Dewalt/Ryobi planer

I started with the Ryobi 10 myself. My 2nd planer is the Dewalt. Must say, the Dewalt is very nice and do not hesitate in recommending it to you. Works great, with NO flaws.

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

13’’ Delta Planer, that does a great job.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

I think I’d go Delta

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

So far the Delta seems to be the one!

-- Don, Pittsburgh

I’d bet heavily on the DW. The DW733 and DW734 have a cutterhead lock to reduce snipe…the current Ryobi doesn’t. The DW735 has a 4-post thread system that supposedly negates the need for a cutterhead lock…the current Ryobi doesn’t. So, to snipe or not to snipe is the question! :D

The Delta TP400 (fomerly the 22-560) and 22-580 are good too…both have cutterhead locks, but the TP305 does not.

Something is terribly wrong if the Ryobi and the DeWalt planers are going for the same price. Regular price for the Ryobi AP1301 13” planer SHOULD be $199.00. And while I own one, and am happy with it for the $$, it is NOT worth double the normal cost under any circumstances…

Now the Home Depot site that gets presented to me shows the Ridgid R4330 13” which uses the same knives as the AP1301, and reports / reviews on it show its performance to be similar to the AP1301, good clean cuts, with a little bit of snipe to put up with. They are showing it for $369.99 less the discounts.

And the DeWalt they show is the DW734 which also has snipe problems mentioned in several reviews that I can find, but unlike the Ridgid and Ryobi planers, the DeWalt is also noted for having screws and whatnot in the cutter head assembly loosening themselves out, and general build quality problems. The DW734 lists at $429.99 less discounts.

I don’t know either of these planers through personal experience, but I do know the Ryobi for a year and a half of exceptional service, and easy knife changes. My only complaint with the Ryobi is the shop vac sized 2.5” dust collection port does not work well if your machine is on the other side of the shop from your vac… And honestly, it’s heavy! So moving the planer gets to be a matter of mounting it to a stand, then to a mobile base and rolling it to the vac, or the other way around with the vac… Of course dust collector users won’t have that problem so much…

-- Trying to follow the example of the master.

I don’t know how set you are about choosing between just these 2 planers. If you have others to choose from you may want to look at the following review of the top 5 planers http://www.woodworkingtipsandtools.com/2009/06/27/top-5-15%e2%80%b3-planers/

-- drbob at http://www.Woodworkingtipsandtools.com

Great site Drbob

-- Don, Pittsburgh

DeWalt vs: Ryobi? I don’t see an equal comparison unless Ryobi has re-thought their power tool quality issues. My DeWalt 733 has been a real trooper. I keep a second set of blades sharpened and ready to change out at all times.
Bill