▼EXPAND FOR TOOL LINKS and INFO▼ Watch Next = Best Budget Planer - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PWGV_jg1Hi8.html Tools In This Video: Oliver Planer (Amazon) - amzn.to/3Epqjcf Oliver Planer (Woodcraft) - bit.ly/49iq3cU DeWALT Planer - amzn.to/3GrwTBC Craftsman Planer - amzn.to/3Gqp3rX Wahuda Jointer - amzn.to/3rQTuPl (If you use one of these Amazon and other affiliate links, I may receive a commission) Some other useful links: Daily Tool Deals on my website: www.731woodworks.com/tool-deals Subscribe to our email Newsletter: mailchi.mp/7e44c16eefdc/731-woodworks-email-newsletter Check out our easy-to-follow woodworking plans: www.731woodworks.com/store Outlaw's Board Butter - So Good it Should be Outlawed: www.731woodworks.com/store/boardbutter
@@731Woodworks now that you have had the Oliver for a while would you still recommend it? I am buying a planer once whether high or low priced and I don't want to repurchase in the future, what do you recommend and why?
@@rickyperkins232 It's a great planer. I have a more detailed video comparing the DeWALT and Oliver coming out Thursday, 12-22-22 that may help with your decisions. It's an excellent planer. The DeWALT is better built in my opinion, but that's not to say the Oliver is bad. The DeWALT is just more robust. As far as planing, it works great and produces a super smooth finish.
I bought this Oliver Planer about a moth ago myself. The driving factor was I wanted the Byrd Shelix cutter head, and this is the lowest cost planer with that head. Getting the Wixey Digital read out was an additional feature that put it over the top. I use this weekly in my shop and love the performance. Very happy with the purchase.
@@AaronGeller I have an upgraded Harbor Freight 2HP Dust Collector with the Wynn Environmental Filter and a Super Dust Deputy Cyclone. It works very well.
As far as benchtop planers are concerned, if I am going to spend over $1,000 I would just go industrial. I have had the Cutech 13" spiral cutterhead 40600H with tungsten carbide inserts for over 5 years as a weekend DIYer and absolutely love it. Would love to hear your opinion on cutech considering you have a Wahuda jointer.
@@billboy7390 it appears that they have four sided cutters, according to their web site. That said, many high end machines have two sided cutters. Why does that matter?
An industrial machine does not offer portability. So for high end trim guys, or cabinet shops that need a portable machine for installs, this is likely the answer.
I completely agree. I have a 15 year old Ridgid 13" planer which is the same as yours (except orange vs. gray), now sold by Cutech. It's been a workhorse. It has planed every inch of hardwood in my semi-pro shop, including making hundreds of cutting boards and several complete kitchen & bathroom remodels. One kitchen required 42 white oak cabinets. Last year I replaced the drive rollers and cutter-head bearings (also available from Cutech). Still going strong.
I enjoy my 735. I bought some machinist squares and once I figured out the planer quirks (THEY ALL HAVE THEM), I get nice and square. The key is when you are trying to get everything perfect, you have to run all your pieces in and just keep going, at 1/32 or 1/16 at a time (not much more though, the surface get's spotty at that point) and flip and flip and flip and flip working down. Honestly, I love the process, good time to think some organic thoughts. I also like sanding. Yes, that's right. I like sanding. Another chance to think. When I use the tablesaw, I only think about what I'm doing because that thing comes out of the factory saying "I was born to murder you" which is also my opinion on helicopters, which isn't that far in the relationship. A helicopter has spinning blades, they fail, you die (most likely) same with a table you slip, and your hand flies towards that blade, bad times.
I do own the DeWalt 735x and did the upgrade to the helical head. As it is the first and only planer I plan on buying, watching these comparisons is just for entertainment. Just remember that there is good reason the 735 has been a fan favorite for years.
I really like that power switch. The built-in DRO is also a nice feature. I say go for the head-to-head! (especially since you don't need to buy more machinery for it) And I've been much happier after I upgraded my planer to the Shelix. Makes easy work of stuff like curly maple that always gave me tearout issues.
