Answer from DeWalt on 735 planer current draw

[tvrgeek]

Well, as I expected, I got a BS answer.
First they said it pulls more on start up. We all know that. That is why the thermal delay in breakers.
Then they said to use a 25 foot 14 gauge extension cord to drop the voltage and limit the current.
I suggested it should have the option to run it on 220, and her answer was I need a step down transformer. Heck, even my old Craftsman RAS could be wired for 220.

In other words, they are admitting their specifications/advertising are fraudulent and it needs a 30A 110 circuit to operate fully and safely if you are planning more than a 3 inch piece of soft pine.

I am not saying this is a bad machine. I am still considering one. But I am also considering running a 30 A line to where I will plug it in. It is not suitable to run on a 20A 10 circuit as they specify.

 

[Billm0066]

I have one with a shelix head and never have issues. I plane 13” wide cutting boards all the time including end grain. It’s on a 20amp circuit.

 

[spartyon8]

Same here. I only run into tripping the breaker if the lights are on, space heater, or dust collector on. By itself, in the dark, I have never ran into breaker issues.

I will say this, when it does trip the breaker 9/10 its on startup. The other time is after a lot of constant use.

 

[tvrgeek]

The issue is they spec it as 15A and say suitable for a 20A circuit and clearly it is not, Now if they published a chart that shows depth of cut, type of wood, and it was clear, more than a 6 inch red oak 1/16 cut would exceed the 20A circuit margin, that would be fine, but they claim 15A. It does almost that without feeding any wood. You can't blame them for anything else on the circuit or that a Schelix head draws a couple amps more. 27A for a 9 inch board is NOT a 15 A rating. This is false advertising.

As with any motor, start up can surge. That is why panel breakers are thermal and magnetic, so they can withstand 100% for half a second. They can withstand 150% for a few minuets as that should not melt the wiring. But this puppy pulls more than that. Based on published specs, it is a 25A machine suitable for a 30 A circuit.

Does it have a 5-15 or a 5-20 plug on it?

 

[spartyon8]

Sorry, I didn’t mean for it to sound like I was blaming them for what is on the same circuit. I was just pointing out that I have had it trip the breaker, even when it was the only tool on.

 

[tarheelz]

I've been running the 735 for six years. All domestic hardwoods have been run through the Dewalt. I've never tripped the breaker (20 amp; 120v). This was a new circuit installed seven years ago run just for woodworking purposes. I do not run the DC on the same circuit.

YMMV

 

[golfdad]

Mine has been on a 20amp circut for over years and has never once popped the breaker

 

[Brantnative]

Same here, no breaker tripping. Had mine for over five years with many types of hard and soft wood going through. I never, though, take more than 1/32" at a time. That's half a full crank turn and at it's slow speed. Mine's plugged into a 10' 12 gauge extension cord on a dedicated 20A circuit. I use a Rigid shopvac on a separate 15A circuit. But, I would think almost any machine can trip an overload if you push it hard enough.

 

[FredP]

Same here, no breaker tripping. Had mine for over five years with many types of hard and soft wood going through. I never, though, take more than 1/32" at a time. That's half a full crank turn and at it's slow speed. Mine's plugged into a 10' 12 gauge extension cord on a dedicated 20A circuit. I use a Rigid shopvac on a separate 15A circuit. But, I would think almost any machine can trip an overload if you push it hard enough.

This is the key. lunch box planers are not designed to take 1/16" at a pass. I take 1/16" with my 20" powermatic, sometimes more, but it has the power to do that. I also have a delta lunch box. I never take more than 1/32" with it. even less on wide boards. Try 1/16" per pass with a hand plane. see how that works out. no wonder you are kicking breakers. you will eventually burn the universal motor up taking this deep of a cut. 1/32" all day long.

 

[bob vaughan]

I suggested it should have the option to run it on 220,

That's really a pretty good idea.
Because the motor is little more than a brush type portable power tool motor, it would have to be wound specifically for 220 volt, but that's still a viable option for the makers. Just how many buyers would opt for the 220 volt version is anybody's guess. I suspect that the 220 volt option has been discussed by the DeWalt design engineers and sales department staff and so far, they've nixed the idea.

