Why does everyone think the DeWALT planer is better?
Not sponsored 13" benchtop planer review and comparison between the DeWALT 735x 3 blade planer and the WEN PL1326 spiral planer. This video explores features, capabilities and quality of cut from multiple perspectives, and discuss and summarize pros and cons of each planer.
I bought the WEN planer over a year ago, use it all the time, and really like it. My good friend and fellow woodworker really likes his DeWALT 735x, and so I borrowed his to do a head-to-head comparison.
Links to tools used or referenced in this video. *affiliate
NOTE: since this video was published, WEN has come out with a 2-speed planer, which makes it more competitive with the features of DeWALT. The 2-speed version can be found here...
WEN 13" 2-speed Planer (not shown in the video) - amzn.to/3JdzQpU
WEN 13" Planer (this is the model shown in the video) - amzn.to/3GrVjdS
DeWALT 13" Planer - amzn.to/3LhVR8q
After market Carbide cutters for WEN - NOTE: some of these are sometimes out of stock, so here are a few options, all are the same exact specs...
Cutech brand - cutechtools.us/products/40938...
Aisig brand - amzn.to/3vtyKir
Dirtech brand - amzn.to/3WBADFI
Foxbc brand - amzn.to/3S35USJ
TJATSE brand - amzn.to/3C962Y0
Intro - 0:00
Features - 0:16
Cutter configuration - 3:04
Cut quality - 4:28
Comparison summary - 7:43
*affiliate - As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.
The DEWALT is a BEAST of a machine! WHY? My local Community College has a woodworking program and Dewalt wanted some equipment tested for FREE to use and get beat up by the students. Class schedule had the Dewalt planer exposed to 6 days a week 8AM til 10PM at night for 6 months. NO problems nor any damage was ever shown during this testing process.
Great info! Thanks for sharing!
They weren’t “testing” They already knew the quality and wanted hundreds of people to buy their planer once they graduated since now they just spent years using it. Smart marketing
Within about 4 months of getting the Dewalt I invested in the Shelix replacement head. Expensive, but very well worth it. It's been 7 years and I still have the initial set of cutters.
I'm currently looking at getting the Grizzly spiral cutter which is similar, but 1/3 the price.
Thanks for making that awesome tool comparison video! You gave all the details we need to understand the differences between those machines, your unbiased tests and conclusions were super helpful.
Thank you so much!
That was a really good side by side comparison video! Thank you for taking time to film, edit and post those video. Liked and subscribed.
Much appreciated!
My dad and I both had the same Wen planer. The bearing on the drive shaft wore out on both in about the same amount of time. I think like 3 or 4 years. And not overly heavy use... I now have the Dewalt and have loved it ever since. I plan to eventually get the helical head for it.
Just got this Wen planer and so far it's been amazing
I really appreciate your matter of fact delivery here. No ego or grandstanding. Subscribed.
Thanks so much!
Good review. I've owned both models. I purchased the DeWalt several years ago with no specific projects in mind, just to have as an addition to my shop tool repertoire. As such, I used it minimally, and after a year of non-use (other priorities in life), I sold it. It performed excellently so no complaints there. Very robust machine and it did what it was supposed to. I will say it screamed - the loudest shop tool I ever owned, and without ear protection, it was actually painful. About six months ago I purchased the Wen with specific purposes in mind. I have used it extensively to re-thickness a lot 5/4 poplar stock, and to refinish 13-inch wide surfaces after gluing and jointing. Most of this went into an extensive built-in bookcase. I also make much of the molding I use in remodeling my house and it has been a valuable addition to doing so in conjunction with my table saw and router. I've also run a dozen or so pine 2x4s through it. It has paid for itself several times over as I no longer need to pay a mill for that. I'm sure if I had done this same work with the DeWalt I could say the same. As pointed out in the video, both machines have essentially the same controls, just fabricated differently. Both were easy to use, and both produced excellent output. I always touch sand any output anyway so if there were quality differences they were non-issues. To me, the only differences are price and noise level. Oh, and I would add dust collection. My Wen accommodates a standard 2-1/2 shop hose, as I recall, the DeWalt required duct tape, a bit of a pain. At the time, I paid $396 for the single-speed Wen. They also have a two-speed available.
Great info, thanks for the detailed comments!
Very nice review with good information, good delivery, and no hype. I have subscribed. Thank you!
Thank you! Much appreciated!
I appreciate your explanation and side by side comparisons. It gave me something to think about.
Thanks! Glad it was helpful!
