Deciding on a Jointer

[Chris Kennedy]

After a couple of years looking at jointers, I have had a bit of a windfall and so I am going to pull the trigger. I have never found a decent used one on Craigslist, and I am always a little wary on used tools anyway, so I am going with a new one. For space reasons and economic reasons, I am going with a 6". I could probably afford an 8", but I am not certain I could stomach sending out that much money for my hobby, and my shop wouldn't fit one of those beasts.

I have been searching through old threads, reading what people have to say, and I have it narrowed down to the following:

Grizzly G0654

Grizzly G0452 (possibly the variant with the spiral cutter head)

Ridgid JP0610 (the one that has recently been clearancing at Home Depot's around the country except at the ones near me)

Craftsman 21705 (Professional series, assumedly made by Orion who makes their zipcode saws)

The Grizzlys are clearly the best bang for your buck. I am just a little wary of ordering from Grizzly. I know plenty of people have had great experiences with them, but I've read enough stories of people having to get replacement parts due to shipping damage or the like that it just makes me hesitate a little. That being said, the G0452 with the spiral cutterhead makes my mouth water, even if my wallet squirms.

The other two I can pick up locally, which is a benefit.

So, any recommendations would be appreciated. Also, I've never had a jointer before, so if there are any accessories that I should get at the same time (besides push blocks), please let me know.

Cheers,

Chris

[Myk Rian]

Shipping damage isn't the fault of Grizzly.
Push blocks should come with a new jointer, but I like the Grr-ripper handles.

[Chris Harry]

I have the Ridgid, paid 199 for it. Wish you had asked last summer, Williamsburg had it clearanced for $107 (!!!!) I couldnt get any stores to price match but I was doing it all over the phone.....you might have had better luck in person.

Anyway, assuming you cant get the Ridgid for 199, Id think about the Craftsman only if you can stack a whole bunch of sales at once (10% for using sears card, x% sale on tools, etc)

As far as Grizzly and shipping damage, since they've been known for their customer service, and it seems every shipping damage story ends in free replacement parts, Id prefer them over Sears but not necessarily over the Ridgid. But again, if the Ridgid is 429, thats a lot of Grizzly machine for that cost!

[Rick Bunt]

"The Grizzlys are clearly the best bang for your buck. I am just a little wary of ordering from Grizzly. "

I thought both things a year ago. I read dozens and dozens of jointer threads here on SMC and just about everyone of them had similar favorable comments about Grizzly customer service. I bought a Grizzly (490X, 8" with spiral) last summer and have been SUPER, SUPER happy with my purchase. Common Carrier shipping is a bit pot luck depending on who actually ships your order. I suspect the vast majority are fine and you / we hear more about the unfortunate exceptions. My shipping crates were a bit beat up, but everything was fine inside other than one scratch on the stand. Grizzly sent touch-up paint right away with many appologies and follow-up emails and even a phone call to make sure I was happy and taken care of.

6" vs 8" and Grizzly vs other brands are valid discussions. Many folks have strong opinions on both. But if YOU like the Grizzly, then I see no reason not to order from them. They WILL take care of you. My $0.02.

[Gene Howe]

Chris,
I can only offer my limited experience. My Craftsman jointer (Simpson Tool, now Rigid) is 35 years old and has never given me on iota of trouble.
That being said, Grizzly's spiral cutter sends a tingle down my leg.:D
Gene

[Ryan Welch]

"The Grizzlys are clearly the best bang for your buck. I am just a little wary of ordering from Grizzly. "

I thought both things a year ago. I read dozens and dozens of jointer threads here on SMC and just about everyone of them had similar favorable comments about Grizzly customer service. I bought a Grizzly (490X, 8" with spiral) last summer and have been SUPER, SUPER happy with my purchase. Common Carrier shipping is a bit pot luck depending on who actually ships your order. I suspect the vast majority are fine and you / we hear more about the unfortunate exceptions. My shipping crates were a bit beat up, but everything was fine inside other than one scratch on the stand. Grizzly sent touch-up paint right away with many appologies and follow-up emails and even a phone call to make sure I was happy and taken care of.