I am glad he talked about the Hard Maple tear out problem. I was working on my jointer today and tried running a hard maple 1" x 4" flat across the new blades, and I heard a big chunk rip out of the board, and felt it catch a little bit as it was going through. The Hard Maple seems to enjoy ripping chunks out. But it sands so smooth, it almost looks like a plastic composite material.
I looked into the Oliver when buying my planer. Ultimately I settled on the DeWalt because of the 13", the four posts, the lower profile and this is not the same company as old. Basically this is another case of a Chinese company (Geetech) buying an American name for brand recognition (this happened in the early 2000s). That is not to say it is a bad tool, its to say that provenance of making tools since the 1800s should not be truly factored in.
Milwaukee is also a Chinese owned brand now. Most Lenovo and Apple products are made in China, and those are generally considered the 2 highest quality consumer computer brands. Cars from a lot of European brands sold anywhere except North America are made in China. Made in China doesn't mean the same thing it did 20 years ago. They are just as capable of making high quality stuff as anyone else now. But most Chinese companies don't have the culture of making high quality products that respected Japanese, American, or German companies do so you still have to be more careful.
It's kinda funny...I have never thought of American manufactured products as quality made like German's and Japanese's...Until I settle in Australia where strangely to me, US manufactured goods were considered high quality... Trying to buy into this idea got some Snap On tools. I deeply regret my European toolbox. Snap On was overpriced, over engineered/bulky but not nice to work with. Broke a spanner, got it replace for free, still, never broke any for decades before. Same with car hoists (repetitively failing hydraulics and power switch). GM and Ford are basic vehicles with no major innovation and yet fail with unique stupid designs. Such as a crank angle sensor position through the bell of a transmission requiring hours to replace, or electronics set under the bonnet against the engine. I don't like though the over complexity from German cars, Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW...It's like their engineers always add more to fix a previous issue. But I fell in love with Honda's engines. Simple efficient design. Hardly any fault...Although not good for my business then, lol. All spare parts seem to be manufactured in China nowadays anyway...To different standards, depending on a large Western company specs or for direct retail...
I've heard great things about Oliver equipment, especially their bigger stuff. For those of us who already own the yellow one … I highly recommend a helical cutter. I recently upgraded my 8yo DW to a Luxcut (Shelix was, probably still is, on LONG backorder) and the difference in quality is amazing. Next upgrade might be that digital depth gauge (and maybe one for the drum sander, too).
Thank you for another excellent video. I live on a pretty tight budget. Spending 5 or 600 bucks is a big deal to me. And, I just can't afford to plunk down $1200 for a planer. But, I could budget the $550 it cost for the Dewalt 735 (it was on sale). I used it for a couple of years and added the Wixey digital gauge for another $100. A HUGE upgrade! A year goes by, and I'm starting to use more figured lumber, and the straight blades are causing tear out. So, I buy the Lux III helical cutting head for (ouch!) $550. So, now I've spent about the same bucks as the Oliver but I could budget it over three years and still get a whole bunch of excellent milling done as I saved up. Plus, I now have a really great planer.
This planer appears to be 95% of my 10 year old Ridgid planer (now sold by Cutech). The Ridgid has been very good, but if I was spending this much money, I would probably consider a stationary planer with more capacity. The DRO is something I would never completely trust and would still check my boards with a caliper anyway. The helical head and magnetic starter seem to be the stars of the show. Thanks for sharing.
I'd love to see a head to head comparing the two machines. I actually just got the Oliver. I haven't had a chance to use it much but have been pleased so far. The major selling point to me was the cutting head.
Another good choice for a helical head planer is the Jet. after three years I have to adjust the bed as it is about 1/32 off square. otherwise still going strong. Current pricing is about $850.00
Apparently, this is the same machine as the Laguna PX|12. I own one and every bit of the body and basic features is the same as this Oliver. The Laguna is only $699 (I bought for $500 on sale last year), but comes with a spiral head instead of helical and without the digital gauge.
I bought mine a few months ago before you bought yours. I did the research and wanted the style cutter that comes with the oliver. I’ve truly enjoyed this. I wish I had money and space for really wide planer but I sort of achieved it by getting the super max 19/38. Love it as well.