A good friend has had the Dewalt for over 20 years (very regular and heavy use for everything from furniture and cabinet making to building canoes). It recently burned out the motor, so I did a full tear down and rebuild for him. I was very impressed at how well made and easy to service it was. With the replacement motor, and a few other inexpensive “maintenance” parts, I fully expect he will get another 20 years out of that planer. I’m considering buying one so I don’t have to use his all the time ;).
The Jet is the easiest...by far..
Very good review to inspire people, looking at cost and time of service its worth owning one, thank you.
Buy a Dewalt today see the difference
The 733 was a workhorse. Not fancy, but it held up well. The 734 was a step down. The 735 type 1 was good, but the 735 type 12 is absolute junk.
20 years? Must be an older model. That's impressive! I've been recently investing in Dewalt tools for the planer, and some drills, cut off wheels, and reciprocating (sawzall type) saws. Sanding, I think I have to go Festool because I'm just not having luck with anything else no matter what kind of extraction or technique I use.
I've had the Wen for 3-4 years and completely happy with it.
I have had the Bauer planer from harbor freight for three years. I love it!!
Outstanding video, I learned a lot! Definitely worth subscribing. Keep up the good work.
Thank you so much!
Thanks, I've been looking for a good straightforwrd comparison like this.
Great! glad it was helpful!
I have the exact same Dewalt planer shown in this video, and I am very happy with it! I doubt that I could have made a better choice, and I'm saying this as a retired carpenter and woodworker with over 45 years experience.
You'd prefer this to a SCM??
Thanks for the list of cutters. I have a cutech planer and a wahudah jointer. Both have the segmented cutter head. The wahudah cutters are 4 sided and a different size instead of 2.
Great video, I also have the WEN as I'm only planning popular for rail's and styles for cabinet door's so I felt it would do good enough. It has not let me down and I would recommend it to anyone. Thanks for the links for the carbide cutters as well, saves me some to having to research it. I'll probably go ahead and purchase some for the future but thus far the HSS set that came with it are doing great.
Awesome, thanks!
Very good informative review. Common sense, concise and good comparisons. Nice job! I might even upgrade my very functional Delta planer which yeilds usable, but not the best finish.
Thanks!
Solid comparison. Thanks for the effort. Subscribed!
Awesome, thank you!
I used to have 735 with infinity carbide tipped knives. It was a great finish planer.
I have two of the DeWalt planers - I bought the DW735 from the estate of a carpenter - great shape for $250 with stand! I then replaced the 3 blade cutter head with a Byrd Shelix cutter head (less than $400 when I bought it)...the cut quality is outstanding and as you mentioned, the individual cutters are easily changed...my sons use the DW 734 on jobsites.
you wated you money on a new cutter head
So you paid $650 for the planer. Is that good?
Fantastic review. Balanced, fair and honest. Thank you!
Thanks so much!
Very thoughtful comparison. Nice detail. Clearly shown.
Thank you!
I've been looking seriously for a decent low-mid priced planer, and have no real experience with them. So, I have been watching lots of KZhead videos of various reviews. This is the first I have seen where the possibility of using aftermarket carbide blades for the Wen was mentioned. That really makes me take notice of the Wen - especially since it has a significant price advantage. Thanks for taking the time to compare these two planers!
Thanks for the great comment! I agree having the option for carbide cutters is really a bonus.
Yup, on Amazon, 10 inserts are about $22, so for about $50 you can change over to all carbide cutters on the WEN. Just need to pay close attention to the specs - these carbide inserts need to extremely exact dimensions.
Carbide can never get as sharp as steel can. But carbide will not abrade as fast as steel does. So carbide doesn't dull as fast as steel does. But carbide will never cut as cleanly as sharp steel can. That's what you're trading with carbide vs steel.
The carbide blades for the Dewalt are $250 a set and are not reversible. EXPENSIVE! Using tool steel blades is another option for about $100 They give noticeably longer life than the cheap blades and give the mirror smooth cuts of the steel blades. The cheap carbon steel blades last quite a while and are reversible (turn them over for another run) so at under $50 a set are the poor man's option. (ME!) Both the carbon steel and tool steel blades can be resharpened if you buy the resharpening fixture. You can also send them in for resharpening for $10 a blade. (2019 price)
@@glasslinger The Byrd Shelix runs at $700 as an upgrade, or $1600 pre-installed in a new DW-735 as a complete unit, so it isn't cheap. But the blades can be rotated 3 times as each of the 4 sides wear out/chip, and a new set is $45, so depending on how much you use it it could potentially be a long-term money saver over those $250 carbide knives. At which point the Oliver benchtop might be one to consider as well. It's not built like a rock like the DW-735, but it includes the Shelix head by default at a current list price of $1000. If anybody has it in stock, that is.
