DeWalt DW734 vs Ridgid R4331 | Planer Comparison

DeWalt DW734 vs Ridgid R4331 which is the right portable planer to choose?

Brand wise there are a few offerings from both manufacturers from DeWalt the DW734, DW735 and DW735X. From Rigid there is the R4330 and R4331.

DeWalt DW734

The DW734 from DeWalt is powered by a 15 Amp motor giving a max speed of 20,000 RPM. At the cutting head that translates to 10,000 RPM maximum.

It has a variable cutting depth from between 0 and 1/8 of an inch and can accept boards of 12.5 inches wide and a maximum thickness of 6 inches.​

DeWalt claim a 30% increase in the life of the cutter heads as they are reversible. The cutter head is a three knife design.​

The infeed and outfeed tables ​at on an extra 33.5 inches of board support helping to reduce snipe on longer lumber lengths.

To further help reduce snipe and keep lateral movement to a minimum there is a four column carriage lock that can be manually adjusted to ensure a true and square feed. ​

You can see how the DW734 compares against the newer DW735 also from Dewalt here DW734 vs DW735.​

Rigid R4331 Review

​The R4331 planer from Rigid is also referred to as the Rigid 13 inch planer just to avoid any confusion you may have.

The R3441 is powered by a 15 Amp motor ​and has a maximum speed of 9,000 RPM.

Has uses a three blade cutter head that gives a maximum 96 cuts per inch ​giving 27,000 cuts per minute at a feed rate of 23.5 feet per minute. It has a maximum depth of cut of 1/8 of an inch.

The blades are also reversible so you can expect to prolong the cutting life of them once switched around. However, nothing beats a fresh blade.​

The Rigid comes with an infeed and an outfeed table to help reduce snipe on your longer pieces.

It uses a chip impeller system to help remove waste material away from the cutting head which should result in a cleaner cut.

There are 8 depth stops and a top handle that can make an adjustment of 1/16 of an inch per full turn of the handle.​

DeWalt DW734 vs Ridgid R4331​ Planer

​DeWalt DW734 vs Ridgid R4331 which is the right one to buy ?

When looking at DeWalt vs Ridgid​ planers they both are of a similar spec. Price wise the DeWalts range from 400 up to 600 dollars depending on where you purchase them from and the Rigid planers tend to hover around the $500 to $600 mark.

​For us the winner is the DeWalt. With a slightly higher blade speed and the greater chance of getting it at a discount online it just about beats out the Rigid.