6" vs 8" and Grizzly vs other brands are valid discussions. Many folks have strong opinions on both. But if YOU like the Grizzly, then I see no reason not to order from them. They WILL take care of you. My $0.02.

I have a G0490 and absolutely love it. Only the straight knife version but, it cuts smooth as glass. I own a whole shop full of Grizzly equipment and have nothing but good stuff to say. Even when things arrive damaged they quickly resolve the issue. Give them a try I am sure you will be a repeat buyer.

[Myk Rian]

Grizzly's spiral cutter sends a tingle down my leg.:D
Gene
That's a new one Gene. :):)

[glenn bradley]

Requirements in order of priority:
1. - Spiral head.
2. - Did I say Spiral head?
3. - Spiral head.

I sincerely hope you won't do what I did and go ahead and buy the 6" only to realize within a couple of weeks that everybody was right and I upgraded to an 8". A co-worker got a great deal on my old 6".

That being said, there are a few folks here that have always run a 6" and are completely happy. As to my annoying routine about the spiral; I have one on my jointer. I look askance at my planer when I get tearout in curly maple and others. I look at the beautiful surfacing that the jointer does, roll my eyes at the planer and mutter something like "why can't you do that?".

I have the Grizzly G0490X and other Griz tools (and other makers). I have never had any shipping damage but, of course, Grizzly has no control over who delivers the "last mile" in some cases. My orders were delivered by FedEx freight and they could not have done better.

Regardless of your final decision . . . did I say SPIRAL!?!

[Chuck Isaacson]

For what its worth, I have the G0452Z and love it, besides for the fact that it is a 6" jointer. I am not messing around and the next one that I get is going to be a 12" Griz with spiral head. That is going to be the #1 thing that I look for when I go to the Grizzly tent sale this summer. But all in all I have not been disappointed with that jointer. It leaves a very nice finish and blade changes couldn't be easier. If I were to buy another 6" jointer, that would be it. I just cant wait for the 12"...

[Chris Kennedy]

Thanks for all the comments. I keep looking at the website and I leaning more and more toward the Grizzly. I know I want the spiral head, but I cannot decide if I need it. I'm working on an excuse.


Cheers,

Chris

[Paul Ryan]

Buy your self a Lie-Nielsen #7 or #8 and dont look back. Then you will never have too small of a jointer then. Personally I just bought 2 older stanleys #7 & #8 for $80 total. It seemed like a lot safer and cheaper way to joint large peices. I have a 6" "lectric" jointer that has been all I have needed, but I have recently found a nice cheap source for #1 common lumber. But the stock does occasionally have some bows and warps. So I bought a larger jointer, kind of!

[Ken Shoemaker]

I have a Delta 6" X5. It has worked flawlessly for me. I wish I had an 8" w/ sprial head. Just do it and you woun't regret it.

Ken

[Mike Cutler]

Chris

A jointer is a fundamental machine to wood working. Most projects generally start out on the jointer first.
Space is a limitation in most folks shops, but the actual difference in size between a 6" jointer and an 8" isn't all that much. Whether or not you have a 6" jointer, or an 8" jointer, the controlling factor is the length of the material. A 5' board takes 10' of space to joint, a 6' board takes 12', etc. The size of the jointer becomes moot, too a point.
I have a nice 6" jointer, Jet, that doesn't really see that much use. It's too small and too light.
No matter what size you purchase though, buy quality. This is a machine that you want to work properly.

