Video Notes: - At 2:12 and 3:52 I incorrectly said 1/4 turn equals 1/16" depth of cut. 1/4 turn is equal to 1/64" depth of cut. - Article for this video: jayscustomcreations.com/2018/06/planer-upgrade-dw735-shelix/ - Cutter head in this video: amzn.to/2y1rSy8
Thanks cause your video didn't make any sense the way you recorder it and the correction now is correct. Hey everyone can make a mistake, i am an example of that. I do hate the blades too. I am thinking of getting this replacement but may get the biger one that yuou need to remove all the cutters. Still doing research. Also your observation about the dB reading is also so very true and your set up was great.
I put in a Shellix head in my DW 735 before even using the straight knives. Seven years, no rotating of blades required, still produces amazing surfaces.
I just got a 735, and that's already a huge upgrade over the terrible tiny lunchbox planer I had before. Can't wait to add a helical cutter one day and see what that's like!
I can confirm. I installed the same setup into my dewalt and it makes a MASSIVE difference on figured wood. Also another plus is the chips are a LOT smaller and will take up less room in your dust collector so you're not spending as much time emptying your dust bags!
Had mine for four years, haven't rotated the knives. Cuts look as good as day one. Put mine in the day I got my 735. You're right about the finish, I often don't sand the non-show surfaces, and sometimes even the show surfaces. Huge time and cost saver too.
I installed mine before even firing up my Dewalt. ... the install was quick and simple. I took the brand new stock head and blades and sold them on Craigslist for a couple hundred bucks. I really had no choice but to buy the shelix because I work mostly with mesquite wood which destroys any cutters that are not carbide. Best decision ever.
Excellent video. Thanks. I followed you instructions to the T and it went pretty well. Only frustrating part was the Phillips screws which stripped. That took the longest to get out. I was able to do mine on my own as well. Loving the results. Definitely worth it!
holy crap.. curly maple, like you said, is GOING to tear out. That's awesome that there was no tear out. must be due to the angle of attack on the little cutters. I like it!
I have had my Shelix for a little over 5 years. I have yet to change the cutter positions. All of the lumber I use is ruffsawn. The three species of wood I use are oak,hard maple and black walnut. When planing the hard maple I definitely can hear the motor bog down more so than the other two. This at 1/64 of an inch depth cut. I heartily endorse this product.
I upgraded my Dewalt 734 planer with a Shellix cutter back in December of 2019. It was my Christmas present. I am a bit disappointed with this upgrade for a couple of reasons and here they are. Since December, I have already gone through a box of carbide chicklets. I have been working mainly with Walnut and for some reason, the Walnut is causing the chicklets to fracture. Once the chicklet is fractured, it is no longer any good. So you lose 3 of the 4 cutting edges. A box of 10 chicklets costs $30 to $40 plus shipping depending on the source. The second thing I am experiencing is placement of the new chicklet. If the chicklet is not in the correct position, the planed board ends up with a ridge in it. I have to go back in, readjust the chicklet and then run another test cut until everything is perfectly aligned. Stumpy Nubs claims that the Lux Carbide Planer head has a better registration system for the chicklets. Couple of other comments.......I have a Shellix head on my Jet Jointer and I love it. Also I use a torque screw driver just to make certain that I am not over torquing the screw and causing the chicklet to crack. I am not going back to the tool steel cutting head. I will work with what I got. But I am disappointed after such good success with my Jointer.
Haha ... Welcome to the other side! - The moment I ran my first piece through my DW735 with the Shelix head I knew I made a great investment. I remember packaging up some spare blades I had and shipping them off to you with a note that said you will get a Shelix someday LOL! - Enjoy. I've had mine for a couple years now and have not rotated any of the cutters yet.
Going to add a negative here..I've ran the shelix cutter for about 1.5 years, with lots of production through it, nice finishes, etc. Running 10 inches wide of hardwood through it for hours at a time, I started to set off the internal fuse a number of times, each time waiting about 3 mins in between resets. I began running through only 1/32 at a time, greatly reducing my productivity. I tried running the straight blades again, and I was back to 1/8-1/16th each cut, no fuse faults, no problem. I believe whats happening is that the blades give the motor a chance to "catch up" and in reality, cut more wood. Not sure, I'm open to hear others experience, but shelix may not actually be great for heavy production stock removal. Either way, looks like I need to go to 220V production machine if you are talking 100's BF/day.
SYou’re going to love that Shelex cutter head. I’ve had mine for three years now and it’s the best thing I ever did for my Dewalt 735 planner. I think I’ve rotated three of the carbide blades due to chips but other than that I’m still on my original set. There is one other difference that I’ve experienced and seen reported between the factory cutter head in the helical cutterhead and that is that the helical cutterhead will use a little bit more power/amperage. I believe it’s because one of the carbide cutters is always in contact with the surface of the wood.
I put a shelix head in my Ridgid jointer about ten years ago. What a difference! I'm a hobbyist/semi-professional so it has seen quite a few linear feet of various hardwoods, mostly edge jointing, but I have yet to rotate any of the carbide cutters. I do vary the fence position to try to even out the wear pattern but it still gives a smooth edge with no tear out. If I were to upgrade my jointer from my current 6" Ridgid, I would probably go for a Grizzly with a Shelix head. Same if I were to upgrade my planer from a Ryobi 12" to a larger Grizzly. I totally believe the helical heads are worth the extra initial outlay.
