I have used a DeWalt 735 planer for years … and used it enough that I’m now on my 2nd one. So far, so good.
However, the unit is not perfect. Last year, I replaced the cutter head with the Shelix spiral cutter, and that was a HUGE upgrade. At the same time, I added the Wixey digital gauge, and that was a welcome upgrade as well.
Today I’m dealing a simpler problem: the onboard Cursed Circuit Breaker that’s well known to wear, and then thermal out easily. And, once the breaker starts breaking, it breaks more easily every time.
My Cursed Circuit Breaker was worn out. It was popping every few minutes with practically no load at all on the planer. So, it’s time to change the breaker for a new one. The problem, though, was that even with a machine as common and sought after as the DW735, I could find no precise guidance online on how to swap the tired circuit breaker out for a new one.
Here, then, is a photo guide with notes for you to take into the shop when you want to make a similar switch. Start to finish, this took under 30 minutes … and I was searching for tools and taking pictures for you at the same time!
First, UNPLUG THE UNIT.
14 screws have to be removed to access the circuit breaker behind the front panel. To start, take off the top, just as if you are switching out the blades. That will give you access to 3 Phillips head screws across the top of the unit.
Then, take off the hex bolts on the bottom corners of the front face. The allen wrench I used must have been metric; it was larger than 7/64″. 3mm, perhaps?
Then, take off the toggle for the blade speed. Finally, take out the 3 screws holding the depth gauge face plate in place … so you can access the single Phillips head screw behind it that’s holding the front face in place.
Now you can gently lift and rotate down the front face plate, exposing the wiring for the switch and circuit breaker.
Slide the 2 spade plugs off of the circuit breaker, and you’re ready to unscrew the keeper ring from the front of the unit to free the Cursed Circuit Breaker. I needed a small pair of pliers to grip the nut.
With the nut off, the cursed circuit breaker can now be removed from the unit and compared side by side with its replacement.
The cursed Circuit Breaker in my unit was a Sang Mao A-0701 18a breaker. It was made in Taiwan and is actually fairly commonly available for about $10. I got a comparable model off of Amazon; this type of breaker is used in portable generators, apparently. But I digress.
Put the new circuit breaker in place, replace the spade plugs onto the contacts. Check the main switch as well … I had accidentally removed one of the spade plugs on the main switch. Easy enough to plug it back into place, replace each of the 14 screws … and I was once again back to making sawdust.
Thank you for your excellent article on replacing the fuse on my DW735. The pictorial explanation was perfect. While I suspected the fuse to be the culprit, you confirmed it and I purchased two replacements while I was at it.
Good stuff, Phil. After blowing mine too many times, replacing it, and continuing to blow it … I gave up and upgraded to a Powermatic 15″ planer with helical head. It’s got massive power, which, just as we were taught by Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, is just about always the answer.