help me decide on which large jointer

[sascha gast]

hey guys, i have been eying a large jointer for the past few weeks now and i was finally able to make room in my 2car garage shop. my 6" jet is just not cutting it and it's my birthday next month anyway.
so here are my choices, a 10" oliver jointer, 3hp, 4knife cutter head, 84"bed, 3belt motor drive, about 900pounds,$1695.
or the 12" grizzly, 3hp, 3 knife cutter, 75" bed, 800pounds, 2belt drive, $1995. i am leaning towards the 12", since i am upgrading for the last time in my life(well, we'll see) i want to do it right, but i also know that oliver tools are just built very well. what do you guys feel about the grizzly jointer. sounds like a good machine?? i am getting ready to order andcan't make up my mind.thank you for your help.

sascha

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I think I'd go with the Oliver in this case.

KC

[Bob Marino]

I agree with Kirk; the Oliver.

Bob

[Gary Max]

Make that 3 votes for the Oliver.

[Dave Heinlein]

If you investigate a little further, you'll find that the new Olivers are made offshore the same as most other jointers nowdays. It's not the same old Oliver company anymore.

That being the case, I would opt for the extra 2 inches, and buy the Grizzly.

[Jim Becker]

If you investigate a little further, you'll find that the new Olivers are made offshore the same as most other jointers nowdays. It's not the same old Oliver company anymore.

That being the case, I would opt for the extra 2 inches, and buy the Grizzly.Exactly what I was going to say...go with the Griz unless you can find an "old" Oliver or similar to restore. The shorter bed length can be dealt with by using an add-on from Aigner (available through Martin) or something shop-built and similar.

The Oliver name is the only thing that is the same on the products at this point...

[sascha gast]

that is really a great point and i will go with the grizzly. 75" should be great, since i never work with really lon timber. thank you for your help and i will let you guys know how things go.

sascha

[sascha gast]

i just need a few more opinions, woke up this morning feeling indecisive again. who loves their grizzly products?? who regrets buying them??
i have read nothing but good, but i wanna hear it all

sascha

[Jim Martin]

I guess I am the only person that has had bad Grizzly experiences. I bought a contractors saw 5 or 6 years ago and it was a piece of junk. Poor fit and finish and the fence was terrible. Then a year ago I needed a drill press for a special project that required a reach of 20 inches. I bought their radial drill press and again I was disappointed. The drill bit wandered everytime I tried to drill at an angle and even with starter holes I couldn't get two holes parallel.

Now a lot of people have reported good experiences with Grizzly, but I will never buy another piece of their equipment without going to pick it up so I can look it over before I buy. And don't let people convince you that just because equipment is built in the same factory overseas that the only differences are the paint. I can build you a set of kitchen cabinets for $1000 and I can build you a set for $3000. I guarantee you they are not the same cabinet.

[Bob Marino]

Oliver, the old American company, is long gone :(. All I know of their tools is that they were well built, very heavy - lots of iron, and and enjoyed a good repuation. I had seen one of their new jointers at a woodworking show in Florida some months back and though I didn't spend much time with it, I was impressed.
The only reason I suggested Oliver is the hope that those who now manufacture under that name haven't disavowed quality for price sake and take some pride in that company's lineage. Not a knock at Grizzly, since I am not familiar with their tools.

Bob

[Tom Sontag]

I have not owned Griz but did visit their Springfield showroom. My impression is that you CAN get good value, but you MAY need to fiddle a bit and fine tune this or that, like any moderately priced gear that is manufactured to looser tolerances.

For the same money and a little time invested you could probably get old iron that would blow away anything you have considered so far. Food for thought.

[John Shuk]

I'm taking a woodworking class at the State College (Job pays tuition for college credits) (GLOAT) :D and we have a huge old Oliver Jointer that we are using. I have to say, what a machine. After reading a short article about Oliver in the American Woodturner I have to say I feel sort of privileged to use such a machine. I really wish there was a place for an American company to build and design top quality machinery and build it here. From tha article I learned that Under the Name Eagle Machinery and Repair there are two Oliver designed tools being produced today. Both are Planers. They do however own the original designs and maybe someday in the future we might see a few tools coming out. They also sell parts for original Oliver tools. I can only hope that the "New Oliver Machinery" does justice to the namesake.

[Dave Heinlein]

i just need a few more opinions, woke up this morning feeling indecisive again. who loves their grizzly products?? who regrets buying them??
i have read nothing but good, but i wanna hear it all

sascha
I own four Griz machines, the oldest is 20 years, a 15" planer, which has given nothing but good service. I have only had to replace the belts and feed roller bushings. The others are all less than 5 years, but have performed exactly as they should, with no signs of any problems.

I believe you can spend your money with confidence. :)