Hi Jay, Thanks for the informative video. I got a second hand one of these planers for a song and I have an OEM cutter to fit ( the larger one). I pulled the planer down and found things that I would watch for on this planer. Even with the chains and the belt removed the rear roller would not turn by hand. It turned under motor power and you would not have known it had a problem. A squirt of PTFE dry lube got it going but I pulled it down anyway. When I pulled it out the roller shaft and bush had what looked like grease and sap but was probably dust that had been spun in there. This planer will get new rollers and bushes as the rubber is very worn. Dust also builds up on top of the bushes and the slides on mine were also gummed up some. The shafts bushes, slides and the sliding face on mine will all get some ptfe lube during assembly. I suggest that maintenance should have these areas blown out and a bit of spray added in the appropriate places. Mine is Australian but I expect the US ones are the same in that the cut height indicator on the front has 3 screws. When you put the smaller cutter in you can adjust that indicator. In fact both the wood thickness and the depth of cut indicator are adjustable. My planers cut height indicator was jammed as it had not been used for a long time when I bought it. PTFE spray got it going too. People are leaving the cutter shaft locking plate out during reassembly as the Byrd shaft has no provision for the lock to operate.. I'm not sure if there is clearance for it past the last cutter head but Byrd's instructions don't say to leave it out. What I noticed is that if it is left out the manifold for chip collection will not seal at that end. My second hand planer was missing a couple of cover plates and the adapter for the dust collector. One sprocket on the gearbox side was showing slight slop on the keyway. That side is where the rear roller is driven so I can guess why it was that way. I decided to take the top off as I could see the impeller was damaged. When I got it out the impeller was very bad - the vanes on the chip side were broken down to half length. Matthias Wandel suggested that the impeller in these may have a problem over time given it was plastic. One other great benefit of the Shelix upgrade is that the chips get a hell of a lot smaller and should be a lot kinder on the impeller. Alll of the sliding and rotating bits that change on the gear change linkage got lubed up with spray too. The chain tensioner on the top, aka idler gear, is another place that needed attention on mine. 2 screws adjust that. Moving the height winder in one direction will put all of the slack between the front 2 posts. This makes it easy to adjust the idler position. No slack in the chain means that the hwight winders on all 4 posts will move as soon as the first one moves under the action of the winder. I'm waiting for parts as lots of the bits I needed were ridiculously priced over here. New rollers are coming from here as fright on heavy bits does not work well from the US but all of the little stuff is coming from M&M Tool and Machinery in Salt Lake City. I got some infeed and outfeed tables for it from ebay from a seller in Seoul quite cheaply also. I didn't like the price of buying a new planer and then paying 3/4 of that price for the cutter. The rebuild will take the price of the planer itself to over half the price of a new one excluding the cutter head price but I have learned a hell of a lot about what makes this planer tick and how I can can for it. I found DeWalt's manual for the planer very disappointing as it said pay attention to lubrication and then told you bugger all about lubrication requirements. I spoke to a DeWalt tech and he said there was no info but that he pout athe tiniest smear of ptfe grease on the roller bushes as he assembled them. He was torn about it but could not leave the bushes without lube. I love your videos. That workbench is a heavy beast. Thank you.
Oh, and if you did not adjust the cut depth gauge then the planer should not plane at all at 1/32 cut depth as the original (non-OEM) Shelix cutter is 1/32 less in radius.
I have the same setup. I never ran straight blades on my planer. I upgraded straight away. I did have one problem though. I had a hard time getting the belt reinstalled correctly. I think I ruined two belts at $35/each before I got it seated properly. All in all a great upgrade.
Typically, sound is measured at a distance of one meter. Also, when dealing with decibels, three is important. This is because a change of three decibels is either an increase of 100% or a decrease of 50%. Doubled or halved every three decibels. Just FYI. Thanks for the informative video.
One benefit no mentions is the smaller chip, you'll find the smaller chip doesn't clog dust collector like long straight chips. Of course the Dewalt has the chip cruncher that other planers lack but even aside the waste handling will be greatly improved.
I replaced the straight cutter head on my Shop Fox Jointer immediately. Mostly because i didn't want to mess with setting proper cutter head height. Best decision ever. I have a Ridgid planer so I may now upgrade it's cutter too. Thanks for the info!
Have you upgraded your Ridgid planer yet? Shopping for a planer I can upgrade with a shelix head and I like Ridgid anyway. Any info would help - thanks.
I think I'm going to pull the trigger for my Ridgid planer as well. I've been hesitant because that head is more valuable than the planer, but everyone I've talked to that's done it has been glad they did and said it's 100% worth the cost.
Jay, thanks for the video. It’s great to know that the change was easy with the smaller diameter replacement. That’s definitely an upgrade I’ll need to make sometime in the future. For now I’m still on my original blades and have a second set standing by. I’m also spending my workshop budget on other needs.
So ok, I saw this video when you first posted it and got so jealous that I went looking to buy a Shelix head for my Makita 2012NB planer. Sadly, they didn't make one for that model. I then started considering buying a DeWalt planer just so I can have a Shelix head on my planer. But wait! After working with the Shelix sales rep and engineers, they've agreed to build a Shelix head for my planer. I had to send them my cutter head and planer chassis so they can figure out how to make it fit since it has a really oddball set up (oval shaped cutter head, with cutting diameter larger than the access hole the cutter head passes through to get installed, so the cutters have to be installed after the head is installed). I should get mine sometime in the early fall time frame, after which they should be available to anyone else who owns that model planer. So see, you've inspired a new product line for Shelix!
Hi Buddy, were you able to get a Shelix head for your Makita? They don't list it in their online catalogue. Was the price comparable to the one they sell for the Dewalt?
I have one on my hammer combo machine. As quality is realised and becomes apparent, cost is soon forgotten. The surface come out beautiful and as other people comment, I got sick of buying a set of blades for $90 bucks a time after two big jobs
Hi. just recently saw your video about the Dewalt 735 from 2016. I've have the same unit with infeed/outfeed table for about five years now and I'm extremely happy with it. Yes; the blades are pricey. But taking into account the cost of having more permanent blades sharpened as needed, I think it evens out. Glad to see this video about the helical upgrade as I've been thinking about that for a while now. I've been thinking about doing the same thing, so good to know someone else thinks the upgrade is worth it.
Some information on dB, a reduction of 3 dB is half the amount of noise. dB is like Richter for earthquakes, an exponantial increase from one point to the second. A reduction of 6 dB therefor is very significant. (Excuse the bad english)
J-B Dekker dont go into richter thats is just plain weirdt. The amound of damage done by an earthqauke... complex stuff. I do concur - love that word - on your explenation of the db scale. What our brain thinks is loud is even more complicated...
A bel is a double in volume as perceived by most people. 1/10th of that is a decibel. 3 dB is a double in power (in regards to an amplifier). 6 dB is a double in amplitude of the waveform. 10 dB (1 bel) is the perceived double in volume to the human ear. So with a reduction of 6-7 dB it is a noticeable difference but not quite half the perceived volume.
