JET JJP-12, 12" Planer/Jointer Combination Machine

[Archer Yates]

I am looking and planner / jointer combination machines because of space and the desire to have a 12 inch wide jointer . The Jet machine claims that you don't have to remove the fence. There are only a couple of reviews and both very positive. The machine is now on sale from CPO for $1995 with free shipping and a 5 year warrantee . It also has a model with a helical head with the carbide cutters for an extra $1000. Ouch!
Grizzly is now offering a similar machine but I have a local Jet dealer in case of problems. I looked at the Hammer a nice machine for $3200 on a limited sale. MiniMax is at about $4000 . But how nice does it need to be?
Have any of you seen the Jet JET JJP-12, 12" Planer/Jointer Combination Machine
Have you heard of any reports of this unit?

[Mike Zilis]

Archer,

There are a number of us here who own the Jet combo machine. I've had mine for about 18 months. My first hand report is that it is a rock solid machine. The switch over from jointer to planer takes about 45 seconds. Dust collection is good for both operations. The only compromise, in my opinion, is the aluminum fence. I like its width and length and it adjusts easily, but a cast iron fence would be better.

I don't have the helix cutter head - which would be nice for figured woods, but the 3 12" blades do a fine job.

-Mike

[Gary Benson]

Archer,
I love mine, works just great. Like all machines it required a little fine tuning, and then normal upkeep (don't you hate the fact that those blades get dull eventually). I also have the straight knives, perfect finish off the machines is not important to me since I tend to finish via hand plane anyway.
Good luck with your decision.
Gary

[Rob Wright]

Archer,

It's $1899 with $6.50 residential liftgate shipping from tools-plus right now. http://www.tools-plus.com/jet-708475.html standard head
http://www.tools-plus.com/jet-708476.html helical head
you need to add it to your cart to get the deal and see the price. I went back and forth for the last 3 or 4 months on what one to get - the jet, the jet w/ helical head, or one of the 2 grizzly's.

I have a bunch of grizzly green and have been happy, but did not have a 30amp breaker in my shop to run the 5hp motor in the grizzly. Because of this, not having to remove the fence, the favorable reviews, and the 5-year warranty I decided to go with the jet.

I ordered the jet this last weekend with the sale that was on jet and powermatic tools - I saved about 5% off of the cost in the tools-plus shopping cart with this deal.

I had a very difficult time talking myself into the shelix-type head. I know that the straight blades would have been hundreds less and made it more palatable to my bank account, and I said to myself that I could upgrade later. What it has come down to is that I just don't want to fuss with changing and setting the knives - so the knives might be $90 for 3 new ones x 4 sides on the inserts almost $400 plus the headache of setting them. Others may be able to set knives quickly and accurately - I know that I can't! so it came down to me spending $300 more (in my mind at least :) )for the same machine but with the convenience of quick changes of the knives.

There is a 2-month backorder right now on the HH - mine won't be delivered until May sometime :(

[Rod Sheridan]

Rob, it's funny that you mentioned the hassle of changing knives.

For years I had a jointer and planer that used conventional knives, and I had to adjust them whenever I exchanged them for fresh knives.

I'm not that fast at it, and probably spent half an hour on the jointer, about an hour on the planer.

Now I have a combination jointer/planer that uses Tersa type knives, and wow, is it ever great to only spend 5 minutes, with no adjusting required.

It's funny, it's not that often that I change knives, however it sure seems like a big improvement now I have a quick change knife.

Regards, Rod.

P.S. When I was shopping for a combination jointer/planer, I found that although they all share common features, some of the design choices weren't optimal for someone looking for space savings.

I found that some machines had fence mountings that projected out the back, maybe 10 or 12 inches, which meant that the machine couldn't fit against a wall.

Other machines had tables that tipped towards the front of the machine, which I found to be in the way when planing.

Just another consideration (as if there weren't enough already).

[Dave Lee NC]

I bought the JJP-12 last month from Amazon for $1806 shipped. They also had it in stock. No one else did.

[John Coloccia]

I've had mine for a while now, and it's a nice machine. I agree with others about the fence. It's a minor ding, but a cast fence would be nicer. The European style blade guard is so much nicer than the pork chop, in my opinion. With proper adjustment, I get pretty much no snipe on the planer. It's a great unit for the money.