[Tony Shea]

I am in a similar boat as you and still haven't pulled the trigger on one. But I am really leaning heavy on the Griz G0586 8" 2hp jointer as it has been on sale recently. It is at $575 if you live near one or $719 shipped. I thought for a while that I should be fine with the 6" model as I really don't have the space. But after doing a few peices of furniture I have found cases where the 8" would be very handy as opposed to flattening with some handplanes. The handplanes work great but is just very time consuming for me as I can be a perfectionist. So I think I've decided the G0586 is the jointer for me. The spirals would be nice but I just can't handle the price increase at the moment. The $719 is more than I can really be spending anyway. But a replacement head latter on is always an option. Good luck with your choice. I've also had zero luck on Craigslist for the past year. Usually if someone has a decent jointer they keep it for years for odvious reasons.

[Van Huskey]

Requirements in order of priority:
1. - Spiral head.
2. - Did I say Spiral head?
3. - Spiral head.

. . . did I say SPIRAL!?!


Agree 100%. I will also mention to think hard about an 8" if this is a lifetime hobby for you.

[Rod Sheridan]

I agree with Mike, buy a good jointer of the correct size, and do it once.

Since space is limited have you considered a combination jointer/planer?

I have a small shop, and am very pleased with my combination machine. I sold a separate jointer and planer to go with the combo.......Rod.

[Mark Lincoln]

"I sincerely hope you won't do what I did and go ahead and buy the 6" only to realize within a couple of weeks that everybody was right and I upgraded to an 8"." -previous post

I have to agree.

I bought the Ridgid 6". I must say I was pleased with the machine. I had no complaints, well it was PITA to assemble, and I never could get one piece to fit correctly, but I made it fit. It worked great while I used it. I sold it. I bought an 8" Grizzly.

My complaints about the 6". The short table. Having 2" more width is good. Having 2 more feet of table is awesome. Besides holding up the wood better there is a huge difference for me. When working on a smaller infeed/outfeed tables in order to use both my arms/hands for pressure I have to hug my shoulders together and bring my arms in. You know like when you go to a sporting event in the cheap seats and have a 12" width to sit in. With the 76" Table length I get to apply pressure at the full width of my shoulders. This has made a huge difference on long boards.

I upgraded to the G586 from the Ridgid and am quite happy. But, if you are working with small short stock the smaller machine should be fine. Everything I use is rough sawn so it hits a jointer first. I am often running 7 and 8" wide by 5 to 6' long stock and the longer bed is a great thing.

[Rob Hough]

I only own the 6" grizzly jointer that I have because it was a super cheap deal. If I were buying new, I'd totally go the 8" route. I'm fairly new to the hobby and already have encountered times when the extra capacity would have made things much easier for me.

[Rick Boyett]

Thanks for all the comments. I keep looking at the website and I leaning more and more toward the Grizzly. I know I want the spiral head, but I cannot decide if I need it. I'm working on an excuse.


Cheers,

Chris

Skip the spiral head, you DO NOT NEED IT. Go for more power or capacity or both.

The G0654 and G0452 both have three bladed cutters and only 1HP. You can make due with 1 HP but get a 4 blade cutter. The G0604x has a 4 cutter head, 1.5HP, and a longer table to boot. It also runs on 110v.

I agree with other comments that you should still consider an 8" jointer if you have room AND 220v power. You can get the G0586 and use 110v power but you have to buy a new magnetic switch for it. The one it comes with is only for 220v. All others are 220v. All of the 8" jointers have 4 blade cutters. The ONLY reason I didn't get an 8" jointer is due to the lack of space in my garage. The 55.5" table of the G0604x was the longest I had room for. The moment I get a new workshop with the space I need, I'll be trading up for an 8" Grizzly..

I have the G0604x and IMO it was worth every penny. Setup was relatively easy and those blades were razor sharp right out of the box. I ran a lot of black walnut, cherry, and mahogany through it and every time they come out smooth as a babies behind.

As for delivery, well its been said. Grizzly can't control the trucking companies. Accidents happen to every other tool that is delivered in this fashion (which is all of them). I think you hear about them on this message board and over at Woodnet because Grizzly's President is a member and regular poster on both boards. He listens and is responsive. The man is a woodworker. Try and get that from ANY of the other manufacturers.

[Craig Nickles]

I have the Grizzly G0452 and am very happy with it. I have had nothing but good experiences with their products and the customer service.