Nice review, thanks! I considered this upgrade for my benchtop planer, but don't have faith in the longevity of universal motors & thus don't want to risk the additional investment. For a planer w/ a cap start motor I would definitely consider this upgrade.
With the helical drum and insert cutter the cutting pressures should be reduced due to the cutting edge isn't in contact with the surface at once, and should make your machine last a lot longer also, and being carbide should give you a better finish on harder woods. Great job on the video
How is the smaller size? Has the inaccurate depth gauge bother you at all? I'm wondering if the smaller size reduces the power consumption at all and therefore reduces the tendency to trip the breaker.
Looks like a good idea till you see the price hahaha, the replacement for my DW733, its 525$CAD, Side note, I use to have the same problem with knife dulling quickly, till I changed the guy that use sharpened my knifes, he sold his company to a young whipper sniper, and let me tell you, that boy can sharpen, as the blades, now last four times longer with a much smoother finish on each pass.
It would also have been interesting to see a current draw comparison with the planer under load between the two sets of "knives". I would venture a guess you could take a deeper cut with a better finish use the same amount of energy as a lesser cut from the straight knives.
I’ve read conflicting reviews on the shelix heads, specifically the smaller diameter one. You and stumpy nubs seem to like them but is there a problem with the diameter being slightly smaller and the feed rollers being the same size causing snipe and bowing in the finished wood? I think the original size one would be the one to go for, I didn’t know they made an OEM size until now but the blades chipping so easily is really stressing me out so I think I will make the switch soon
Very well done video! Very effective comparison and explanation ... now all I have to do is comment on the millions of crappy videos on RUclips to tell them why they aren't nearly as good as you!
By the time you paid for the planer and the upgraded knife set, would you have been better off buying an overall better unit? Something more serviceable or built overall better for not that much more of a price point? Thanks in advance.
The simple fact is that it is an upgrade that happens after some time that they already had the Dewalt. If they could have known before they would not buy the Dewalt at first place at all.
I just installed the shelix in my 735 yesterday (8/25/18) and the sound difference is dramatic though still not quiet by any means. I think a good amount of noise comes from the internal fan extraction. Has anyone tried removing this? Specifically the higher frequencies seem to be reduced. As anyone that owns these planers know as the blades get dull the noise level increases quite a bit. Installation was very straight forward and there are good videos on YT. Couple notes: 1. There are 3 snap rings, one on the main shaft and two on the gears on transmission side with small holes in the rings. I got a cheap pair of Irwin snap ring pliers at Lowe’s and they worked great. 2. The shaft nut is 23mm but is not very tight. A 15/16” socket works fine if that’s all you have. 3. If your planer is older think about replacing your drive belt while you have machine apart. Mine split (or was already split) as I was removing/installing. Using the socket makes installing the belt much easier.
I’ve always been a little confused by aftermarket helical heads. I have a dw735 planer I got on sale for $550, and a helical head will cost me $500. To me it doesn’t make sense to spend the price of the tool again just for the cutter head, and I would rather spend it on getting a larger stationary planer. Is this an uncommon opinion?
Question: I’ve always read that it requires a bigger motor to properly drive the helical head devices because they have so much more cutting surface. I’ve got a 2 hp 220v 8” jointer with normal blades and a 20” 5 hp planer with the helical head. Both are made by Grizzly. I wanted to replace the standard blade head on my jointer with a helical for better performance and longer blade life. My experience with my jointer is the same as yours with your old setup on the DeWalt. Biggest complaint is with short blade life with harder woods like hickory, walnut and mesquite and I’d never use it on teak. It sounds like you would recommend this change out even with the smaller motor on the jointer. Yes/no? I enjoy your videos a lot. Fine photography, good humor and an honest revealing of your mistakes. Keep them coming.
Great gift! I'm glad you did this comparison. I have the DW734 and the knives chip out easy as well. They do make straight carbide blades for these machines but, why upgrade to those when this is available?! 👍
Jay Bates 2 - Vlog and Non Project Videos so the helix are lasting 3 years? How long before you need to sharpen or change out the straight blades? didnt get mentioned. just that they dont last long. thanks.
I've got 3 years on the original cutting edge on my jointer carbide inserts. That's just one of the four cutting edges on those inserts though. They can be rotated 90 degrees four times to reveal a fresh cutting edge before you have to replace them.
Hey Jay, I know I'm a year behind and all but I'm looking to upgrade my benchtop and thought about the 735 with a spiral head upgrade for my small shop. I reviewed this video and I was wondering - did the 1/16" difference in diameter mess up the factory thickness guide? Did you have to adjust the tool or mentally adjust for the difference?
I wish I could afford to change mine but my planner is a 15' 2hp, so quite expensive. I know you said it's just a simple noise comparison, and on the phone, but if you don't know 3dB reduction is actual half as much noise, so in practical terms it is a Big difference.
I saw your previous review on the DeWalt Planer and this video on the Shelix Head when you first put it out. I know your previous complaints were with blade life. I am now looking at purchasing the DeWalt 735X. Now, after using for a short period of time upgrading to the Shelix head I was wondering the following: 1. Are you now happy with the planner - did the Shelix head resolve your complaints. 2. Now that you have had the planer for awhile and maybe even run some Bubinga through it, are you still happy with the Shelix head? 3. I know that you got the Shelix head as a gift, but now that you know how it performs, do you wish you would have gone ahead and purchased it before - i.e. is the difference in performance worth the almost $500 it cost for the upgrade?
hows this head feel about nails? normal knives get wrecked by a hidden nail, but its seems anything made with carbide these days can chew through nails no problem from recip blades, to chop saw blades to circular saw blades
It does not surprise me that people get 5 plus years out of one side of those cutters. Carbide is used to cut the hardest metals ever made at insane speeds and feeds. So wood is like cutting butter with a Samurai sword.
Am I only the one who noticed that the sound of the shelix cutting is quieter than the straight blades just spinning?!?! Is that correct? You didn't include it so do you have a measurement for the sound of the shelix spinning under no load? Also, I'm glad you mentioned that straight blades were relatively fresh because they get MUCH louder as they get worn out.
