# Problem with my Dewalt 734 Planer - HELP!



## Cozmo35 (Feb 1, 2010)

I bought a Dewalt 734 planer and used it for about 3 months on and off. It stopped pulling the wood in and pushing it out the other side. I had to manually push it in one side and reach over to pull it out of the other side. I had bought it at Home Depot, so I took it back. They exchanged it and I got a new planer. I have had it for less than a month and it is *doing the same thing*! I contacted Dewalt when I first encountered this problem and they suggested that I clean the rollers with mineral spirits. I did that and it didn't help. They also suggested that I adjust the deck up a little. *STILL* no results. It happens regardless of how little or much wood I try to plane of at one time. Have any of you had this type of problem? Please drop me a line if you can help!


----------



## cigarman (Jan 20, 2010)

Hello I would not clean with mineral spirits but would try acitone this will leave no residue on the wheels


----------



## NewPickeringWdWrkr (Feb 24, 2010)

I used to service photo copiers and printers. Try using a cotton rag soaked with isopropyl alcohol. No residue and it works wonders on taking away the shiny buildup that causes them to slide.


----------



## alanealane (Oct 1, 2007)

I have a DW733, which is practically identical, except yours has one more knife in the cutterhead than mine. I've done extensive overhauling to mine, and pretty much know it inside and out… So then, try this if the above suggestions don't help:

First, put on some safety glasses, turn the planer on and look at the feed rollers while it's running. Are the feed rollers turning? If they are, then likely the problem is what you stated above-they're just not grabbing the wood. If this is the case, there may be a problem with how the rollers are mounted in the planer. There are springs that force the rollers down toward the bed of the planer, and if the springs are faulty or worn out, the rollers will not exert enough downward pressure on the wood to pull it through.

If the rollers don't spin while the planer is running or *if the rear roller only* is spinning, you may have either a broken chain or a broken sprocket in the "drive section" of the machine. HERE ARE SOME EXPLODED DRAWINGS OF THE PLANER. REFER TO THESE AS YOU GO THROUGH THE FOLLOWING STEPS. YOU MIGHT WANT TO PRINT THESE OUT: Main Assembly, Motor Assembly, and Base Assembly. I'll be referring to part numbers that relate directly to the drawings.

To check for drive sprocket/gear problems:

1. Make sure the machine is unplugged, and raise the planer head as high as you can (Make sure you have some snap-ring pliers handy for later, in case you have to remove a sprocket. Also, I FIND THAT METRIC ALLEN KEYS WORK BEST on this planer, as well as medium and small Phillips screwdrivers).
2. Take off the crank handle [part #101 and #97]
3. Remove the 4 bolts [part #96] from the top cover [part #95]
4. Remove the four small screws that hold the planer sides to the cover [part #1]. Then lift off the cover and set it aside, and lift out the planer sides [part #3 and #19].

Your planer should now have only the base, the 4 guide posts, and the cutterblock.

As you face the front of the planer (the side that says DeWalt), you want to look on the left side for a plastic cover [part #36] between the two left-hand guide posts. This is covering the sprocket & chain assembly.

5. Toward the left side, there are two screws [part #35] threaded upward into the bottom of the cutterblock. Remove these and remove the plastic cover [#36].

6. Examine the chains and sprockets. Are any parts broken? Are all the teeth on the sprockets?
7. If there's no visible damage, turn the planer on, and observe the feed rollers and the chains/sprockets. Do they turn? If not, use the snap-ring pliers to remove the snap rings [part #37].
8. Remove the chains and sprockets [#32, #38, and #178]. Be patient and try to remove each chain with its two sprockets all at once. Check the sprockets for broken keys. If they have been broken, you'll need to get new sprockets.

Hopefully you will have found the problem by now. If not, bolt just the top cover back on without the sides, put your crank handle back on, and try to plane a board. While it's going through the planer, watch the left side of the planer to see if the feed rollers raise slightly away from the planer bed. If not, they may be jammed in an 'upward' position.

