on regarding wood working. Router and router bits... nope. 6" dust collector minimum. 4" tubes cannot pull enough VOLUME of air and you will get dust all over your shop and YOU will then start down the track of becoming ALLERGIC to wood shavings/dust and then YOU will not be able to work with wood AT ALL!!!
5Hp and 230V minimum for a planer with consistent RPM/Feed rate so ZERO marks on the wood!!! Technically maybe 3HP if it has a SLOW feed rate. So, your Powermatics, etc of the world. If you are truly strapped, buy the HIGHEST end Grizzly(which is everyone else's low end) which you will then be forced to THROW OUT its cutting head and instead buy a spiral cutting head and it will perform fairly well. Yes, they will cost $5k or more unless you pick one up that was "damaged" cosmetically at a distribution center and if that is the case, just keep calling distribution centers and you can then pick one up for ~$3k. Yes, you will somehow have to get this ~500lb machine or MORE, into your garage, but this just requires bringing a friend or 3 over and "hang out" when it is delivered or you pick it up. Fire up the BBQ and enjoy!~!~ and they will be HAPPY to oblige.
If you are desperate, something like this reviewed piece of junk works in a pinch for TINY wood and you have to do a lot of extra work to the so called "finished" wood to make it viable to work with. Your TIME is worth a Hell of a lot. I do not know how much you get paid an hour, but, I'll work overtime and buy a better machine which saves ME time. Your time adds up VERY quickly due to sanding and cursing cheap ass tools alone. You would be better off working at McDonalds and saving for a REAL tool than using trash tools These machines shown, you can't sell them used for more than $200 if you are lucky to some gullible "hobbyist" who knows nothing better.
@@w8stral WOW, what a NASTY way to express your opinion! Opinions are like assholes....
@@leofortey7561 Why even reply to a person who talks like that? Trolls deserve to be left under a bridge.
you are the best youtube grandpa i've ever seen. congratulations.
Thank you so much!
I have the Wen planer and have been very satisfied with the machine. Cost was a consideration for me and I feel like I got my monies worth with the Wen. I have to say that the customer service at Wen, at least for me has been outstanding and am really impressed with that aspect. Well done comparison. Cheers
Good to hear about the good customer service, I've actually never tried to contact them myself. Thanks so much for the kind words!
Side note: When you chip the cutters on a dewalt all you have to do is shift a blade to the left or the right to eliminate the chip line. No need to replace the set. You can also stagger the blades left, right, left and manage damage and chips easier but the easiest way to avoid chipping your blades is don't send garbage wood through and use a metal detector to eliminate the cause. I've had my Dewalt 735 since 2005 and use it for roughly 300 board feet per year on average and typically plane Red Oak, Black Walnut and Ash. Runs like a champ, maintenance is easy, blades can last up to 500 to 750 board feet before you need to flip them. You know the blades are warn when you have to assist the feed. Thanks for the video. Well Done.
Thanks! Good info!
Within about 4 months of getting the Dewalt I invested in the Shelix replacement head. Expensive, but very well worth it. It's been 7 years and I still have the initial set of cutters.
I'm currently looking at getting the Grizzly spiral cutter which is similar, but 1/3 the price.
Had the Dewalt for many years. Solid machine, great finish on lumber, and no complaints. Great video. Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
My dad and I both had the same Wen planer. The bearing on the drive shaft wore out on both in about the same amount of time. I think like 3 or 4 years. And not overly heavy use... I now have the Dewalt and have loved it ever since. I plan to eventually get the helical head for it.
Couple months ago I bought the 735. Works good now that I have the infeed/outfeed doors figured out and also made a couple simple melamine sleds for pieces that have to be shimmed. I like the high speed chip ejector fan it has. Since I have no dust collection, I roll it outside, point it downwind and blast away.
Basically what I do, point out door and fire away.
Plus I make my buddy stand behind it to support the boards on the outfeed side.
They don’t make them like they used to. I went thru a cheaper Dewalt in an hour before the rollers wouldn’t work right. Then I bought a ridged and that latest about 3 hours before rollers wouldn’t work right. Then I bought the expensive Dewalt you have there and it literally last 3 boards before rollers wouldn’t work right. All with just the minimal bite on the setting for depth and using red cedar. I should be able to use any kind of wood for that price point. 3 planners for one job!!!!!! What I do now for the most part is just buy a tool and just return, it even if it doesn’t break, I know it will in a day or two. Crap quality at every turn. That’s what they deserve for putting out such crap!
