# Craftsman Planer...not as good as I hoped.



## RibsBrisket4me

Clarification….the Recon Ridgid had a 30 day warranty, it was obvioulsy expired when it burned up.


----------



## KTMM

Thanks for reminding me why I sold the same piece of crap….


----------



## scrollgirl

I was just talking about the same thing regarding buying scroll saws last week - getting what you pay for. It is sad that things are made with such poor quality. Sometimes spending less costs you so much more in time and aggravation (most of the time that is the case!) Thanks for sharing your review. I am sure it will make lots of people think a little bit harder when purchasing something like this.

Sheila


----------



## craftsman on the lake

I usually never type anything in a review unless it's a 'thanks for the review' but in this case I'd say, You should have sprung for the Dewalt 734. $373 with free shipping at amazon as of this writing. It has all the things the craftsman is lacking and a proven track record. I love mine.


----------



## zindel

The funny thing is there was a fine woodworking review of this exact planer and i think they matched it as overall best to the Dewalt 734 i think. I was pretty shocked about that one…this coming from someone who doesn't like craftsmen…


----------



## Rick Dennington

Todd,

Your review is just more "comformation" of why I haven't bought anything by Craftsman since 1985, whenI got my table saw, RAS, and miter saw….all three are still going strong today, but that was then…this is now, and Craftsman is pure Chinese junk, and has been for years….That's why I went with Delta products, and have never looked back…One example: I've got a Delta 12" planer that I bought new in 1987….not one minutes trouble, and it's still going strong today as we speak…..I say sell the Crapsman, spend a little more $$$ for a good quality planer…you won't regret it…...


----------



## firehouse

I HAVE THE SAME PLANER FOR 3 YEARS WITH NO PROBLEM SO FAR ,WITH THAT SAID I DON'T BY CRAFTSMAN TOOLS ANY MORE GUESS I GOT LUCKY. FIREHOUSE


----------



## RibsBrisket4me

I'm glad to read the comments about my review. I love my Craftsman 113.xxxx table saw, my Orion built Craftsman jointer and my Bosch Clone Craftsman router. This planer has been dissapointing for the few months I have used it, but I will continue to work with it some more before I give up. After all, I did get my Ridgid bandsaw working great after working with it for a while and we all know the Orange Bandsaw has some issues. 

I appreciate the comments from all. In retrospect I wish I had bought the DW 734, and if I can't get this thing improved I will get that, or another Ridgid.

Cheers!


----------



## tierraverde

Need we say more about Crapsman!
Only marginally better than Black & Decker….....Maybe a tie.
As I stated on another post, I wouldn't buy a box of nails at Sears…......or anything else.


----------



## Everett1

I stick to just handtools from craftsman and routers that they have in clearance for 40 bucks sometimes


----------



## craftsman on the lake

On the other hand…. My craftsman 14" bandsaw, 48" belt sander, and 6" jointer, all circa 1976 are still humming along today and are my goto machines.

I cut a lot of metal for welding with 4" grinders. I burned a makita and a millwaukee out each in 1 year. I burned out three $10 ones from harbor freight each in 20 minutes.. no kidding. I bought a craftsman one with a 3 year warranty for an extra $7… thinking, "I'll fix them, I'll burn it out and get a new one. I'll never buy a grinder again". It's been five years on the same one, a craftsman… go figure.

Then again I have a friend who has yet to get a straight cut on his 10" craftsman miter saw.


----------



## Towtruck

I think it's sad the direction Craftsman has gone. They used to be the poor mans cadillac of tools.


----------



## pintodeluxe

I share your appreciation for Dewalt tools. I would recommend the Dewalt 735 because of its automatic cutterhead lock. It is so nice to not have to lock it down after every adjustment. With the optional table supports, it nearly eliminates all snipe. Finish quality is excellent.
This is a popular tool, so the used market is very good.


----------



## REK

I have the dewalt planner 733-734 something like that. I have had it 2 years no problems. 
You can still take the craftsman back if your in your first 30 days. The dewalts are still
399.00. Think if the craftsman never breaks down you'll be trowing away 6" of every board
you plane for the next 10 years, that's a lot more than 150 bucks!!!!! Right now I am making
2 bookshelves, with the wood used if I had your planer I'd have to scrap 1/2 a board foot 
of cherry every board at 4 dollars a BF. that's 6 BF on this project alone.

Good luck Todd, I hope your under your 30 days and my argument compells you to buy 
the de walt you liked so much in the past!!!!


----------



## TechRedneck

I have this planer. Had it for a couple years. It has always sniped for me as well. I only use it for hogging off any more than 1/8 inch. I bought it for a number of reasons, price being one. The nice features are the top crank and the movable cutter head.