I own that DeWalt with a Shelix blade upgrade. It's a beast, and I wouldn't trade it for any other bench top planer that I've seen on the market. Couple notes on mine. The stock blades for DeWalt are great.... Until they aren't. To keep that nice cut, you need to change the blades quite a bit. They are HSS and dull/chip easily. Upgrading to the Shelix saved me money in the long run because the blades last a lot longer. Your Wen seems to be shooting more chips out the front than through the dust collector. The DeWalt shoots the chips out the exhaust with such force you actually don't need a vacuum on it. I've used it many times by just putting a dust collection bag on a hose and running the hose straight off the planer. It works fine that way. The DeWalt also has the tool to take it apart built right into the lid, and it's VERY easy to maintain. My vote is for the DeWalt. It's an awesome machine and in my opinion, the best bench top planer you can get and even better with the Shelix (Get the diameter matching version)
You can see in this video, the Dewalt has a blower motor with a turbine impeller that shoots the dust chips out of the back. It basically has a small leaf blower impeller built into it, that blows the chips out. I have never owned one, but seeing that design makes me want one.
@@Ritalie That's exactly what it is. It can easily throw chips 30+ feet. I know this because when I first got mine, I ran it without any dust collection just for giggles, and was surprised with how much power that exhaust has.
I'm not in the market for either of these but thanks for the informative and well-balanced comparison, I enjoyed it a lot. Oh and, subscribed!
Awesome! Thank you!
I love my WEN planer. The spiral cutter head was one reason I bought it.
I have the wen planer with the spiral cutterhead, it has served me well.
I have an 3 blade Delta that's a decade plus old and does the job for me but I like that you can get inexpensive carbide cutters for the Wen and you only have to replace one if it get damaged.
This is one of the most down to earth woodworking video I've seen. I feel like as a hobbyist you looked at these two with the exact kind of considerations I would have when picking tools. Really appreciate the honest take, and realistic expectations
Thank you so much!
@@jkmwoodworking Thank you! Easy subscribe
Yes, IF you are desperate, these "planers" work in a pinch for a SHORT period of time on SMALL wood for a hobbyist willing to do a LOT of sanding afterwards, these tools work. Every woodworker has tried the cheap route and quickly LEFT the cheap tool route. Not for anyone running a business or hobbyist looking at going into business for say home remodeling etc. A real planer, ZERO sanding as there are ZERO cut marks = apply finish direct and has the POWER for correct feed rate to cut the correct depth the first pass through(or 2nd if both sides need to be seen) which means ALL your boards are the correct thickness and your joints match up. Neither of these machines can do this nor can you run long boards through due to their short beds = warped wood.
@@w8stral Have you tested any of them?
I too bought a cheap piece of junk which I thought would save me shop space as I would be able to move it around... Then I learned my lesson the HARD way. Hope you do not have to learn the hard way. Thought blades weren't sharp(they were, put in new ones in fact. Even bought a new spiral($1000 down the drain) head for it). Turns out is it is TYPE of blades combined with LACK OF POWER(feed rate too damned slow, can't do wider boards where you make your $$$, head slows down = burnish marks and accuracy of cut speed) and any knots are all proud and the fact it just did not WEIGH/Rigid enough. Spiral head helps a bit and why this rules out DeWalt and its straight blades, and both are utterly gutless in terms of power. Now ALSO throw in both are not rigid enough thus over a little time of use All those plastic/steel guide parts wear quickly = slop = ripples. There is a reason that those, in these threads talking about DeWalt version have bought SEVERAL of them over the years. Maybe they need the semi portability. I do not know. I do know that the fixed cabinet big boy Powermatic Planner with big rigid castings and bearings I have has has umpteen thousand board feet through it and it still to this day produces perfect wood everytime and the cheap piece of junk, like the ones tested in this "review" produced decently if the boards are tiny, the cut small with perfectly new blades, but quickly turns to ripples. Its your money/time, do with it what you will, I had to learn the hard way, you probably will too. @@henrikgrangaard7498
Couple months ago I bought the 735. Works good now that I have the infeed/outfeed doors figured out and also made a couple simple melamine sleds for pieces that have to be shimmed. I like the high speed chip ejector fan it has. Since I have no dust collection, I roll it outside, point it downwind and blast away.
Basically what I do, point out door and fire away. Plus I make my buddy stand behind it to support the boards on the outfeed side.
