spiral cutterhead for jointer

[james bell]

i have been looking at the grizzly 609x - still a little pricey, but as this is probably the last jointer i purchase, need to buy something good. my question is, do i really need the spiral cutterhead, an extra $700.

since the jointer is to get one side flat, then the planer makes it parallel - and i typically do both sides, not sure the spiral is required. unless i do highly figured wood (not yet) and there is deep chipout.

any thoughts on this? I would rather put the extra money into a better planer (currently have an old makita planer (11.75")/jointer (5")), unless there is good reason to spend it on the jointer and wait a little longer for the planer.

extra thought. i can purchase the go609 for $1795 or so and spend $695 for the spiral cutterhead and still save $100 on purchasing the go609x as the 609 has free shipping. if i forgo the exta $695 on the cutterhead, i can always add it later.

thanks ... jim

[Matt Meiser]

NEED? No. Would like very, very much? Yes.

I tried a friends Byrd head for the first time this weekend. I couldn't make it tear out even in some fairly curly maple. Thinking about one for my own jointer now after struggling through my whole kitchen build with tearout.

[Randal Stevenson]

since the jointer is to get one side flat, then the planer makes it parallel - and i typically do both sides, not sure the spiral is required. unless i do highly figured wood (not yet) and there is deep chipout.

thanks ... jim

Do you hate blade changes on the jointer? Otherwise, read the last sentence you wrote above. If you work with highly figured wood, that you will still run through the planer, put it in the planner first. (the cutterhead)

[Richard M. Wolfe]

The spiral cutterhead works well not only in figured woods but anywhere you have a pronounced grain change. I do a lot of cedar and it sure helps around the knots. Also, I don't know how much use your jointer would get but a spiral (Grizzly or Shelis) might be the last one you put in. And the reduction in noise is a big plus. On the face of the board you may notice the lines of "scallops" but they sand out easily.

[Cliff Holmes]

I just changed out my Grizzly jointer's head for a Byrd a couple days ago. Well worth it. It's amazing how much quieter it is. I wish I had taken a sound reading before the swap, but I'm guessing a 10db drop. And the finish is astoundingly smooth, the only time I see scalloping is if I feed too fast, but I could do the same thing with the standard head.

[Cary Falk]

I recently put a Byrd in my 8" shop Fox jointer because I really hate changing knives and I really suck at it. I have mixed feelings about mine. I do get some tearout on normal grain boards quite frequently. My bigest concern is when I edge joint a board the edge is not flat. If you hold a square up to it the edges are slightly rounded over and makes it unacceptable for glueups. What's up with that. I am thinking about taking all the knives out and cleaning and reseating them to see if that helps. Does anybody have any suggestions. Sorry to hijack the thread. You can pm me with a solution if you want so I don't muddy this thread.

[Joe Hathcoat]

My bigest concern is when I edge joint a board the edge is not flat.

Does this happen across the entire length of the cutterhead?

[Todd Hoppe]

YES, get it.

[Cary Falk]

Does this happen across the entire length of the cutterhead?
I didn't try the entire length but the couple spots I have tried it happened.

[james bell]

not muddling up this thread - all information on pro's and con's of cutterheads is appreciate.

[Ronald Mancini]

I would stay with knives on the jointer and put the spiral head on the planer. I only do a few passes on the jointer and the edge jointing, then the real cutting to size comes on the planer.

[Gregory Stahl]

I installed a Byrd in my G0609 and would never go back to knives. It feels more smooth to push the wood across the cutter as there are more rows of cutters on the Byrd than the 4-knives that came with the jointer.

Not certain how the Grizzly head compares as I have never used one, but did hear them run. I think they are a bit louder.

For myself, I bought the jointer and planer first, and then when funds permitted, upgraded to Byrd cutterheads. I got them on ebay with the MS cashback and saved over $150 per cutterhead off of Grizzly's price.

Greg Stahl

[Rick Moyer]

Do you hate blade changes on the jointer? Otherwise, read the last sentence you wrote above. If you work with highly figured wood, that you will still run through the planer, put it in the planner first. (the cutterhead)
This seems like a great idea to me (although I had not thought about it before). Why would someone put a spiral on a jointer when it would seem like the sensible thing WOULD be to have it on the planer?

[glenn bradley]

After months of research and trying things out, a spiral head was a "must have" when I bought my new jointer. I am really pushing toward changing planers or changing heads on my existing planer. The finish of the jointer is better than the planer; especially in any interestingly figured woods.

[gary Zimmel]

I put a Byrd head on my General 480 close to two years ago.
Like so much on the jointer that I upgraded my planer to one with a Byrd head on it also early this year.

Both are much quieter and tearout is pretty much non existent.
No more hassle trying to get the knives perfect after a change.
If one does nick one of the many cutters, a quick 1/4 turn and your back in business.
A little pricey but well worth it in the long run IMHO.

[Cary Falk]

I recently put a Byrd in my 8" shop Fox jointer because I really hate changing knives and I really suck at it. I have mixed feelings about mine. I do get some tearout on normal grain boards quite frequently. My bigest concern is when I edge joint a board the edge is not flat. If you hold a square up to it the edges are slightly rounded over and makes it unacceptable for glueups. What's up with that. I am thinking about taking all the knives out and cleaning and reseating them to see if that helps. Does anybody have any suggestions. Sorry to hijack the thread. You can pm me with a solution if you want so I don't muddy this thread.


Well, I just wanted to give an update. I spent a couple of hours removing all of the cutters on the Byrd. Man, is that a lot of cutters. I cleaned the cutters and the head with mineral spirits to get all the gunk off. I retorqued all al the cutters. I edge jointed some hard maple across the whole head. The results are much better. The edges are now square and there is no tearout unless I go really fast which also produces huge ripples. There must have been some gunk under some of the cutters because none of them were loose. Anyway, I am completly satisfied with my Byrd and it was money well spent for me.

[J.R. Rutter]

Good to know that you are getting square edges now.

I have Byrd heads in my jointer and planer and we have good results for glue-ups if we joint the edges. I have some import shear toothed insert heads on my moulder and although they are very close in surface quality, I give the nod to Byrd. Good product, but clean and careful are the requirements for seating the inserts.

[Rick Fisher]

My planer has a helical head.. the jointer has tersa knives..

Tersa knives solve the time involved in setting knives, but they dont leave the quality cut of the helical.

For me, the set-up time alone would be worth not getting a standard knife jointer.. My first choice would be Helical.. no question..

[Jim Eller]

James,

I replaced my 54A Powermatic jointer with knives for a Grizzly G0593 with spiral head this spring. Both were new and there is no comparison when I do a knotty area or squirrely grain.

I have a 20HH planer with spiral head and it produces a smoooooooooth surface on any wood type.

Thus far, I wouldn't go back to knives. I still remember spending hours changing them on my old 12" planer and still never getting them perfect.:mad:

Jim

[Bryan Cowing]

I have had the 12" Grizz helical jointer for a year now, great jointer, cuts are perfect! Wish I could afford a bryd head for my old Delta Rc-51 planer.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I'm a little short of the 609. I only have the 8" 490. I purchase the straight knives versus the spiral head. On thing that was not readily apparent to me, but is a small selling point on the spiral and shelix heads is that the "knives" are quick set. Even if you have to change or rotate half the cutters, there's no blade height issues to worry about with the spiral/shelix heads.

If you have the money, I would do it. I wish I had and now can't see spending $300+ to "through away" a perfectly good head. If it gets damaged them I will swap it out. If I outgrow the 8" width, I WILL be getting a spiral or shelix cutterhead.