@@Mosessousa1 this sounds like you were certainly doing something wrong...
@@WolfCatBirdPigMan red cedar with a lot of knots, is the only thing I can think of
@@Mosessousa1 Meh. I have several high quality tools made by all the major higher-priced distributors like Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee. In regards to durability Milwaukee and Dewalt produce fewer lemons than Makita, but they are all good, and mostly durable even for a contractor who puts them to heavy use like myself.
First time viewer, and I like your speaking tone and presentation. I have a Porter Cable (Delta) planer, and I've been happy with it. When I look for a tool for any job, I don't want to pay more for it than what is needed. If I pay more, I should be getting more. Simple, right? The P-C does fine for me, and it cost one third of the price of Dewalt. I could buy a spherical cutter head for it and it would cut like the Dewalt, but then I've spent $200 dollars more. I'll keep what I've got.
Thanks!
I used to have 735 with infinity carbide tipped knives. It was a great finish planer.
Kia Ora & Good Evening from Caribbean Drive, Unsworth Heights, North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand ...Another Great Video Bro.
Thanks Peter! Kia Ora!
I ordered the Wen planer. Should be here today.
Thanks for the run through. Would like to see a video of the sled & how it helps.
Great, thanks! I'm working on the planer sled video!
I have an 3 blade Delta that's a decade plus old and does the job for me but I like that you can get inexpensive carbide cutters for the Wen and you only have to replace one if it get damaged.
I really appreciate your matter of fact delivery here. No ego or grandstanding. Subscribed.
Thanks so much!
Thanks for a good review. The Wen would be well worth the money for light hobby work. That being said, I've had my Dewalt for eight years and shoved a fair amount of wood through it without complaint, just wonder how the Wen would do after extended use?
As a cabinet maker of 40 years. 18 years finishing the interior of ships. Going through dozens of job site planners the DeWalt is hands-down better built last longer and cut better than any of the rest I've ever tried. The planner was the most used tool next to the table saw. From 8 to 12 thousand foot of teak planed once a week one of the DeWolf lasted six years
So for someone planning commercial quantities of an extremely hard wood you should get a more expensive planer?
@@msromike123 well that would be obvious. You're not really saving money if you have to replace the tool every few months. You're going to do commercial work you buy commercial tools
8 to 12 thousand feet a week.....sure you did
@@Scott-st2yi yeah inch and a quarter by 3/8 flat trim 6 and 12000 ft was nothing.
This video was not made to inform commercial carpenters on what tool to choose. I think is the point he’s trying to makes
Thanks for the list of cutters. I have a cutech planer and a wahudah jointer. Both have the segmented cutter head. The wahudah cutters are 4 sided and a different size instead of 2.
I have had my Dewalt for close to 20 years. It has preformed flawlessly the whole time. I purchased it on line as a reconditioned tool.
I like Wen power tools. I have a great Wen drill press but hard to believe anything will match my Dewalt planer.
I have the wen planer with the spiral cutterhead, it has served me well.
I don't have either one of these. I have the DeWalt 734. It has served me well for the last ten years.
I have a very early DeWalt plainer it has served me well. I’d give it 4 & 1/2 stars only 3 small complaints
1 as mentioned it’s noisy
2 when my shop is cold it won’t feed correctly
3 tear out on highly figured woods must use skim cuts to minimize may up grade to a spiral carbide head
And buy the mobile base
Good info, thanks!
First Ridged planer lasted, with intermittent use, for almost two years. Then the drive assembly (sprocket and chain) disintegrated.
I replaced that drive assembly and realized a signature noise that plainer made disappeared. Something similar sounding to a router chattering through end-grain.
A few hours of work later I started hearing that noise again.
Not having time to address the issue a second time I bought a second Ridged plainer to finish the job.
I unpacked it. Set it up. As soon as I turned it on it was making the same chattering sound.
I returned it unused.
I have a dewalt now but haven’t used it enough to prove its longevity.
The dewalt is a beast, should last a lot longer than 2 years like your rigid did.
