Amazon.com Customer Reviews
Great Except for the Instructions - Review written on March 22, 2008
Rating: 5 out of 5
2 customers found this review helpful.
Even the instructions aren't that bad - at least they are in clear English. I just got the table today, but it seems very sturdy, rolls smoothly, and the parts fit perfectly. If you are putting one together, here are some corrections to the instructions.
1) The packing list says the rubber feet come installed. They don't and you have to figure out how to install them yourself. No big deal once you realize that the parts are in one of the plastic bags and you don't have to go through customer service to get them.
2) They say you need 13mm combination and socket wrenches. You want a 14mm combination and 13mm socket.
3) Take a good look at the orientation of the pre-assembled base in the drawing. Without those feet, it's not obvious which way is up until you start installing the legs.
4) The first time they mention washers (as opposed to lock washers) they really mean lock washers. Trust the part letters, not the text. Everywhere else it was correct.
5) In several places the instructions describe a part as tubular when it is really an angle or "L" shape. It made me wonder if they changed the design to use cheaper but less rigid parts. Still, it seems plenty strong as is.
6) I assembled everything except the lower shelf using the instructions without taking them out of the protective bag. Then it turned out that the shelf was described on a separate sheet which starts with something like "before installing the MDF top". Oops - fortunately, you can fit it in without removing the top.
Still 5 stars - if you can handle a planer you can handle a few instructions flaws. This base will make it possible to get full use from the planer in a shop where I can't afford the space for a permanent location. At one point I intended to keep the planer on a shelf when not in use, but when I realized the weight (almost 100 pounds) I knew that a rolling support was mandatory.
Sturdy, Well-Made Planer Stand - Review written on March 16, 2008
Rating: 5 out of 5
I wanted a heavy-duty stand for my Ryobi AP-10 planer, and later for my new DeWalt DW735 planer, that would be rugged enough for planer operations yet portable enough so I can move it easily around my basement shop. The DeWalt DW7350 more than satisfied my requirements. I'm very pleased with the heavy-duty construction of the legs and cross pieces, and the wheels allow the unit to move only when I want it to. The top, while pre-drilled for the DeWalt planers, easily accommodated my Ryobi planer. All I needed to do was drill four holes and buy four inexpensive hex bolts.
The assembly time took me about 45 minutes and the instructions were simple and straight forward. Most importantly, all the small parts were in thick plastic bags so nothing could get lost.
A few weeks later, when I replaced my Ryobi with the DW735 planer, I just set the planer over the pre-drilled holes and used the attachment hardware that came included with the planer stand. Another plus which I neglected to mention earlier is that the planer stand includes a shelf that comes in very handy for storage.
I've always liked DeWalt products (along with those from Bosch & Porter-Cable) and have a variety of bright yellow tools in my workshop. All in all, the DeWalt planer stand is an excellent and especially well made unit. I would recommend this planer stand to anyone who needs a stable, portable, and trouble-free base for their planer or other bench-top tools.
Why I shop Amazon First! - Review written on December 25, 2007
Rating: 5 out of 5
This is a great product, and @ $99.99 at Amazon is the best buy out there.
The closest prices any where else I could find were $50.00 more.
Now for the product itself. Contrary to some of the reviews, and to give them credit it's quite possible the instructions have been rewritten, I had no trouble with assembly. All the parts were there and individually bagged, all the holes were drilled, and everything lined up. Like a previous reviewer stated there are no extra nuts & bolts so DON'T LOSE ONE. I assembled it on top of a 2' by 3' scrap piece of 3/4" plywood screwed to 2 2X4's laying across a pair of sawhorses. That got it up to eye level and a comfortable working position. After assembly of all the parts hand tightened only, I went back and tightened with a socket & wrench. I was not at all concerned about the durability of the MDF top because as previously stated, the Planer mounting holes are positioned almost directly above the steel legs of the frame, and the bolts, aided by close to 100 lbs of gravity keep it from wandering. It's not like it's suspended from that piece of MDF, just be aware that anyone with a wrench can tighten a bolt in MDF to the point that it pulls through.
Why not build my own stand? The collapsible third wheel that's why. You just step on the foot lever to raise it off the front support posts and roll it out of the way. When you need it again just roll it out, lower it on the two front feet and you're ready to go. That three wheel assembly is the thing that makes it worth it and it works GREAT!
An excellent stand - Review written on December 09, 2007
Rating: 5 out of 5
2 customers found this review helpful.
This stand makes my planer a joy to use. I bought the 735 and for a month I used my Black and Decker Workmate as a stand. However moving the planer on/off the stand or just dragging the whole stand around when the planer was clamped to it quickly became a chore. I broke down and bought this stand and have not regretted it since.
I bought mine about three weeks ago. Assembly is not hard. The base comes pre-assembled. The rest of the components: swivel caster, legs, top rails, mid-rails, MDF top, and mid-shelf you have to assemble. I did not find the instructions difficult. I read through them, dry-fit what I could and had the stand assembled in about 40 minutes. All bolts and nuts were included and I don't believe I had any left over. The longest part was deciding if I wanted to mount the swivel caster towards the center or out. Eventually I choose to mount it facing out. It sticks out a bit and I suppose it could be a trip hazard, but it seemed as if mounting it in would make it too cumbersome to raise and lower the stand. It is not shown in the picture, but there is a metal shelf included as others have mentioned that sits about mid-way between the legs.
Once assembled I attached my 735. The stand comes with the bolts, washers, and nuts needed for this. The top was pre-drilled for it as well as the 734 (maybe the 733 too) and it is was simply a matter of lining everything up. Once everything was assembled and the planer mounted I took it for a spin around my garage floor. It rolled smoothly and easily passed over the seams in the floor. It is easy to raise and lower with the foot pedal and more important, easy to control as it is lowered so that it doesn't slam down uncontrollably. The two feet can be adjusted for level if needed.
I like this stand so much that I am considering buying another or two for some of my other tools to mount them on. It moves effortlessly and it is so nice to be able to move my planer around to where I need it. It makes me want to use the planer more now that the inconvenience of setup and tear down has been taken away.