Popular Woodworking 2004-02 № 139, страница 59
13" Portable PLANERS We test 7 premium machines to find out which one belongs in your shop. Photo by Al Parrish Since our last review of portable planers in 2001, several manufacturers have introduced 13"-wide machines, and a couple even have two feeding speeds. So it was clear that it was time to take another look. The two most significant changes are from Craftsman and DeWalt. Craftsman has added powered height adjustment that raises or lowers the cutterhead with the push of a lever. Also, a new internal dust-collection fan pulls chips away from the cut-terhead and into a garbage can without a dust collector. DeWalt also added an internal dust-collection fan, plus two feed speeds, similar to the Delta. But DeWalt went further, adding a three-knife cutterhead - all the others have two. The three blades significantly increase the opportunity for a fine finish. DeWalt also upgraded its physical design. (The traditionally designed DW733 is now available in an upgraded DW734 version that is a 121/2" disposable three-blade model. Disposable blades are used twice - once on each side - and are then thrown away. They can't be resharpened.) The new DeWalt has a short, wide design that has some advantages we will discuss later in this article. Another significant change on the DeWalt is its lack of a head lock. All the other 13" models offer a manual head lock, which fixes the moveable head in place and reduces snipe. DeWalt eliminates snipe by adding strong springs to remove the "backlash" tendency of the head (one of the causes of snipe). The result is a glass-like finish with virtually no snipe and no head lock to engage. by David Thiel Comments or questions? Contact David at 513-531-2690 ext. 1255 or david.thiel@fwpubs.com. popwood.com 57 |