They don’t make them like they used to. I went thru a cheaper Dewalt in an hour before the rollers wouldn’t work right. Then I bought a ridged and that latest about 3 hours before rollers wouldn’t work right. Then I bought the expensive Dewalt you have there and it literally last 3 boards before rollers wouldn’t work right. All with just the minimal bite on the setting for depth and using red cedar. I should be able to use any kind of wood for that price point. 3 planners for one job!!!!!! What I do now for the most part is just buy a tool and just return, it even if it doesn’t break, I know it will in a day or two. Crap quality at every turn. That’s what they deserve for putting out such crap!
@@Mosessousa1 this sounds like you were certainly doing something wrong...
@@WolfCatBirdPigMan red cedar with a lot of knots, is the only thing I can think of
@@Mosessousa1 Meh. I have several high quality tools made by all the major higher-priced distributors like Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee. In regards to durability Milwaukee and Dewalt produce fewer lemons than Makita, but they are all good, and mostly durable even for a contractor who puts them to heavy use like myself.
I have had my Dewalt for close to 20 years. It has preformed flawlessly the whole time. I purchased it on line as a reconditioned tool. I like Wen power tools. I have a great Wen drill press but hard to believe anything will match my Dewalt planer.
Had my DeWalt for a year before putting a Lux Cut helical head on it - should’ve done it sooner! Really great finish on anything I’ve ran through it, even end grain mesquite. Can’t speak to the Wen since I’ve never used one, but the dual speed of the DeWalt has been useful and it’s a very solid machine. Definitely not something I’d want to be lifting on and off a bench, but build quality is solid.
Good info. Thank you for sharing. Have a blessed day.
Thank you! You too!
I have the Wen planer and have been very satisfied with the machine. Cost was a consideration for me and I feel like I got my monies worth with the Wen. I have to say that the customer service at Wen, at least for me has been outstanding and am really impressed with that aspect. Well done comparison. Cheers
Good to hear about the good customer service, I've actually never tried to contact them myself. Thanks so much for the kind words!
Great video! touched on very important points! thank you! I ended up going with the DeWalt (took advantage of a great discount).
Great! Thanks!
Nice video, thank you for posting it. A very fair comparison. I bought the WEN also about 18 months ago and feel it represents good value for money. I saw that the steel blades got dull fairly quickly but could be rotated easily enough and I then bought what is perhaps the same set of carbide replacements. If I had a bigger budget I may have gone for the Dewalt and fit the helix head but for a hobbyist like me, I couldn't justify the expense. Pleased to see you felt that there wasn't much between them.
Great, thank you!
I ordered the Wen planer. Should be here today. Thanks for the run through. Would like to see a video of the sled & how it helps.
Great, thanks! I'm working on the planer sled video!
I don't have either one of these. I have the DeWalt 734. It has served me well for the last ten years.
Thanks for this, great comparison!
Thanks!
Side note: When you chip the cutters on a dewalt all you have to do is shift a blade to the left or the right to eliminate the chip line. No need to replace the set. You can also stagger the blades left, right, left and manage damage and chips easier but the easiest way to avoid chipping your blades is don't send garbage wood through and use a metal detector to eliminate the cause. I've had my Dewalt 735 since 2005 and use it for roughly 300 board feet per year on average and typically plane Red Oak, Black Walnut and Ash. Runs like a champ, maintenance is easy, blades can last up to 500 to 750 board feet before you need to flip them. You know the blades are warn when you have to assist the feed. Thanks for the video. Well Done.
Thanks! Good info!
excellent breakdown - VERY helpful!
Thank you so much!
I'm tempted to get a planer but I can say I bought a WEN drill press late last year and I have been extremely satisfied with their product. Thanks for your insight on these planers! I think I would go with the WEN.
Thank you! glad to hear it was helpful
I have a Wen drill press as well..looks exactly like a Jet drill press at about 30% cheaper.. it has served me well for about 3 years.
@@sailingeric - I absolutely love my Wen drill press. The support is great and its an impressive product. We'll see how long it lasts. It replaced a drill press that was over 40 years old and I bought that one new too!
Good to hear. I have the 12" swing arm press in my HD shopping cart right now, haha
Quite simply because it is a beast does a great job super chip ejection excellent finish and long life.I had a rigid looks jus like that wen lasted 3 years bought a dewalt after watching my buddy's run thousands of board ft of cedar and maple for years my planer is doing the same trouble free😊
Brilliant presentation. ThankYou. Grateful 🦘✌️
Thanks!
