About to pull the trigger on JJP-12HH

[Stephen Saar]

I'm about to order the Jet JJP-12HH. I currently don't have a planer or jointer so this will be doing double duty for me. I would like to have separate units, but don't have the floor space. I've looked at the G0634Z, but from what I read most people liked the euro style guard on the Jet better, and they felt the Jet was just slightly better. Currently I can get the Jet for $2,673 including shipping and the Griz for $2,339. Is there any reason someone can think of I should not order the Jet, or should wait because a known deal is coming down the pipe?

Thanks.

-Stephen

[John Coloccia]

I don't know much about the Grizzly. I'll also say that I own some Grizzly tools and am very happy, so I'm not intending to take anything away from them. That said, I have a JJP-12 (not the HH...it wasn't available at the time) and I've found it to be quite a good machine. The Euro style guard is FAR superior to any pork chop guard in my opinion but others would disagree with this.

Anyhow, I've been satisfied with my Jet, and their customer service has been top notch as well. Of course, so is Grizzly's.

LOL.....I'm probably not helping, am I? Personally, I'd probably go with the Jet only because I own one and it's given me no trouble so far. Also, the switchover from Jointing to Planing is much simpler with the Jet. No need to remove the fence, for example. You unlock the top (just move two levers), lift it up and swing the dust port/blade guard. To go back, swing the guard, lower the top and lock it in place. I can make the switch in about 10 or 15 seconds.

[Mark Woodmark]

I have the Euro style guard on my Grizz planer/jointer and dont care for it. I would rather have the guard the swings out of the way when the stock is fed through it. The Grizz is 5hp, the Jet is 3hp. The Grizz has a bed that is 5 inches longer than the Jet...I think. The Grizz also has a carbide spiral cutterhead. The Grizz is 672lbs. I would opt for the Grizzly

[Mike Zilis]

John is right on the money. I've had my JJP for almost 2 years. No issues whatsoever. The switch over is easy and fast.

Good luck and congratulations no matter what you decide.

Mike

[Dave Lehnert]

I was just reading an old issue of WOOD with a review. Issue 191, July 2009
They said you would be happy with any unit but gave the edge to the Grizzly.
They did not like the JET fence as well because it was not self squaring. This was Jet model JJP-12

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I can get the Jet for $2,673 including shipping and the Griz for $2,339. Is there any reason someone can think of I should not order the Jet, or should wait because a known deal is coming down the pipe?

I think I paid like Three Gees for my Hammer 12" J/P
Have you looked at the Felder Hammer offering?

[Ben West]

I looked at both, and both are solid machines. I opted for the Grizzly and have been very happy. I personally prefer the pork chop guard, though admittedly have just used a Euro style guard a few times. Both work fine.

I thought the Grizzly was a little better built and, at the time, was the only combo machine with carbide spiral head. Having now used such a cutterhead, I would never go back to anything else.

You'll be happy with either, I suspect. I personally thought the Grizzly was a bit better machine. Having now used it for 2 years, I don't know that I'd trade it with any combo machine on the market. Have been very happy.

[Stephen Saar]

Thanks for all the replies, unfortunately now I'm more confused, but basically it sounds like their isn't really a huge difference between the units and either one will do. I am torn though, since I like some of the features of the Griz (longer tables), but the fact you don't have to remove the fence on the jet is definitely nice. I looked at the hammer, but the 3 grand is only for straight blades, and I'd personally rather have the HH style heads.

*Sigh* Too many machines, what is a wood worker to do. I guess I need to become a multi-millionaire and start up a site that just buys every tool and reviews it.

:-)

-Stephen

[Peter Aeschliman]

I have no experience with either machine, but some other things to keep in mind:

I'd be really surprised if you need a 5hp motor for a 12" machine. Grizzly's machine is 25 Amps, so it will require a 30 amp circuit. The Jet is 12.5 amps, so it won't take such expensive wiring.

The grizzly apparently also has a larger fence-mounting apparatus, which means it will take up more floor space.

Then there's the fact that you have to remove the fence from the grizz for the change over.

If those things aren't an issue for you, definitely get the grizz because of the price. I've seen the machine in person and it's really nice.

[Mark Woodmark]

I like some of the features of the Griz (longer tables), but the fact you don't have to remove the fence on the jet is definitely nice.

-Stephen

My Grizzly combo machine is supposed to have the fence removed also when planing, but I found I could slide the fence all the way to one side of the machine, clamp it down and still tilt up the tables

[Rod Sheridan]

Another vote for the Hammer A3-31, certainly worth checking into......Rod.

[Bas Pluim]

I wrote a review of the JJP-12HH (http://newtoolreviews.com/featured/jet-planerjointer-combo) last year that might help.

[alex grams]

I just recently bought the 12" grizzly combo machine. I think it cost 2350$ shipped. Very happy with the unit. Runs strong, quiet and smooth.

The jet was an option, but I could not get it at a comparable price.

I like the slightly larger infeed/outfeed tables on the grizzly, and I have always been satisfied with the customer service grizzly offers. I am sure the Jet is a nice machine, but as it has already been said, I think the Grizzly slightly wins in both price and value.

