One of only two machines with a cutterhead perfectly parallel to its beds, the DeWalt 734 is a very good planer. Knife changes overall were straightforward, but access is difficult because you must remove a Phillips-head screw from under the dust shroud—not an easy task. The dust port on the back of the machine has a 2 1⁄2-in.-dia. opening but can be hooked up to a 4-in.-dia. hose. Connected to a dust collector, it did an excellent job gathering chips. And because the port exits to the left of the machine, the hose is never in the way of exiting boards. The top of the machine is flat, making it a good place to stack boards between passes.

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DeWalt 735X Planer

At high speed, the planer works fast and leaves a smooth surface. But the slower, finish speed produces an almost glass-smooth surface. Knife changes are easy.

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Grizzly G0495X Industrial Helical Cutterhead 8-in. Jointer

Regardless of the board’s grain, this jointer produced excellent results. Its fence was totally flat, worked smoothly, and locked well, staying in place even after jointing multiple edges. Getting the fence to 90° was very easy, but the 90° stop was a little tricky to set and the fence did not go back to square when using it. For those who would use it, there is also a digital depth-of-cut scale.

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Shop Fox W1826

The thick, felted bag on this Shop Fox is a plus and a minus. On one hand, it makes the unit much less expensive than collectors with canister filters, and also lighter and easier to hang on the wall. Without a separate plastic bag to catch chips, however, they stay in the felt bag, and the shortish zipper on the bottom makes it tough to shake them out. Otherwise, the W1826 is an excellent value.

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