6" or 8" jointer?

[scott vroom]

I'm going to be building all types of household furniture. Should I get a 6" or 8" planer? I'm buying new and am leaning heavily toward Grizzly unless someone has a compelling reason why not. The tech at Grizzly recommended a parallelogram table with a Byrd cutter. Is this good advice? I've heard it is easier to use the 8" jointer with it's longer table, particularly on long stock.

[Paul Ryan]

If you are contimplating between the 6 or the 8 then they both must be with in budget. I cannot think of any reason to buy a 6" jointer other than cost. If you can afford the difference bigger is almost always better when it come to jointers.

Again if you can afford it a spiral head, or byrd head is the way to go. I wouldn't specify a byrd head over a grizzly sprial though. Both will do an excellent job and save $$ in the long run.

[Paul Girouard]

I'm going to be building all types of household furniture. Should I get a 6" or 8" planer? I'm buying new and am leaning heavily toward Grizzly unless someone has a compelling reason why not. The tech at Grizzly recommended a parallelogram table with a Byrd cutter. Is this good advice? I've heard it is easier to use the 8" jointer with it's longer table, particularly on long stock.



If you can get by the cost issue , it's a "no brain-er" get the 8" with Byrd cutter:cool:

[scott vroom]

I've narrowed it down to 2 models:

G0490 - $895, standard blades, free shipping

G0490X - $1,195, Byrd cutter, $144 shipping

The spiral cutter would cost me $444 more when you factor in the $144 shipping cost. Is it really worth $444 for the spiral cutter?? Heck, Grizzly sells a Byrd cutter for $349, I could upgrade later if i needed to.

Thoughts?

[glenn bradley]

I've narrowed it down to 2 models:

G0490 - $895, standard blades, free shipping

G0490X - $1,195, Byrd cutter, $144 shipping

The spiral cutter would cost me $444 more when you factor in the $144 shipping cost. Is it really worth $444 for the spiral cutter?? Heck, Grizzly sells a Byrd cutter for $349, I could upgrade later if i needed to.

Thoughts?

The G0490X does not come with a Byrd. It is a german made spiral cutterhead that is similar. I went back and forth for quite awhile on this; the Byrd vs. Griz head that is, I knew I was not getting knives, BTDT.

I went with the Griz head, that is, a stock G0490X and am very, very happy. I really want a spiral head on my planer now. I figure just a bit more tearout on some curly maple that makes me start over on some components and I'll pull the trigger ;-)

[Tyler Trowbridge]

I have an older grizzly 6inch jointer and it works great. However there have been many time when an 8inch would have been great. If money is not an factor I would agree with the others in purchasing a larger jointer.

[Gary Herrmann]

I've got the Byrd heads in my jointer and my planer. Very happy with both. I can't speak to the quality of the cut of the other head.

Ultimately you need to make the decision for yourself. Do you think a Byrd is worth the extra $444?

[Cary Falk]

If you have the money and the space go with the 8". I eventually upgraded to the 8" because I wanted spiral head and didn't think it was worthwile to put one on the 6" I also wanted longer tables. I think the $100 dollar differenct is well worth having it already installed. I got a smoking deal on a Shop Fox 1741(same as the 490) and added a Byrd later. It wasn't a hard job replacing the cutterhead, more like a PITA. By the time you hunt down some bearings, pull the head put in the new hea. readjust everything, it is probably a good 3-4 hour job. I did mine over a couple of days because I got in a couple of binds and didn't want to run out to get the things I needed to finish up that day.

[Rick Moyer]

I waited until I could get an 8" jointer instead of a 6". This is one of those questions that will get overwelming responses in favor of the larger unit. Biggest reason being most rough cut lumber (for which you will use/need the jointer the most) is often around 7" wide. If you can afford the 8", go that way. If you can't afford the 8" with everything added, get an 8" and add a better cutter later!
As far as parallelogram vs. dovetail ways, I haven't adjusted my jointer at all since originally setting it up. Actually, I didn't even have to do anything to it out of the crate! Grizzly G0586

[Kent A Bathurst]

I waited until I could get an 8" jointer instead of a 6".......... Biggest reason being most rough cut lumber (for which you will use/need the jointer the most) is often around 7" wide.

Exactly correct, except I didn't have a group like SMC to ask. Got a 6", and within a few months realized this meant I would often be taking perfectly good boards and ripping them so that they would fit the jointer. Upgraded to 8".

[Brad Westcott]

Or, take the money you would save on a 6" jointer and put it toward a planer. All I use my jointer now a days for is edge work and a 6" is more than adequate for that. The planer does all the larger work in my shop and is far easier to be consistant when feeding (read as higher quality results).

[Jason White]

I have a 6" jointer and it's a great machine. That said, I'm always wishing I had in 8", especially with boards longer than 3 or 4 feet.

Jason


I'm going to be building all types of household furniture. Should I get a 6" or 8" planer? I'm buying new and am leaning heavily toward Grizzly unless someone has a compelling reason why not. The tech at Grizzly recommended a parallelogram table with a Byrd cutter. Is this good advice? I've heard it is easier to use the 8" jointer with it's longer table, particularly on long stock.

[Chuck Isaacson]

I went with a 6" cause I got it for $250 with a spiral head, and it was barely even used. I couldnt pass on that deal. I will at somepoint step up to an 8" or 10" unit. It would be real nice for the long tables. I am in a wheelchair so the longer tables would be real nice to help me support the stock. A suggestion, you could sae yourself a few buck and get the G0593. It is the 8" with spiral head without the parallelogram tables. That is up to you though. Either way you go, it will be a start. If I had to do it again, I would still get the 6" because of the price I got it at, but if I were going to buy new, I would have gotten the 8". Have fun equipping the shop. God knows I did.

Chuck

[Todd Hoppe]

i started with straight blades on a go586 andr later upgraded ti the griz spiral id never go back

[Rick Moyer]

i started with straight blades on a go586 andr later upgraded ti the griz spiral id never go back
I think you posted today just to show off your avatar after the big win over Michigan yesterday, didn't you?:)

I suspect I'd really like the spiral cutters, but so far I am satisfied with the straight blades on my G0586.

[Rod Sheridan]

I went from an 8" straight knife jointer (General) to a 12" straight knife jointer (Hammer).

As everyone will tell you, go with the widest jointer you can afford.

As to cutterhead type, I've never felt the need for anything aside from a straight knife machine, especially with a wider jointer as you can skew the wood on the tables.

I would however suggest that if you get a straight knife head, you get one that takes Tersa or quick change knives of some sort.

Regards, Rod.

[Kent A Bathurst]

[QUOTE=Rick Moyer;1227631]I think you posted today just to show off your avatar after the big win over Michigan yesterday, didn't you?:)
QUOTE]

Ya THINK??

[Paul Greathouse]

Get the 8" Grizzly with the Grizzly spiral head, or if finances permit, step up to the 12" Grizzly. I purchased the 12" Grizzly with Griz spiral head last year and I honestly don't see how I could get better results from any other Jointer/head combination.