[Dave Lehnert]

I wrote a review of the JJP-12HH (http://newtoolreviews.com/featured/jet-planerjointer-combo) last year that might help.
Great review. Also read the Grizzly 513x2 review.
Thanks

[Steve Costa]

Check www.cpo.com (http://www.cpo.com) they sell a wide range of tools including Jet & PM. They usually run a sale a couple of times / yr. If you buy either the Jet or PM machines they ship for free. Saved me alot of $$$:).

Check to see when they are planning their next sale.

[Bill Lawrence]

I went through same choice you are going through about 3 months ago. I went with the JJP-12HH instead of the Grizzly, Laguna or the Hammer. I had a chance to see both the JJP and the griz before I made my choice. Didn't see a Hammer, but I read a lot about it and talked to some people who own one. Here were my main decision points.

1) The JJP occupies a smaller fooprint than the Grizzly. In my shop (one side of a two car garage) that was critical, because I can push the unit up against a wall and it is still usable.

2) Speed of changeover. It doesn't seem like much, but unless you are doing production work you will be switching between jointing and planing a lot more than you might think. The Jet is the easiest switchover on the market in my opinion. Release two levers, lift up the table and flip over the dust shroud and you are ready to go. I do it 3-4 times a day when I'm in the shop and it doesn't feel like a chore at all.

3) I preferred the euro guard. When face jointing a 12" board, the pork chop style has never felt safe to me -- theres a significant period of time where the blades can be exposed. The euro guard never has that issue. For edge jointing, both guards seem the same to me.

4) Helical head -- this is a toss up on the griz and JJP, but a big cost differentiator between the Hammer and Laguna. Once you've used one, you'll never go back. I dreaded having to set knives, now I don't even think about it -- takes about 20 seconds to turn 2-3 inserts to their sharp sides.

5) Power requirements -- the Jet won this hands down. On 220V you can run the JJP12 on a 20A circuit. Despite the lower power requirement I've never had the Jet struggle with a jointing or planing operation, even in dense hardwoods.

What I wish I had:
1) A horizontal slot mortiser - the Laguna and Hammer have this and for most mortises I rather have a horizontal mortiser than my vertical benchtop mortiser. But they are added cost and a lot more expensive than my benchtop mortiser.

2) Longer tables for boards longer than 6'. I just got done jointing a 8' long 12/4 red oak board. The jointer handled it perfectly, but keeping the board flat to the table when 4'-5' is hanging off the end is unsupported. If you get a combo machine, do yourself a favor and invest in the Ridgid flip-top outfeed stands. I have four of them and needed them all to get the right level of support to get a clean edge joint.

If I could have found a used A3-31 for under $3K, I would have purchased that in a heartbeat. The new price point was just too high.

If you purchase the Jet, a couple things to think about:
1) Gets some good casters for it. I use 4 Steelex D2614 3-inch 220-pound swivel/locking casters ($7.30/each from Amazon). The machine rolls wery easily and having four swivel casters allows you to manuever the machine in any direction. I only have to lock 2-3 casters to get the machine extremely stable. I can't remember the last time I locked all four. The Steelex casters fit right into the holes that are use to bolt the machine to its shipping container -- you can install them by just sliding a corner of the machine off the pallet at a time, with maybe a block of wood or jack for added support.

2) Cleaning the tables on the JJP was a pain. The tables come coated with a black powder to project them. The powder leaves some nasty streaks on your wood if you don't get it completely clean. The fact the tables are "ribbed" makes it very hard to get the surface completely clean. After trying a bunch of methods, I finally figured out the best way to do it -- apply a coat of paste wax and then immediately wipe up the wax. The black powder comes up with the wax. The third time I did this I finally felt like the tables were clean enough to use. Then just apply a final coat of wax you let set before bufifng or use some T-9 to coat the tables.

[Rod Sheridan]

Bill had some great points, so I thought I would comment on them from a Hammer owner perspective.

- power requirements, the Hammer machine specifies a breaker size of 16 amperes, I'm using a 15 with mine.

- table length, the Hammer clip on extensions are great, you could buy them and add them to another machine if you want

- knives, the Hammer uses a quick change knife, about 5 minutes to change the knives, no adjustment required. You can have a carbide insert head installed at the factory. I don't know of any owners who have one however.

- space saving, the Hammer can be placed against a wall, and changeover from planer to jointer is fast.

- digital planer height gauge, works like a dream, allows you to make one more part after you damaged it further down the work process without fiddling or measuring. (Not that it would ever happen to me!;)).

Regards, Rod.

[Curt Harms]

- table length, the Hammer clip on extensions are great, you could buy them and add them to another machine if you want

- knives, the Hammer uses a quick change knife, about 5 minutes to change the knives, no adjustment required. You can have a carbide insert head installed at the factory. I don't know of any owners who have one however.


- digital planer height gauge, works like a dream, allows you to make one more part after you damaged it further down the work process without fiddling or measuring. (Not that it would ever happen to me!;)).