It was like a good and fair review. The fact that he rated the one that he doesn't own a little better says that he's being unbiased with it. It looks like if you're on a budget the Wen is a good way to go.
Thanks!
I have the Wen, my 30 year old Delta portable thickness planer died and parts aren't available (it wasn't very good, anyway). I wanted the "spiral" cutterhead and I couldn't resist the low price tag. We have been using the Wen planer on a jobsite to dimension and repurpose used or leftover materials that we are turning into paneling, trim, and gates. One of the teeth got nicked, I believe someone fed a board with a small pebble imbedded in it. Happy that I bought the Wen, and glad I found this video with a source for carbide cutters.
Great! Glad it was helpful!
I picked up a used Makita 2040 for about $200 and got the knives sharpened professionally. It rocks! Unless you want to take it to a job site...
I received the 735X (came with extra set of blades) I ordered Amazon today which shipped to NC from UT and sustained a shattered cover over the drive side. I logged into the DeWalt web site and started a warrantee claim and within minutes there was a reply with a link a listing of parts so I could identify what I needed by part no. That level of customer service was impressive. I put the broken cover back together with CA glue and fired up the planer and was very impressed with the results.
Quite simply because it is a beast does a great job super chip ejection excellent finish and long life.I had a rigid looks jus like that wen lasted 3 years bought a dewalt after watching my buddy's run thousands of board ft of cedar and maple for years my planer is doing the same trouble free😊
I have the wen 8" jointer and I love it with the exception of the non carbide blades. I'd like to get this planer as well and swap out the blades
I also have the WEN 8" jointer, and the carbide blades are exactly the same and interchangeable between the jointer and the planer, so I put the after-market carbide blades in both!
Good job on locating carbide cutters. WEN makes a 2 speed planer.
Thanks! At the time I published this video, WEN had not yet released their 2-speed planer. Since then, I was able to get ahold of a Cutech 2-speed planer (same as WEN, just branded differently), and I did a video review of the 2-speed planer as a separate video. here is the link to that video... th-cam.com/video/v-VADYaQ8-M/w-d-xo.html
@@jkmwoodworking Thank you. Cutech seems to be the answer unless one can afford the $999 Oliver.
Agreed. I'm using the Cutech machine now on the slow feedrate speed as my primary go-to planer.
Great video! My WEN blew up after a few months. Maybe 1,000 bd. Ft. Went with the Dewalt after that. Several thousand bd. ft. later and it still works like new. The Dewalt does AAA Curly/Birdseye Maple very nice. That depth gauge going the entire way across is a bug deal. To wear the knives evenly you are never just putting boards thru in the center. I don't think Shelix makes a WEN option either.
Good info, thanks!
I think what you’re sensing with feeling that the DeWalt is better designed and built is simply that it is both better designed and better built.
I have a Wen 8” drill press I use for small hobby stuff and a couple of Wen belt sanders. One bench top and one handheld. All three are great… But only for what they are. Which is cheap Chinese tools I will simply throw away when they wear out. End of story. That’s not something I even consider on the extremely rare occasion that a DeWalt tool lets me down. I either send it in for repair or fix it myself.
But getting back to the planers showcased here. I think you did a very fair and well thought out comparison and I can definitely see the spiral cutting head of the Wen being a net positive, especially with carbide inserts. But I do have a couple of notes…
While both have 4 leadscrews and the mechanisms are connected via a chain system. They are actually quite different.
First, the Wen is turning the leadscrews while the DeWalt is turning nuts on stationary leadscrews that are also double the diameter.
Second; the “footprint” of the cutter gantry on the DeWalt is also double the size of the Wen. Making for more a much more stable and rigid machine.
As a side note. You can absolutely buy either a helix or spiral cutting head with carbide inserts for the DeWalt. However, to be fair. They’re extremely expensive these days and that’s on top of voiding the warranty. Plus DeWalt just raised the price of their planer. So between the planer and an aftermarket cutter. You could easily spend $1,500, give or take a little depending on if you get new bearing and an extra set of carbide inserts or two…
I’ve watched a few similar comparison videos and surprised none mention the in my opinion huge advantage of easy portability of the dewalt over other compared thicknesses which is for me also an important facility. I enjoyed your videos too 👌
Good point! Thanks!
