DeWalt DW735 vs Makita 2012NB is a big choice. I test tools all the time for my site. I used both of these tools a lot on real jobs. Here is what I found. They both do great work. But they act in their own ways.
DeWalt DW735 Review
I put the DeWalt tool in my big shop. I left it on a strong bench. I ran hard oak wood through it. I ran soft pine wood through it. I want to see how strong it is. I want to see how it acts on thick wood. This tool is very heavy. It weighs a whole lot. You should bolt it down to a thick wood bench. Do not try to move it much. The build is very strong right out of the box.
It has a big strong motor. The motor cuts thick wood fast. It does not stop or slow down. It has three sharp blades. Most tools just have two. Three blades make a very smooth cut. You do not need to sand the wood much. This saves you a lot of time. I checked the cuts with a small math tool. The cuts were exact every single time.
| Pros | Cons |
| Big strong motor cuts fast | Very loud sound hurts ears |
| Three sharp blades cut smooth | Hard to lift or move |
| Two feed speeds for wood | Needs a lot of space |
| Blows wood dust out fast | Costs a bit more cash |
I really like the two speed ways. You flip a small switch. I use fast speed to take off wood fast. I use slow speed to make the wood very smooth. The dust fan inside works great. It is very strong. It blows small wood chips right out of the back hole. You do not even need a shop vac. It fills a dust bag all by itself. This is a very cool thing.
I did see a small deep cut on long wood boards. We call this a snipe mark. But the mark was very small. It was not deep at all. I fixed it fast with a small sand block. You can buy extra long tables to fix this. Long tables hold the wood flat. This tool is great for a big set shop. It will last a very long time.
Makita 2012NB Review
I took the Makita tool to three job sites. I did real tests on real jobs outside. This tool is light. It is not too heavy to lift. It is easy to move. You can put it in a truck fast. I set it up on a small fold stand. I ran pine wood boards through it. I ran cedar wood through it. I put it to hard work.
This tool has two sharp blades. It has just one set speed. But it still leaves a very smooth face on the wood. The best part is the sound it makes. It is very quiet for a wood tool. My ears felt fine after a long hard work day. Your friends next door will like it too. It will not make them mad.
| Pros | Cons |
| Very quiet for a big tool | Has just two sharp blades |
| Light and easy to move | Just one set feed speed |
| No bad deep cuts on wood | Needs a strong shop vac |
| Strong thick metal parts | Cuts a bit slow on hard wood |
The cut head locks tight from the inside. This is great for exact flat cuts. I saw no bad deep cuts on my wood boards. The wood came out flat from start to end. This saves you good wood. It saves you hard cash.
You must use a good strong vac with this tool. It does not blow out the wood chips. It has no fan inside. If you do not use a vac, chips will pile up fast. The chips will get on the rolls. The chips will ruin the good cut. I ran a lot of wood through it all week. The motor stayed cool to the touch. It did not slow down at all. It is a very good tool for daily work on a site. It is built to work hard.
Detailed Comparison for DeWalt DW735 vs Makita 2012NB
Here is how these two tools match up. I look at five main things for daily work. I test them side by side. I look for what works best.
Exact Cuts
You need exact cuts for good wood work. I did tests to check for bad deep cuts. The Makita locks the head tight from the inside. It leaves no deep marks on the wood. The DeWalt leaves a tiny small mark on the end. But the DeWalt stays exact cut after cut. Both tools hold the right size very well. They do not drift or change size as you work.
| Feature | DeWalt DW735 | Makita 2012NB |
| Head Lock | You set it by hand | Locks tight on its own |
| Deep Cuts | Very small mark on end | None at all on the wood |
| Cut Size | Exact size all day | Exact size all day |
Tool Power
Both tools have big strong motors inside. They use a lot of power. They cut hard thick wood fine. The DeWalt has two feed speeds. Slow speed makes a very smooth face on hard wood. The Makita has one set speed. It works fine for most days and most soft wood. The DeWalt is best for hard wood like oak or ash. It takes the hard work away.
| Feature | DeWalt DW735 | Makita 2012NB |
| Motor Size | Big strong block | Big strong block |
| Speeds | Fast and slow ways | Just one set speed |
| Hard Wood | Cuts smooth and easy | Cuts good and flat |
Size and Feel
Size means a lot for real daily work. The Makita is small and light. It is easy to carry by hand. One guy can lift it fine. The DeWalt is huge and very heavy. It is hard for one guy to lift. It needs a big strong wood table. The hand crank on both tools feels very smooth to turn. The crank moves the cut head up and down.
| Feature | DeWalt DW735 | Makita 2012NB |
| Weight | Very heavy to hold | Very light to hold |
| Move It | Hard to lift up | Easy to lift up |
| Room Needed | Needs a huge space | Fits a small space |
Tool Build
Both tools feel very strong and tough. The DeWalt has four big thick steel posts. The cut head moves up and down on them. It acts like a huge pro shop tool. The Makita has two thick steel posts. But it uses great metal parts inside and out. Both tools will last a long time in a busy shop. The parts will not break fast. The knobs on both feel firm and safe.
| Feature | DeWalt DW735 | Makita 2012NB |
| Posts | Four thick steel posts | Two thick steel posts |
| Parts | Strong tough build | Great thick metal |
| Knobs | Firm and very tight | Smooth and very safe |
Dust and Sound
This is huge for real life use. The DeWalt is very loud when it cuts wood. You must wear ear muffs all the time. But it blows dust out very fast. The Makita is very quiet for a wood tool. It is nice on the ears all day. But you must hook up a strong vac. The vac must clear all the small chips away.
| Feature | DeWalt DW735 | Makita 2012NB |
| Sound | Very loud big sound | Very quiet low sound |
| Dust Fan | Has a big strong fan | Needs a strong shop vac |
| Hole Size | Big round dust hole | Normal round dust hole |
Both tools make rough wood flat and very smooth. The DeWalt is best for a big shop. It makes wood cuts very smooth and nice. The Makita is best for a job site. It is quiet and light to lift. Both tools are a great buy for your tool kit. They will help you do great wood work.

