# thickness planer



## bryano (Aug 19, 2007)

I am looking for a thickness planer and dont have a large budget. I was checking out an online auction and found several. I was wanting to know if anyone knows anything about central machenery tools, or king machenery tools. Quality, performance, etc.


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

Not to sure about King,but I think Central is sold by Harbor Freight.

I think if I were you I would stick with a name brand.

Gary


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## bryano (Aug 19, 2007)

Thanks Gary. I was thinking i had saw the name central machenery before but i couldnt remember where. the auction is over in 3 hours for this product and the current bid is 15$.


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## Tangle (Jul 21, 2007)

Last thing I saw with Central Machinery on it was in the back corner of the used room at Idaho Tool. It's been there for a long time. It ain't worth the head aches to buy junk. I highly recommend the DeWalt 735. Yep, it costs $550 but it's worth every penny. Wood comes out almost as smooth as hand planed and I get no snipe. Sanding is pretty minimal. I have no idea how much wood I've planed in the last 2 years with mine. It's not unusual to plane 100 BF at a time. Take small bites and It will last a long time.


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## Tangle (Jul 21, 2007)

Bryano,
I just checked on E-Bay and under "planer" there are at least 2 735's going under $300. No telling where they will wind up but it's a chance.


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## mrtrim (Oct 11, 2007)

im with thos on this , i have a dewalt 13 in. two speed ive had for about two yrs. and i like it very much. im not sure if its the 735 or not . when i was looking for one fine woodworking did a survey on portables and rated it best overall . i paid 499


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## mot (May 8, 2007)

I have the 735 and would buy another if it got swallowed up by the earth. I've never felt it was money I could have spent better! That's rarely the case in my shop.


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## rpmurphy509 (Nov 6, 2007)

Just picked up the 735 last night on recommendations from the carpenters where I work.
Heavy (for it's size), appears very well made, and the couple boards I ran through it
after getting it home were baby smooth. Got it at Home Depot for just under $500.

Some of the things that also attracted me to it was :

3 knife cutter head
2 speed feed
4 column chain lift (larger than normal lift columns for a machine in this price range)

Here's a review from Taunton if you're interested.

Taunton D735 Review


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## mrtrim (Oct 11, 2007)

have you considered a dewalt 735 ?? lol


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## rjack (Nov 5, 2007)

Fine Woodworking just did a tool test of thickness planers and here is what was recommended:


DeWalt 735 - Best Overall - What a surprise! $550
Craftsman 21759 - Best Overall - I guess it was a tie. $530
Ryobi AP1301 - Best Value - $280

You might want to look into the Ryobi is you are on a budget. Personally, I would buy the DeWalt 735.


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## AbeLow (Nov 14, 2007)

There are two machines that are worth considering if you want a combination 12+ inch thickness planner and a 6 inch joiner. One is the Makita 2030. The other is the Hitachi P12RA. I don't believe they are available other than used via ebay or craigslist but they are worth the wait to find one. I have the Makita 2030 with carbide blades and wouldn't trade it for anything other than the Hitachi which is a bit heavier duty. BTW, the Hitachi P12RA is on ebay right now but it looks a bit too shabby.


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## bryano (Aug 19, 2007)

YAAHOOOO! A DeWalt 734 is now in my shop.


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## mrtrim (Oct 11, 2007)

yee hawww ! good for you bryan !!


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

Pretty good! Have you tried it yet?

Gary


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## bryano (Aug 19, 2007)

I tried it on soft wood and i tried it on hard wood. Im happy. works great.


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

As long as there's no snipe, I would be happy also.


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## bryano (Aug 19, 2007)

Nope, no snipe. 15 runs through. Also ran a end grain cutting board through with no problems.


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

End grain! Now that's HARD on the blades.

I wouldn't do that too often if you want to save your blades.


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## motthunter (Dec 31, 2007)

i sware by my dewalt… someday when I go more heavy duty I will look into others


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## IowaWoodcrafter (Mar 29, 2007)

I really like my Dewalt 735. That said I'm looking to upgrade in the next year to a 15" with the spiral carbide cutter head. First on my list though is a drum sander, oh yeah, and a bigger jointer also with spiral carbide cutters.


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## CutNRun (Nov 14, 2007)

I've had a Dewalt 735 for some time now. It does a great job. I replaced the stock knives with some from Infinity Cutting Tools. They were a drop in replacement. Perhaps not quite as baby-butt smooth as a fresh set of the stock knives, but they are lasting MUCH longer. My only issue with the stock knives was the relatively short knife life and fairly high cost. Still love the planer, though.


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## Tangle (Jul 21, 2007)

Yeah, you have to keep sharp knives in them. Good on ya, Bryan.


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## IowaWoodcrafter (Mar 29, 2007)

CutNRun,

Thanks for the tip on the blades from Infinity Cutting Tools. I need a new set of blades and will take your recommendation to buy them from said company. The stock blades are pretty well shot after a year of use. I've used and abused the poor thing. I do like that I can resharpen the Infinity blades, that should extend the life.


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## Sawdustmaker (Jan 2, 2008)

I've got the baby brother (a DW733) 12 1/2" and although not a powerhouse, it does do a great job. I'd like to know if anyone sees a table for it. Tool King had them on sale but they were asking almost 50.00 in shipping and handling fees.


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## IowaWoodcrafter (Mar 29, 2007)

Sawdustmaker,

I built a roll around cart on which I mounted my DW735. It's made from 3/4" MDF. If you'd like I'll take a couple pictures. It's tall enough that I don't have to reach up or bend down to feed stock. It also has two shelves that I use to store tools that have their own case.


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## Tangle (Jul 21, 2007)

I've got my 735 on a tool stand from Sears with a set of wheels on the bottom on a platform I built. Pretty cheap.


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