What's the deal with 6" jointers??

[Thomas Delpizzo]

As I cruise Craigslist and other sales venues, I've noticed that there are a heck of a lot of 6" and 4" jointers for sale? I know on occasion someone gets a deal at HD and decides to resell and make a couple of bucks (I did get my planer that way) But there also seems to be a lot of them hanging around in people's garages or basements. The occasional 8" jointer is usually an industrial model or higher end small shop model, such as a PM or Delta going for well over $1000. Any reason why? Is it that people buy them and don't use them? They move up to a larger jointer, they lose interest? They wanted it as a planter? :confused: Some of the deals have been tempting as I don't own one, but based on advice in this forum, 8" is the way to go and skip the dust catching 6".

[glenn bradley]

Your observations seem correct. I put my 6" up for sale within weeks of buying it, what a boo-boo. There are many folks who do well with a 6" machine for years. I'm just not one of them ;-)

[Will Overton]

I have a 6" Grizzly that I'm very happy with. If I had more room I'd get a larger one. When working with rough cut lumber, I often have to rip boards down before face jointing.

Many folks who actually have the room start with a 6" for the lower price, or the belief that they will take off the guard and do wider boards by flipping them. Doable, but no fun. Soon, they realize that they should have taken everybody's advice and gotten the 8". You see the results on Craig's list.

[Dave Zellers]

I bought a Jet DC system from a guy with a really well equipped shop today and he was also selling a PM 6" jointer with a spiral head for $500. When I told him I had just bought an 8" jointer his immediate reaction was "I wish I'd done that".

[Dave Lehnert]

8" jointers has gotten cheaper over the last 10 years. At that time a cheap 8" was at about $1,000. You could buy a good 6" for just over $400.

10 years ago on the woodworking forums the JET 6" was the cats A$$. Now you don't read a thing about it.
If you read the forums you will notice the tools you "Need" get bigger and bigger. Bandsaws will be the size of a house before the end of the year. :D

[Lance Norris]

Possible that 6" jointers are much more common than any other size? There's one in my shop...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I just bought my first serious jointer.

For $350 more, I got 30" more in bed length and 330 lbs. heavier and it's an 8" not a 6". Worth it? It was to me.

[Van Huskey]

1. they are much more common

2. it is an entry level "real" jointer, much like you see tons of inboard/outboard boats for sale with 3.0L engines, they are bought because of price point and the people that enjoy boating realize they want more, sometimes a lot more

[Greg Peterson]

I too have noticed this. I had been recently looking at buying a 8" jointer, but after looking on Craigslist, I found a 1953 Delta 6" jointer in very good shape.

For the projects I have lined up, this jointer will meet my need.

Perhaps an 8" is in my future. But for now the 6" works for me.

[george wilson]

I had a 6" for over 20 years. Not even one in good shape. Before the Asian stuff came along,things were just too expensive for me. Took many years to build up a good salary.

[Dave MacArthur]

What everyone else said. For 90% of the 8" jointers bought, there is probably a 6" one on craigslist leaving their shop.

Except I was struck by Van's example... usually you take an unfamiliar question, and give an example of a more familiar similar thing to make your point. I'm thinking Van did the exact inverse...but am a bit worried that everyone else here is like, "ohhh! 3.0L inboard/outboard--totally newb move! NOW I get it!"

Now I'm left wondering why I don't know how a 3.0L boat rates compared to other boats, and feeling a bit un-manly for being so ignorant in all honesty. I mean, motorboats, very manly! How did that required knowledge slip by me?

Let me give it a try:
I guess another way to say it is most folks buy a starter bagpipe chanter made out of polypenco from Dunbar, then later upgrade to a Dalbergia melanoxylon one from David Naill.

;)

[Van Huskey]

What everyone else said. For 90% of the 8" jointers bought, there is probably a 6" one on craigslist leaving their shop.

Except I was struck by Van's example... usually you take an unfamiliar question, and give an example of a more familiar similar thing to make your point. I'm thinking Van did the exact inverse...but am a bit worried that everyone else here is like, "ohhh! 3.0L inboard/outboard--totally newb move! NOW I get it!"

