DeWalt 318mm (12.5") 1800W Portable Planer Thicknesser DW733-XE

Does the job intended. Only used on softwood so far but does a good finish. I can go straight onto a super fine sand after sending a piece through.Keep an eye on the dust extraction as I found if I let the vac fill fully and it started blocking the thicknesser I had to take the rear attachment off to fully clear everything. It's only 2 screws but still time consuming.Also it's quite loud. Louder than the tablesaw anyway.I think for something semi portable and the price you can't go wrong though really.

Very well built. Occasional use so far has produced very good results on oak. Dust extraction is good, not perfect. The dust extraction hood prevents the folding of the rear plate so not so compact to store in my small workshop. (For me, it's too fiddly to remove and replace this on each use of the machine.) Overall very satisfied and got it at a great price from FFX.

The prices and delivery service from Howe Tools are excellent by the way.This is a nice machine for the home workshop. It is very robust despite the plastic look. Provided the in-feed and out-feed tables are set correctly, the 'snipe' is minimal. The planed finish is excellent and I like the thickness lock feature. My only criticism is the dust extraction port is fiddling to fit and leaving it permanently fitted means you cannot fold away the out-feed table for compactness when not in use.

Best tool I've ever bought

Did a lot of research. This planer came up top, but I bought a cheaper version, which broke within a week. Managed to get my hands on this one from a more local seller- Ezimtech, who was sound. There's a reason professionals use this piece of kit: it's the best. Its surprisingly quiet, and the first time I used it the timber came out so clean and smooth I didn't recognise it. It's light enough for one person to carry, and packs away neatly if you're pressed for space. Well worth the money. Love it.

DeWalt DW733 Portable Thicknesser Planer 240v 1800W

This tool packs a punch while remaining easy to move around. Setting it up is a breeze, and I had it working within minutes. The machine feels sturdy and well-built. While it handles normal dry wood with ease, I did face some challenges with wet, cupped, resinous, and heavy timber, requiring a bit more effort. Despite these minor hiccups, I would definitely recommend it for its overall power and user-friendly setup.

DeWalt DW733 Portable Thicknesser Planer 240v 1800W

So I have procrastinated about buying a thicknesser for years until finally needs must. My nephew wanted me to make him a chopping board out of Scottish Elm. I found a 45x 380x 1.2M rough sawn slab and ordered it. While that was in transit, I ordered the Dewalt 733. The Dewalt arrived before the slab did which gave me time to set it up. What a machine, it worked as advertised straight out of the box. I ran some softwood test pieces through it and was very pleased with the result. When the slab arrived, I cut a straight edge with a portable saw and cut the other side to give me 300mm width. So I then put the slab through the thicknesser to give me flat surfaces both sides (and a big smile!). I had to cut out some defects in the board to give me 500mm clear and ... MoreSo I have procrastinated about buying a thicknesser for years until finally needs must. My nephew wanted me to make him a chopping board out of Scottish Elm. I found a 45x 380x 1.2M rough sawn slab and ordered it. While that was in transit, I ordered the Dewalt 733. The Dewalt arrived before the slab did which gave me time to set it up. What a machine, it worked as advertised straight out of the box. I ran some softwood test pieces through it and was very pleased with the result. When the slab arrived, I cut a straight edge with a portable saw and cut the other side to give me 300mm width. So I then put the slab through the thicknesser to give me flat surfaces both sides (and a big smile!). I had to cut out some defects in the board to give me 500mm clear and several off cuts 450-mm long in various widths which I would edge glue to make a second chopping board. Ran these though the thicknesser to get them flat and square. Machine performs brilliantly leaving a surface that needed about 5 minutes with sandpaper - 180 through to 400 grit. 3 coats of oil/wax and job finished. IF anyone is procrastinating, don't - just buy it!

DeWalt Planer - overall good but has a few niggles

I purchased this planer/thicknesser specifically to tidy up some pallet wood which I use to make various items. I have been using it for a few days now; it's easy enough to get to grips with how it works and the instructions are clear to help you get started. It is not as noisy as I thought it would be when using it outdoors, but I do wear ear defenders as a routine precaution. It's easy to adjust the height of the planing blades, and a headlock mechanism makes sure it doesn't move when in use. There is a depth gauge at the point where you insert the wood for planing and it tells you how much material your 'pass' will remove before you press the start button and this is very helpful. The depth measurement to one side appears to be accurate and it can be recalibrated ... MoreI purchased this planer/thicknesser specifically to tidy up some pallet wood which I use to make various items. I have been using it for a few days now; it's easy enough to get to grips with how it works and the instructions are clear to help you get started. It is not as noisy as I thought it would be when using it outdoors, but I do wear ear defenders as a routine precaution. It's easy to adjust the height of the planing blades, and a headlock mechanism makes sure it doesn't move when in use. There is a depth gauge at the point where you insert the wood for planing and it tells you how much material your 'pass' will remove before you press the start button and this is very helpful. The depth measurement to one side appears to be accurate and it can be recalibrated if needed. I wanted a planer which did not have a top table for the edges as I didn't want to be bothered with all the faffing around that appears to accompany these particular planers, moving parts to accommodate the different operations. Overall I'm pleased with the product so far - DeWalt is supposed to be a good make so I'm expecting it to last over many years. Replacement blades are more expensive for the DeWalt when compared to other brands.Since using the product I have found a few niggles as follows...there is a depth stop dial on one side of the planer which you set before carrying out repetitive planing operations on different pieces of wood. On my planer this is easily moved and it does not appear possible to tighten it up - the issue is that when you clear away the shavings on the planing bed on the inside (after its switched off of course!) it is very easy to catch this dial on the inside and move it, then you wonder why you can't adjust the planer any lower. It's because it's moved to a depth stop setting you don't want. Also, the planer has a roller feed that draws the wood through the planer - this is exactly how it should work, but I've found that with wide pieces of wood, or wood that is not particularly smooth on the bottom, the rollers just won't move it, and you have to push it through manually, and it can be quite hard to do this with a wide piece of wood. I'm going to look into this a bit more in case I'm doing something wrong but I don't think I am...Can I recommend it? So far, yes, it appears to be a good machine, if I can get past these few little issues I'll be very happy with it.

Dewalt thickness planer

Only used it a few times. Great machine, you may need ear defenders, and definitely a decent dust extraction vac. Leaves the wood in perfect condition. Very easy to set up the machine straight from the box. Heavy bit of kit so may need 2 to lift. Very pleased with it so far. Should have got one a long time ago as it saves all the messing around planing and sanding. Very good width and height capabilities.

Good for a while, then useless

I've owned my DW733 for nearly two years. It's not a tool I use every day. It's a real heavy thing to shove in the van and take somewhere. This unit has done approx 2 hours work a month. About a month ago when used for longer than 30 mins it started to trip the electrics. Now it trips from the moment it starts. Tracked the problem down to binding rollers. These rollers have no bearings, just metal in metal. I can keep it going with regular maintenance, but who's got time for that. so your going in the bin. I can see other people on line with stretch chains, that's because the rollers are binding. Fatal flaw, it's junk

Very good value for money, space and practicality!

This has proved to be an invaluable machine! It is excellent for use in a smaller workshop and, to some degree, on-site. It is particularly useful for planning stock down to 3mm in thickness on interlocking hardwoods.