At 3:38 the Shelix-cutter is spinning. And yes, it is correct that a helical cutter will be quieter without load. Straight blades are making more noise due to the air resistance along the whole blade is much heavier than the small cutters.
I did this upgrade and i think Jay downplays the sound difference. To my ears and my measurements it was WAY more significant. The dust collector and air cleaners running in the background make the measured difference seem less. With out additional noise generators is aw a 10-11 db decrease. This is reinforced by my needed hearing protection i Used to need about 30 db of protection to not experience discomfort. Now i can use my 20 db reduction ear plugs just fine.
$445 wow. I am sure it is worth it but DeWalt should offer an option as I am sure they could include it at less than the $445 on a stand alone cutter head. I mean they would get them wholesale and in volume.
I have read comments many times about the Shelix lasting longer, besides no tear out. But at that cost, how long does the Shelix actually last vs, buying the cheaper blades? In other words, I see prices for $50 for Dewalt blades. How long would the $50 last and how many would have to be bought compared to the life span of the Shelix? I ask because I bought my first planer, it is used and it is the 732 I think. It was on a single project, still had very good original blades, a new set of blades and a dust shute came with it. Couldn't pass it up. I did want a newer 734 or 735. Just trying to figure out if shelling out over $400 for the Shelix would be worth it in the long run. So far I have not seen a video or read how long the Shelix would last in normal use.
I've been wanting to upgrade my DeWalt lunchbox planer for several years, but I just don't use it that much. The original vid I saw a couple years ago documenting the upgrade made it look really difficult and involved. Now that you pointed out they offer a smaller diameter head that pops right in, I'm rethinking my 'need' to upgrade. Smaller is better, right? Thanks for sharing Jay.
Hi Jay, Great video on the Dw735. I have a question about replacing one of the turrets on my unit. Is there a specialty tool to remove the plastic nut type cap on the end of the turrets. If so, where would l find one, I'm stumped on this, HELP...Hope you can, Thanks in advance Jay..
Great comparison and definitely yields a better result. My question is whether you would have spent the additional $450 (for about $1100 for the setup) if the cutter head hadn't been a gift?
Since everyone here has dumb comments and no real woodworking experience, i have a very good question...what about the snipe with the upgraded heads? Is it better, worse, or the same?
Nice video. Love the lav mic placement! I wish you would have talked about the ease of cut. Did the shelix head cut easier than the straight blade/ less bog down or motor strain?
Cost effectiveness is expensive. Check Stumpy Nubs on youtube. He has a video on why helical heads are better than straight blades. Also this is a professional woodworker upgrade and it will start to pay back on material costs and time/labour. I'm thinking about getting this.. far in the future when I have a thicknesser lol.
In another video you said you would have gone with a less expensive machine and eventually get a large floor standing model. What changed your mind enough to sink another 400 dollars into this machine?
Yes , Mr. Bates ..the carbide will last long ...but the amount of years do not mean anything ....I can use my S!@ty blades that come with my Dewalt and last 5 years but only planed 10 feet of oak .... So how many feet , approx , have you planed before a indexing is needed ? Diffidently the upgrade is well worth the money . Great video !
Whispering is around 30 db and 70db is about how loud a vacuum is. So yeah, probably not the most accurate meter. But since you're just comparing two things I guess it's ok? Maybe?
It may not seem like a large reduction in noise.. but a quick lesson in dB, every 10 dB is double the noise. So if you can drop 5 dB, that is actually quite an improvement.
Jay, it’s been a while since I have stopped by. Forgive me for asking, especially if you have answered this elsewhere. Are you still using the omeneo primers on Sony?
Video Notes:
- At 2:12 and 3:52 I incorrectly said 1/4 turn equals 1/16" depth of cut. 1/4 turn is equal to 1/64" depth of cut.
- Article for this video: jayscustomcreations.com/2018/06/planer-upgrade-dw735-shelix/
- Cutter head in this video: amzn.to/2y1rSy8
Thanks cause your video didn't make any sense the way you recorder it and the correction now is correct. Hey everyone can make a mistake, i am an example of that. I do hate the blades too. I am thinking of getting this replacement but may get the biger one that yuou need to remove all the cutters. Still doing research. Also your observation about the dB reading is also so very true and your set up was great.
I put in a Shellix head in my DW 735 before even using the straight knives. Seven years, no rotating of blades required, still produces amazing surfaces.
I just got a 735, and that's already a huge upgrade over the terrible tiny lunchbox planer I had before. Can't wait to add a helical cutter one day and see what that's like!
I can confirm. I installed the same setup into my dewalt and it makes a MASSIVE difference on figured wood. Also another plus is the chips are a LOT smaller and will take up less room in your dust collector so you're not spending as much time emptying your dust bags!
Had mine for four years, haven't rotated the knives. Cuts look as good as day one. Put mine in the day I got my 735. You're right about the finish, I often don't sand the non-show surfaces, and sometimes even the show surfaces. Huge time and cost saver too.
I installed mine before even firing up my Dewalt. ... the install was quick and simple. I took the brand new stock head and blades and sold them on Craigslist for a couple hundred bucks. I really had no choice but to buy the shelix because I work mostly with mesquite wood which destroys any cutters that are not carbide. Best decision ever.
Ryh
Excellent video. Thanks. I followed you instructions to the T and it went pretty well. Only frustrating part was the Phillips screws which stripped. That took the longest to get out. I was able to do mine on my own as well. Loving the results. Definitely worth it!
holy crap.. curly maple, like you said, is GOING to tear out. That's awesome that there was no tear out. must be due to the angle of attack on the little cutters. I like it!
I have had my Shelix for a little over 5 years. I have yet to change the cutter positions. All of the lumber I use is ruffsawn. The three species of wood I use are oak,hard maple and black walnut. When planing the hard maple I definitely can hear the motor bog down more so than the other two. This at 1/64 of an inch depth cut. I heartily endorse this product.
I did this conversion about 3 years ago. Loved the results and the carbide cutters last a whole lot longer than the original baldes.
