I received my planer today. I was very excited seeing as I was saving a lot of money by getting the reconditioned unit. I was placing a lot of trust in Dewalt and Amazon to deliver a good product. I think I would have been completely happy if it had not been damaged in shipping. Several plastic parts are cracked and broken. The pieces are all in the box so I know it was not like that before it shipped. The planer was place in the cardboard box with a second layer of cardboard for protection. That's it, no foam or any other padding. If Dewalt and Amazon do me right on fixing the damage I think I will be happy again. Sad they didn't spend just a few more cents on protecting this great tool when packing it at the factory.
Update: 9/27/05
I just did a project and ran some pine. It's working great! If you have damaged plastic parts from shipping call dewalt they will send them to you for free. They sent me all three broken plastic parts. I just hope it holds up in the long run.
Amazon, Tool Crib and Dewalt really need to READ all these comments! Factory-Reconditioned DEWALT DW735R Heavy-Duty 15 Amp 13-Inch Benchtop Planer
As a couple of other reviewers have noted, the boxes that these reconditioned planers are shipped in are inadequate. Mine had been dropped and the holes in the box taped, apparently by the carrier. The planer was obviously damaged and couldn't be raised or lowered. I've asked for a replacement, but I'm not confident that it will arrive in working condition if the shipping boxes aren't improvved.
Judging from some of the other reviews, I must have gotten lucky because my planer arrived in pristine condition and worked great right out of the box. The only way you could tell it was not new was by looking closely at the bed. It planes like a dream and the results are very smooth, even on the 'coarser' setting. The chip blower works well, but with the volume of chips the planer generates, it should really be hooked up to a dust collector (unless you plan to run a hose out your window and make a big pile in the yard.) This thing is heavy, so I strongly suggest building or buying a mobile stand/cart to keep and operate it on - you won't want to be lugging it around much.
I bought the reconditioned planer. It was shipped in a cardboard box with no packing material whatsoever! Whoever did the reconditioning literally put it in a box, threw in the assorted pieces, and sealed it. The planer had no hope of being shipped without damage. It is disturbing that a nice tool was destroyed due to such stupidity. I returned it to Amazon, paid more, and purchased a new one. This one arrived properly boxed and in good condition.
I purchase this unit directly from Amazon, thinking that they have solved the packaging problems, (note all the complains from other buyers from amazon) What erritates me is that items sold by others thru amazon such as "tool king" was ship and received by thier customers without problems. I feel that dewalt is not at fault here since they are being package and ship by Amazon.
I could not believed the condition of this unit when i received it, completely useless, broken plastic parts were all over inside the box, now they said they can't replace it because it is out of stock,,, Well guess what amazon, it's still under production and not discontinued, you have advertised this item on and off 3 times this month. So i suggest you evaluate you customers satisfaction policy and make your paying customers get what they deserved,,, the item they paid for.
I have been a cabinet maker and woodworker for 23 Years. Having checked out and compared features with other brands, I was very impressed with Dewalt's 13 inch planer. I have been using a Dewalt 12 inch planer for a few years with no complaints. The 13 inch has several features that I like e.g.
three knife cutter head, two speeds, more ergonomic hand wheel, assisted chip ejection, threaded collumns for a more rigid platform. When I unpacked the tool my excitement suddenly turned to despair. As noted by B. McCoy in another review, the packaging is inadequate to say the least. The planer weighs about 97 lbs. and the carton has no handles to assist in picking it up. The outside package looked damaged and, in fact, the planer's metal base was broked. I never actually got to run or test the tool. I returned it for a refund. I would strongly advise anyone against buying this planer until they figure out how to protect it for shipping.
I had been considering a floor model planer for my workshop due to the fact that most portable planers just didn't seem to have the heft I was looking for. After reading some reviews of the DW735, I went to my local woodworking store and checked it out. I was very impressed with the product and the results it produced. Having the ability to transport it when I'm helping out a family member on a project was another reason I decided to go portable. Note that while it is technically portable, it is nearly 100 lbs with the extensions.
One of the other great features is the fan-assisted chip ejector. Planers put out huge amounts of waste and having the assist means you'll never have to worry about things getting backed up.
Regarding the shipping problems others have had, I purchased it locally so damage wasn't an issue. The box it came in was very sturdy and had foam on all four sides.
The only reason I don't give it five stars is that the extensions are not included and that hurts the overall value. Even if you build your own table for it, having the fences are almost essential when using it on projects outside the shop. The machine and the results are five star through - don't be afraid to purchase this one!
One review of the DW735 remarked on the flimsy box the planer was shipped in. My planer's box was flimsy as well with little internal packing. Despite the meager surroundings, the planer arrived intact and has been working beautifully. This is the first planer I've ever worked with, and it's been a breeze to use. What prompted me to make the purchase was 500 square feet of redwood decking I salvaged from a remodel. One pass through the planer and the wood looks like new. I just finished building my deck and friends have complemented me on the quality of wood. The Dewalt more than paid for itself several times over in the money I saved using salvaged redwood versus new. - Planer - Tools'
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