I was lucky enough to get the dewalt on sale, but I would have no problems using the wen planer if I hadn't. So far wen has been very impressive on the few larger tools I've purchased. (bandsaw, drill press, oscillating sander)
I've had the same Wen planer for about a year. I've run ash, red and white oak, cherry, cedar, and pine through it and was really impressed with the finish I got out of it. I have no experience with any other planer as I've just recently gotten into woodworking. The Dewalt was the other planer I looked at but couldn't justify the extra $200. No complaints with the Wen at this point, and it's good to know that there really are carbide inserts for it.
Give you a hint: Both are garbage. There is a reason you pay more for REAL tools. What he calls an "awesome result" = garbage you can SEE EVERY single blade cut in the walnut even through a video let alone in person. Wood should come out of a planer without ANY need for sanding. You can apply finish immediately. Their adjustability also sucks. He was also putting tiny wood through and they were bogging down. I would hate to think what would happen if you actually put a wide 12" board through... There is a reason you pay more for REAL tools.
@@w8stral You have examples of better machines and their pricing? These are generic consumer grade machines, but for the most part, people are not going to be running 10,000 board feet a day through them. You do get what you pay for...
@@leofortey7561 Here is the REAL deal; REAL tools cost a lot of money, but you also can SELL them nearly for the same price you BUY them for unlike these reviewed tools as you said "generic consumer grade". Buy industrial tools used and you can then near guarantee to sell them for same price or sometimes even more. So your Powermatics of the world etc. Why do you need the High cost, HIGH power, heavy machines? Without enough power and stiffness in the machine, any wider board will be nothing but giant cut marks and will RUIN the wood. Why you NEED wide BIG boards??? The biggest expense is the WOOD and your LABOR cost, NOT the machine cost. Wood only pays for itself if you buy BIG WIDE boards you run through bandsaw/tablesaw and then the planer. Without the BIG REAL planer, you cannot do this and instead of your wood costing ~$5-->$15/lbft you will be paying double this due to LOST wood turned to scrap because you cannot buy LARGE boards to cut into what you need and instead buy smaller wood and then throw half of it out or pretend you can use the scraps piling it up in the corner of your shop. After 2 or 3 projects the cost of the machine vanishes due to SAVING wood costs ALONE irrespective of YOUR labor cost. If you are pushing 1000 board feet through then you MUST buy the bigger machine due to cost savings from NOT wasting wood and big wood is cheaper(within reason) An industrial bandsaw/planer/Shaper and their cutters and dust collection system will pay for themselves in a SINGLE LARGE house if you are doing trim wood to upgrade it. And it will take less of your time. You can get away without a high end tablesaw for most applications and that is pretty much the ONLY tool you can go ~partially cheap on regarding wood working. Router and router bits... nope. 6" dust collector minimum. 4" tubes cannot pull enough VOLUME of air and you will get dust all over your shop and YOU will then start down the track of becoming ALLERGIC to wood shavings/dust and then YOU will not be able to work with wood AT ALL!!! 5Hp and 230V minimum for a planer with consistent RPM/Feed rate so ZERO marks on the wood!!! Technically maybe 3HP if it has a SLOW feed rate. So, your Powermatics, etc of the world. If you are truly strapped, buy the HIGHEST end Grizzly(which is everyone else's low end) which you will then be forced to THROW OUT its cutting head and instead buy a spiral cutting head and it will perform fairly well. Yes, they will cost $5k or more unless you pick one up that was "damaged" cosmetically at a distribution center and if that is the case, just keep calling distribution centers and you can then pick one up for ~$3k. Yes, you will somehow have to get this ~500lb machine or MORE, into your garage, but this just requires bringing a friend or 3 over and "hang out" when it is delivered or you pick it up. Fire up the BBQ and enjoy!~!~ and they will be HAPPY to oblige. If you are desperate, something like this reviewed piece of junk works in a pinch for TINY wood and you have to do a lot of extra work to the so called "finished" wood to make it viable to work with. Your TIME is worth a Hell of a lot. I do not know how much you get paid an hour, but, I'll work overtime and buy a better machine which saves ME time. Your time adds up VERY quickly due to sanding and cursing cheap ass tools alone. You would be better off working at McDonalds and saving for a REAL tool than using trash tools These machines shown, you can't sell them used for more than $200 if you are lucky to some gullible "hobbyist" who knows nothing better.
@@w8stral WOW, what a NASTY way to express your opinion! Opinions are like assholes....
@@leofortey7561 Why even reply to a person who talks like that? Trolls deserve to be left under a bridge.
Perfect review. Thanks!
Thank you so much!
I'm in the market for a planer and very much appreciated the review.
Great, glad it was helpful!