Good review, I love the Shelix cutter heads. I converted my Delta 22-580 to the Byrd Shelix head, have not regretted this. My thoughts are if you can stretch your budget and afford a Super tool, verses a great tool. go for the super tool. (shineing a light across the board you can see the difference between Knife vs Helix)
I brought my DW735 about 5 months ago, and mine has the magnetic safety power switch on it. I don't know if its a reginal thing, but I am in New Zealand and its been the standard here for about 2 years I believe, they no longer have the Red power lever like yours has. I think in the USA they still sell with the red lever. No idea why other countries are different, but my DW735 is just like the Oliver's in that regard.
I have the Dewalt735x and i like it. A couple of years ago I looked into the shelix head to upgrade. If I would have bought it and installed it myself, it would have cost about the same as the oliver. The dewalt works great for me as don't use it all the time. So I won't be upgrading. Stay awesome.
I was thinking about same as fellow weekend woodworker. 735X is probably best way to go. Until you wear out all of the blades, there is no point in upgrading right away. Upgrade can be considered after all of the blades worn out and beyond repair.
I purchased the Oliver about 6 months ago after several weeks of research and changing my mind over that same timeline. I could not see purchasing anything other than the Oliver after the research that I had done. Comparing it to all the other benchtop planers, it is head and shoulders above the competition. Now grant you this is my first benchtop planer, so going in the same direction if I had already owned something else, I think would be a different story. I have absolutely no regrets with purchasing the Oliver and would recommend it to anyone that is looking to purchase a benchtop planer in the future.
I REALLY appreciate that you compare the Oliver and the DeWAlt (And even link to the vid about the Crapsman, too!). Thank you! I love that the Oliver has the Byrd-Shelix...but considering that it costs 2x the DeWalt, I think I'd go with the DeWalt. It'll get the job done, and the savings is significant. Granted, you likely get what you pay for if you spring for the Oliver with the Byrd-Shelix....but $1200 is hard to justify for a beginner/amateur. Truly an informative video which conveyed all of the relevant info very efficiently. Well-done!
I bought my Oliver a few months ago. I haven't used it much yet, but I'm glad to have seen the review. It's going to see some heavy use in the next few weeks though. It was the Byrd head and Oliver name that had me pull the trigger on it. The few boards I passed through it already came out perfectly. I appreciate when a company sends you a product ready to work with right out of the box.
I'm currently looking at purchasing the Dewalt Planer so I would really appreciate a head-to-head comparison between the two (or more) planers. Thanks for putting out such great material.
Great comparison. I upgraded my DeWalt a few years ago and the Shelix costs $370 then. I also like the lower profile of the DeWalt. I also installed the Wix gauge on mine. GOD bless.
I like the design of the Oliver, can't argue with cut quality, but shelling out $1200 when I have a 20-year-old Delta 22-540 with no depth gauge, no head lock, 2 inches of snipe, and no blower for dust collection and crappy position for dust collection, it still works well so I can't justify the $$. The Delta leaves a nice finish and I've got other places to spend the $1200. If I was buying new, I'd sure consider it.
The best planer is one that is quality built and can last years of of use. I bought my Dewalt DW735 planer 19 years ago and I have put tens of thousands of boards through it (90% hardwod) and I have only had to change the blades. It is hooked up to an independent dust collector and is still going strong! The Dewalt DW733 would be my choice if the DW735 finally dies, Oliver is out of my price range at this point! Thanks for the video.
I have a Delta 22-555 thickness planer. It is a two knife machine with a 15 amp motor. It has a back mounted dust port, but even with the port attached, both infeed and outfeed tables can be completely folded into the machine. The dust port can be configured to exhaust on either side of the machine. It will handle boards 13" wide and 6" thick. The top is open with two metal rollers, which I have found useful in moving material from the outfeed side back to the infeed side. The cutterhead speed is 9400 rpm giving 18,800 cuts per minute. Its weight is listed as 58 pounds. The knives are two sided reversible and if there is a nick, you can move one knife laterally just a bit, and the two knives eliminate the nick track. It does require dust extraction and I hook my shop vac up for that purpose. The chip extraction could be a bit better and the other downside is that it is noisy. Hearing protection is an absolute must. Snipe is a problem. It is sometimes worse than at other times. There are some common ways to reduce or eliminate snipe and I do use some of those techniques. I would love to have a locking head and a shelix cutterhead. Maybe if I ever upgrade, I'll go to the Oliver.
