Being a woodworker is almost like crafting because we need so many tools to work with, but these tools are usually much larger such as the DeWalt DW735 Vs WEN 6552 planer. These thickness planers are easy to use, reliable, and necessary for those who are dealing with stock woods. The main function of a planer is to even the face of a material so if you will need this machine, let’s see below about what they can offer.
In this comparison, we are going to talk about:
- Do You Need a Thickness Planer
- What are DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552
- How are the Unit of DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552
- How are the Specs of DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552
- What are the Features in DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552
- How are the Dust Collection in DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552
- How are the Performance of DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552
- DeWalt DW735 Vs WEN 6552
Thickness Planer
The material we are working with is not always in perfect shape and condition so it is necessary to apply some treatment before we can use it. Tools are made to help humans make a better product and one of them is a thickness planer. For woodworkers or anyone who is working with wood material, this may seem a costly investment but it is necessary and if you can spend the budget, it will certainly help in controlling the thickness of the material.
This is the main function of a thickness or wood planer in the hands of a carpenter but once you have one, it becomes much more helpful than how it may sound. First it is saving much time and stress when shopping for the material because we don’t have to buy the specific wood or material that meets the requirement of our project but we can just buy the lumber and work on it at home or worksite to meet the exact specification that you want.
Buying rough lumbers is cost saving and with a wood planer we can also transform old lumber to get the grain or if you have old and abandoned wood, we can easily remodel it by removing the face and flatten it again. Using the wood planer correctly will also help avoid tear out when a piece of timber is cut poorly. By positioning the cutter correctly we can avoid tearout and in addition it can even strengthen the integrity of the wood, improving the quality.
Wood planers are available in various types such as the handheld model and the bigger thickness planer that works semi-automatically. The latter is much more expensive and is different from the handheld planer with similar ability because handheld planer is only to smoothen a surface while the thickness planer is meant to even both sides of the wood. It is relatively expensive but much more convenient to produce usable material if you have one around.
The main advantages are making the second face of a board parallel to the other side, smoothing the rough stock you have, as well as reducing the thickness of a material to the measurement you want it to. Since the machine is semi-automatic, it means the material will move below the blade automatically so the user only needs to push the board into the feeding slot and let the machine do its work. It will come out from the opposite site. You can repeat the process until the desired result is achieved.
| DeWalt DW735 | WEN 6552 | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
|
| Product Dimensions | 24 x 22 x 19 inches | 25.25 x 21.75 x 16 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 45.36 Pounds | 66 Pounds |
| Shop now at Amazon | Check price | Check price |
About DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552
Now when you already made up your mind and want to have a thickness planer to help with the next projects, it is time to see what the market has to offer since there are so many to choose from. Thickness planers are about as compact as a jobsite table saw and they are not cheap so it is wise to get the one that can last and reliable for long. Do note they need maintenance too, especially on the cleaning and blades attached on the machine.
You can find thickness planers from various brands, typically those that offer power tools are also carrying bigger woodworking equipment in the collection such as DeWalt and WEN. Both are famous names among professionals and enthusiasts alike with their well-known product quality and competitive price range. Similarly they carry thickness planers too, especially at moderate size or capacity. Many seem to be satisfied with their planers since performance wise they are both useful and reliable.
The models we are talking about today are DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552 which are similar but also different from each other. These planers are carrying the same abilities like most planers spec wise such as the same 13-inch width capacity and a mechanism of cutting with 3 blades included in the machine. We have talked about the DW735 in DeWalt DW735X Vs DW735 since both are the same machines with a different set of inclusion or accessories and if you want the complete setup, we recommend the latter variant.
As for WEN6552, it comes with everything you need and this model is also more affordable compared to the DW735 because DeWalt products tend to be a bit more expensive than similar alternatives from other brands. In comparison, the DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552 can offer the same capabilities but DW735 also offers more and we do think its overall build quality is better. What we want to mention first is that it has an adjustable speed unlike many other thickness planers.
DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552 Machines
Upon seeing these planers for the first time, they are already quite different and in comparison the DeWalt is wider or thicker in dimension unlike most planers that are tall but narrower. This is because unlike most that use a fixed frame to support the whole mechanism, the DW735 moves the whole top housing at a time when you rotate the crank. It is quite a heavy plane if moved by one person but you can see how rigid this machine is compared to 6552.
Another difference is if you choose the DW735 and not the DW735X, the planer will come without the feeding table and output table which is kind of weird but you can buy it separately too, along with the replaceable blades. Coming with the purchase is a hose so we can connect these machines to a dust collector if needed. The overall build quality is better on the DW735 but it is expected for the planner that it also costs quite more in comparison.
DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552 Specs
Now let’s see what the DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552 can offer starting from the specs first. As it has been mentioned above, they are very similar carrying a capacity of 13 inches wide and a maximum of board height of 6 inches. The two are using three blades to cut fast and more effectively while the machines themselves are running at up to 20,000 RPM and 8,500 RPM respectively. But, the two come with the same 15-Amp motor to spin the blade.
The maximum depth of cut for the planers are 1/8 inch in DW735 while for the WEN 6552, they recommend to stay at 3/32 inch for the material that is less than 6 inches or if you are planning wider material, they recommend you to cut at 1/32 inch per pass. The crank is also similar since one full turn of these cranks it will adjust the blade height to 1/16 inch higher or lower.
DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552 Features
Now we want to talk about the features that you get from these planers but only DeWalt that comes with one and it is the speed adjustment. Thickness planers are usually only adjustable in thickness or height itself but the DW735 is coming with a speed adjustment. There is a knob at the front where you can set the machine or speed of the blade to run at 179 cuts per inch or speed 2 at 96 cuts per inch. The faster cut is perfect for finishing while the slower cut is ideal when you are dimensioning the material.
DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552 Dust Collection
For the dust collection, we highly recommend attaching something to the machine and even with the collection, some fine dust can still get away from the channel. In comparison the DW735 is very powerful however so if you are working outside a room and planning on just letting the dust come out the machine, it can sting the skin when it gets in contact. The WEN 6552 doesn’t seem that powerful but the dust collector is going to be very useful and convenient.
DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552 Performance
Lastly for the performance, both DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552 are very reliable and easy to get used to. Their small measurement attached to the unit is not reliable so we recommend using a separate measurement tool. They are fast and work really well but in comparison the DW735 is faster even for hardwood, probably because of the speed rating. It has a speed adjustment too so we are more confident when dimensioning or just flattening the surface of the board.
DeWalt DW735 Vs WEN 6552
Both DeWalt DW735 and WEN 6552 are good options and we do think they are very reliable too. The main difference in performance is that DeWalt is faster even when handling hardwoods and there is no noticeable slow-down in different types of material. The WEN 6552 is more affordable however and comes with both feeding and out table while specific for DW735 we will need to buy it separately.
Conclusion
The decision is all yours because if speed is not a very important thing then WEN 6552 is a great choice but DW735 surely more confident when working on different materials so if the budget is not an issue we do think it is worth to invest on.