Which Planer: Jet JPM-13cs or Dewalt dw735?

I know this was posted a few months ago, but in case you haven’t made your decision or if someone else comes looking…

The JET is more expensive because it’s a stationary unit with an induction motor. The motor is separate from the top of the unit, and while still a bit noisy, it runs more quiet than the lunchbox planers. The unit is going to be much easier to work on if something goes wrong with it. Most likely the thing that will put a planer completely out of commission is the motor going bad, and if that happens, replacing the motor should put you right back in business. This JET can also be wired to run on 220v if needed.

The DeWalt – and lunchbox planers in general – are cheaper as they have a universal motor. This makes them more convenient, but one major flaw to these types of motors is that they are NOISY, the DeWalt735 is obnoxiously loud even with hearing protection on. Not a huge deal if you have a shop away from others, but if you have neighbors in tight quarters then that can be a problem. The other issue is that the unit is much harder to work on: if the motor goes bad and is out of warranty, it’s essentially a disposable unit. As far as I’m aware, the DW735 cannot be rewired to 220v either. One other thing about the 735: the standard package does NOT include the extension tables, which is highly recommended for longer boards or to avoid snipe. This will add to the cost.

As far as specs, I wouldn’t pay them ‘too’ much mind, both planers cut very well and so long as the infeed/outfeed tables are properly adjusted, snipe should be minimal / nonexistent.

IMO I wouldn’t classify the 735 as disposable, the motor can be replaced, whether that is economical is not known at the moment. This come up a lot, but, I’ve not as of yet heard of one failing that was properly maintained. Nor would I say it’s hard to work on, at all, I put a Shelix cutterhead in mine and it was a piece of cake to do. As for noise, yes, I’d have to agree. I measured mine with the HSS cutterhead, 91 dB. With the Shelix cutterhead, 85 dB, 4 times quieter to the point that you can get away with not wearing ear protection. And don’t know that not being able to wire it for 220V is a negative, 110V outlets are much more plentiful then 220V outlets.

-- -Curt, Milwaukee, WI

The 735 came to market at a tricky pricepoint. 700 for the planer, add the stand and extension tables and a few spare sets of blades and you’re well over 1000. For that price you have to consider used stationary planers.
I like Blankmans modification to his planer.
I like the 735, but I am growing tired of replacing blades every 200-300 board feet of lumber.

-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush

I’ve learned to not buy Jet. The company positions the tools according to marketing and profits. The quality on my mortiser and drill press are not very good, and the hassles with delivery and returns and re-orders I don’t want to experience again. Design and use are not as good as I’d expect for the price.

-- Rich, Seattle, WA

The 735 came to market around 2003-4 at about the mid $400 price point. I bought one on sale for right around $400 back then. Lowes has it right now for $569. Amazon $559. Home Depot $539. But hey, where’s the $700 coming from? This $1000?

Add the tables +$50. The Stand +$100. Still +$300 shy of $1000.

Non sale price seems to float around $649 but for that it usually comes with the tables and an extra set of knives. Even seen it for that with the table.

Personally I think $649 is too high for it, but would I buy one for that price? Maybe. It does that good of job.

Go to the Post Office. Get a Moving Kit. Take the Lowes coupon in it to Lowes or Home Depot who will honor it and get an additional %10 off.

I hardly never if ever pay current selling price…

-- -Curt, Milwaukee, WI

This is a strange pairing. The Dewalt is a fine planer, but by the time you add a stand and the tables, you are over $700. That is a lot for a lunchbox planer.
The Jet kind of looks like a lunchbox planer on top of a stand, but it has an induction motor and a cast iron base, and that is a huge difference. Lot of people here own the Dewalt and love it, but it still is a lunchbox planer with a universal motor that will howl like a banshee.
Overall, I’d vote for the Jet because of the induction motor and the cast iron table. But to be truthful, not sure I’d buy either.

The other thing, the Jet cutterhead turns at a lower speed, but can feed at only 10 ft. per minute. With 13,500 Cuts per minute off the cutterhead, that gives you 112.5 Cuts Per Inch.
The Dewalt slows down the cutterhead with the feed rate, so at the slow speed, only 8.68 Feet Per Minute, you also only get 96 Cuts Per Inch.
To me, the Cuts Per Inch are more important for a mirror finish and blade life than feed rates or overall speed. I vote for the Jet.

-- Paul, Tennessee, http://www.tsunamiguitars.com

Hey Paul, then add a Shelix cutterhead which cost about the same as I paid for the planer. :-)

There’s a lot to be said said about stationary induction motor planers, don’t get me wrong I don’t dislike them. Having used them like the Delta 15”, if someone were to give me a choice, free 15” stationary or free 735 with Shelix, 735 no doubt. Just does a better job overall, but I’m focused on quality not quantity. So if the 15” can do it faster, that’s not really a factor for me.

Now stationary verses 735 without Shelix? I’d take the stationary. Sell it, buy a 735 and Shelix cutterhead with the money. :-D

I like big machines, but after 8 years I’m still sold on this lunchbox planer.

-- -Curt, Milwaukee, WI

Paul, don’t know where you got your numbers from for the 735 but they’re not quite right. The cutterhead spins at 10,000 RPM and it’s a 3 knife so that’s 30,000 cuts per minute and does not change speed with feed rate.

It has two feed rates, for roughing 26ft/min, finishing 14ft/min. Doing the math that equates to roughing 96 cuts per inch, finishing 178 cuts per inch (DeWalt says 179). That’s right out of the manual and I believe also printed on the feed rate selector label.

And also, I did some product testing using different designed cutterheads and knives for the 735 for DeWalt and it’s the shear angle that the knives are set at that also effects the finish. Not just the RPM’s, number of knives, and feed rate etc. The 735 has a different shear angle then most which is a double edged sword. It provides the excellent finish but if the hardness of the knives is not uniform across their length can cause the early nicks in the knives that some people encounter. Myself included. Hence the Shelix, got tired of dealing with it but not enough to replace the planer.

-- -Curt, Milwaukee, WI