[Rob Wright]

Rod - I agree with the statement on the Tersa knives. I have read here on the forum as well as witnessed the use of them in a professional shop and that is how easy knife changing should be!

John - I also liked the Euro-type blade guard. It appears to be a safer option to keep your hands away from the blade.

As far as the fence goes - I also guess it could be better. 99.5% of all the jointing I will be most likely be doing will be at 90-degrees. If I find that it is as stiff as I remember it being when I looked at the jjp-12, I am just going to mount a piece of 80/20 aluminum extrusion to the table at 90-degress and use that.

[Archer Yates]

My concern is the fence won't hold 90 degrees to the base. I often make wooden planes and am working with thick stock say 3 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches. Its a real pain if you can't joint it to a true 90 degrees.
Will the fence hold to 90 degrees and will it keep it if you move the fence?

[John Coloccia]

Getting the fence to 90 is a little bit fiddly. Once it's there, it stays. I don't ever move it to anything but 90, so it's okay for me. If I was moving it around all the time, it would irritate me. I didn't even bother settings the "stops" as I found them to be useless for precision work. I set it, torqued it down, and don't touch it. I do check every now and then, but it's held.

[Alex Silva]

i use mag switches to add more strength to the aluminium rail of my Hammer JP

[Curt Harms]

Getting the fence to 90 is a little bit fiddly. Once it's there, it stays. I don't ever move it to anything but 90, so it's okay for me. If I was moving it around all the time, it would irritate me. I didn't even bother settings the "stops" as I found them to be useless for precision work. I set it, torqued it down, and don't touch it. I do check every now and then, but it's held.

The fence is different than the traditional jointer fence but it seems to hold its setting while being moved. I've checked mine different times and it has held its setting. I did modify the tilt setting mechanism. If you search using my name and 30 days posts, you can find it if interested.

[Joseph Tarantino]

i can't comment on this particular tool, but if dealer support is one of the considerations swaying your choice, i'd proceed with caution. my dealings with two separate authorized jet dealers were, to be kind, disappointing. and if you experience any problems with a WMH tool group product that involves anything other than replacing a faulty part, you are on your own. although polite and well intentioned, my experience with their technical support staff has been decidedly below average. i own one jet product that is approaching acceptable performance with the assistance of non-WMH tool sources and i will never purchase another one.

[John Coloccia]

My experience is exactly the opposite. I had an outfeed table that was out of tolerance. They didn't have another outfeed to send me in stock, so they sent me a brand new machine. They also replaced the conveyor table on my sander when we couldn't get it to track. And then he sent me a "Jet Truck" toy that I gave to my local Woodcraft, and they gave to one of the local kids and made their day. So my experience with them has actually been pretty good.

[Joseph Tarantino]

john, that supports my previous comments. they are well intentioned and polite, but they are only good at replacing defective parts/tools. i am encouraged to hear they addressed your issues, but i assume your experience was for tools that were still under warranty? my experience relates to a tool that is out of warranty where the parts all work but the tool needs to be adjusted to factory specs. and their dealers' service abilities, at least the two i dealt with, were limited to acting solely as "new parts installers". where they are seriously lacking, in my experience, is in the skill and experience necessary to facilitate optimizing the performance of a tool. they are weak at the tune up aspect of their tech support and, again, in my experience, woefully inadequate in tech support communuication. so my comments are not addressing WMH customer service. they are addressing my opinion that their dealer and tech support are inadequate and that anyone contemplating a purchase and hoping to rely on either of these for support could be in for a disappointing experience.

[John Coloccia]

Yeah, but the Jet Truck was a nice touch :D

I hear what you're saying with the other aspects of their customer service. Your right in that there's usually the "local expert" that you sometimes need to consult to get a tool working right because Jet doesn't really know what's out of whack. I went through that on their drum sander. I really wish they had a setup service where they would send someone out to unpack, clean, level and adjust the tool when it first shows up. I'd pay for that if it were an option.

[Rob Wright]

I juts received my Jet JJP12HH last night (Stealth Gloat)and I am having trouble identifying this aluminum extrusion piece that was in the accessory box. Can someone help me out - I am sure that once someone tells me, I am going to feel really dumb!

