DEWALT DW734 Heavy Duty 15 Amp 12-1/2-Inch Benchtop Planer

i spent a long time comparing this planer to the delta two speed planer. i took a trip to lowes, which carries both machines, i decided that the dewalt had a better fit and finish, and the ergonomics were much better, eg. the four column lock right over the motor is great for quick releases and lock downs.

overall, a great machine.


Excellent tool   June 23, 2004
25 out of 26 found this review helpful

I bought this planer a month ago from a local home center. I was disappointed to see it made in Taiwan, but little can be done since most are anyway. It took almost no time to set up, and I was planing some Zebrawood right away. Zebrawood is a notoriously difficult wood to plane, but this machine did a superb job. No snipe or problems in 11 BF of lumber. I've planed 2 BF of Purpleheart, 17 BF of Black Walnut, 7 BF of White Oak, and some small amounts of other hard and soft woods. The knives are still sharp and doing a fine job. The depth adjustment is very easy to use, and accurate. The turret stop can be set for 3/4", 1/2", 1/4", 1/8" settings for repetitive thickness planing in different boards. This is a very nice feature. The dust collection works well, but don't expect 100% of the chips to be collected as some do find their way out. I have it hooked up to a ShopVac and the system works well for me. Changing the knives is easy, and the overall fit and finish of the machine is quite good. The important thing to remember is to never take more than 1/32" off at a time. Shallow passes take more time, but they don't load the motor or knives as much and the finish quality is better. Also, allow the tool (and knives) to rest/cool after several minutes of use. This planer isn't designed for cabinet shops and shouldn't be left on for long periods of time. Use rollers to support long pieces of lumber as this will make it less likely for the board or machine to be damaged. Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. I have used this machine heavily in the past month and will continue to put it to use. I am confident it will hold up as I've had good experience with DeWalt. I highly recommend this tool.


Feedback on Amazon and on first few uses of planer   September 3, 2004
Mark (Atlanta)
23 out of 25 found this review helpful

First, a little praise for Amazon. $25.00 discount, free shipping, and free set of spare knives (didn't even know these were included.), resulted in a delivered price of $345. That's the best deal in town, especially when you consider the free $40 knives.

Now, the planer. It's heavy. Really heavy. But that's a good thing. It took only 10 minutes to set up, read the manual, and make my first sawdust. Initial results were excellent. Glass-smooth surfaces on White Oak, Poplar, and Red Oak. Minimum snipe limited to ends of board. No snipe detected elsewhere.

Nice fit & finish. Decent manual. Good ergonomics. Plenty powerful.

So far, highly recommended. I'll update after a few hundred board feet.

UPDATE - 2 Years Later

I'm still very pleased. I've put in excess of 1000 bf through the planer now. It hasn't missed a beat. Unbelieveably, I'm still on my first set of knives. They are a little nicked now due to some hard maple I put through it a few weeks ago, but I'm not yet sufficiently motivated to change them. This machine has served me well, and shows no signs of slowing down. It still ranks 5 stars.

UPDATE - 1 Week since Last Update

I broke down and turned the knives over. I cut myself in the process. Clumsy! A few cuts after freshening the knives made it obvious that I should have done this some time ago. The planer performs like new. Still 5 stars.

Update - At 4 Years

Still 5 stars. I turn or replace the knives every 6 months or so. The knives don't like Hard Maple, but all other species do fine (including Walnut & Oak). The results delivered by this planer are excellent.


Awesome product   October 7, 2004
Jeryn M. Frederick (Coldwater MI, USA)
18 out of 19 found this review helpful

After having read the instructions, I set the planer up on it's new bench, and within literally minutes I was able to plane my rough-sawn to exact dimensions with ease. I have never owned a planer, but have used several "industrial" planers in the past. This piece of equipment was by far the easiest tool to set up, adjust and use than any other equipment I own. The finish is like glass even after 60 BF of Cherry. I must agree with other reviews that a normal shop-vac simply will not keep up with the fodder this planer produces. I'm sold on this one!