Nice to see Oliver take the base design of the DeWalt 734, and really trick it out. The addition of the digital depth gauge is super nice. While the top is plastic, that cuts the weight, so easier to move around along with the base handles. The blower would be nice for those that only have a shop vac. The helical head and mag switch are nice bonuses as well. I would consider it if I needed a new planer. Dedicated spot in the shop, 735x with head upgrade wins. If need to move it from storage to bench for use, this Oliver for sure.
I read in a forum thread from 2021 that someone successfully used the top of a 734 and swapped it out on their Oliver. It's about $50 for a metal head.
Dude I am so glad you did this review. My local woodcraft began selling these cheaper than the dewalt and it did kind of seem better. But the internet always says the dewalt is the best. However yhe Oliver is so much cheaper and has so many more features
The tables will fold up if you raise the cutter to the top. Same as on the DW735. So many people complain they dont fold up - but they do if you raise the head up. A pain I know, but it at least enables it to fold up!
Nice video, the easiest way to explain straight, spiral, helical. I found this from looking into the different shapes of cutters. Straight is exactly that the blades are straight. Spiral is taken the straight blades and wrapping them around a tube. Like a drill bit on it’s side. These blades usually not carbide. Then the king helical. Same as spiral, however the blade is not continuous. If you’re metal working on a mill these can be high speed steel or carbide. On a thickness planer I have only seen these to be carbide.
Harbor Freight has a decent planer with roller bars on top. I use a caliper to measure thickness. Blades are easy to access and flip. The bed could be stouter is my only con but I have got alot of use out of it...pine and oak.
A head-to-head video would be a great idea. I am considering a planer now and having a tough time figuring out which I would buy. I'd like to see a review or head-to-head with the 13in Wen planer as well if you ever grab one.
@@djbartles7337 Good choice. Dewalt makes a few versions but their dw735 is the best ive used for a benchtop. Ill occasionally have a few feeding issues, but that could be related to taking off alittle to much material.
just got the Oliver planner yesterday I love the cut it makes biggest problem the digital gauge dosent work but I planned some really hard wood thru it smooth as a babys but
I upgraded my DW735 to a Lux Cut helical head. Shelix heads were on backorder with at least a 10 month lead. The Lux Cut was delivered in about five days. I also bought a vertical dust collection port that pulls (you need a dust collector but that's a give with these beasts) out the top of the machine. The dust port on the back is just a bad idea.
I love my Dewalt 735. It is 6 years old and I have over time added the shelix head and the Wixi digital scale. The only thing I don't like about the Dewalt is the locking for various dimensions!
The dimension stops is what I miss about it. We used it for final dressing face frame for almost ten years. We ran hundreds of thousands of board ft of maple, oak, and alder through it. The only repairs during that time was to replace the drive pulley and one reset button. That machine is still in use in my wife's hobby woodshop now.
There is one comparison you left out, and its one many small shop owners would consider as I did when I was choosing between the DeWalt 734 and 735. because of the larger foot print i went with the 734 because I wanted save space by using a flip top cart and the 735 would have needed a much larger flip top cart due to its handles and also more difficult to spin from top to bottom because of the added weight.
Not complaining but I saw the Oliver planer at Harbor Freight under their badge but with the 3 blade system and no digital read out and it still got good reviews
I bought a used Rigid 13". Little cleaning, replaced with helical head (can buy from shelix or other) and installed a $30 DRO. Cutter head is most important.
Oilver any day! I've had mine for a year and wouldn't want anything else in this category. A product designed to work from the start will, in most cases, work better than after market mod. I am always pleasantly surprised by the results which equals to less work on the board afterwards.
I have the Dewalt 735 and upgraded to the Byrd shelix head. It did lose a bit of power but it cuts smoother. The Oliver is $1,000 so its about the same as the Dewalt, once the Dewalt is upgraded. The DW doesnt need to be locked bc of the chain driven design on the Acme screws. $1600 for the DW with shelix pre installed is an absolute rip off. The Shelix is about $450. In about 1 hour anyone can replace it themselves. So paying an additional $500 is absurd! The oliver comes with the DRO which is nice but it can also be added to the 735 quickly and at around $100. I'd love to see them head to head cutting to see if the Oliver handles a bigger cut without bogging down. Other than that, the 735 is the better buy in every way imho
I'm a weekend warrior. The Oliver has some really good features but having a 735 for the last 6 years it wouldn't be worth it to upgrade to. Ninety percent of the wood I've shoved through it has been Oak. I seriously considered the Shelix upgrade thinking I would save $ over its use till I figured out how to sharpen the original blades.