Very good informative review. Common sense, concise and good comparisons. Nice job! I might even upgrade my very functional Delta planer which yeilds usable, but not the best finish.
Thanks!
Interesting video. Unfortunately neither DeWalt DW735 nor Wen is available in my region and I do not really understand why....
Thanks for making that awesome tool comparison video! You gave all the details we need to understand the differences between those machines, your unbiased tests and conclusions were super helpful.
Thank you so much!
Good review, well done. One major difference is that the Dewalt has a dedicated chip extractor/blower. This is a nice feature because I use a dedicated bag to collect chips without filling up my primary dust collector. If I'm only milling a couple boards, I use my dust collector out of simple convenience... However, if I'm milling many boards, I use the dedicated bag.
Also, you can get after-market helical cutter heads for the Dewalt. This is an expensive option, but a nice option to have. With the helical cutter head in my Dewalt, I have a small lunchbox planer that will compete with a much more expensive floor model planer.
Good info, and great point about the dedicated chip blower. Thanks!
Great information!!!!!11!2!!!+ BubDewalt! I lookead at many 1older units at the time and it looked smart. Love it. Dust colection is great as it helps spit the dust out. Dont know about the other unit though. Only thing Id like is to replace the cutter with carbide.
Thanks!
The wen cutter knives have 4 edges that can be used before replacement so cost is even less im in market for planer so thanks for this review and either way i go i will be swapping it to updated cutting heads
Fantastic review. Balanced, fair and honest. Thank you!
Thanks so much!
I love my WEN planer. The spiral cutter head was one reason I bought it.
Steve, good video since im shopping for my first planer. As a separate question what software do you use to type the text in your videos? I like its simplicity.
Thanks Phil! The software I use for the text animation is Doodly
Relatively fair comparison but you left out a couple things to make it more apples to apples instead of apples to ... pears (as opposed to apples to oranges):
* Helical/spiral cutterheads:
You can purchase (after market) the helical (true helical) cutterheads for the Dewalt. I'm using the Byrd Shelix cutterhead and it gives great results. It does, of course, raise your initial outlay but a) it offers 40 cutterheads in a true helical pattern where each blade is shearing the wood instead of cutting it.
* Dust collection:
I don't know if I missed it in your comparison but it wasn't on the features: the Dewalt has a built in blower to get the chips out. This is most effective either using it with a true dust collector (as opposed to a shop vac conversion) or without any dust collector attached. The shop vac simply can't keep up with the exhaust and chips come back in. Using a true dust collector liike Harbor Freight's 2 HP system, the exhaust is nearly flawless in getting the chips away from the machine. Quite candidly, this alone nearly makes the Dewalt a better system than the competition (such as the Wen).
Thanks so much for the great comment and info. Agreed, the helical after market cutter makes the dewalt a crazy awesome planer.
Note that the WEN also has the integrated dust collection blower very similar to the dewalt, and I do regret not including in the video a side-by-side evaluation to see if one was better than the other.
@@jkmwoodworking Thanks for the reply. Does the Wen have an actual blower or simply an exhaust chute? It looks an awful lot like my old Ryobi and the "blower" function was provided simply by the chips being pushed out by the cutting head where the DW735 has an actual fan blower that pull the chips away from the cutting head and forces them out. With enough force that a shop vac can't handle it (but, like I said, the Harbor Freight DC I use handles it great). Looking the Wen up, I can't tell if it's an actual blower or an exhaust chute/port.
Regardless, thanks for the video comparison. Just found your channel and will sub.
Hi Greg, yes the WEN does have an actually blower, mounted on the main motor shaft like the DeWALT. The configuration is a bit different in how it blows through the dust chute, but it definitely creates a lot more blowing force than just the cutter head alone.
Sorry for the multiple replies, but just occurred to me that you can see in the video at about timestamp 3:20, when i take the dust chute off, you can see a rectangular opening in the main motor housing with a foam gasket (surrounding). There is a blower inside of there that blows a strong airflow through and out the dust chute. Hope this helps. Thanks so much for the questions, and thanks for subscribing!
I’ve had same when for a few years and it’s rather great. But having not a fantastic dust collection system in my shop I wonder if the blower in the dewalt would make a big difference sending the chips out. I don’t believe when has one of those..
I agree, that the Dewalt dust blower is a bit of an advantage!