I have the old DeWalt DW733 planer. It is only 2 knives and just a single speed. But the knives are sharpenable and when the knives are sharp it does a good job.
Just found your channel. Looks great, I already watched several videos and subscribed.
Awesome! Thank you!
Really good review. Thank you.
Thank you!
The deciding factor for me was weight! I don't leave my planer set up and ready to use...at 92 lbs, the DeWalt was just too heavy to move comfortably (and safely for my back!), whereas the Wen is 64lbs, which I can comfortably haul up onto a storage shelf. You left out the fact that the cutters on the Wen are 4 sided and can be rotated as they dull (or get nicked), to use all of the faces!
Oh, you can be sure the TheFault fanboy didn't forget the facts that makes the Wen a better choice.
I’ve watched a few similar comparison videos and surprised none mention the in my opinion huge advantage of easy portability of the dewalt over other compared thicknesses which is for me also an important facility. I enjoyed your videos too 👌
Good point! Thanks!
I received the 735X (came with extra set of blades) I ordered Amazon today which shipped to NC from UT and sustained a shattered cover over the drive side. I logged into the DeWalt web site and started a warrantee claim and within minutes there was a reply with a link a listing of parts so I could identify what I needed by part no. That level of customer service was impressive. I put the broken cover back together with CA glue and fired up the planer and was very impressed with the results.
Thank you for the review!!
Thanks for watching!
Excellent video! Very informative! I really like your straightforward, “just the facts” presentation style. You have a new subscriber! Having very limited discretionary income, I’ve bought and owned a few Wen tools and I’m always impressed (and somewhat surprised) by the quality and performance given the price. Even before seeing this video, I would have been strongly inclined to choose the Wen over a DeWalt. As for the issues that BOTH planers had with the maple, I always plane by hand any stock that has special grain and/or figuring. In my view, if it’s particularly interesting (and therefore beautiful), why take the chance of messing it up with anything other than a well-tuned (and expertly used) hand plane?
Thanks so much for the kind words! Great point on just using a hand plane for certain pieces of wood!
I have an older Dewalt 733, two cutting blades, pretty sure the Wen would outperform it. It was given to me in a box, in pieces. The former owner overworked it, broke a $5.00 gear, which he didn't know when it quit working, broke it down into parts and pieces, then bought the newer model. After some serious cleaning, a new gear, it works as well as that model can. I definitely like the slower feed rate of the 735x, adding helical cutters would be a must.
Good review, well done. One major difference is that the Dewalt has a dedicated chip extractor/blower. This is a nice feature because I use a dedicated bag to collect chips without filling up my primary dust collector. If I'm only milling a couple boards, I use my dust collector out of simple convenience... However, if I'm milling many boards, I use the dedicated bag. Also, you can get after-market helical cutter heads for the Dewalt. This is an expensive option, but a nice option to have. With the helical cutter head in my Dewalt, I have a small lunchbox planer that will compete with a much more expensive floor model planer.
Good info, and great point about the dedicated chip blower. Thanks!
I bought the 13" Rikon planer with spiral cutting heads similar to the WEN. I decided to go with the Rikon because of the straight knife design on the DeWalt creates saw dust that is in strips rather than small chips of saw dust from the individual spiral cutters. The strips from the DeWalt can clog up a dust collection hose or entry point of the impeller.
I do like some wen products, but with something like the the DeWalt planer, everything about it is just so premium. I got it on sale with the cart and extra blades and tables for $700, incredible value.
The wen cutter knives have 4 edges that can be used before replacement so cost is even less im in market for planer so thanks for this review and either way i go i will be swapping it to updated cutting heads
I was in the market for a planner and after countless reviews the DeWalt was always either top or close to top one so I went this route. I am an occasional DIY so am very open to bang for buck tools but didn’t want to take chances on a planner. Also, I liked the smaller footprint of this planner since I have a small shop. It has been fantastic so far, leaves really nice finish, currently planning cedar and I am amazed at the surface finish its leaving but I need to play around more adjusting my in/out feed tables as I’m getting snipe. Used a straight edge and adjusted slightly higher as you suggested still leaving snipe 😢. I would love to upgrade to carbide cutters but the cost is keeping me. To me and what you found I think the 2 speed function puts this above any other in price range.
Fantastic video. Thank you so much. Any idea if you can run rough cedar through the Wen?
Thanks! Yes, I've run cedar through it, and no problems. Both eastern red cedar (aromatic cedar), and I've also planed the cedar fence panels that you buy at home depot with no problem using the WEN planer.