I almost bought the dewalt. However I found a few 3 hp floor models on market place for just a little more money. I would recommend stepping up to a bigger used planer at that price point if you aren’t limited on the space.
Matt, I have a small garage storage space and workroom. Almost all of my woodworking occurs in the driveway! Now that you've had the chance to use the Oliver planer for a while now, and if a person had the money to purchase either planer, which one would you recommend for the weekend woodworker to purchase? A planer is my next purchase, with these two units being the finalists, and both of these planers seem to be a great choice.
I've known about Oliver for 40 years, though I didn't know they made portables that I could actually afford. The one I used in high school was a 24 inch floor standing model. That thing could plane anything. I routinely ran things like dresser sides and tops through it without even thinking about it. It was so good that it actually hurt my skills a bit. Why spend a few hours flattening a top with a hand plane when I can make a few passes through the Oliver? Should my el-cheapo (but pretty decent) Wen give up the ghost, I will have to give this one a look.
I would like to see a video on the head-to-head of those two planers. I think I want the Oliver planer over the DeWalt planer based on your video but I would like to see a head-to-head comparison.
I just really like the design of the 735X a little better overall with the 4 post vs that lunchbox style but that Oliver sure is a nice machine. The other one that interest me is the Grizzly 13" helical head lunchbox style planer for $700 on sale. Only cause it's so close in price to the Dewalt but does have a few less features than the Oliver: No fan discharge and no digital display. But with helical head for only a couple hundred more than the Dewalt it sure seems like a good option as well. I'll probably run my Dewalt though until I move shops and have room for a larger full base planer. Great video though and great comparison!!
I purchased the dewalt 735 planer i havent used any yet i work full time i would love to see a head to head challenge. I find Dewalt tool are very good. I own serval table saw, miter saw & Router. Thank you Matt!
Hey, I just upgraded the on my dw375 with a grizzly helical head, came with everything you need for installation, the cutter head was about $400 and the planner I had for over 3 years now and it was time to upgrade or replace, so far so good, I do get my snipe with the new cutter head, probably I need to do some adjustments, but pretty much no tear out and no more streaks , all together I’m under 1k since I got my planer on sale under $600 with tax, great videos keep it up
Guess I will stick to my dewalt which I love but hate the snipe (tried everything) have come to just get used to cutting off 3 inches on each side or lots of sanding…feeding together helps. But love the straight knive finish on the dewalt it’s like glass with new blades
It's funny how much the Oliver looks like my old Dewalt that I still have and love I paid 375.00 for mine but it doesn't have a helix cutter but it still puts out a smooth cut. I know it's made in America but 1600.00 I just can't justify it. It's still a bench-top planner.
I don't have a planer the now and it's driving me nuts the DeWalt looks great would love to own it. Cash is tight right now I am looking to get one just need find the cash from somewhere unless Matt u fancy helping a Scottish brother out and send me the craftstman I'll certainly give it a loving home and put it through its paces! 👍🏴
Surprised for the price that it has a genuine Bryd 👍. What I’d really like to see is a comparison of the snipe on both planers (although, any planer, especially lunchboxes need mitigation methods no matter the planer if you need absolutely flat at the ends)
Oliver has been around for ages, though they went out of business some time ago. The name was purchased and is now basically an import company, like JWP (Jet, Powermatic, Baileigh, Wilton), Laguna and Grizzly. Look at all of their machinery, it is all the same. Outside of different electrical circuitry and sometimes the motors, they are all identical. Oliver is the best of the importers as they require tighter tolerances than say Griz, but they are essentially the same machines. It’s hilarious comparing all of these companies because they are all simply importing the same thing.
I don't fully agree because they're superficially the same but not essentially the same. Oliver physically tests their units before they go out and they actually calibrate them so we don't have to. They partnered with Byrd and Wixey unlike any other company. Grizzly uses plastic sprockets while Oliver uses metal ones.
