# Planner Choice



## splinter2 (Dec 5, 2009)

After alot of looking and reading on Planners i think Santa is bringing me this one?(G0689 13" 2 HP Planer) I was looking at a Dewalt 735 and read to many bad reviews about it on Amazon they all talked about the Blades. The Grizzley is more money then i want to spend, but i feel like you get what you pay for. Any reviews on the Grizzley?


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## johnv51 (Oct 27, 2008)

Although I don't have the model you mentioned, I have several Griz tools and intend to buy several more. Don't be afraid to buy the best, you'll only wince once. Go with the Griz.


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Are you sure it was the 735 they were complaining about. If you check the reviews here (and everywhere else) that 735 is the tops lunch box planer. The blades are supposed to be thicker and can be sharpened too. I wish it wasn't so spendy cause I would have went that route if I could have.


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

Just from my experience, I wouldn't buy another planer that is only fitted with a shop vac sized dust port. Clogs up too easily. 

Online reviews aren't always your best source of information. A lot of people tend to glow over a purchase they are happy about NOW, but when the new shiny wears off won't post updates. These enthusiast forums are probably a better bet. Having said that, there are honestly very few truly bad planers on the market today. There are nicer ones that the others, but all of them have their high points, and their low points. 

Due to the skyrocketing price tag, I will no longer recommend the Ryobi AP1301 as it is overpriced for a machine with its shortcomings. Home Depot has that machine now for $249.00, for a mere $30.00 more the Delta TP305 can be had on Amazon with free shipping. Here in Texas, Sales tax makes up for most of the rest of the difference... When my AP1301 came to my shop, the difference was MUCH more dramatic...

Not sure what your budget will allow, but that Dewalt DW735 is actually a very highly regarded machine by the guys that actually use and abuse them. You simply aren't going to find a much nicer planer, at least not in a bench top variety...


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## Texas Sawduster (Apr 27, 2009)

splinter2 said:


> After alot of looking and reading on Planners i think Santa is bringing me this one?(G0689 13" 2 HP Planer) I was looking at a Dewalt 735 and read to many bad reviews about it on Amazon they all talked about the Blades. The Grizzley is more money then i want to spend, but i feel like you get what you pay for. Any reviews on the Grizzley?


I have a Delta (not from a box store ) that I bought a couple years back and I love it. It's a 13" (forget the model at the moment). Got if from a sale at the local Rockler.

I don't think I would buy one from the box stores. I would go with Grizzly before the box stores.


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## splinter2 (Dec 5, 2009)

ACP-- It was the Dewalt 734, not the 735. I have it narrowed down to a few Planners Here are my choices----G0689 13" 2 HP Planer with Dust Collection. Dewalt 735, or i just talked to a guy on another fourm and he was bragging the 12" Planer Model: 2012NB. So i guess it comes down to personal prefrence again so many decission? Thanks Guys for all your Help. My price range is probably under 500. I just not sure iam going to buy one from a Box store, But i do have a woodcrafters about 45 min away, so iam going to go take a look, I called them and they were about 100 dollars higher on there Dewalt 735.


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## Texas Sawduster (Apr 27, 2009)

splinter2 said:


> ACP-- It was the Dewalt 734, not the 735. I have it narrowed down to a few Planners Here are my choices----G0689 13" 2 HP Planer with Dust Collection. Dewalt 735, or i just talked to a guy on another fourm and he was bragging the 12" Planer Model: 2012NB. So i guess it comes down to personal prefrence again so many decission? Thanks Guys for all your Help. My price range is probably under 500. I just not sure iam going to buy one from a Box store, But i do have a woodcrafters about 45 min away, so iam going to go take a look, I called them and they were about 100 dollars higher on there Dewalt 735.


The models at Woodcraft and Rockler are usually a rung or two above the box store models so you will pay more for them.


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## Julian the woodnut (Nov 5, 2008)

I have had a 735 for about 6 years now and It still is working fine after running hundreds of bf of hardwood through it. The complaints about the blades are a bit unfounded and are probably made by people who have never used another planer. Most of the reviews I see online are from unexperienced people.


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## rph816 (Dec 10, 2009)

*Lunch-box or not?*

I don't know what you plan to do with your planer, but I started with a Makita 2012 that I got from my dad, great little machine, planed lots of wood, then we got a delta 12" lunch box, not quite what the makita was. Then we got a sawmill and I quickly went through a Grizz 15" 3 hp (didn't wear it out, sold it to a buddy, just outgrew it) to a Woodmaster 18" 5 HP. If you are thinking of machining rough stock, I'd look at a bigger planer. I picked up the Grizz for $575, my dad now has a 12" woodmaster that he paid $500 for. These were all used machines, but they are many times the machine that the DW and Griz (or any other brand) lunch-box style planers. If you think you might be doing any real volume of planing, I'd consider watching the used market for the real deal.


