Tech & Gadgets · Head-to-head
DEWALT DW735X 13 in. Three Knife Two Speed Thickness Planer vs DEWALT DW734 12-1/2 in. Three Knife Thickness Planer
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Benchtop Planers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The DW735X is the only planer here that lets you pick your cuts per inch, 96 or 179, and it has the widest capacity and the most knives. The DW734 gives the same head and speed at a fixed 96 CPI for considerably less.
DEWALT DW735X 13 in. Three Knife Two Speed Thickness Planer
Buy itThe only planer here where cuts per inch is a setting rather than a fixed number, and the only one that publishes both figures.
- A two-speed gearbox giving a choice of 96 or 179 cuts per inch, so roughing and finishing are different feed rates rather than different passes.
- DEWALT publishes the cuts per inch figures directly, which is the specification that actually predicts surface finish.
- A three-knife cutterhead at 10,000 RPM, more knives and higher speed than either two-knife planer here.
- Thirteen inch capacity, the widest in this comparison, which covers glued-up panels the 12 inch machines cannot.
- By a distance the most expensive planer here, and the second speed is the main thing the money buys.
- Heavy and bulky for a benchtop machine, which matters if it has to be lifted on and off a bench.
- Three knives cost more to replace than two, and they are consumables.
DEWALT DW734 12-1/2 in. Three Knife Thickness Planer
Buy itThe same three-knife head and speed as the flagship at a fixed 96 cuts per inch, with a named mechanism for controlling snipe.
- A three-knife cutterhead at 10,000 RPM, matching the more expensive DW735X on both counts.
- DEWALT publishes 96 cuts per inch, so the finish specification is a stated number rather than an inference.
- A four-column carriage lock that DEWALT ties directly to reducing the movement that causes snipe.
- Considerably cheaper than the DW735X while sharing its cutterhead configuration.
- Single speed, so 96 cuts per inch is what you get and a finer finish means a sanding step.
- 12-1/2 in. capacity, half an inch narrower than the DW735X.
- Three knives to replace rather than two, at three-knife prices.
Side by side
| DEWALT DW735X 13 in. Three Knife Two Speed Thickness Planer | DEWALT DW734 12-1/2 in. Three Knife Thickness Planer | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Anyone surfacing hardwood or glued panels who wants a finish pass without changing anything but a lever. | Most home shops, where a stated 96 cuts per inch and a three-knife head is enough and the second speed is not worth the premium. |
| Price tier | $$$$ · flagship | $$$ · premium |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the DEWALT DW735X 13 in. Three Knife Two Speed Thickness Planer - The only planer here where cuts per inch is a setting rather than a fixed number, and the only one that publishes both figures. Choose the DEWALT DW734 12-1/2 in. Three Knife Thickness Planer instead if most home shops, where a stated 96 cuts per inch and a three-knife head is enough and the second speed is not worth the premium.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Benchtop Planers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).