I hate service centers

[Barefoot1]

So muscles here as my wife likes to call me when I break something stripped out the head on a couple of the screws that hold the blade and clamp down in my planer. I looked all over locally for them and no one has them, specialty item. So I call the local 'service centers' - No go, they have to order them from DeWalt.
So then I call DeWalt directly, they only sell them in a complete set of 24 for $15.00. Sheesh, that is an expensive screw! Yes sir. So I tell them OK, order them for me I need them to complete a project and cannot get them locally. OK, sir those are back ordered until Sept. 10th. Sheeesh, that’s a long time just for a screw. Yes sir, If they come in on time they take 7-14 days to SHIP, then 7 days for delivery. Good grief, did you catch the part about I need them so I can complete a project? . Yes sir I show the closest DeWalt service center in Las Vegas, you could try them sir . . . . ummmmmm I am in northern Utah, just order them. . . .
So hopefully by the end of September I will get my planer back up.

[minowevie]

Gosh Thomas, have you tried to google it. maybe someone has one , sorry for your disapointment. there has to be a better way. your freind Evie

[Toolman56]

Hi, i know what kind of pain your going thru, but a couples ideas pops up here, first what kind of planer, bench or stand, my next option, would be to try to go thru all the rental places for tools , or just buy a cheap planer and get your project done and then dump it at next flea market,Everett.

[Nubbin]

Thomas,

I did the same thing with my DeWalt planer, 734 model. I found an authorized DeWalt service rep close to here so I took it to them to fix since I could not get any of the bolts out without stripping them. $80 later, I used my planer and got grooves in my wood. Now, I am furious. The service rep put bolts in that were larger pan heads than needed so the heads were leaving the grooves. I took one of the correct bolts to Ace Hardware and they actually had what I needed on hand so I bought all they had and have them stored with the planer for future goofs on my behalf.

Hope this helps.

[John Polhemus]

I also had the problem with several of the screws in my DeWaly planer. Had to grind down the allen wrench several times to get a secure fit the first time I removed the screws to change the knives. DeWalt puts too much torque (inmho) on the screws at the factory. I thought I was going to break my wrist on the screws I did get loose!

JP

[Janette]

You could sneak into the store and take them out of the floor model (and leave a note that you'll give them a dozen in a month !)

[turningnut]

I like Janette's idea...would serve them right.

[Barefoot1]

Some very evil er, good ideas but it was my torquing them down so darn hard that they stripped. And yes every store in town wanted to sell me some variation on what I needed telling me 'they'll work.' No they won't I tell them, clearance as mentioned above and if they are not all the same weight they could throw things out of balance. Not my idea of fun, a drum with 3 extremely sharp blades turning extremely fast - out of balance, I think I'll pass. I will go see what I can find at a local Ace if we still have one around here.

Hey Nubbin want to send me two??

[GrayBeard Phil]

Thomas:

By Gosh, for that wait and poor delivery times, I would have really checked out an Industrial Supply house on the Web.

Now, it just could be the bolts are custom made for DeWalt, but usually that is not the case. Just very obscure, and not standard type bolts.

Best place to start: McMaster-Carr, but you do need to know the description of the item from your parts list of the DeWalt planer.
McMaster-Carr

[Croaker]

Have P-20 Delta same problem . In fact that saw is no longer in production nor it parts. What is on the shelf is what you get. When they are gone to bad so sad , What is it with these companies to do something like thay You can bet no more black & decker anything in this shop or house. like they are worries bout one person Jerry