Now I'm left wondering why I don't know how a 3.0L boat rates compared to other boats, and feeling a bit un-manly for being so ignorant in all honesty. I mean, motorboats, very manly! How did that required knowledge slip by me?

Let me give it a try:
I guess another way to say it is most folks buy a starter bagpipe chanter made out of polypenco from Dunbar, then later upgrade to a Dalbergia melanoxylon one from David Naill.

;)


Sometimes in the search for the best analogy I find myself venturing into the esoteric. :o

Lets just say a Mercruiser 3.0L/Alpha drive outfitted boat is like a Yugo compared to say a boat with twin staggered Mercruiser 1200 SCi/dry sump Six drives which is like a Ferrari Enzo.

:D The only thing I know about bags and pipes is they sound really cool with Bon Scott playing them on AC/DCs Its a long way to the top... and I am quite confident that you thoroughly out "esotericced" me.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

What everyone else said. For 90% of the 8" jointers bought, there is probably a 6" one on craigslist leaving their shop.
;)

This is what I think too. If I buy an 8", my 6" will be sold. BUT, for now the 6" is okay. Unless of course, and 8" happens to fall in my lap for a good price. That's probably how I got my 6"....

[Will Overton]

Let me give it a try:
I guess another way to say it is most folks buy a starter bagpipe chanter made out of polypenco from Dunbar, then later upgrade to a Dalbergia melanoxylon one from David Naill.

;)

Thank You!

That finally cleared things up. :)

[Dan Duperron]

And now back to our regularly scheduled debate, sans bagpipes & motorboats...

I'll take a crack at the original question:

Jointers are simple machines that are hard to kill. There is an inventory that has been building up since the 1930's/40's of 4" and 6" machines. These were the sizes commonly sold for 'home shop' use for many decades. Now they are stashed by the thousands in basements and garages all over this country, waiting to pop up on CL.

In the mean time machine prices have dropped and expectations have changed. I'm using an old 1930's Craftsman 6" jointer for now (belonged to my grandfather), but I'd like to upgrade to a 12" combo jointer/planer. The fact that I can even type that with a straight face would shock my grandfather or my dad, who couldn't even dream of having 12" machines in their day - they were just too expensive. It would be like me paying $10K - $15K for a new Northfield 12" jointer today, plus the same amount again for an industrial planer - not gonna happen.

Why anyone would buy a new 6" jointer with all of the good used stock floating around is beyond me, but I'm a cheapskate.

[Mike Cutler]

Thomas

The 6" jointer is small, sometimes too small depending on the work, but I'd venture to say that probably the majority of projects a hobbiest would do can be successfully accomplished on a 6" jointer.
The 6" jointer also sells more often because of it's size. A single person can purchase, load, unload, and assemble a 6" jointer. The bigger jointers are way too heavy for one person usually. A 6" jointer can also be shipped UPS Ground to your door, and 8"+ jointer usually has to go frieght.
The beds on a 6" jointer are shorter than an 8", which makes the after casting machining process quicker and cheaper. Which is why you see such a price disparity between the two sizes.
As wood workers became more familiar with the concept of a planer sled, we started using our planers as jointers. I have a 3HP, 15" planer, than can be turned into a 15" jointer with two roller stands and a length of MDF.
If you ever get the chance to edge joint a 14" wide, 10'+, 8/4 board by yourself, like I did, all of the sudden the EZ system starts looking really attractive for initial edge jointing.

Despite stating all of this, nothing really compares to having a really nice, wide jointer, to begin processing material.It is the most correct tool for the job. If you find a good deal on a 6" jointer it wouldn't be a waste of money. I wouldn't buy one new though unless you just can't find one used close enough.
Until I find a great deal on an old 16" jointer, I'll keep using my 6" along with a planer sled, EZ rails and a split fence router table. ( My router table is 2'x4' and weighs a ton)

[John McClanahan]

I just bought a Blue 8 inch Jet jointer at an auction for $150 <insert gloat here>, so my 6 inch Delta/Rockwell will be for sale. I have noticed the same trend in my area. There are 6" jointers on craigslist daily, but I can't remember the last 8" for sale.