I have this on the side of my assembly table at a fixed position. I built a small cabinet for it with levelers so I could dial it in the out feed dead level with the table. I guess I could build a in feed extension but why? I am sure it will still snipe. This planer is fine for light duty and I was just using it today. Dust collection is good.

For the money I spent and the duty I ask of it it is fine for me. I am sure that most planers snipe a little. Instead of upgrading, I went and dropped the coin on a Jet 16/32 drum sander. I also picked up a larger used planer that I have on a mobile cart. That is the one used to plane rough lumber.

This is just a cheap rather under powered little planer. It does what I ask of it, but don't expect to run the thing for hours on a hundred board feet or more.


----------



## lenb

I did buy a $650.00 DW 735 planer and know I am also disapponited, I was really impressed after I purchased it.
Now the edge is gone on the blades and I find out that they are disposable blades and can not be sharpened so now I need to buy Disposable blades at about $60.00 a set or get a carbide tipped set which I am in the process of researching now, Does any one have comments on that idea. Do you know a good retailer to buy from? If they were in Canada would be good.
Len


----------



## 280305

Len,

You probably know this, but just to be sure, those blades are reversible.

I see that Amazon has the DW 735 blades for $45.


----------



## lenb

Yep, the edge is gone on both side!


----------



## cabmaker

If it is not painful when you buy, it will not be your last one. JB


----------



## craftsman on the lake

Lenb, my reversible Dewalt 734 blades lasted about 2400 bdft of oak before they started to slow down. I just reversed them the other day. I expect another couple of years with them. How much wood did you put through the 735 before the blades went, nevermind both sides of them?


----------



## lenb

I really dont know but I did plane some cherry that a friend gave to me, it may have been outside and had some dirt on it however I new that so I wire brushed that . However I planed that and things went bad, slow and even start burnishing the wood. It may have been several hundred b.f. So I reversed the blades and re did some that had been done already and they worked OK to do the already planed wood. I also waxed the base which certainly helped fpr a litte while. Now I am doing some very good clean poplar which is almost a soft wood and things are really slowing down again.


----------



## doncutlip

I have the smallest Delta planer, and I always get snipe so I just live with it. Knowing how they work, if there's a planer that will give absolutely zero snipe I'd have to see it to believe it.


----------



## RibsBrisket4me

Holy cow, it works!!!!! Well, I've been messing with this thing for a few weeks now, just getting more and more frustrated. How in the world is this thing chattering and giving me snipe and gouges across an entire board?

So I took it apart and I had TWO LOOSE screws on one of the blades.

Took out my allen wrench and tightend them up. Cut quality was much better. Then I went back to basics again to set up the tables. Set the infeed table level with the middle table, and then the outfeed table level as well. Holy crap-no snipe!!!

As most do, we tend to raise the outfeed table to make less snipe. When I did this, the planer actually snipes more! So put all back to level and ran some oak through.

If I use a 1/4 or 1/2 turn of the crank I get either no snipe or just a hair of snipe, than can actually be sanded out.

If I do a full turn of the cutterhead crank it gets more noticable.

So right now, I've planed 50ft of red oak, with my tables level and only 1/2 turn of lowering the cutterhead at a time and life is great!

It's a little slower by not lowering the cutterhead a full turn, but heck I am REALLY happy!!!!

I GIVE THIS TOOL 4 stars now!!!!


----------



## lunn

I have the same planer, make a good boat anchor if it was heavy enough. Not even good for that ! The blades are 2 per pack Takes 3 blades so you have to buy 2 packs. The store i went to only carries 1 pack at a time !!!! So i guess i'll just have to make 2 trips will be only 160+ miles Way to go Sears !!! Wonder why they are closing stores everwhere ?


----------



## lunn

OOPS i have the 13 1/2 planer


----------



## Oxi

Apologies if this is off-topic. I recently bought a 12.5" Craftsman planer Model 351-233731. It came without knife gauge and uselessly dull blades. Finally found replacement blades from Powertec but no gauge (part 3879.00). Sears is no help, it's too obsolete ("Manufacturer no longer makes this part, and there's no substitute part"). "Manufacturer" (Colovos Co.) is a questionable importer in Chicago that doesn't answer its phone. 
I've never changed blades on a planer and don't know where to start; downloaded manual is ridiculously unhelpful.
Anyone know of a You-Tube guide to blade changing, or an actual manual? How about a work-around for a missing blade gauge?
I know my way around woodworking tools and tools in general, but not a planer, so I'm stymied. Thanks for any advice.


----------