This is a bad photo from my CrackBerry. It is about 1"x2" x 4" and has a small "saw kerf" on one side.

Thanks - Rob

[John Coloccia]

You know, I've been wondering about this for a year too, so I just called them. It's exactly what I though it was, but the notch was throwing me off. It's the height block that they talk about in the manual. It can be used to set the planer bed parallel to the knives, and the knives level with the outfeed table. The notch that has us all confused is.....ready for this.....totally, utterly and completely useless, according to technical support.

My guess is that it serves a purpose on another one of their machines, or it's simply left over from their tooling.

[Rob Wright]

You know, I've been wondering about this for a year too, so I just called them. It's exactly what I though it was, but the notch was throwing me off. It's the height block that they talk about in the manual. It can be used to set the planer bed parallel to the knives, and the knives level with the outfeed table. The notch that has us all confused is.....ready for this.....totally, utterly and completely useless, according to technical support.

My guess is that it serves a purpose on another one of their machines, or it's simply left over from their tooling.

John - thanks. perfectly clear now.

One more for ya - how good was the machine out of the crate? I am not looking forward to messing with the beds:( - I need to throw a starigh edge on it tonight and check. trying to get that oil off the tables has been a PIA - went through an entire bottom of orange citrus cleaner and I am still getting gray paper towels after rubbing the bed.

[John Coloccia]

John - thanks. perfectly clear now.

One more for ya - how good was the machine out of the crate? I am not looking forward to messing with the beds:( - I need to throw a starigh edge on it tonight and check. trying to get that oil off the tables has been a PIA - went through an entire bottom of orange citrus cleaner and I am still getting gray paper towels after rubbing the bed.

My first one was a bit of a basket case. The replacement that they sent me was dead nuts.

re: the cosmoline
The serrated surfaces just makes it a royal PITA because it keeps grabbing the paper towels and tearing them up. I feel your pain.

[Steve Costa]

I have a Mini-Max FS-30 that now resides in the corner of my garage/shop. Worked great for about 8 years then the uglies began. New infeed table, $900 & six months to get. Next was the outfeed table didn't want to stay coplaner. Opening & closing the jointer bed over time will cause them to go out of adjustment. Frustration PLUS!!!

If you buy any of the jointer planer combination tools the MOST important investment you can make is a high quality straight edge that is at least the length of the jointer tables because at some point you are going to need it. Also, before purchasing the tool of your choice make sure the company's tech support guys can give you VERY clear instructions on how to adjust the jointer bed back to coplaner or read the owner's manual to see if the instructions make sense. When they work they are a dream, when they don't, a real pain.

[Curt Harms]

I'm not sure why they're including this piece with the HH version but it does have a purpose with the straight knife versions. Does anyone remember the "mark a stick and the knife should move that stick about 1/8" when the knife is properly set to the outfeed table? And use it to check that both ends of the knife move the stick the same distance?". This piece of aluminum replaces that stick, and the knife should move the aluminum the distance of the kerf. At least that's what I was told. It's on page 17 (if I recall correctly) of the JJP-12 manual-the part about setting knives.

As far as the fence being cast iron, I might not care for that idea. I keep the fence toward the front of the machine so it takes up the least space. If I'm edge jointing, I might leave the fence all the way forward--I only need 1" of knife exposed. Having a heavy cast iron fence sitting close to the lifting handles ain't gonna make it any easier to lift the jointer beds when switching modes. There might another reason for designing the fence the way they did--if the machine is used with the fence toward the front, there has to be a way to cover the rest of the cutter head without adding too much complexity/cost.


You know, I've been wondering about this for a year too, so I just called them. It's exactly what I though it was, but the notch was throwing me off. It's the height block that they talk about in the manual. It can be used to set the planer bed parallel to the knives, and the knives level with the outfeed table. The notch that has us all confused is.....ready for this.....totally, utterly and completely useless, according to technical support.

My guess is that it serves a purpose on another one of their machines, or it's simply left over from their tooling.

[John Coloccia]

Actually, it was the notch that we can't figure out. None of us, including Jet, can seem to come up with a use for the notch.