I do like some wen products, but with something like the the DeWalt planer, everything about it is just so premium. I got it on sale with the cart and extra blades and tables for $700, incredible value.
Fantastic video. Thank you so much.
Any idea if you can run rough cedar through the Wen?
Thanks! Yes, I've run cedar through it, and no problems. Both eastern red cedar (aromatic cedar), and I've also planed the cedar fence panels that you buy at home depot with no problem using the WEN planer.
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I’m so glad you mentioned cedar fence panels. We plan to purchase the cedar fence panels, plane them, and use them to line our DIY sauna. So much cheaper than buying boards or tongue and groove!!
I really do appreciate your response. Thank you.
I have the similar Cutech spiral cutter head 13” planer but I got it with factory installed carbide cutters. The results with carbide are mostly similar with the additional benefits of extreme long life. Router bits, circular saw blades, Forster bits are now all carbide tipped - planer knives need to also move out of the HSS era and into the carbide era.
I agree, seems like carbide cutters should just be default and assumed on planers, but yet still HSS seems the norm for some reason.
Good info on the ability to get a Cutech planer with carbide from the start. The cutech is the same planer, actually WEN buys their planers from the parent company of cutech, then are both made in the same factory. Cutech does have an option to get a dual feedrate planer (like DeWALT), and I'm really interested in that planer, haven't tried it, but I would think it might be even closer to competing with dewalt on quality of cut, because you can go to the slower feedrate.
Steel takes a keener edge than carbide can. So that'd be a no.
True, but the difference is largely offset by the rapid dulling of HSS in production usage. Carbide today is so much better than the stuff from forty years ago marketed to the consumer
@@wallacegrommet9343 carbide is the same thing today as it's always been. Unless you're buying machining inserts you don't know what kind of tungsten carbide you're buying either. Then even if you're told it still won't mean anything to you. There's only a handful of people on the entire planet that understand any of that. To say it is a dense subject is putting it mildly.
@@1pcfred please give us at least one differentiation for future conversations on carbide
Had my DeWalt for a year before putting a Lux Cut helical head on it - should’ve done it sooner! Really great finish on anything I’ve ran through it, even end grain mesquite. Can’t speak to the Wen since I’ve never used one, but the dual speed of the DeWalt has been useful and it’s a very solid machine. Definitely not something I’d want to be lifting on and off a bench, but build quality is solid.
Excellent video! Very informative! I really like your straightforward, “just the facts” presentation style. You have a new subscriber! Having very limited discretionary income, I’ve bought and owned a few Wen tools and I’m always impressed (and somewhat surprised) by the quality and performance given the price. Even before seeing this video, I would have been strongly inclined to choose the Wen over a DeWalt. As for the issues that BOTH planers had with the maple, I always plane by hand any stock that has special grain and/or figuring. In my view, if it’s particularly interesting (and therefore beautiful), why take the chance of messing it up with anything other than a well-tuned (and expertly used) hand plane?
Thanks so much for the kind words! Great point on just using a hand plane for certain pieces of wood!
I appreciate your explanation and side by side comparisons. It gave me something to think about.
Thanks! Glad it was helpful!
A link to those carbide cutters would be great!
There is a link to the carbide cutters in the description. Thanks for watching!
Great comparison. One question on dust collection - do you use one of those big dust collection machines with your WEN? I only have a cyclone separator connected to a 6.5hp shop vac. Not sure if this type of setup will work with the WEN. On the other hand I have heard great reviews about the built-in dust extractor system of the DW735. Apparently, it doesn't need any external assistance. Thanks and looking forward to more of your videos.
Thanks Ashok! I have the same dust collection for my WEN as you, a simple cyclone separator with a shop vac. It seems to work pretty good.
Very nice review with good information, good delivery, and no hype. I have subscribed. Thank you!
Thank you! Much appreciated!
That was a really good side by side comparison video! Thank you for taking time to film, edit and post those video. Liked and subscribed.
Much appreciated!
I got my DeWalt years ago when the state didn't make Amazon charge tax for items out of state. 425.00 new. Even got DeWalt blades for 16.00 a pack a few years ago.
I'm tempted to get a planer but I can say I bought a WEN drill press late last year and I have been extremely satisfied with their product. Thanks for your insight on these planers! I think I would go with the WEN.