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I’m so glad you mentioned cedar fence panels. We plan to purchase the cedar fence panels, plane them, and use them to line our DIY sauna. So much cheaper than buying boards or tongue and groove!! I really do appreciate your response. Thank you.
I have the Wen, my 30 year old Delta portable thickness planer died and parts aren't available (it wasn't very good, anyway). I wanted the "spiral" cutterhead and I couldn't resist the low price tag. We have been using the Wen planer on a jobsite to dimension and repurpose used or leftover materials that we are turning into paneling, trim, and gates. One of the teeth got nicked, I believe someone fed a board with a small pebble imbedded in it. Happy that I bought the Wen, and glad I found this video with a source for carbide cutters.
Great! Glad it was helpful!
As a cabinet maker of 40 years. 18 years finishing the interior of ships. Going through dozens of job site planners the DeWalt is hands-down better built last longer and cut better than any of the rest I've ever tried. The planner was the most used tool next to the table saw. From 8 to 12 thousand foot of teak planed once a week one of the DeWolf lasted six years
So for someone planning commercial quantities of an extremely hard wood you should get a more expensive planer?
@@msromike123 well that would be obvious. You're not really saving money if you have to replace the tool every few months. You're going to do commercial work you buy commercial tools
8 to 12 thousand feet a week.....sure you did
@@Scott-st2yi yeah inch and a quarter by 3/8 flat trim 6 and 12000 ft was nothing.
This video was not made to inform commercial carpenters on what tool to choose. I think is the point he’s trying to makes
Great comparison. One question on dust collection - do you use one of those big dust collection machines with your WEN? I only have a cyclone separator connected to a 6.5hp shop vac. Not sure if this type of setup will work with the WEN. On the other hand I have heard great reviews about the built-in dust extractor system of the DW735. Apparently, it doesn't need any external assistance. Thanks and looking forward to more of your videos.
Thanks Ashok! I have the same dust collection for my WEN as you, a simple cyclone separator with a shop vac. It seems to work pretty good.
I been getting more Dewalt tools every since I started working with my impact & drill gun, the brand looks good and feels nice I want one of these, lot easier than using a table saw for the same result
Great information!!!!!11!2!!!+ BubDewalt! I lookead at many 1older units at the time and it looked smart. Love it. Dust colection is great as it helps spit the dust out. Dont know about the other unit though. Only thing Id like is to replace the cutter with carbide.
Thanks!
Finally, an unbiased comparison to the all mighty DeWalt planer! I am truly surprised at how close the Wen was in all-around comparison especially in the actual planing of your test pieces! Good job , good video!
Thank you!
Thanks for all the information
Thank you!
Steve, good video since im shopping for my first planer. As a separate question what software do you use to type the text in your videos? I like its simplicity.
Thanks Phil! The software I use for the text animation is Doodly
Good comparison video. I'm leaning towards the DeWalt.
Great, thanks!
First time viewer, and I like your speaking tone and presentation. I have a Porter Cable (Delta) planer, and I've been happy with it. When I look for a tool for any job, I don't want to pay more for it than what is needed. If I pay more, I should be getting more. Simple, right? The P-C does fine for me, and it cost one third of the price of Dewalt. I could buy a spherical cutter head for it and it would cut like the Dewalt, but then I've spent $200 dollars more. I'll keep what I've got.
Thanks!
Thanks for a good review. The Wen would be well worth the money for light hobby work. That being said, I've had my Dewalt for eight years and shoved a fair amount of wood through it without complaint, just wonder how the Wen would do after extended use?
Great video! My WEN blew up after a few months. Maybe 1,000 bd. Ft. Went with the Dewalt after that. Several thousand bd. ft. later and it still works like new. The Dewalt does AAA Curly/Birdseye Maple very nice. That depth gauge going the entire way across is a bug deal. To wear the knives evenly you are never just putting boards thru in the center. I don't think Shelix makes a WEN option either.
Good info, thanks!
Good review. Thanks.
Thank you!
You can get a helical carbide cutter head for DeWalt, but they are kinda spendy. The price has come down a bit lately, because more companies are starting to make them. BTW I have the DeWalt and carbide heads. Once you have the carbide head assembly the replacement cutters are pretty reasonable, and the noise level comes down a bit.
I love my dewalt! I got the Wen first in an attempt to save on cost and the motor blew within a month.
I bought the Dewalt 734 instead mostly due to cost and I'm happy with it.
I have had a ridgid planer for 20 years now and it works great except the blades are not available anymore so i have to keep sharpening the old ones. Used the dewalt on the job for many years and eventually the height adjustment kept getting stuck, my buddy had to replace some parts to fix it. Anyone else had that issue ?