To remove the rollers:

1. Find a board of wood that is long enough to be under both feed rollers at once, and about 6 to 7" wide. Put it on its thin edge on the planer and lower the planer (with the POWER OFF) down onto the edge of the board. 
2. Rotate the cutterhead so that knives are won't push into the board. 
3. Then crank the planer down onto the board as solidly as you can. It might be good to remove the crank handle and use Vise Grip pliers on the crank shaft.
4. Then remove the screws that hold the roller brackets in [part #35 which is the same type of screw that held the plastic sprocket cover on]. 
5. Take the brackets off [part #56].
6. Gently raise the planer head up and the rollers SHOULD come out of the bottom of the planer. If they don't, they're probably jammed up and won't "float" over the wood you put through the planer. 
7. See if you can check the springs [part #73 and #58] for being faulty, and lubricate the roller blocks where they fit into the planer head.
*I noticed that on the DW734, the springs are configured differently than on my DW733. On your planer, there is a different spring on the right-hand infeed roller than the rest of the springs. On mine, the left-hand outfeed spring has TWO springs-one inside the other for added force. If you need to, order the springs for the DW733 and put them in your planer.* This should work just fine.

Go to Dewalt Service Net and register a free account with them to order parts.

Put the rollers back in using the same method as you removed them, and run another test board through the planer. You may end up needing to order new rollers or springs.

I hope you can get this fixed. I've only ever had trouble with my feed rollers when I put a board through that had a shellac finish on it. That made the board slippery and the rollers wouldn't grab it.

Sorry for the long tutorial, but DeWalt doesn't put this kind of instructions in the owner's manual.
Let me know if you have any questions or need more help!!


----------



## Cozmo35 (Feb 1, 2010)

*Alane! WOW!* You really know your *ShTuF!* I WILL put this infomation to good use!! _THANK YOU!







*


----------



## mcase (Oct 31, 2009)

Cozmo,

Had the same problem with the 735. If things check and the rollers are rolling, then you may have the problem I encountered. Its simply friction on the bed. I cleaned the bed with mineral spirits and coated it with Slip IT and the problem was instantly solved. Paste wax will probable work as well. You might want to try this before you disassemble your machine.


----------



## Cozmo35 (Feb 1, 2010)

mcase, Thanks! I will. I wasn't looking forward to taking that thing apart! You LJ people are AWESOME! I appreciate it!


----------



## Cozmo35 (Feb 1, 2010)

mcase, The Paste wax worked!! THANKS!!!!


----------



## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

Yep…the wax on the bed is the key. You will find after time the pitch and resin in the wood will cause it to start to stick. Rewax the bed and you should be fine.


----------



## sphere (Feb 6, 2010)

dull knives do that too on mine.


----------



## alanealane (Oct 1, 2007)

Cozmo, I'm just as elated as you are that you don't have to take the planer apart!!! I did have a broken sprocket at one time, and I had to fix it. I hope it never happens to you, but you'll know how to take care of it if it does happen.

In the meantime…Hooray for you!


----------



## hunter56 (Feb 6, 2010)

If your tool is on warranty never tear it apart if you are going to have a sevice center work on it. You will void the warranty. Hope the bed cleaning works but sometimes Dewalt just gets a bad batch of planers.


----------



## alanealane (Oct 1, 2007)

OOOH! I totally apologize for suggesting that you take your NEW planer apart… Mine was far past the warranty when it needed repair, and the broken part was my own fault. I tried to plane a board that tapered in thickness (I never bothered to check). The thinner end of the board went into the planer first, and it kept getting thicker and thicker until one of the drive sprockets snapped…

Thanks for the reminder hunter56!!

;-D


----------



## JCWoodworker (Nov 4, 2010)

Dewalt 735 Planer- Motor ran and then stopped and will not turn back on. It's about 4 years old, I already checked the brushes and they are still good. Any suggestions? Or is the motor shot?


----------



## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

JC: Stupid question, but doesn't the 735 have a circuit breaker ?

If so, did yours trip (overload condition)?

If it did …. easy fix


----------



## Elizabeth (Oct 17, 2009)

Just posting to say that JCWoodworker has also made his own thread for this question:

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/21782


----------



## vegeta (Mar 10, 2009)

Alane your post on this planer question is great and very informative 
thank's for sharing


----------



## alanealane (Oct 1, 2007)

Anytime. I've had to give my planer some serious TLC, and it still runs like a champ! If you ever have questions, send a message and I'll try to help, even if I only make things worse…LOL.