Thank you! glad to hear it was helpful
I have a Wen drill press as well..looks exactly like a Jet drill press at about 30% cheaper.. it has served me well for about 3 years.
@@sailingeric - I absolutely love my Wen drill press. The support is great and its an impressive product. We'll see how long it lasts. It replaced a drill press that was over 40 years old and I bought that one new too!
Good to hear. I have the 12" swing arm press in my HD shopping cart right now, haha
On more figured and tough grained boards sometimes skewing the board slightly will yield a better cut. I once had access to a DeWalt and loved it. I'm ready to try out the Wen brand and save a few dollars. I have recently started using more recycled and pallet wood. The cheaper blade and ease of replacement on the Wen looks promising.
Great tip! Thanks!
If you have to "skew" your wood in a planer to get a "good" finish = GARBAGE head, buy something, ANYTHING else without straight blades!~!~!. Why they make spiral cutting heads.
My first planer was this WEN because of the price. I thought it was a good planer and worked fine for me for 3 months at which time the motor burned up. I bought the WEN online from Home Depot, but since Home Depot doesn’t carry WEN in stores, they gave me a refund and I paid a little more money and bought the Dewalt 734 lunchbox planer they had in stock. I was amazed at how much better the Dewalt was over the WEN. It was a far more refined machine, in my opinion, but don’t know that the cut was any better. I’ve been using the Dewalt 734 for about 6-7 years now, maybe longer with no complaints, although I’ve wanted to upgrade to the 733 for quite some time as I believe it’s a better planer and it has a blower for the dust exhaust which I believe will help with the chips that always blow back on the table. In addition, I want to add a helical head. I might also look at the Oliver which comes with the helical head. A couple years ago someone gave me a Ridged lunchbox planer which was pretty much identical to the Dewalt 734, but gave it to my son as I preferred the Dewalt brand over Ridgid, and the Ridgid was definitely louder. If anyone is considering the 734 or similar planer and has the budget, I’d recommend the Dewalt 733. I’ve never owned one, but I’ve used them and for the difference in price, I believe you’re getting a much better machine.
Great info, thanks for the thoughtful insights!
Buy CCP made junk, get CCP made junk.
Looks like WEN may be the manufacturer of the Ridgid planner I have. They are almost identical. It has worked well for me.
The deciding factor for me was weight! I don't leave my planer set up and ready to use...at 92 lbs, the DeWalt was just too heavy to move comfortably (and safely for my back!), whereas the Wen is 64lbs, which I can comfortably haul up onto a storage shelf.
You left out the fact that the cutters on the Wen are 4 sided and can be rotated as they dull (or get nicked), to use all of the faces!
Oh, you can be sure the TheFault fanboy didn't forget the facts that makes the Wen a better choice.
Just got this Wen planer and so far it's been amazing
The 90 degree discharge on the WEN for the vacuum seems like a good touch. The dewalt can leave the hose hanging down and in the way of the material being fed.
That is a good question, but I just got the Dwalt about a week ago, because it was on a decent sale. Do you have any other Wen tools? Been thinking about their bandsaw and drill press
I have the WEN drill press, and the WEN 8" spiral jointer, and really like both of them. I also have the WEN biscuit joiner, which I'm not at all happy with. No other WEN tools. My bandsaw is a Rikon that I really like. For more info, I have a product revew video on the WEN jointer... th-cam.com/video/bK2jMRvFkHQ/w-d-xo.html and another video on the Rikon bandsaw.. th-cam.com/video/CcGu-tQRBd4/w-d-xo.html
one thing I noticed in this video, the WEN hight adjustment gears are plastic with a metal chain while the DEWALT appeared to be metal gears and metal chain. After a lot of use, that metal chain could really eat though those plastic teeth on those gears and youll be really SOL. Especially after a long day of use and a lot of heat build up.
About buying two WEN and feed on that feed the second one automatically.
First is set for rough, the second is the finishing touch.
I have an older Dewalt 733, two cutting blades, pretty sure the Wen would outperform it. It was given to me in a box, in pieces. The former owner overworked it, broke a $5.00 gear, which he didn't know when it quit working, broke it down into parts and pieces, then bought the newer model. After some serious cleaning, a new gear, it works as well as that model can. I definitely like the slower feed rate of the 735x, adding helical cutters would be a must.