My Wife works in the trucking business, so I would have to agree with Rick that 99% of all the shipping damages are not the fault of Grizzly at all.

Go with the Grizzly, I think you would be very happy.

[Peter Aeschliman]

I have a bit of a different perspective on the 6" vs 8" debate.

A 6" jointer will get you by fine. The dovetail way Grizzly 6" machines are very reasonably priced. I say buy the 6" machine and use it for a few years. During those years, assuming you have a planer (which you need also), build a planer sled for board wider than 6 inches. I haven't built one yet, but apparently they work quite well. Yes, they're more of a hassle than having a big jointer, but big jointers are expensive.

If, after a few years of use you decide you'd like to move up to a bigger machine, you will probably be able to sell your jointer on craigslist for $300 or so... compared to the price of the new machine, you'll lose maybe $150. If you own the machine for 3 years, that's only $50/year to "rent" the 6" machine. Not a big deal at all.

Plus, assuming you're new to woodworking, it will teach you a lot about jointers and what features you want/need. It will make you a more savvy shopper when you decide to trade up. Also, 3 years from now, you might decide you don't like woodworking or just don't have time to do it...

Go for the 6". You might regret it. ;)

[Erik Christensen]

I have the G0409X and love it - right size for me. Very minimal/non-existent tear-out, not much more footprint than a 6" but big enough that is is comfortable jointing a 10' 2x6, no worries about sharpening blades, great dust collection (I modded the outlet for 6") and decent price for what you get.

And yes the shippers whacked it - a dent in the cabinet that I pounded out and some scraped paint - I never bothered to call Grizzly as it was cosmetic and to me it is tool where that is not important.

[Mark Lincoln]

After re-reading your initial post I just wanted to add that if you haven't discovered "craigslist tempest search" it's a great way to do a mile radius search of craigslist. (google that term and the engine will be on of the first three hits).

I can't believe you haven't found a used 6" jointer. (Please note, I believe your word, I am more perplexed). I say that because I searched for 2 months for an 8" and found 6"s every which way many of them (photo wise) appeared to be nice machines. I generally searched up to 200 miles, but was only really willing to travel 100, for me 200 miles is the cusp of 2 other major cities so I got to see what other towns had going on as well and included lots of smaller outlying communities that don't advert in my town.

Either way good luck with your decision.

[Alex Silva]

I don't think that spiral head is required
Quality construction is
And I have a 12'' and I find it too small sometimes
And I'm with Rod get a combo machine is space is an issue

Cheers

Alex

[Jerome Hanby]

In your situation I wouldn't buy a new jointer period. The standard story seems to be repeated over and over.

1. I don't have the room and/or can't see shelling out the bucks for a wider jointer. I think I can get by fine with a 6 inch model.

2. You get proficient with the jointer and discover everything you need to do would be so much easier if the jointer was a little wider.

3. You decide to make room for a bigger jointer, find one, and sell the first one.

If you buy a used one for a fair price, you can probably get that same money for it when (not if) you upgrade. If you buy a new one, you are probably going to get about what you could have paid for a used one when you decide to upgrade and sell it.

Of course the sure fired best way to find a good deal on a used jointer...is to buy a new one. Then great used deals will begin falling out of the sky:D.

[Brian Kincaid]

Agree 100% (spiral). I will also mention to think hard about an 8" if this is a lifetime hobby for you.

I would think hard about >8" depending on the width of lumber available to you.

-Brian

[Chris Kennedy]

I was looking at 8" jointers at a Woodcraft recently, and I just don't see how I could fit it into my shop. As it is, something is going to have to go to get the 6" in. I will probably spend some more time this weekend with a tape measure trying to figure out how to do it if I can. In terms of price, it is either 8" or the spiral cutterhead and since I mainly make small things, I figured the cutterhead over the width.

I have often thought about a combo machine, but they are just too expensive for me at this point in time.

Thanks for all the advice,

Chris