Regards, Rod.

Do you think the Hammer clip on extensions would work with the Jet JJP12? I use infeed and outfeed stands for long stock and they work okay but it's always nice to have another option.

I second the digital planer gauge for the reason you stated. There's another interesting option for retrofit digital height gauges (http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Remote-Digital-Readout-Inch-Metric-Fraction/T23012). Grizz has gone and done it again :). Not specifically for jointer/planers but with the remote readout there seems like a lot of flexibility. Router table height readouts come to mind. One problem with using the Wixey DRO on the Jet JJP12 is the planer bed needs to lower 6" to flip the dust hood. The Wixey DRO has like 6.3" travel. I have to be careful to not lower the planer bed too far and damage the Wixey setup. These Griz units are about any length you'd need.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Curt, the Hammer extensions clip on to an aluminum rail that is bolted to the edge of the cast iron tables.

The Hammer tables have fairly deep skirts, however if your machine has a deep enough skirt it should work just fine and only requires 2 holes for mounting the rail.

Regards, Rod.

[Curt Harms]

Hi Curt, the Hammer extensions clip on to an aluminum rail that is bolted to the edge of the cast iron tables.

The Hammer tables have fairly deep skirts, however if your machine has a deep enough skirt it should work just fine and only requires 2 holes for mounting the rail.

Regards, Rod.

Thanks Rod. The Jet skirts look like 47mm deep. Does that seem like enough?

[Van Huskey]

Cliff, it is August and you are in Atlanta.... IWF is there at the end of the month (largest woodworking show in the US) go over and hit every manufacturer/importer you are interested in. Make a deal on their floor model 12" J/P from the show and pick it up at the end of the show, you can save EXCELLENT money that way since they want to sell them and not ship them back.


IWFATLANTA.com

[Alan Lightstone]

I was going to buy the Jet unit last year. It was back ordered for 6 months, so I passed on it and bought the Laguna HH unit.

I think changing over is a PIA, but necessary with a combo unit. The Laguna's biggest fault, IMHO, is poor dust collection on the jointer. Otherwise, a nice unit. Its fence also doesn't self square.

[Mike Heidrick]

Cliff, it is August and you are in Atlanta.... IWF is there at the end of the month (largest woodworking show in the US) go over and hit every manufacturer/importer you are interested in. Make a deal on their floor model 12" J/P from the show and pick it up at the end of the show, you can save EXCELLENT money that way since they want to sell them and not ship them back.


IWFATLANTA.com

This man speaks truth - you will be penny wise to listen. Lots of great deals. I would even call BEFORE the show and work the deal! They all love showing purchased machines!

[Stuart Meredith]

Where are you finding one for $2673 with shipping. Best I've found was 2849.00 after a mail in rebate from CPO.
*** Edit*** Sorry I didn't look hard enough I did find it for 2673 from tool-plus.*****

[Ryan Eldridge]

Have you been able to find any of the JJP-12hh's in stock? I called around but could not find one in stock close to the price you mentioned.

I have had a Grizzly G0634z on order for a few weeks, it was supposed to arrive in the warehouse on August 16 but now I was told probably end of September.

The boat must have gotten lost crossing the Pacific.

[Stuart Meredith]

Just called Tools-plus and they checked through Jet and the Jet factory is out of stock right now.

[Rod Sheridan]

Felder are running promotions at the IWF show this month.

The Hammer A3-31 will be $3,358 and the advertisement indicates free delivery.

That's a very attractive price on the A3-31..........Rod.

[Stuart Meredith]

Pete already mentioned the issue of amperage, but another thing to think about for the Jet is that it has a Helical cutter head and Grizzly's is only a spiral. I had ordered the Grizzly then found out about the wait and then canceled my order and went with the Jet for the above two reasons.

[Ryan Eldridge]

I think I am going to go with the Jet also, the grizzly would be a nice machine but the indeterminate wait and having to upgrade some of my wiring is making me lean away from it.

[Rod Sheridan]

I think I am going to go with the Jet also, the grizzly would be a nice machine but the indeterminate wait and having to upgrade some of my wiring is making me lean away from it.

The 4HP Hammer A3-31 won't require a wiring upgrade either.......Rod.

[Ryan Eldridge]

Stephen,

If you do not mind me asking what is the difference (cutting wise) between the helical and spiral heads... I am having a hard time reading up on the difference.

Thank you

[Stephen Saar]

Stephen,

If you do not mind me asking what is the difference (cutting wise) between the helical and spiral heads... I am having a hard time reading up on the difference.

Thank you

Well I'm not positive myself, but from my understanding the helical heads have each cutter slanted so that only a point of the cutter meets the wood at a time, while a spiral head has cutters staggered like the helical, but they are perpendicular to the wood so the entire face of each individual cutter hits the wood at the same time. If my understanding is correct the helical cutters do a better job of slicing the wood more cleanly which is supposed to help with tear out. I should mention that this will be my first jointer or planer, so I'm probably the worst person to listen to advice from.

:-)

-Stephen