I think what you’re sensing with feeling that the DeWalt is better designed and built is simply that it is both better designed and better built. I have a Wen 8” drill press I use for small hobby stuff and a couple of Wen belt sanders. One bench top and one handheld. All three are great… But only for what they are. Which is cheap Chinese tools I will simply throw away when they wear out. End of story. That’s not something I even consider on the extremely rare occasion that a DeWalt tool lets me down. I either send it in for repair or fix it myself. But getting back to the planers showcased here. I think you did a very fair and well thought out comparison and I can definitely see the spiral cutting head of the Wen being a net positive, especially with carbide inserts. But I do have a couple of notes… While both have 4 leadscrews and the mechanisms are connected via a chain system. They are actually quite different. First, the Wen is turning the leadscrews while the DeWalt is turning nuts on stationary leadscrews that are also double the diameter. Second; the “footprint” of the cutter gantry on the DeWalt is also double the size of the Wen. Making for more a much more stable and rigid machine. As a side note. You can absolutely buy either a helix or spiral cutting head with carbide inserts for the DeWalt. However, to be fair. They’re extremely expensive these days and that’s on top of voiding the warranty. Plus DeWalt just raised the price of their planer. So between the planer and an aftermarket cutter. You could easily spend $1,500, give or take a little depending on if you get new bearing and an extra set of carbide inserts or two…
I recently purchased the wen planer. I love it. I've used it to help mill down walnut logs after I cut them into boards. It's been awesome. Any chance you can say where you got the carbide cutters from? Might be a nice upgrade. Thx for the video.
Yes, I bought the cutters online, there is a link in the video description to them. Thanks!
The General version of that Wen is awesome. It's got a helical head. The blower on the DeWalt actually becomes annoying when trying to use a collector can for thd chips (the lid gets blown off)
I got a old foley-belsaw wood planer that is over 50 years old and still works great today all I had to do is replace the 3 cutter knives they were $25 each
The 90 degree discharge on the WEN for the vacuum seems like a good touch. The dewalt can leave the hose hanging down and in the way of the material being fed.
Looks like WEN may be the manufacturer of the Ridgid planner I have. They are almost identical. It has worked well for me.
Really good comparison
Thank you!
You went over and above merely earning the sub with bell. Thanks so much!
Thank you so much!
I bought a powermatic with the helical head what a great machine
I got my DeWalt years ago when the state didn't make Amazon charge tax for items out of state. 425.00 new. Even got DeWalt blades for 16.00 a pack a few years ago.
I picked up a used Makita 2040 for about $200 and got the knives sharpened professionally. It rocks! Unless you want to take it to a job site...
Not everyone thinks this boat anchor is a better planer so you can remove that from the headline. I owned one of these for 2 weeks. Was glad to take it back to the retailer. The snipe alone was enough to want to get rid of the thing, and the noise was off the charts and the overly powerful dust/chip extractor was way to forceful. Compared to my simple, light, and highly efficient 25 year old Ryobi AP13 the DeWalt does not make a smoother cut nor is it easy to move around the shop or on the jobsite.
On more figured and tough grained boards sometimes skewing the board slightly will yield a better cut. I once had access to a DeWalt and loved it. I'm ready to try out the Wen brand and save a few dollars. I have recently started using more recycled and pallet wood. The cheaper blade and ease of replacement on the Wen looks promising.
Great tip! Thanks!
If you have to "skew" your wood in a planer to get a "good" finish = GARBAGE head, buy something, ANYTHING else without straight blades!~!~!. Why they make spiral cutting heads.
Thanks for not deciding which one was "better". Excellent, unbiased comparison.
Thank you!
Bought the wen drywall sander. Price point it’s fantastic for the amount I use it
Good job on locating carbide cutters. WEN makes a 2 speed planer.
Thanks! At the time I published this video, WEN had not yet released their 2-speed planer. Since then, I was able to get ahold of a Cutech 2-speed planer (same as WEN, just branded differently), and I did a video review of the 2-speed planer as a separate video. here is the link to that video... kzhead.info/sun/qZGPcaiRmINuYIU/bejne.html
@@jkmwoodworking Thank you. Cutech seems to be the answer unless one can afford the $999 Oliver.
Agreed. I'm using the Cutech machine now on the slow feedrate speed as my primary go-to planer.
I jave a 15 inch jet. I came into a big load of barn oak. Nails galore. I think I need that Wen.
About buying two WEN and feed on that feed the second one automatically. First is set for rough, the second is the finishing touch.