John

[Rod Sheridan]

There is a plethora of used 6" jointers for sale because we aren't far sighted enough to buy our last jointer first.:D

I bought an 8" General as my first jointer, kept it for the better part of 2 decades, then bought a Hammer A3-31 12" combo to gain floor space and jointer capacity.

I could have saved thousands by skipping step 1.

I think that's what happens, you buy a 6" kointer, and depending upon your projects you may find that it's too small and then you replace it.

Since most experienced wood workers aren't looking for a 6" machine, there are a lot out there at low prices.

Regards, Rod.

[Jerome Hanby]

I think it may be a basic law of the universe that a Jointer that was 2 inches wider than what you have would always be handy. Someone said that a 6" jointer would work fine for most projects, I suspect that a 4" jointer would work fine for most of those projects. I think no matter what size you have you will always run across gorgeous lumber that's just a bit too wide for your jointer and too pretty to slice up...but if I only has that 8" Jointer...:rolleyes:

[Frank Drew]

As I cruise Craigslist and other sales venues, I've noticed that there are a heck of a lot of 6" and 4" jointers for sale?

I wouldn't get a 4" jointer except, maybe, to take on a job doing trimwork.

When I opened my own shop I got a 12" jointer right off, but the shop where I apprenticed in furnituremaking had a 6" Rockwell, and a light framed model at that. We made do with it although it wanted to tip over with bigger, heavier boards; you had to hold the machine down on the floor with your foot in those cases :eek:.

But a 6" jointer is better than no jointer.

[Wayne Hendrix]

I think that because of the low price point of the 6" jointers people who arent really serious into woodworking buy them thinking they will use them and then dont. They end up taking up space in the garage until they are sold. I know that in many of the adds around here for the 6" jointers there is no other machinery around the jointer to indicate that the person is a serious woodworker who would have upgraded to an 8" jointer. Usually the jointer for sale is surounded by a big pile of crap that was taken off the jointer for the picture.

[Frank Drew]

As I implied above, I disagree with the proposition that you can't do serious work on a 6" jointer; anyone who has one and doesn't use it (until the day the larger one arrives) is, well, I don't know what. Unimaginative? Not really interested in woodworking?

And I'm a big proponent of larger machinery, but, c'mon, let's work with what we've got.\

I don't mean this as a contradiction to Wayne's point that many smaller machines are bought by folks who think they might like to get into the work, then don't.

[Andrew Joiner]

Maybe more woodworkers are using sleds. I use a table saw sled to straightline rip, or I order S3S stock. I use a thin lightweight sled on a flat infeed table to flatten faces of stock.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=134633

I rarely used my jointer after carbide saw blades replaced steel saw blades around the mid 70's. The saw marks were less noticeable than the jointer knife marks and NO chip out! Another plus,you don't have to press heavy,long lumber down flat on the jointer tables.

I know we all love machines. Call me a rebel,but I'm happy to be jointer free.

[Chip Lindley]

As I cruise Craigslist and other sales venues, I've noticed that there are a heck of a lot of 6" and 4" jointers for sale? I know on occasion someone gets a deal at HD and decides to resell and make a couple of bucks (I did get my planer that way) But there also seems to be a lot of them hanging around in people's garages or basements.


I think that because of the low price point of the 6" jointers people who arent really serious into woodworking buy them thinking they will use them and then dont. They end up taking up space in the garage until they are sold. I know that in many of the adds around here for the 6" jointers there is no other machinery around the jointer to indicate that the person is a serious woodworker who would have upgraded to an 8" jointer. Usually the jointer for sale is surounded by a big pile of crap that was taken off the jointer for the picture.

Both, good observations! It is my premonition that many older machines are inherited from family, and the present owner has no inclination to use Grandpa's old whatchamacallit. It is sold off on CL. (often as a 6" wood planer!)

Others are being resold after being bought cheap from garage sales, want ads, or second-hand shops, just trying to turn a buck or two.

True, some are surplus to upgrades of serious woodworker's shops; but only some.

[James Carmichael]

Possible that 6" jointers are much more common than any other size? There's one in my shop...

Bingo!

I continue to make do with a 6".