How long do those thin disposable knives last? My neighbor has one and he
has problem with it as the knives don't stay sharp for long. I have the old
one with the thick knives that could be sharpen many times. Hit a knot
couple of months ago and torn off the gears and related parts - good thing
is parts are available and reasonably priced, even for the old version. Why
did DeWalt switched disposable knives?

"My first few board feet were pine, so, no problem, but my passes on
pecan had the machine smoking and stalling. I was only taking off
paper-thin amounts but the wood came out burned every time. It took me
hours to plane 35 board feet of 1 1/4 inch rough pecan to 3/4, using
both sides of the knives, and I almost gave up the project all
together. In frustration I did an internet search on Dewalt planer
replacement knives and found ONE company that made their own high
speed steel knives specifically for the Dewalt planer. Theirs are only
a few dollars more and are resharpenable. I have planed another 30
feet of pecan in 1/10 the time and am still on the same knife edge. No
smoke or burn marks and I can take off a lot more wood on each pass.
Dewalt must deliberately make flimsy, disposable knives to guarantee a
revenue stream and I don't understand why more companies don't make
alternatives. The company I purchased the blades from is Infinity
Tools, and the knives are under "Specialty Planer and Jointer Knives."
I ordered another set almost immediately and I'm still on the first
knife side of the first set! If I had not found an alternative source
for knives I would not be able to recommend this planer. I have a
spare set of Dewalt knives that will never see the outside of the
package."