I'd say the Dewalt wins on dust collection based on your video. I have one, and there is almost zero dust coming out the front. I actually am shocked how well it captures dust. Defiantly exceeds expectations on that level. I did have a thermal breaker tripping issue with mine but replaced it and have had no problems since. My personal opinion is that it's a pretty decent lunch box planer. I bought mine used so sticker price was not an issue. I do like the cutter design of that Wen though!
Great info, thanks for sharing! I do regret not saying more about dust collection in the video, because the dewalt does have a really good blower.
Hi
Did you take a look inside the WEN how the feeding drive is done? Is it perhaps possible to change a gear ratio of a simple belt drive?
That’s a great idea! I haven’t taken apart the housing to see if it’s possible
@@jkmwoodworking : I also not at a planer. But years ago that was a (intended) method to change the speed of small analog photo developing machines.
Well, if possible material for an update video? 🙃
I have this Dewalt and only ever use it on the slower setting with higher cuts per inch. Honestly, projects take so long in general, I don’t feel I buy any savings going in the faster mode. All the planing happens in one day for the most par anyway.
A carbide cutter head _is_ available for DeWalt, but as an aftermarket product from Shelix. It has 4 wings of 4-sided carbide cutters arranged in a helical fashion, with 10 cutters per wing. 423$US + S/H.
I purchased one of cutters for my dewalt planer,made a huge difference too me,plus you can rotate the cutters three times before purchasing new ones,just do not cut any steel,it’s detrimental.
@@kyzor-sosay6087 Yikes. You certainly wouldn’t want to run steel thru it. But if you were to discover, say, a hidden nail, you would only need to replace or rotate the cutters in that one spot. You would not need to replace all three 13" blades as you would with the stock cutter head.
@@kenp3L had that happen,planning pallet wood.
Rotated 3cutters …..all good.
Bought a WEN planer and the lift mechanism died after two weekends. Got the similar Ryobi one and the feed mechanism started 'hickupping' on the first day after it hit some hard spot in the wood. Now it's completely shot. Spent about $200 on each, so $400. Finally got the DeWalt for $499 (about what I spent on the two garbage routers). Used it for two weeks now and all is well, so I hope it will last. Sure feels much sturdier.
Thanks for the updated Info.!
I have an old (35-year) Delta planer that has been a faithful and dependable tool for me. I don't know much about the new ones but when I bought the Delta it was because of the ease of changing the blades (2 - 12") and that they came sharpened on both sides so you basically got 2 sets for the price of one, the head has a small spring in each end of the blade slots so when you loosen the bolts you just hold the knife down into the slot against the springs with a simple jig and tighten the bolts and its perfect every time. After 20 years I figured out how to make a simple jig to hold the knives so I can sharpen them on my 6" x 48" belt sander so now I always have several sharp sets ready to go. I can do a change-out in less than 10 minutes.
I grew up working in a shop that had a really old industrial planer and you had to have a degree in Wizardry to change and get the knives adjusted properly! Thus my fetish with easy change planer knives.
@sam Tollefson I might have the same Delta as you but Mine is only 20 yrs old. Unlike the Dewalt and Wen all the settings and gauges are on the top of the machine at eye level so they are easy to see without bending. It also has a 4 inch dust chute, so it connects right to my full size collector. All adjustments are tool-less. If I needed a new one I would definitely look on the used market for a similar model since the ones in the video seemed more difficult to use.
@@lancomedic Agreed, top access for changing the knives, I didn't think about that.
It seems some manufacturers have lost sight of the "user-friendly" aspect in favor of the bells and whistles. That said I can see the benefit of having two speeds, however, if I feel like if I need more power, I just take a lesser "bite" of the wood and it seems to work out OK for me.
I was lucky enough to get the dewalt on sale, but I would have no problems using the wen planer if I hadn't. So far wen has been very impressive on the few larger tools I've purchased. (bandsaw, drill press, oscillating sander)
I wonder if the WEN will still be running and cutting just as well after 10 years? I've had my Dewalt for almost 10 years and have only had to change blades when they get dull. Not a single other issue with it.
Looking at Amazon here in Canada, the WEN with the spiral head and the Dewalt are pretty similar in price.
