Do You Have Shelix Planer Head?

[Dave Monk]

Am thinking about upgrading my DW735 planer witt a Shelix cutter head.  They are sure pricey. Some of the review aren't that great. I like the idea of longer blade life and lower noise. Any feed back appreciated.

Edited December 22, 2019 by Dave Monk
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[Scrappile]

Well for me that just does woodworking as a hobby, I just cannot justify the price of them.  I have planed a lot of lumber building an organ and some boats and I always felt my planner with the original type blades did a great job. Did that is until I took it all apart a few months ago to clean it all up real well, now I am having a dickens of a time getting the rollers adjusted properly.  I think maybe if a person does serious custom cabinet or other works maybe for money, they are worth the price.  Or if you are not one that has to watch you money, then why not.  I have read great reviews on them.  I would just be happy to be able to upgrade to a 735!  My Delta is getting pretty old. 

Do you have a jointer? Going to upgrade it also?

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Dave unless you are doing alot of woodworking I suggest the Dewalt DEWALT Thickness Planer, Two Speed, 13-Inch (DW735X)

The blades are reversible and movable so you can slide over abit if nicked. Easily sharpened. Well built planer in my opinion. The 4 post pinion system makes locking a must. I have an older Delta and it is a 2 post system and I get snipe so I have to plan for that when I plane a board. The helix are nice because you can rotate the cuter 2 times but they need to sit level or you get divots. You can easily replace one cutter without having to replace the whole blade if you get a nick. Their claim to fame is you get a shearing cut and is suppose to be cleaner than typical rollers. Have not used one but have seen in action and not really impressed. If you make your last cut very thin you can get the board pretty darn smooth. But then again I take it over to a drum sander to sweeten it up and never rely on just a planer. Just my thoughts. 

 

Edited December 22, 2019 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[Scrappile]

9 minutes ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

Dave unless you are doing alot of woodworking I suggest the Dewalt DEWALT Thickness Planer, Two Speed, 13-Inch (DW735X)

The blades are reversible and movable so you can slide over abit if nicked. Easily sharpened. Well built planer in my opinion. The 4 post pinion system makes locking a must. I have an older Delta and it is a 2 post system and I get snipe so I have to plan for that when I plane a board. The helix are nice because you can rotate the cuter 2 times but they need to sit level or you get divots. You can easily replace one cutter without having to replace the whole blade if you get a nick. Their claim to fame is you get a shearing cut and is suppose to be cleaner than typical rollers. Have not used one but have seen in action and not really impressed. If you make your last cut very thin you can get the board pretty darn smooth. But then again I take it over to a drum sander to sweeten it up and never rely on just a planer. Just my thoughts. 

 

He has the DW735.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

3 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

He has the DW735.

Well I see that now thanks. Not sure why you want to update from that unless you have some extra $$ to throw around. I would love to have that planer. 

[Dave Monk]

5 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

Dave unless you are doing alot of woodworking I suggest the Dewalt DEWALT Thickness Planer, Two Speed, 13-Inch (DW735X)

The blades are reversible and movable so you can slide over abit if nicked. Easily sharpened. Well built planer in my opinion. The 4 post pinion system makes locking a must. I have an older Delta and it is a 2 post system and I get snipe so I have to plan for that when I plane a board. The helix are nice because you can rotate the cuter 2 times but they need to sit level or you get divots. You can easily replace one cutter without having to replace the whole blade if you get a nick. Their claim to fame is you get a shearing cut and is suppose to be cleaner than typical rollers. Have not used one but have seen in action and not really impressed. If you make your last cut very thin you can get the board pretty darn smooth. But then again I take it over to a drum sander to sweeten it up and never rely on just a planer. Just my thoughts. 

 

I have a DW735. I like it OK. Seams like my blades dull really fast. I was reading that the Helix cutter was supposed to be a lot quieter also.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

5 minutes ago, Dave Monk said:

I have a DW735. I like it OK. Seams like my blades dull really fast. I was reading that the Helix cutter was supposed to be a lot quieter also.

Have no idea about noise levels but I am sure you can check the specs real easily to compare. 

As far as blades dulling goes it is a matter of material you run through it and the depth of cut you are using. The 2 speeds on that planer is a great deal and if used properly it will save wear on the blades. Plus not all blades are equal. Sorry I do not have a recommendation for good quality blades for that. My planer I bought a few sets from Delta at the time I bought the planer and I just sharpen when dull. Supposedly they sell a helix cutter head for that planer and you can swap out. Again no experience with it. Good luck.

[oldhudson]

Too rich for me and frankly I've not read anything that would justify the cost of that modification. You've got a really good planner.

[tomsteve]

they are pricey and reviews vary. myself, id do what i could to make the blades last longer. infinity tools makes replacement blades that are higher quality. infinity tools has both a HSS set and a carbide tipped set

https://www.infinitytools.com/

[Bill WIlson]

Don't have the Shelix cutters on my planer and have never used one with them.  My understanding, from what I read, is that they really shine when it comes to planning very gnarly, figured grain.  If you work with a lot of that type of wood, then it's probably a good investment.  For general planning though, my impression is that it's just too much $$.  Kind of like buying a Festool.  If you really want one, go for it.  But for most casual woodworkers, it is really difficult to justify the extra expense.

