As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Our product guides include affiliate links to Amazon.
Woodworking machine buying guide
Start with a flat reference face and the width of your boards. DEWALT DW735 is the 13-inch, two-speed option; DW735X adds tables and spare knives. WEN PL1326 uses rotatable HSS inserts; DW734 and Makita 2012NB have narrower capacities. Keep a planer that already fits, or buy ready-sized lumber for a small job. The 1/8-inch maximum cut is for narrow stock, not full-width boards.
Prepared October 7, 2026 from maker product pages and manuals. We have not performed planing, finish, noise or snipe tests.
| Your requirement | Model to consider | Useful difference | Check or skip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13-inch width, two feed speeds | DEWALT DW735 | Three-knife head at 10,000 RPM; 96 or 179 cuts per inch; fan-assisted chip ejection; automatic carriage lock. | DEWALT's manual does not recommend a shop vac for chip collection. |
| Same planer with tables and spare knives | DEWALT DW735X | DEWALT's description adds infeed and outfeed tables and an extra knife set. | Same machine as DW735. Compare the package with the accessories you already have; a new model suffix does not establish better finish. |
| 12-1/2-inch width, extended tables | DEWALT DW734 | Three-knife head, 96 cuts per inch, four-column carriage lock, 33-1/2 inches of table support. | One feed speed; narrower than the DW735. |
| Spiral cutterhead | WEN PL1326 | 26 two-sided rotatable HSS inserts; 13 × 6-inch capacity; 2-1/2- and 4-inch dust adapters. | HSS inserts, not a verified carbide upgrade. Manual limits wide-board passes to 1/16 inch. |
| 12-inch width, two-knife head | Makita 2012NB | Interna-Lok automatic head clamp; 12-inch width, about 6-3/32-inch thickness; tool box included. | 3/64-inch depth for 9-1/2- to 12-inch stock. Dust hood and stand are separate accessories. |
The 1/8-inch figure is a narrow-board ceiling, not a setting for every width or species. Follow each manual's depth chart and use shallower passes when the material calls for them:
Budget room for the board to enter and exit, secure support for long stock, and a suitable chip-collection setup. Check the exact manual's minimum stock dimensions before buying a machine for very short, narrow or thin pieces; the maximum capacity alone does not establish a safe fit.
Snipe: DEWALT and WEN both describe snipe as a dip at the board ends caused by an unsupported end. Their manuals say to support long boards; WEN suggests leaving 1 to 2 inches extra on each end to cut off later.
DEWALT lists a 15 A, 20,000 RPM motor, a three-knife cutterhead at 10,000 RPM, a two-speed gearbox for 96 or 179 cuts per inch, fan-assisted chip ejection, a 19-3/4-inch cast aluminum base, automatic carriage lock, a material removal gauge and a turret depth stop. The maker's included-parts list names the planer, dust hose adapter, crank handle and blade-change T-wrench. Its DW735X package adds tables and spare knives; check what you already own before buying the larger package.
DEWALT's product description explicitly says this package adds infeed and outfeed tables and an extra set of knives. The exact DW735X Amazon listing also describes those extras. The maker's shorter Includes field lists only the dust hose adapter; that incomplete field is not evidence the stated tables are absent. Match the DW735X suffix and the current listing's contents before ordering. It is the same two-speed planer, not a separate finish-performance upgrade.
DEWALT lists a 15 A, 20,000 RPM motor, a three-knife cutterhead at 10,000 RPM for 96 cuts per inch, disposable reversible knives, a four-column carriage lock, extra-long infeed and outfeed tables totaling 33-1/2 inches of support, a material removal gauge and a turret depth stop. Includes the planer and dust hood. Its tables provide 33-1/2 inches of support; long boards can still need additional support. Choose this narrower machine only if 12-1/2 inches covers your stock.
WEN's manual lists 120V 15 A, 10,000 RPM cutterhead with 26 two-sided 14 × 14 mm HSS inserts, 26 FPM feed, 13-inch maximum width, 6-inch maximum thickness, 2-1/2- and 4-inch dust chute adapters and 63.7 lb. The packing list includes the planer, elevation handle, knobs, dust chute, a 4 mm hex wrench and a T25 star wrench. WEN identifies replacement inserts as BP510H. Do not infer a carbide cutterhead or a tested finish advantage from the word spiral. Its manual permits a dust collection system or shop vacuum through a 2-1/2- or 4-inch hose; a hose clamp is not included.
Makita lists a 15 A motor at 8,500 RPM, two knives, an Interna-Lok automatic head clamp Makita markets as eliminating snipe, an adjustable depth stop, 12-inch width, 1/8-inch maximum depth and about 6-3/32-inch thickness capacity, and a 12 × 30-3/8-inch table. The maker describes a blade set, magnetic holders, wrenches and tool box. A stand is not included, and the dust collector hood is optional (193036-7). The product page lists 61.9 lb while the manual lists 59.5 lb; confirm the exact machine's weight for transport rather than treating either as a tested measurement. The manual still calls for support of long or heavy workpieces, so the head-clamp marketing is not a guarantee of snipe-free boards.
A thickness planer works best with at least one flat face; it is not a replacement for making that reference face. The DEWALT and WEN manuals warn against severely warped or twisted stock. For a door-edge adjustment, a handheld plane may fit the task better than feeding the whole door through a machine. Buy ready-sized lumber if that avoids an unnecessary machine purchase. For cutting boards to width rather than thickness, see track saw vs table saw.
The listed maximum is up to 1/8 inch on narrow boards; it is not a full-width setting. WEN limits boards over 6 inches to 1/16 inch, and Makita steps down to 1/16 or 3/64 inch as width increases. DEWALT's recommended Table A also steps down with width. Follow the exact model's chart and material limits.
WEN's PL1326 uses 26 small two-sided inserts arranged on the head instead of long straight knives; each insert can be rotated to a fresh edge.
DEWALT's description and the exact DW735X Amazon listing both describe infeed/outfeed tables and an extra knife set. The maker's abbreviated Includes field lists only the adapter; do not use that omission to claim the advertised extras are absent. Check the model suffix and current package before ordering.
The answer is model-specific. DEWALT advises against a shop vac for the DW735's chip volume, while WEN's PL1326 manual permits a shop vacuum or dust collector. Makita needs its optional dust hood to connect a collection system. Match the manual, port and collection setup before buying.
The two Amazon links select the exact DEWALT DW735 and DW735X packages. Explicit New, winning Amazon.com offers and ordinary listing stock/buy controls were checked October 7, 2026. Availability, seller and package contents can change. Other models are included for specification comparison and have no Amazon button because we have not established a qualifying purchase link for them.
These documents establish published specifications and contents. They do not establish tested finish, snipe or knife life. No price or review-score ranking is made.