----------



## McLeanVA (Dec 30, 2008)

This thread saved me time, money and a ton of angst. I too have a DW734 and had been frustrated with its performance over the past few weeks. It just quit pulling boards through and I was forced to use a thin push stick to coax them through to the outfeed table. I honed the blades a bit with a handheld sharpener, paste waxed the bed and rubbed the rollers with some mineral spirits (only thing I had on hand) and I was shocked at how immediate the results were. Thank you LJs. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.


----------



## Kindlingmaker (Sep 29, 2008)

Thank you Cozmo35 and all the rest of you! My DeWalt has the same problem and I called the company and got the same rather lame answers that didn't help at all. I will head for the shop and get the wax out!


----------



## Howie (May 25, 2010)

I have a 735 and never had a problem…yet…thanks for the tips and I'll know what to look for when it happens.


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I had a DW734 - It' important to keep the beds clean of pitch and
waxed. Watch for pitch build on the rollers too.

I broke a drive sprocket for the chain eventually. It's a sintered sprocket
which is cheap and prone to break, but it does perhaps prevent motor
burnout by breaking. The part costs about $12. Taking the planer base
apart to fix it is a pain but once it's apart the fix is pretty easy.

I ran a lot of feet through that planer. I still complained when the 
sprocket broke, but, realistically, the maintenance costs of the machine
were pretty low.

Setting up your infeed and outfeed supports is important with lightweight
planers for a good cut and smooth feed. Also make sure your cuts are not
too deep (variable according to wood density and width) and, for optimum
performance, use dust collection.


----------



## conwaydog (Jan 30, 2008)

My dewalt planer is trying to break down on me before I finish a Christmas present, so Im asking the LJ pros for help. It is pulling the material thru but the motor is making random clicking noises and it will stop feeding for a second and will continue feeding. Is it possible for the drive chain to be stretched and allowing it to jump the sprocket?


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

These planer do that. Clean the feed rollers with mineral spirits,
wax and buff the tables.


----------



## Jenine (Sep 6, 2013)

I just had this problem, and of course there was a solution on lumberjocks! For me, cleaning the rollers AND cleaning the infeed and outfeed tables plus applying paste wax fixed my problem, so thanks to the guys who posted those solutions! Alanealane - WOW, if I ever have the sprocket issue, thanks for posting that amazing description of how to fix it! I am sure it will come in handy some day!


----------



## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

I agree with Jenine. The issue is usually the table has resin on it from the wood. If you use a paste wax which is silica free, and wax the table, you will find that the wood will glide right through.


----------



## Jenine (Sep 6, 2013)

I know I said paste wax, but I actually used a beeswax mixture. I use it for EVERYTHING from finishing wood to lubricating and protecting hand saw blades to waxing my cast iron tops. I am sure everyone has heard it before: double boiler + beeswax + mineral oil. Melt, adjust proportions to suit the task at hand. I usually start with 60% beeswax to 40% mineral oil and switch it up from there. Couldn't think of a better use for my double boiler…


----------



## GFYS (Nov 23, 2008)

I use a can of cleaner I got for my cordless nail gun. It doesn't hurt rubber etc and takes off grease and oils pronto. It cleans off sap and buildup from wood on the rollers. The I also use silicon spray on the deck and wipe it down…I know some her are gonna have a cow….but Ive used it for decades and never had a finishing issue.


----------



## jbjornling (Oct 3, 2015)

i spray my tables with WD40 on my 735, and also fill the channels in the cutter head with the stuff every 2 hours. i clean it ALOT. i clean the rollers with dish soap.

I happen to have a peice of knot jammed in my rollers, its a 735, any one have any ideas about getting it out? seperating the top from the bottom would do it if i knew i could get it back together. also popping the rollers out would PROBABLY do it, provided my rollers werent jammed too tight. spockets look fine. hoping the gear box is too.


----------



## EricB2017 (Apr 3, 2010)

Hi guys, I also have this planer and I really enjoy it a lot. I have owned it for about 6 years now and it runs like a champ. However, when I was planing some boards recently, I noticed some squeaking that started to occur and I'm not sure what it's from. I was wondering if anybody that owns one here would know? It doesn't squeak the whole time, just when I feed a board through it. And when the squeaking does occur, it only happens once every second while the board is passing through.