I upgraded my Dewalt 734 planer with a Shellix cutter back in December of 2019. It was my Christmas present. I am a bit disappointed with this upgrade for a couple of reasons and here they are. Since December, I have already gone through a box of carbide chicklets. I have been working mainly with Walnut and for some reason, the Walnut is causing the chicklets to fracture. Once the chicklet is fractured, it is no longer any good. So you lose 3 of the 4 cutting edges. A box of 10 chicklets costs $30 to $40 plus shipping depending on the source. The second thing I am experiencing is placement of the new chicklet. If the chicklet is not in the correct position, the planed board ends up with a ridge in it. I have to go back in, readjust the chicklet and then run another test cut until everything is perfectly aligned. Stumpy Nubs claims that the Lux Carbide Planer head has a better registration system for the chicklets. Couple of other comments.......I have a Shellix head on my Jet Jointer and I love it. Also I use a torque screw driver just to make certain that I am not over torquing the screw and causing the chicklet to crack. I am not going back to the tool steel cutting head. I will work with what I got. But I am disappointed after such good success with my Jointer.
Haha ... Welcome to the other side! - The moment I ran my first piece through my DW735 with the Shelix head I knew I made a great investment. I remember packaging up some spare blades I had and shipping them off to you with a note that said you will get a Shelix someday LOL! - Enjoy. I've had mine for a couple years now and have not rotated any of the cutters yet.
Thanks again!
It looks like a piece of twine to hold the end of the Shelix head when installing could save your fingers.
Going to add a negative here..I've ran the shelix cutter for about 1.5 years, with lots of production through it, nice finishes, etc. Running 10 inches wide of hardwood through it for hours at a time, I started to set off the internal fuse a number of times, each time waiting about 3 mins in between resets. I began running through only 1/32 at a time, greatly reducing my productivity. I tried running the straight blades again, and I was back to 1/8-1/16th each cut, no fuse faults, no problem. I believe whats happening is that the blades give the motor a chance to "catch up" and in reality, cut more wood. Not sure, I'm open to hear others experience, but shelix may not actually be great for heavy production stock removal. Either way, looks like I need to go to 220V production machine if you are talking 100's BF/day.
Thanks man I appreciate it very much I'm a new owner of this model and ever bit of information helps and saves money
SYou’re going to love that Shelex cutter head. I’ve had mine for three years now and it’s the best thing I ever did for my Dewalt 735 planner. I think I’ve rotated three of the carbide blades due to chips but other than that I’m still on my original set. There is one other difference that I’ve experienced and seen reported between the factory cutter head in the helical cutterhead and that is that the helical cutterhead will use a little bit more power/amperage. I believe it’s because one of the carbide cutters is always in contact with the surface of the wood.
I put a shelix head in my Ridgid jointer about ten years ago. What a difference! I'm a hobbyist/semi-professional so it has seen quite a few linear feet of various hardwoods, mostly edge jointing, but I have yet to rotate any of the carbide cutters. I do vary the fence position to try to even out the wear pattern but it still gives a smooth edge with no tear out. If I were to upgrade my jointer from my current 6" Ridgid, I would probably go for a Grizzly with a Shelix head. Same if I were to upgrade my planer from a Ryobi 12" to a larger Grizzly. I totally believe the helical heads are worth the extra initial outlay.
Awesome cutting heads. I installed one on JET 6" Jointer. Best thing ever.......such a massive improvement.
Hi Jay,
Thanks for the informative video.
I got a second hand one of these planers for a song and I have an OEM cutter to fit ( the larger one). I pulled the planer down and found things that I would watch for on this planer. Even with the chains and the belt removed the rear roller would not turn by hand. It turned under motor power and you would not have known it had a problem. A squirt of PTFE dry lube got it going but I pulled it down anyway. When I pulled it out the roller shaft and bush had what looked like grease and sap but was probably dust that had been spun in there. This planer will get new rollers and bushes as the rubber is very worn.
Dust also builds up on top of the bushes and the slides on mine were also gummed up some. The shafts bushes, slides and the sliding face on mine will all get some ptfe lube during assembly. I suggest that maintenance should have these areas blown out and a bit of spray added in the appropriate places.
Mine is Australian but I expect the US ones are the same in that the cut height indicator on the front has 3 screws. When you put the smaller cutter in you can adjust that indicator. In fact both the wood thickness and the depth of cut indicator are adjustable. My planers cut height indicator was jammed as it had not been used for a long time when I bought it. PTFE spray got it going too.
People are leaving the cutter shaft locking plate out during reassembly as the Byrd shaft has no provision for the lock to operate.. I'm not sure if there is clearance for it past the last cutter head but Byrd's instructions don't say to leave it out. What I noticed is that if it is left out the manifold for chip collection will not seal at that end.
My second hand planer was missing a couple of cover plates and the adapter for the dust collector. One sprocket on the gearbox side was showing slight slop on the keyway. That side is where the rear roller is driven so I can guess why it was that way.
I decided to take the top off as I could see the impeller was damaged. When I got it out the impeller was very bad - the vanes on the chip side were broken down to half length. Matthias Wandel suggested that the impeller in these may have a problem over time given it was plastic. One other great benefit of the Shelix upgrade is that the chips get a hell of a lot smaller and should be a lot kinder on the impeller.
Alll of the sliding and rotating bits that change on the gear change linkage got lubed up with spray too. The chain tensioner on the top, aka idler gear, is another place that needed attention on mine. 2 screws adjust that. Moving the height winder in one direction will put all of the slack between the front 2 posts. This makes it easy to adjust the idler position. No slack in the chain means that the hwight winders on all 4 posts will move as soon as the first one moves under the action of the winder.
I'm waiting for parts as lots of the bits I needed were ridiculously priced over here. New rollers are coming from here as fright on heavy bits does not work well from the US but all of the little stuff is coming from M&M Tool and Machinery in Salt Lake City. I got some infeed and outfeed tables for it from ebay from a seller in Seoul quite cheaply also.
I didn't like the price of buying a new planer and then paying 3/4 of that price for the cutter. The rebuild will take the price of the planer itself to over half the price of a new one excluding the cutter head price but I have learned a hell of a lot about what makes this planer tick and how I can can for it.