I knew a fellow who was a retired machinist.  He used to sharpen his own planer blades, even though they were supposed to be "throw-away's".  I don't think the manufacturer recommends it, but it can be done.  He would only get one or maybe 2 sharpenings on a set, but for his hobbiest use, that was enough to extend their practical lifetime to several years.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I sharpen my planer blades as well as jointer blades. Not hard at all to do. There are various jigs out there but the key is use a good diamond card and just hone them not regrind them. You can do this many times. 

[Bill WIlson]

1 hour ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

I sharpen my planer blades as well as jointer blades. Not hard at all to do. There are various jigs out there but the key is use a good diamond card and just hone them not regrind them. You can do this many times. 

I suspect my machinist friend reground his.  Probably because he left them on to the point where they were quite dull and getting nicked up.  Just like a chisel or hand plane, these blades stay sharpest and last longest, if they are honed periodically.  Then they usually don't require re-grinding.  Little more time consuming to remove the blades from a planer for sharpening than it is from a hand plane, which is probably why most folks don't bother until it's well beyond honing.  But it's probably worth the time & effort to get the best results and life out of your planer blades.

[Karl S]

I have a Makita wet grinder and I re sharpen my disposable blades for my Delta planer, works really well and does not take long to touch them up.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I do as Karl does when they get nicked. I have a Tormek wet grinder and the jigs to hold the blades. I have the stone jigs also that can be done on tool. But like Bill said and I agree the best thing is a sharp blade and planning woods face grain is tremendously hard on blades. Thus a honing now and then makes a world of difference. 

[Sycamore67]

The shellix type heads are great for highly figured wood and the inserts last.  The inserts are carbide and will last much longer than high speed steel blades.  You can purchase carbide tipped straight blades but are expensive.  

I have a DW735 with straight blades and personally would not spend $400-500 to put a Shelix head in as I do not do highly figured wood.  There are some very happy with them.

[Wizard of Oz]

I am just a hobby woodworker.  I have a 735, and I put in the shelix, and like it.  I just changed the blades (they have four sides to cut), and that is after four years on the first side, and several hundred board feet ran through it. It is a little quieter, but what I really like is I don't pay any attention to the grain when I run it through, doesn't seem to matter.  Just my two cents worth.

Oz

[Rolf]

I have the 735  and a Jet jointer The helix cutters are on my to do list for both. I am very careful about checking the wood before cutting yet it seems as soon as I put in a new edge it immediately gets a ding. Very annoying. And running a very curly  maple through a planer is a risky thing. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

24 minutes ago, Rolf said:

I have the 735  and a Jet jointer The helix cutters are on my to do list for both. I am very careful about checking the wood before cutting yet it seems as soon as I put in a new edge it immediately gets a ding. Very annoying. And running a very curly  maple through a planer is a risky thing. 

Light cuts my friend. Light cuts. Dings go away. I run figured wood through my old Delta  planer all the time.  Same on my jointer. I rather run through a couple extra times than to try to hog off too much at one time. Then again I have a drum sander where all wood runs through after any planing. Love that thing. Talk about dust makers. 

[Rolf]

John T , I put a digital readout on my 735 and definitely take very light cuts. The highly figured wood now goes to the Super Max drum sander.

Edited December 30, 2019 by Rolf

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

2 hours ago, Rolf said:

John T , I put a digital readout on my 735 and definitely take very light cuts. The highly figured wood now goes to the Super Max drum sander.

Aren't the drum sanders the best thing since sliced bread?? I love mine and it gets used alot. 

[ImaginationUnincorporated]

For me, it's about quality, when I can pull it off. Getting there, I, often, fall back on the "buying quality tools only hurts once, but cheap tools, poor quality tools hurt each time you use them."

To be fair, the Delta planer with standard blades does not fall in the cheap category. Nor does my Delta. I have the latter and it's served me for over a decade. That, of course, it one of the key issues - how long the equipment will hold up. 

I don't do a lot of planing, or jointing [anymore], but it's nice to know the equipment I bought will hold up for, say, twenty or so years.  I just picked up a pickup load of sycamore and madrona that, when dry, will need attention.

 

While my planer is not a Dewalt, it is/was the second highest rated lunchbox.  My jointer is not a PM or Oliver. It's a Grizzly 8" long bed with spiral cutters. Grizzly's version of the Shelix.  It did hurt once, but my regret at tossing out fourteen hundred on it [and a drive to Bellingham from Central Washington] passed quickly.  It is quieter than my PM 6" was and it nibbles at figured wood like a champ (I, still, wouldn't run an end grain cutting board over it).

If I hit a nail, it will, more likely than not, not just be a matter of spinning a few of the four sided blades. It'll be a matter of replacing them. But that is still quicker, cheaper and easier than swapping three 12" or so blades.  Too, if I don't hit a nail, there is the simple fact I get to turn the blades four times before I have to replace them. 

In summary, if you're going to have a planer for a long time, why not have the best you can get.

SIDE NOTE: Square carbide blades sharpen easily, so any blades I, EVENTUALLY, pull off my jointer or planer would make great replacement blades for carbide lathe knives.

Edited January 6, 2020 by ImaginationUnincorporated