No doubt the Dewalt is a better planer, and if you can get it for the same price, that is awesome. As of now at Amazon in the US, the WEN is about $400, and Dewalt is about $700, so pretty big price difference.
I've been using my WEN multiple times per week for about 18 months since I bought it, and still seems like new, so likely it will last 10 years. But still, i can't argue with dewalt being the better quality planer. Thanks so much for the great comment, and thanks for watching the video!
I have a DW733 and I just sharpen the knives when they get dull. Really I sharpen it every time I want it to cut good. So pretty much every time I'm going to use it. I'm still on my original knives. I do have a brand new spare set though.
Solid comparison. Thanks for the effort. Subscribed!
Awesome, thank you!
Great video! touched on very important points! thank you! I ended up going with the DeWalt (took advantage of a great discount).
Great! Thanks!
How about ease of blade changes? Is the Wen difficult to change them out on?
Great question, I really should have included that in the video. The WEN is very easy to change out the blades, can be done in a matter of minutes. The DeWALT is also easy, not as easy as WEN, but still just takes 5-10 minutes.
@@jkmwoodworking thanks for the quick reply!
I'm in the market for a planer and very much appreciated the review.
Great, glad it was helpful!
At 2:18 it looks like the Wen is shooting a bunch of wood chips out at you. DeWalt has some but not near as much. I like the Wen cutters but like you show only one per revolution. I think the DeWalt has 3 blades. Lack of cutter support from Wen is a bad omen. I would still go DeWalt even with the price difference. Good job pointing out the variations and differences.
Thank you! Agreed, I didn't do a thorough job of reviewing the wood chip control/dust collection between the 2 planers.
In the links in the description, the first link for Cutech does not lead to Cutech, but rather leads to Aisig brand, same as the second link.
Thanks for finding that mistake! I just fixed the link, so should be good now.
Bought the WEN about a week ago. Satisfied so far. Much quieter and faster than the 20 year old (not model 375) Delta that it replaced. That it is made in Taiwan vs red china was a determining factor.
Update. A sprocket on the roller drivetrain broke but I called WEN and they quickly sent a replacement. It probably broke because I saw my own wood with a woodmizer and a pine board I was feeding may have been wedge shaped.
Good to know it is Taiwanese. I am just getting into woodworking but have been using metal tools for 2 decades and the comparison is similar between mainland Chinese mills and lathes with highly variable (often poor) quality vs Taiwanese tools which compare very favorably to Bridgeport Hardinge, South Bend and other American tools that they often replace. so that is a sharp recommendation for the WEN.
What specific model Wen was it?
I bought the Dewalt 734 instead mostly due to cost and I'm happy with it.
I been getting more Dewalt tools every since I started working with my impact & drill gun, the brand looks good and feels nice I want one of these, lot easier than using a table saw for the same result
I have the same planer as the WEN, just another brand. It meets my needs, but the DeWalt is a superior planer. Most 'lunch box' style planers, such as the WEN, are tall and narrow when viewed from the side. In contrast, the Dewalt is short and squat. Both planers support the cutter head with four posts. The DeWalt's posts are larger and farther apart. This provides a more stable platform for the cutter head.
Do you need this robust design for a planer? Mine has served me for several years and it works just as well today as it did when new. But, I don't use it all that often. If I were using it several days a week for several hours at a time, I don't believe my planer (or any of a similar design) would hold up nearly as well as would the DeWalt. So, make your choice based on how often you will use your planer (or on how often you might need the DeWalt's extra-slow speed for use with tricky grain).
My old DW733 lunchbox planer has a head lock.
I jave a 15 inch jet. I came into a big load of barn oak. Nails galore. I think I need that Wen.
Ive had the Wen 13 for 5 years. I like it. I didnt have dewalt monies at the time and I still dont.😊
I have the old DeWalt DW733 planer. It is only 2 knives and just a single speed. But the knives are sharpenable and when the knives are sharp it does a good job.
Maybe I missed it, can you clarify? Were your cuts with the WEN done with the aftermarket carbide blades, or the stock non-carbide blades? Trying to decide at the moment which planer to get
The cuts on the WEN were done with the after market carbide cutters.
Very thoughtful comparison. Nice detail. Clearly shown.
Thank you!