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## Brian_Hinther (Sep 13, 2009)

That Grizzly just has two blades. I'd go for a three-blade model for smoother cuts: Ridgid 3300, Delta 22-580, or Dewalt 735, to name a few.


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

Brian_Hinther said:


> That Grizzly just has two blades. I'd go for a three-blade model for smoother cuts: Ridgid 3300, Delta 22-580, or Dewalt 735, to name a few.


Quite right! And look for variable speed and locking head, too.


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## Colt W. Knight (Nov 29, 2009)

To me a planer is a neccessary tool, but everyones needs are different. How much will you use the planer, and what will you be using it for. 

I think the best value in a 13" planer is the Rigid. However, the 200$ Ryobi is a nice inexpensive machine. 
If you are going to be planing a lot of wide tough wood, I wouldn't even bother with those lunch box deals, and I would get something like the big 1000$ 15" grizzly planer. 

I agree with the shop vac dust collection comment. Those smaller planer clog way to easy. Sometimes, the clogging is a constant nusance if you are trying to plane something precisely.


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## WoodMark (Dec 18, 2009)

I have a two blade planer. The smoothness of the cut depends on the cutterheads rpm and the rate at which the feed rollers feed the stock. Mine does an excellent job on its slower feed rate. The drawback seems to be that two cutters at a higher rpm will dull quicker that three at a lower rpm


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## AxlMyk (Mar 13, 2007)

First post on this forum.
I have a Dewalt 735 with a Byrd shelix installed. The cats meow.
It was already a great planer without the Byrd, but I still got tearout on figured wood.
Noise and tearout is greatly reduced now.


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## JohnK007 (Nov 14, 2009)

I've got two questions about the 735 I'd like to throw out for discussion. First, around here they're going for about $650. When you add the rolling stand for $150 and the in/outfeed table for another $50, you've got about $850 tied up in it. For another $100 you can get the 15 " Griz. Aside from the portability aspect of the DeWalt, what would be the advantage of getting the yellow one instead of the green one? Second, I've see a number of reconditioned 735's up for sale on various auction sites. Why so many? Have that many machines been returned?
I'm not knocking the 735. Everything I've read indicates that it's the standard that all other lunchboxes are compared to. These questions have been weighing on me though. This from a guy who like the OP is trying to decide what his first planer should be. (I'm leaning towards the Rigid for space & $$$ reasons. I also like the 3 blade concept.)


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## AxlMyk (Mar 13, 2007)

It's possible some of those recons are from HDs $137 sell-off of them. People take them back to a store without the sale and get full price back.
I have about $900 in mine with the Byrd head. I like it because I can mount it on my flip top table with the Ridgid OSS on the other side. A real space saver.


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## Julian the woodnut (Nov 5, 2008)

I paid under $500 for mine new about 5 or 6 years ago from Homey depot. I'd love to buy a byrd head for it someday too, but first in the long list will be a larger jointer. I have a delta 6" that I have had for about 12 years now but would love to upgrade to a 8" or even a 12" if I find the right one for sale WHEN I have green in my pocket, which doesn't happen too often lately........


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## sofalinux (May 28, 2009)

Ridgid!


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## JohnK007 (Nov 14, 2009)

AxlMyk said:


> It's possible some of those recons are from HDs $137 sell-off of them. People take them back to a store without the sale and get full price back....



Didn't think of that.


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## Skidooman93 (Apr 11, 2009)

I have seen the grizzly 15" for $850 with free shipping. If you have a electricity and space for that machine it is a no brainer. I have the ridgid and for 13" planner I think it is the best deal going. You can get them for under $400 when HD has their sales. But if you are going to buy a dewalt 735 and add tables, you might as well by the grizzly. I have used the grizzly it is much much quiter and just a completly better machine than any lunch box planer. My advice either spend the extra and buy the grizzly or look at the ridgid. I have had the orange machin for 3 years and it has never cloged on me, I finally took out the reducer a couple of weeks ago and the dust collection is much better now as well. It is a really nice machine, it does not have a 2nd speed but 90% of uses never use the 2 speed. Good luck.


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## Colt W. Knight (Nov 29, 2009)

The DeWalt 735 is a heavy not so portable, portable planer. Because of its heft, it is well constructed and works well. However, it really cant be compared to the 15" grizzly floor mount. The Dewalt is about 100 pounds, 13" width, no stand, and rubber rollers, 120 volts. The grizzly weighs several hundred pounds, 220 volts, 15 inches, has a stand with rollers, and it has steel rollers and steel fingers that pull wood through the planer knives. This allows it to zip through rough cut lumber without problem. There is no way I would spend that much money on a lunch box planer, unless I needed portabillity. if you are going to keep it in your shop, the bigger planer is the way to go for hundred bucks more. Not saying the dewalt is bad, just saying the grizzly has better features and performance. But its not a portable opotion.


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