A capacitor start single phase induction motor is a totally different animal from a portable power tool motor. That's why they can easily be connected to run on 220 volts single phase (most of the better induction motors, anyway).

 

[Woodman2k]

Where are you getting your numbers? Everybody I know with the dewalt or the delta lunchbox is having no trouble running on a 20amp-120 volt circuit. Your approach could be bordering on operator error if your taking too deep a cut on hardwood with DULL straight knives?

 

[bob vaughan]

Dull knives will do it every time.
I hadn't even considered that as a possibility with this group.

 

[Woodman2k]

I couldn't ignore it Bob with some of the comments I was reading.

 

[bob vaughan]

Sharp straight knives take way less power than dull knives or carbide knives.
Since I see all sorts of Japanese tea ceremonies on hand plane and chisel sharpening, I'd naturally 'assumed' that same level of responsibility would apply to power tool tooling. I guess that could be a flawed assumption in some cases.

 

[Oka]

Bob, ......... no you are right. One thing I have learned about power planers or joiners, if the blades start getting dullish, not only the resistance (amp draw goes up) but the cutting gets more inconsistent. About 75% of the wood I use is harder than Oak or Rock Maple. So the demands I put on these tools definitely puts them to the test. ON my Rigid planer the only piece of wood that really caused to to trip the breakers a lot was a piece of blood-wood. The stuff was not real straight grain and as such it it really worked that old planer. Bottom line keep the knives sharp and do not try to get more board-ft out of them than is optimum. In the long run it is wat easier to final finish.

 

[tvrgeek]

That's really a pretty good idea.
Because the motor is little more than a brush type portable power tool motor, it would have to be wound specifically for 220 volt, but that's still a viable option for the makers. Just how many buyers would opt for the 220 volt version is anybody's guess. I suspect that the 220 volt option has been discussed by the DeWalt design engineers and sales department staff and so far, they've nixed the idea.

A capacitor start single phase induction motor is a totally different animal from a portable power tool motor. That's why they can easily be connected to run on 220 volts single phase (most of the better induction motors, anyway).

I doubt Sears had some magic. Series or parallel of the field windings I guess. Still only had two brushes.

The current data was from a video where he was originally just comparing the stock head with the insert head and was quite surprised. I have searched other forums and have found a trend that they do blow breakers. The same gentleman is a member over in LJ. He also mentioned, if you are using a DC, you can take the blower impellor off and it drops by 3A.

Yes, 1/16 is a big slice and I don't do that with my lunchbox either. I don't think I have done more than an 8 inch board. Again, the issue is they ADVERTISE this as a 15A machine, when it is not. It is a 25A machine with a low duty cycle. They should say so. They do not give any reference to width/type/depth of cut.

DeWalt did NOT challenge the current draw. They suggested a long too small extension cord to drop the voltage!

WHICH PLUG IS ON IT? 5-15 or 5-20. If it is a 5-15, that is even more dangerous/stupid/fraudulent and it would surprise me if UL or CSA tested it in use as they would have flagged that.

 

[bowman]

if you are going to run a new drop for 30A draw, you will need #10 wire

 

[tvrgeek]

Yup. Have some left over as I ran 30A to my split HVAC. 10 gauge is so fun to work with. Not.

Verified a 5-15 plug, so my comments on DeWalt being less than honest stand. Good machine and I may still buy one, but it is not suitable for use as they imply. If they put on a 5-20 plug and had a chart for depth of cut, width, and duty cycle, then they would be pushing past industry standard safety margins, but reasonably close. Continuous use draw should not exceed the rating of the branch circuit. That goes for any device. I suspect, at 50% duty and 1/32 cut, it would probably not exceed 150% overcurrent and so never overheat the motor or branch and trip a 20A breaker.

This seems to be a subject that raised a lot of cackles between a couple forums. I thought it was good information worth sharing.

On a larger class of machine and higher cost, some drum sanders have a current monitor so you don't overload them. I am leaning more and more to a drum sander and keep my Delta planer. Laguna or Jet seem to be the only choice in the small-ish size.