[Rob Wright]

Quick update on my first few weeks with the JJP12-HH:

I found out the hard way that when you are in planing mode and quit for the night and decide that you don't want to keep the table in the "up" position so you lower it - that it is a good idea to lock the tables every time!

I went out last night to finish edge jointing some boards to give a nice flat surface so I could rip them to width. I hooked up the DC hose, set the table to a 1/16" depth on the infeed side, started the DC and jointer, and started jointing. I was getting a heck of a crown and just couldn't figure it out. I was starting to think that the outfeed table was out of whack and I was dreading having to fix it. I tried another board, a few more passes and still a crown! Tried a shorter board (24") still issues. I was really starting to get frustrated - how could this be? This weekend it was fine! How did it get out of adjustment this fast?

Well, I went to unlock the tables to see if there was something sitting on the table stops and found that they were already unlocked! Locked them down tight, and everything was nice and straight!

So - my new tip/rule for myself is: If the tables are up - it's in planer mode with the feed engaged and ready to plane. If the table is down, the tables are locked, the feed is disengaged, and it's ready to joint. There will be no in between anymore for me!

Has anyone else been this stupid?

[Alex Leslie]

I don't have the JJP-12, but I have other Jet machinery in my shop that I have been happy with. My 15" planer was shipped with a bent chip-breaker and they sent me the part and an extra set of knives for my troubles (12 years ago).

A friend of mine installed a shelix head on his Powermatic 15" planer and it not only cuts cleaner, but the noise level is reduced considerably. He will never buy another straight-knife machine.

[Curt Harms]

Actually, it was the notch that we can't figure out. None of us, including Jet, can seem to come up with a use for the notch.

The notch is how far the aluminum piece should move when a knife carries the extrusion as the cutterhead is rotated. Jointer tune up articles mention that properly set knives should move a stick about 1/8" when the cutterhead is rotated. The kerf is about 1/8". If the stick is moved the same distance on both ends of the cutterhead, the knife is parallel to the outfeed table. This applies to straight knives, not helical heads. I haven't tried this with my JJP-12 (haven't changed the knives yet) but did with the old 6" jointer and it seemed pretty accurate.

[Alan Lightstone]

I ordered one in December 2009, then was told 2 weeks later that there would be a 6 month wait to get the model with the helical heads.

Gave up and bought the Laguna. Arrived in 1 week.

[Van Huskey]

i can't comment on this particular tool, but if dealer support is one of the considerations swaying your choice, i'd proceed with caution. my dealings with two separate authorized jet dealers were, to be kind, disappointing. and if you experience any problems with a WMH tool group product that involves anything other than replacing a faulty part, you are on your own. although polite and well intentioned, my experience with their technical support staff has been decidedly below average. i own one jet product that is approaching acceptable performance with the assistance of non-WMH tool sources and i will never purchase another one.

First most importers send you parts and thats about it. That said PM for me has been a pleasure they sent a tech out the two times I have needed them and they fixed the problem quickly and properly. I continue to think your issues with WMH is a result of the service network in your area not the company. Just out of curiosity which machine manufacturer or importer has given you the service you expect, that seemingly is on-site.

I have noticed more than 10% of your posts are anti-WMH which is fine by me but if I have read your posts correctly you own 1 WMH tool (an 18" Jet BS) that you bought used on Craigslist and paid $140 for the group of tools it was part of. From your experience it is perfectly fine to decide you would not buy another WMH tool but in fairness you might want to illustrate your issues, if I understand your situation it is far different from someone who buys a new tool and can never get it operating correctly from the start and has problems with CS.

As for the BS I have never divined you exact issues but if it is a pre-triangle spine version it is the only true lemon of Jets in recent memory.

[John Morrison60]

I have a Minimax FS30 onto which I installed a Byrd head.
For me, that was terrific.
I liked the Tersa heads that came standard. Very easy blade change.
I put the Byrd head on because I like to work with figured cherry,
and the straight knives were giving me some tearout.
I have not had any tear out with the Shelix head.
If it costs $1000 extra on a new machine, I think that I would get
the straight knives and then get a Byrd head.
The Byrd would likely cost close to $1000, but then you would have
both heads.

Good luck
John