I found DeWalt's manual for the planer very disappointing as it said pay attention to lubrication and then told you bugger all about lubrication requirements. I spoke to a DeWalt tech and he said there was no info but that he pout athe tiniest smear of ptfe grease on the roller bushes as he assembled them. He was torn about it but could not leave the bushes without lube.
I love your videos. That workbench is a heavy beast. Thank you.
Oh, and if you did not adjust the cut depth gauge then the planer should not plane at all at 1/32 cut depth as the original (non-OEM) Shelix cutter is 1/32 less in radius.
I have the same setup. I never ran straight blades on my planer. I upgraded straight away. I did have one problem though. I had a hard time getting the belt reinstalled correctly. I think I ruined two belts at $35/each before I got it seated properly. All in all a great upgrade.
Typically, sound is measured at a distance of one meter. Also, when dealing with decibels, three is important. This is because a change of three decibels is either an increase of 100% or a decrease of 50%. Doubled or halved every three decibels. Just FYI. Thanks for the informative video.
One benefit no mentions is the smaller chip, you'll find the smaller chip doesn't clog dust collector like long straight chips. Of course the Dewalt has the chip cruncher that other planers lack but even aside the waste handling will be greatly improved.
I replaced the straight cutter head on my Shop Fox Jointer immediately. Mostly because i didn't want to mess with setting proper cutter head height. Best decision ever. I have a Ridgid planer so I may now upgrade it's cutter too. Thanks for the info!
Have you upgraded your Ridgid planer yet? Shopping for a planer I can upgrade with a shelix head and I like Ridgid anyway. Any info would help - thanks.
I think I'm going to pull the trigger for my Ridgid planer as well. I've been hesitant because that head is more valuable than the planer, but everyone I've talked to that's done it has been glad they did and said it's 100% worth the cost.
Jay, thanks for the video. It’s great to know that the change was easy with the smaller diameter replacement. That’s definitely an upgrade I’ll need to make sometime in the future. For now I’m still on my original blades and have a second set standing by. I’m also spending my workshop budget on other needs.
Love the phone clamped in a clamp to measure the noise levels! Never have too many clamps.
No tear out on curly maple!?!? I’m sold.
I believe it helps with dust collection as well.
So ok, I saw this video when you first posted it and got so jealous that I went looking to buy a Shelix head for my Makita 2012NB planer. Sadly, they didn't make one for that model. I then started considering buying a DeWalt planer just so I can have a Shelix head on my planer.
But wait! After working with the Shelix sales rep and engineers, they've agreed to build a Shelix head for my planer. I had to send them my cutter head and planer chassis so they can figure out how to make it fit since it has a really oddball set up (oval shaped cutter head, with cutting diameter larger than the access hole the cutter head passes through to get installed, so the cutters have to be installed after the head is installed). I should get mine sometime in the early fall time frame, after which they should be available to anyone else who owns that model planer.
So see, you've inspired a new product line for Shelix!
Are you saying Byrd company can’t afford to buy a planer for their R&D purposes?
Hi Buddy, were you able to get a Shelix head for your Makita? They don't list it in their online catalogue. Was the price comparable to the one they sell for the Dewalt?
I have one on my hammer combo machine. As quality is realised and becomes apparent, cost is soon forgotten. The surface come out beautiful and as other people comment, I got sick of buying a set of blades for $90 bucks a time after two big jobs
Hi. just recently saw your video about the Dewalt 735 from 2016. I've have the same unit with infeed/outfeed table for about five years now and I'm extremely happy with it. Yes; the blades are pricey. But taking into account the cost of having more permanent blades sharpened as needed, I think it evens out. Glad to see this video about the helical upgrade as I've been thinking about that for a while now. I've been thinking about doing the same thing, so good to know someone else thinks the upgrade is worth it.
Its great to see you and your topic wish to see more two thumbs up have a great father's day
Some information on dB, a reduction of 3 dB is half the amount of noise. dB is like Richter for earthquakes, an exponantial increase from one point to the second. A reduction of 6 dB therefor is very significant. (Excuse the bad english)
J-B Dekker dont go into richter thats is just plain weirdt. The amound of damage done by an earthqauke... complex stuff. I do concur - love that word - on your explenation of the db scale. What our brain thinks is loud is even more complicated...
Bart van der veen kon zo snel even niet op het engelse woord voor "exponentieel verband" komen vandaar het voorbeeld haha.
J-B Dekker I don't think you're correct. If you are, when he is cutting, it is 65000 times louder than when he's only running the air conditioner
A bel is a double in volume as perceived by most people. 1/10th of that is a decibel. 3 dB is a double in power (in regards to an amplifier). 6 dB is a double in amplitude of the waveform. 10 dB (1 bel) is the perceived double in volume to the human ear. So with a reduction of 6-7 dB it is a noticeable difference but not quite half the perceived volume.
Just for your information, richter scale isn't exponential, it's logarithmic.. We all get what you meant, but just for accuracy :)
Nice review, thanks! I considered this upgrade for my benchtop planer, but don't have faith in the longevity of universal motors & thus don't want to risk the additional investment. For a planer w/ a cap start motor I would definitely consider this upgrade.
Sounds great. I've heard some people hone the replaceable blades to get extra life out of them
I just did it live the product. Make sure u have socket #23. And snap ring set.
Thanks for this! I have a 735 and need to replace the straight blades after only a few weeks with it.
With the helical drum and insert cutter the cutting pressures should be reduced due to the cutting edge isn't in contact with the surface at once, and should make your machine last a lot longer also, and being carbide should give you a better finish on harder woods. Great job on the video
I JUST purchased the Helix smaller size Cutter Head. thanks for the review
How is the smaller size? Has the inaccurate depth gauge bother you at all? I'm wondering if the smaller size reduces the power consumption at all and therefore reduces the tendency to trip the breaker.
Looks like a good idea till you see the price hahaha, the replacement for my DW733, its 525$CAD, Side note, I use to have the same problem with knife dulling quickly, till I changed the guy that use sharpened my knifes, he sold his company to a young whipper sniper, and let me tell you, that boy can sharpen, as the blades, now last four times longer with a much smoother finish on each pass.
