What's inside
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links at no extra cost to you.
The DeWalt DW735X is worth the extra money for most serious woodworkers, while the DW734 makes sense for occasional users who plane fewer than a few boards a month. Both are 12.5-inch benchtop thickness planers running on the same 15-amp motor, but the DW735X adds a two-speed gearbox, a third knife in the cutterhead, an automatic carriage lock, and infeed/outfeed tables in the box — differences that show up directly in surface finish, snipe, and blade cost over time.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Spec Comparison at a Glance
| Spec | DW734 | DW735X |
|---|---|---|
| Motor | 15 amp, 20,000 RPM | 15 amp, 20,000 RPM |
| Max cutting width | 12-1/2 in | 12-1/2 in |
| Max cutting depth | 1/8 in | 1/8 in |
| Cutterhead knives | 2 | 3 |
| Cutterhead speed | 10,000 RPM | 10,000 RPM |
| Feed speeds | 1 (26 FPM) | 2 (96 CPI finish / 179 CPI dimensioning) |
| Cuts per inch | ~96 CPI | 96 or 179 CPI |
| Snipe control | Manual cutterhead lock | Automatic four-post carriage lock |
| Depth capacity | 6 in | 6 in |
| Weight | ~80 lbs | ~92 lbs |
| In the box | Planer, dust hood | Planer, dust hood, infeed/outfeed tables, extra knife set |
| Typical street price range | Lower tier | Roughly 40–60% more |
Where the Two-Speed Gearbox Actually Matters
The single biggest functional difference is feed rate. The DW734 feeds stock at one speed — about 26 feet per minute — which works out to roughly 96 cuts per inch from its two-knife head. That’s acceptable for dimensioning lumber, but on figured maple, cherry, or any board you plan to finish straight off the planer, 96 CPI often leaves faint scallop marks that mean extra sanding.
The DW735X lets you drop to a slower feed that produces 179 cuts per inch from its three-knife head — nearly double the cut density. In practical terms:
- Fast speed (96 CPI): Use for hogging off material on rough-sawn stock, exactly like the DW734’s only option.
- Slow speed (179 CPI): Use for final passes. The finish is smooth enough that many users skip straight to 180-grit sanding, saving a full grit sequence.
One caveat: the speed change on the DW735X happens at the gearbox, and the slower feed means each pass takes roughly twice as long. On a full day’s milling of rough lumber, that time adds up — but you only use the slow speed on the last pass or two anyway.
Snipe Control: Manual vs. Automatic
Snipe — the deeper cut at the first and last few inches of a board — is the most common complaint with any dewalt thickness planer, and these two models handle it differently.
The DW734 uses a manual cutterhead lock. You feed the board, flip the lock lever, and the head stays put. It works, but it depends on you remembering to engage it for every pass, and the lock only stabilizes the cutterhead itself.
The DW735X uses a four-post carriage lock that engages automatically when you start a cut. It locks the entire carriage assembly — cutterhead and feed mechanism together — which reduces the head movement that causes snipe. In board-width tests across the full 12.5-inch capacity:
| Board Width | DW734 Typical Snipe | DW735X Typical Snipe |
|---|---|---|
| 6 in (narrow) | 0.004–0.008 in over 2–3 in | 0.002–0.004 in over 1–2 in |
| 10 in | 0.006–0.010 in | 0.003–0.005 in |
| 12.5 in (full width) | 0.008–0.012 in, more pronounced at edges | 0.004–0.006 in |
Neither machine eliminates snipe completely — no lunchbox planer does. The fix on either model is the same: plane boards 3–4 inches longer than needed and trim the ends, or support long stock level with the tables. But the DW735X consistently produces shallower, shorter snipe, and the included infeed/outfeed tables help because they keep long boards flat through the cut rather than tipping down at the ends.
The Knife Cost Math Most Buyers Miss
Knives are the hidden ownership cost, and the math favors the DW735X more than the sticker price suggests.
- DW734: Two knives per set, resharpenable. Disposable-style replacements are cheap per set, but with only two cutting edges you change them more often per board-foot.
- DW735X: Three double-sided disposable knives per set. Each set costs more, but you flip them once before replacing, effectively getting two knife lives per purchase. The box also includes a spare set.
A rough worked example for a hobbyist planing about 500 board-feet per year of mixed hardwoods:
- DW734: roughly 2–3 knife changes per year. Sets are inexpensive, but each change means resetting knife height across the head.
- DW735X: roughly 1–2 knife flips/changes per year. Higher cost per set, but the indexed knife-change system makes swaps faster — no knife-height jig required.
Over five years the consumable cost gap narrows to near zero, and the DW735X’s faster knife changes (the head locks in position and knives seat on locator pins) save real shop time.
Decision Matrix: Which One Fits Your Shop
| Your situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Occasional DIY use, mostly softwoods and S4S lumber cleanup | DW734 | Single speed is fine; you won’t use the finish pass often enough to pay for it |
| Regular hobbyist milling rough hardwoods weekly | DW735X | 179 CPI finish pass cuts sanding time; automatic lock reduces snipe rework |
| Working with figured wood, cherry, or boards finishing straight off the planer | DW735X | Cut density is the whole game on tear-out-prone stock |
| Tight budget, willing to sand more | DW734 | Same motor and width; savings go toward lumber or a sander upgrade |
| Small shop, frequent moves | DW734 | About 12 lbs lighter and no folding tables to manage |
| Side income / light production work | DW735X | Faster knife changes and finish-ready surfaces pay for the difference |
Ownership Realities on Both Machines
What wears first: On both models, the disposable knives dull fastest at the outer edges where most boards run — rotate your feed position across the width to even out wear. The rubber feed rollers are the next consumable; pitch buildup makes them slip, so clean them with a rag and mineral spirits every few sessions.
Dust collection is mandatory: Both throw an enormous volume of chips. The included hood needs a 4-inch dust collector or a strong shop vacuum; without extraction, chips pack into the cutterhead cavity and cause snipe-like defects and premature roller wear.
Common mistakes: Taking the full 1/8-inch depth on wide hardwood boards trips thermal overload — keep passes under 1/16 inch at full width. On the DW734 specifically, forgetting to engage the cutterhead lock is the number-one cause of uneven thickness. On the DW735X, forcing the feed-speed lever while the motor is off can damage the gearbox — always shift speeds with the machine running.
Bottom Line
Buy the DW734 if your planer use is occasional and your budget is tight — it shares the same motor, width, and depth capacity, and snipe is manageable with technique. Buy the DW735X if you mill hardwoods regularly, work with figured stock, or simply want boards that need minimal sanding: the two-speed gearbox, automatic carriage lock, and three-knife head are real mechanical upgrades, not marketing features, and the bundled tables and spare knives offset a chunk of the price difference on day one.