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Joined: Aug 2008
01-26-2018, 01:56 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-26-2018, 01:57 AM by KingwoodFan1989.)
I gotta second Gene's comment about DeWalt's 734 model...I've had one for over 8 years and it still runs like new! I've run all sorts of species through it and it has done well with all of them. As for the knives, they're pretty good! You may find them nicking a bit more easily than other types of knives, but they leave a glassy smooth finish, especially when new, and their self-indexing design saves me from the headache of resetting them each time they are changed out. if what Gene says is true about the included stand, it seems like a great bargain. Unless you're an industrial shop who runs wide boards or panels through your planer, you don't really need one of the big floor models. Speaking of which, are you a hobbyist or a professional (or something in between)?
I don't know about the Grizzly model you're asking about, but what do online customer reviews say? Are there any professional reviews or tool tests that feature this planer? Any video reviews on youtube? I do have a Grizzly jointer, though, and other than the blade guard not retracting very well and its limiting width of only 6 inches, it's a great machine! And I'll back Gene up on their customer service, too. They've always been helpful. My gut feeling is that you won't get a BAD experience with this planer, but at the same time I think you should see what others have to say about it if you haven't already. All the types of reviews I have listed will help. Be sure to look at any negative reviews as well to see what the issues were. Sometimes if there are patterns of issues in those, even if those reviews only make up a small minority, it could be something to watch out for depending on what that issue is and how it affects the performance of the machine. I've learned the hard way to pay attention to patterns in negative customer reviews.
Good luck in your search!
Near future projects:
-Curly Maple display case
-Jatoba and Quilted Maple dresser