Did this 3 years ago, great upgrade.
Thanks for that informative video - For me the reduction (or elimination) of tear out alone is worth the price of admission.
Great job thanks for taking the time to make this video to save me time. What a great help in deciding on what blades to use.
Planning on an shelix upgrade for my Robland X30... $1000.00, but I know wit will be a worthwhile investment.
you will love the upgrade it is wonderful the chips are also much better also
Thanks for sharing. I'll start saving up for the upgrade.
It would also have been interesting to see a current draw comparison with the planer under load between the two sets of "knives". I would venture a guess you could take a deeper cut with a better finish use the same amount of energy as a lesser cut from the straight knives.
Great info Jay...thanks for putting these blogs together.
I’ve read conflicting reviews on the shelix heads, specifically the smaller diameter one. You and stumpy nubs seem to like them but is there a problem with the diameter being slightly smaller and the feed rollers being the same size causing snipe and bowing in the finished wood?
I think the original size one would be the one to go for, I didn’t know they made an OEM size until now but the blades chipping so easily is really stressing me out so I think I will make the switch soon
Very well done video! Very effective comparison and explanation ... now all I have to do is comment on the millions of crappy videos on RUclips to tell them why they aren't nearly as good as you!
By the time you paid for the planer and the upgraded knife set, would you have been better off buying an overall better unit? Something more serviceable or built overall better for not that much more of a price point? Thanks in advance.
The simple fact is that it is an upgrade that happens after some time that they already had the Dewalt. If they could have known before they would not buy the Dewalt at first place at all.
I just installed the shelix in my 735 yesterday (8/25/18) and the sound difference is dramatic though still not quiet by any means. I think a good amount of noise comes from the internal fan extraction. Has anyone tried removing this? Specifically the higher frequencies seem to be reduced. As anyone that owns these planers know as the blades get dull the noise level increases quite a bit.
Installation was very straight forward and there are good videos on YT. Couple notes:
1. There are 3 snap rings, one on the main shaft and two on the gears on transmission side with small holes in the rings. I got a cheap pair of Irwin snap ring pliers at Lowe’s and they worked great.
2. The shaft nut is 23mm but is not very tight. A 15/16” socket works fine if that’s all you have.
3. If your planer is older think about replacing your drive belt while you have machine apart. Mine split (or was already split) as I was removing/installing. Using the socket makes installing the belt much easier.
Thanks for the info I need to replace my original blades and some other small things also
You’re gonna love it. Congrats.
I’ve always been a little confused by aftermarket helical heads. I have a dw735 planer I got on sale for $550, and a helical head will cost me $500. To me it doesn’t make sense to spend the price of the tool again just for the cutter head, and I would rather spend it on getting a larger stationary planer. Is this an uncommon opinion?
Only $842 shipped to New Zealand! Nasty! But considering I paid $1,499 for my DW735, I guess I may eventually upgrade my machine.
Красота, я бы но отказался от того вала! Лайк с подпиской!!! 👍👍👍👍👍
Good video Jay! Thanks for sharing your results with us.😎👍JP
Excellent video, thank you for putting that up.
Question: I’ve always read that it requires a bigger motor to properly drive the helical head devices because they have so much more cutting surface. I’ve got a 2 hp 220v 8” jointer with normal blades and a 20” 5 hp planer with the helical head. Both are made by Grizzly.
I wanted to replace the standard blade head on my jointer with a helical for better performance and longer blade life. My experience with my jointer is the same as yours with your old setup on the DeWalt. Biggest complaint is with short blade life with harder woods like hickory, walnut and mesquite and I’d never use it on teak. It sounds like you would recommend this change out even with the smaller motor on the jointer. Yes/no? I enjoy your videos a lot. Fine photography, good humor and an honest revealing of your mistakes. Keep them coming.
2 hp on your jointer is plenty, especially if you have it hooked up at 220v.
Great gift! I'm glad you did this comparison. I have the DW734 and the knives chip out easy as well. They do make straight carbide blades for these machines but, why upgrade to those when this is available?! 👍
I have no experience with the carbide straight blades but I've heard from others that they don't last as long as expected either.
Anthony, I have the 734 as well and did the carbide blade upgrade. Has been great so far (4 months).
Jay Bates 2 - Vlog and Non Project Videos so the helix are lasting 3 years? How long before you need to sharpen or change out the straight blades? didnt get mentioned. just that they dont last long. thanks.
I've got 3 years on the original cutting edge on my jointer carbide inserts. That's just one of the four cutting edges on those inserts though. They can be rotated 90 degrees four times to reveal a fresh cutting edge before you have to replace them.
Rick Patterson thank you for letting me know. May I ask how much they were?
Any plans to start selling your hats on your site? I love the trucker hat and would love to show my support. Awesome video!
Hey Jay, I know I'm a year behind and all but I'm looking to upgrade my benchtop and thought about the 735 with a spiral head upgrade for my small shop. I reviewed this video and I was wondering - did the 1/16" difference in diameter mess up the factory thickness guide? Did you have to adjust the tool or mentally adjust for the difference?
I wish I could afford to change mine but my planner is a 15' 2hp, so quite expensive. I know you said it's just a simple noise comparison, and on the phone, but if you don't know 3dB reduction is actual half as much noise, so in practical terms it is a Big difference.
I saw your previous review on the DeWalt Planer and this video on the Shelix Head when you first put it out. I know your previous complaints were with blade life. I am now looking at purchasing the DeWalt 735X. Now, after using for a short period of time upgrading to the Shelix head I was wondering the following:
1. Are you now happy with the planner - did the Shelix head resolve your complaints.
2. Now that you have had the planer for awhile and maybe even run some Bubinga through it, are you still happy with the Shelix head?
3. I know that you got the Shelix head as a gift, but now that you know how it performs, do you wish you would have gone ahead and purchased it before - i.e. is the difference in performance worth the almost $500 it cost for the upgrade?