@@AaronGeller reread what I said. They are essentially the same machines with slightly different parts. Just because they test them, calibrate them, and throw on some better parts does not change the fact that Oliver, just like Grizzly, are an import company.
@@mattschreiber4251 there are two separate things being confused. One that Oliver is an important company and two that a number of these planers are essentially the same. For the first point, many companies in the US important their products from overseas including Oliver. But the more important point is the claim that “they are essentially the same machines” and that I don’t fully agree with. I didn’t say I 100% DISAGREE, but I take issue with it because I think where the differences exists, they are significant. Aside from Grizzly, Oliver is the only other company that provides a helical head. It has a locking mechanism which a number of them don’t and that affects the final product. Things that affects the final product is what set otherwise similar planers apart. Honestly before the helical head, they were nearly identical as you say. At the end of the day, they can have numerous similarities but how they process wood is what sets them apart. Otherwise, we would just buy the cheapest one and call it a day.
@@AaronGeller I’m speaking to the companies and their lineup of tools, not specifically to lunchbox planers. That Oliver offers a lunchbox planer with a DRO and helical head certainly sets it apart from the rest. I am more differentiating the difference of the old Oliver and the current Oliver and to the fact that they should not be confused. I should have been more clear. My mistake.
@@mattschreiber4251 that makes more sense. The original factory is a 12-15 min drive from me and is now Eagle Machinery and they still provide parts for the original Oliver line. In some sense, it still lives on in Grand Rapids where it started.
That is a very fair comparison, so nice work. I like the Oliver, however for $1,100 I'm not impressed with the flimsy plastic top piece. This, however would not probably not preclude me from purchasing it. I happen to be considering the DeWalt but think the no warranty with the helical head is a problem, especially for that price. Thanks for sharing this.
I went with the Grizzly G0940 becasue of the total cost of getting a DeWalt and upgrading to the better cutter heard was more. And sigh, as I just went to look up which exact model I bought, I see it is now $695, and I bought it for $795... This thing is great so far for what I put through it. One tip, especially if you are like me with a brand new work bench, put something under it as they seem to go a lil extra on lubribcation under the unit and it can drip down.
Agree ! I will be replacing my old planer with this Grizzly. Same HP same type of cutters. 13" wide not 12.5" like the Oliver. That Oliver is way overpriced.
I have been using the Grizzly for about a year on all kinds of hardwood and it has performed very well. I should point out that Grizzly calls the cutter helical, but I call it spiral. The blades are not on an angle. Even so, I have not had to rotate a single blade yet. In my opinion, the Grizzly is still the best value. And it is often on sale for $695 (plus $75 shipping).
$1100 this is out of most peoples price range unless you’re running a small business WEN Has a very impressive 13 inch planer you should check that one out if you’re on a budget they make a couple but look at the one that has the cutters not the blades I believe it’s under $400 gets excellent reviews
Oliver is the one I want... happy to take that Oliver off your hands Matt lol. This is the only planer I'd buy unless I goto a stand alone version 15" or 20"
Thanks for the video. If you ever have a chance would be interested in your take on the Grizzly G0959 - 12" Combo Planer/Jointer with Helical Cutterhead. The price is $1,175 with the helical cutter head. Also the Grizzly G0940 - 13" 2 HP Benchtop Planer With Helical Cutterhead at 895 looks good too.
Cannot find this locally but online around $1000. In some areas the Byrd itself is $600 plus so not a bad price Personally find putting a board through at a slight angle offers better results. The auto trip switch is more common today. I think called a magnetic switch. Even Powertec sells those. Just have to follow wiring instructions which are slightly different. Keep in mind the 735 is a very old design. So it’s way behind in features.
I do like the magnetic switch. More shop tools should have them. How would the Grizzly G0940 - 13" 2 HP Benchtop Planer With Helical Cutterhead compare to this Oliver? The Grizzly is $795 and price is something I have to always consider as I am on a fixed income.
The Oliver is an exact copy of my Dewalt 734, except for the knives. Yes agreed the shelix head does cut better than my straight steel blades. But I have been using my 734 for over 10 years.
