DeWalt 13" thickness planer
I
got my DeWalt 13" thickness planer Christmas 2003 . It replaced a Delta
12 1/2" thickness planer that I have been using for several years. I
replaced the Delta because of the many new features the DeWalt offered.
You see it here set up and ready for use. I purchased the optional in feed
and out feed tables. I attached a quick disconnect to the DC hose.
It works quite well with the provided DC connector.
When Delta came out with their 13" planer, I looked at it but the only real difference was the two speed operation. At that time I didn't see any real advantage to the second speed. When the knives where sharp, the 12 1/2" Delta put out some very smooth wood.
Probably one of the biggest weaknesses that I experienced with the 12 1/2" Delta, was the bed length. I had to do some very creative supporting for anything over 6 feet in length. The DeWalt offers a much longer primary bed and with the fold-down extensions, the bed is over twice a long.
Another feature I like is the thickness stop. You can dial in 1/8", 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" etc up to 1 1/4". this is very nice when you are planning several boards to the same thickness. Just dial in the finished thickness and plane until you get to the stop.
Like the Delta, the DeWalt has a cutter head lock. The difference is the Delta is manual while the DeWalt is automatic. A very minor convenience, but nice never-the-less.
The DeWalt uses three knives while the Delta uses two. The finish from the DeWalt is (should be) smoother than the Delta but as I already said, with sharp blades, the Delta created a very smooth surface. It will cost more for replacement blades, actually almost double. The blades should last longer though, since there are three of them removing the wood instead of two.
Last Updated: September 17, 2005