Byrd currently has the cutterhead at 395 USD. Not too bad considering Dewalt sells their knife sets at around 70-80 dollars.
hows this head feel about nails? normal knives get wrecked by a hidden nail, but its seems anything made with carbide these days can chew through nails no problem from recip blades, to chop saw blades to circular saw blades
Thanks for breaking this down. Good information
your shops clean enough to perform surgery very very nice
It does not surprise me that people get 5 plus years out of one side of those cutters. Carbide is used to cut the hardest metals ever made at insane speeds and feeds. So wood is like cutting butter with a Samurai sword.
Am I only the one who noticed that the sound of the shelix cutting is quieter than the straight blades just spinning?!?! Is that correct? You didn't include it so do you have a measurement for the sound of the shelix spinning under no load? Also, I'm glad you mentioned that straight blades were relatively fresh because they get MUCH louder as they get worn out.
At 3:38 the Shelix-cutter is spinning. And yes, it is correct that a helical cutter will be quieter without load. Straight blades are making more noise due to the air resistance along the whole blade is much heavier than the small cutters.
New bearings will make any used tool quieter ;-)
I did this upgrade and i think Jay downplays the sound difference. To my ears and my measurements it was WAY more significant. The dust collector and air cleaners running in the background make the measured difference seem less. With out additional noise generators is aw a 10-11 db decrease. This is reinforced by my needed hearing protection i Used to need about 30 db of protection to not experience discomfort. Now i can use my 20 db reduction ear plugs just fine.
I put up with a 6" grizzly for 35yrs / new bearing holy s, then spiral in 15" griz so pleasant planimg
Did you compare the consistency of thickness across the width of the planed workpiece?
DOES THE 1/16" SMALLER SHELIX DIAMETER VS THE SAME DIAMTER ALTER THE THICKNESS ADJUST USING THE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT WHEEL?
$445 wow. I am sure it is worth it but DeWalt should offer an option as I am sure they could include it at less than the $445 on a stand alone cutter head. I mean they would get them wholesale and in volume.
I have read comments many times about the Shelix lasting longer, besides no tear out. But at that cost, how long does the Shelix actually last vs, buying the cheaper blades? In other words, I see prices for $50 for Dewalt blades. How long would the $50 last and how many would have to be bought compared to the life span of the Shelix? I ask because I bought my first planer, it is used and it is the 732 I think. It was on a single project, still had very good original blades, a new set of blades and a dust shute came with it. Couldn't pass it up. I did want a newer 734 or 735. Just trying to figure out if shelling out over $400 for the Shelix would be worth it in the long run. So far I have not seen a video or read how long the Shelix would last in normal use.
Where do you purchase the helical cutter head got the dw735 and what was your cost?
Thanks Jay. looking at a planer right now and wondering if I want to make that jump right off the bat.
Kyle Bruns I you like production. Don’t.
I've been wanting to upgrade my DeWalt lunchbox planer for several years, but I just don't use it that much. The original vid I saw a couple years ago documenting the upgrade made it look really difficult and involved. Now that you pointed out they offer a smaller diameter head that pops right in, I'm rethinking my 'need' to upgrade. Smaller is better, right? Thanks for sharing Jay.
Did you ever try carbide tipped straight blades? Curious what your thoughts are on that.
Thx Jay, I have been on the fence about upgrade!
Damn! The helix head costs as much as I paid for the planer brand new. For $539 I can buy a lot of replacement blades for the ones that wear out.
Hi Jay, Great video on the Dw735. I have a question about replacing one of the turrets on my unit. Is there a specialty tool to remove the plastic nut type cap on the end of the turrets. If so, where would l find one, I'm stumped on this, HELP...Hope you can, Thanks in advance Jay..
if going to smaller diameter blade set, how did that interfere with the depth setting gauge on the 735?
Now that you got your Hammer A3-41, would you skip these upgrades and go straight to that machine?
Yes.
Great comparison and definitely yields a better result. My question is whether you would have spent the additional $450 (for about $1100 for the setup) if the cutter head hadn't been a gift?
If you're frugal, you can get the setup for about $700, brand new. It's just a matter of how patient you can be to wait for the right time.
FYI Cement Carbide is a whole different level of scrap, Do Not bin it with steel scrap.
This is a huge upgrade! Congrats!
Since everyone here has dumb comments and no real woodworking experience, i have a very good question...what about the snipe with the upgraded heads? Is it better, worse, or the same?
Nice video. Love the lav mic placement! I wish you would have talked about the ease of cut. Did the shelix head cut easier than the straight blade/ less bog down or motor strain?
Thanks Jay, great information.
I wonder how it would do with eastern cedar...
The blades cost as much as the thickneser, am I missing something?
Cost effectiveness is expensive. Check Stumpy Nubs on youtube. He has a video on why helical heads are better than straight blades.
Also this is a professional woodworker upgrade and it will start to pay back on material costs and time/labour.
I'm thinking about getting this.. far in the future when I have a thicknesser lol.
what is the replacement cost of the small blades compared the the normal ones?
Hi do u thing that blade will fit to dewalt DW 733
Thanks for the info Jay! 👍👊
In another video you said you would have gone with a less expensive machine and eventually get a large floor standing model. What changed your mind enough to sink another 400 dollars into this machine?
He didn't, he mentions in the video that the Shelix head was a gift.
Thanks Jay I'm ordering one today
Yes , Mr. Bates ..the carbide will last long ...but the amount of years do not mean anything ....I can use my S!@ty blades that come with my Dewalt and last 5 years but only planed 10 feet of oak ....
So how many feet , approx , have you planed before a indexing is needed ?
Diffidently the upgrade is well worth the money .
Great video !
Whispering is around 30 db and 70db is about how loud a vacuum is. So yeah, probably not the most accurate meter. But since you're just comparing two things I guess it's ok? Maybe?
I like this video man you did a good job
seems like its a keeper
Most of the noise in the Dewalt planer is the exhaust/chip removal fan, not the cutters.
Well done, thanks Jay!
Great video
Carbide versus wood, like knife through butter.
It may not seem like a large reduction in noise.. but a quick lesson in dB, every 10 dB is double the noise. So if you can drop 5 dB, that is actually quite an improvement.
Jay, it’s been a while since I have stopped by. Forgive me for asking, especially if you have answered this elsewhere. Are you still using the omeneo primers on Sony?