I did wax the bottom of the planer, but the problem still exists. I haven't had any trouble with the board not pulling through, so I'm a little worried that one of the barrings are wearing out. On the other hand, I haven't cleaned the feed rollers though. Has anyone had a problem with the planer squeaking?


----------



## tomsteve (Jan 23, 2015)

eric,instead of asking the same question in 6 different threads it would probably be more effective to start one thread of your own.


----------



## WhyMe (Feb 15, 2014)

> eric,instead of asking the same question in 6 different threads it would probably be more effective to start one thread of your own.
> 
> - tomsteve


Yeah…. I was seeing that question so much I thought I was having deja vu.


----------



## JLC13 (May 2, 2020)

I'm new here and want to thank Alex Lane for his post on diagnosing the roller issue.

Recently, I bought a "new" DW734 planer to discover a large crack on the cutting head. It would feed boards but leave an extremely asymmetrical cut. I then returned it for another new one only to discover the rollers don't function.

Doing a google search, I came across this post and followed Alex Lane's instructions to a 'T'. Thank goodness!

One of the sprockets for the chains had broken into 3 pieces. I've located and ordered a replacement sprocket. Currently waiting for it in the mail.

Wanted to say thank you for this post and the expertly detailed instructions for diagnosing my issue along with all of the other great troubleshooting/maintenance advice. Thanks!


----------



## alanealane (Oct 1, 2007)

Wow that's a blast from the past for me! Forgot all about this thread. Hey I'm stoked it worked for you JLC. Sorry if any links I posted above are no longer available but that's the ever changing internet for ya! 

Also if anyone needs a good table lubricant that won't affect finishes, check out Waxilit (this is an unpaid advertisement because I like the stuff). A coworker who ran a cabinet shop for years swears by it and now that I've tried it I'm hooked. Goes on like car wax and buffs away once dry but wow what a difference it makes. Their documentation is a little hard to find but it is available online and they claim no ingredient that causes finishing problems. It's not advertised toward smaller woodworking operations but seems to be directed towards huge woodworking equipment such as industrial molders. 
But even on hand planes and squealing drill bits it's amazing. I may make a separate post for this sometime…


----------



## JLC13 (May 2, 2020)

And you answered my next question on which kind of wax to use on the surface. Much appreciated. Stay tuned for more questions I'll probably have with the new planer.


----------



## mcdave (Jul 22, 2020)

I have the DW734. Waxed the beds, cleaned the feed rollers with alcohol very well and changed the knives. The material will not feed thru without my pushing/pulling. Dewalt wants me to send the planer in, I HAVE NOT WORKED FOR MONTHS and can not afford a big repair bill. I am so frustrated with this thing. without guesses is there someone that knows what is going on? I asked Dewalt and all they will say is send it in.

I have a change to make a little money but I need my planer.

Thank you for your patience.
McDave


----------



## JLC13 (May 2, 2020)

Hello McDave, sorry to hear about your trouble.

If the rollers aren't rotating, I would refer you to Alex Lane's post near the top regarding diagnosing and fixing the issue. I had the same problem and realized I needed to replace a sprocket. The original had shattered. Replacement was around $5.

So far, I've had great customer service with Dewalt warranty-support. I had to send my 60v blower into them and they printed me a label and did not charge for any of the repair work. May want to confirm that with them. Or you may have a Dewalt service center near your location that you could drive to.

Hope you get back up-and-running soon.

JLC


----------



## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

A secondary place to find help is Youtube. There are lots of "how to" videos out there. I used one to walk through repairing my DW735 when I stripped one of the cogs.


----------



## mcdave (Jul 22, 2020)

I forgot to mention that I raised the head all the way up to verify if the rollers are turning when on and they are. It is as if there is not enough pressure on the wood to drag it in and thru the knives.


----------



## toomanytools (Dec 20, 2020)

I realize the question was from a long time ago, but I had the same problem and found this thread.

For anyone who comes across this issue, one easy fix is to check whether or not the speed lever is fully engaged at either the "1" or the "2". You have to change the speed while the motor is running, otherwise it does not fully engage the rollers. The fix for me was to turn the motor on, then flip the lever to either the "1" or the "2" and then the rollers turned again.


----------

