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Planer? Upgrade or change to helical head

6K views 14 replies 12 participants last post by  HorizontalMike 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have the Ridgid R4331 planer. Other than have to change the blades and the table due to a nail or something in a piece of wood (I never did find what caused it) I haven't had many problems with it. I was in Rockler the other day and saw that they have the Dewalt 735X with a free Dewalt stand. I was getting ready to buy it but decided to wait and research it. I found I could get the Byrd head for my Ridgid for a few hundred less than buying a new one so I am torn.
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
Personally, I have the R4330 for the past 7 years, and do not mind changing the knife blades. Additionally I have a Grizzly G-0593 jointer with spiral head. That said, BOTH can and do show small raised lines from either nicks or worn carbide cutter discs.

Bottom line is that BOTH require that the wood being worked, be either final scraped or sanded. So what I am saying is that both work well enough and the purchase of either will be a personal preference. IMO, I would be more concerned with capacity rather than the cutter head. A 15in planer, or jointer, sure would be nice…
 
#5 ·
I have been in the same debate with my dewalt 733. It has served me well for 17 years and continues to, but I've considered buying a Byrd head for it. Problem is it costs almost as much as a new 734. The 735 is too big for my current shop situation. I've decided to use my 733 as is until I build a bigger shop. Then I will just buy a stationary largerplaner. So my advice would be that.
 
#7 ·
I have a Ridgid. It appears that the 735 is a better planer. However, if the Ridgid is performing well for you, I don't think you'll see a big jump in the 735. If it was nearing the end of its life or not performing, that would be another question.
 
#10 ·
Just adding a voice to the chorus. I had a Delta that was comparable to your Ridgid for years and finally got a Dewalt 735. There is nothing that could have been added to the Delta including a diamond-encrusted, double-super-helical-spiral cutting head" that could have improved its performance as much as making room for the Dewalt on the stand.

I will be the first to admit that the 735 is not a world-class, high-end planer, but it does a great job. Adding a helical head to a 735 would make good sense. Spending good money on a new head for the Ridgid seems like a bad idea.

Run it into the ground and then move up, or make an earlier move as your wallet allows.
 
#12 ·
I use the 735 with Byrd head and I like it quite a lot. It won't hog off 1/8" per pass like a stationary planer can, but the quality of cut is amazing.

I was tired of tearout on the quartersawn white oak I use. The shelix fixed that issue completely. Plus, the cutters last and last. I have planed thousands of b.f. and only rotated the cutters once.

The old Dewalt knives would chip or dull every 200 b.f. with oak. I have already saved money with the Shelix, because I'm not spending $55 every few weeks on blades.
 
#13 ·
The DeWalt is hands down a fantastic planer. Since day one it has out performed any of the other planers on the market, and I've been through a bunch. I was very pleased with it's performance from the start. Keep the ridged set up for the boards that you are not sure of, but if you are able, purchase the DeWalt 735, you won't be disappointed and
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#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have a 735 DeWalt and I like the way it works…I previously had a 15" Grizzly that was 220v and it worked great too. I got out of it and sold the Griz many years ago, wish now i hadn't…it left some milling lines in the wood but not bad. The 735 planes very smooth, almost no milling lines and very little sanding required.
I really didn't think the 120v 735 would be effective, but I am very much impressed. My question is this, what exactly is the spiral head supposed to do for you?
I saw one on a big jet jointer at the wood working store, which was the first time I came to know such an animal exists…..looks like a real ripper….what's it for exactly
???? maybe another way of asking it is; I have a 735, at what point do I decide I need to go with a spiral cutter head? Thanks in advance for any info!!
 
#15 ·
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