10" jointer planer combination machines

[Jason White]

I've decided on a 10" jointer-planer combo unit to replace my 6" jointer and 13" planer. This is mostly because I have a very small shop, but also because I want to be able to joint and plane stock of the same widths. In a perfect world, I'd go for a 12-incher, but I just don't have the floor space.

Ideally, I want cast-iron tables. I also want to be able to leave the fence on and only lift one table out of the way for planing operations.

Additionally, I don't have the money for a true European machine (Felder, Hammer, etc.).

I've been looking at the offerings from Rikon and Grizzly. Anybody have one of their 10" machines? If so, how do you like it?

Thanks!

Jason

[David Hostetler]

I am going to have to watch this thread, I just recently saw the Rikon, and wasn't even aware that Grizzly made one... I hate to lose the 3" planing width, but I VERY rarely plane material wider than 10" (like twice in the last 2 years). Seriously worth considering...

[phil harold]

I've decided on a 10" jointer-planer combo
Jason

look here:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?159664-Inca-jointer-planer-for-Sale

[John TenEyck]

I have an Inca jointer/planer. The price being asked for the one listed here is, IMO, a bargain. I paid $950 for mine, used, 25 years ago. They cost over $3000 when they stopped making them. The jointer tables are annodized, pressure cast aluminum. The planer bed is pressure cast aluminum covered with a skin of stainless steel. In 25 years I've replaced one planetary gear belt. That's it, and I've planed thousands of BF with it. It's a great machine, very high precision, very reliable and easy to use. I'd pounce on the one being offered.

[jonathan eagle]

I assume we are not talking about the smaller machines.
You also have the laguna 10" sch machine. I've been studying these machines alot myself. Rikon is based in massachusetts and I went and looked at one. Looks like a solid machine. Didn't run any wood of course. The fence looked somewhat flexible.

[John TenEyck]

Just another follow-up on the Inca. Changeover time is about 30 seconds. You rotate one bolt holding the outfeed table, slide the fence to the side, rotate the bolt on the other side of the outfeed table, lift off the table and you're done. Just as fast in reverse. No adjusting or fiddling required. If you look at one of these machines you might think it's too light duty. Afterall, it only weighs around 60 or 70 lbs without the stand or motor, if I remember correctly. But you would be wrong. It will handle anything you put on it or through it up to it's full 10-1/4" width. If I were a contractor doing a lot of custom installation work, I would love to have one of these on the jobsite. Light enough to transport, big enough to do serious work, and with the 1-1/2 HP motor you can plug it in to a 120V line.

[Michael Titus]

Jet also has a 10" jointer/planer (JJP-10BTOS), but I don't know anything about it.

[Tom Cornish]

Jet also has a 10" jointer/planer (JJP-10BTOS), but I don't know anything about it.Unlike the reasonable 12" Jet combo, the 10" and 8" are sheetmetal pieces of junk.

[Jason White]

Anybody here have the 10" Laguna with helical head!

[jonathan eagle]

Jason,
There are some threads on it. Just use the search tools. Search for " jointer planer laguna". You are looking at the larger machines, not the ones that look like lunch boxes with legs, correct? The inca, is like that. You mean like the grizzly g0675? The big machines?
Jonathan

[Jason White]

Yes, I'm talking about the bigger machines (400-600 lbs).

[Bernie May]

I have the G0675. initially I was disappointed with how much trouble it took to level the input table to the output table. I think it involves 6 bolts. Also, the raising and lowering of the input did not maintain the alignment of the tables. finally I just settled on one height for the input and leveled the tables with a feeler gauge and left everything in place after that. Now I am growing to like the machine more and more. While switching back and forth between jointer and planer is not that big a deal, I tend not to do it and just use my Ridgid planer. I don't like bending down to use the planer on the Grizzly. I like the short beds. Initially I wished I had bought the jet combo unit with spiral head for $2500 or whatever it now costs. If I upgrade I am going with the Grizzly 12" jointer with the short 60" beds and spiral head G0706. 40" fits nicely, but I could make 60" work as well. No way will 80+" work for me.

[Douglas Clark]

I've been looking at Jointer/Planer combos also, including the 10" Grizzly. I didn't see that anyone else had mentioned this fact so I thought I'd point out that the planer capacity is just a 1/4" shy of a full 10". Based on what you said, that probably isn't an issue, but for some reason it irked me a little when I read the catalog and realized that 10" didn't actually mean 10". Boy do I wish that I had the money for the 16" combo that Grizzly is closing out this year ($4,000 range), though! That would be sweet.

Although I always find it very agonizing to make a final decision on what to purchase I'm probably gonna start saving up for a 12" combo this year. In the meantime, good luck in making your decision and be sure to let us know what you choose and how it works out for you. Combos are still pretty new territory for a lot of us and we're dying to get the skinny on what's good out there.

[John Lanciani]

Hi Jason,

Have you looked at Rojek? I'm not sure what the current pricing is compared to your budget but it might be worth a look. I've had the big brother to this one, the MSP 415, for about 5 years and it is a workhorse. I just put a Byrd head on it last year and it is even better. I don't think you're too far from me, feel free to PM if you'd like to come by and take a look.

John
http://www.rojekusa.com/images/combination/msp310m_m.jpg

http://www.rojekusa.com/PHP/msp310m.php

[Curt Harms]

Hi Jason,

Have you looked at Rojek? I'm not sure what the current pricing is compared to your budget but it might be worth a look. I've had the big brother to this one, the MSP 415, for about 5 years and it is a workhorse. I just put a Byrd head on it last year and it is even better. I don't think you're too far from me, feel free to PM if you'd like to come by and take a look.

John
http://www.rojekusa.com/images/combination/msp310m_m.jpg

http://www.rojekusa.com/PHP/msp310m.php

I'd forgotten about those guys!! I first saw a J/P combo at a now defunct show in the Philly area. This was probably 13+ years ago when combo machines were virtually unknown in this country. They looked like pretty substantial machines made in Eastern Europe. Don't they have one where you don't have to move the jointer beds or fence to use the planer?

[David Hostetler]

Okay, looking at the Grizzly catalog, I finally see their 10". For the floor footprint it takes, and the cost of the thing, I personally would hold out, save up the extra bucks, and grab the 12". I don't often plane past 10", but I do. I never plane past 12"... (sort of a lie, I have planed 24" wide material with my #5 hand plane...)

[Jason White]

Hi John. That looks like a pretty good machine! I read the review that Fine Woodworking did on it. They weren't too crazy about it, but some of the things they dislike would actually work to my advantage (not having to lift up either feed table for planing, 50" total length, etc.).

It does not appear that they offer a helical head for this machine, though -- just the Tersa head, which I have an irrational fear of because the knives aren't bolted in place. :o

Jason


Hi Jason,

Have you looked at Rojek? I'm not sure what the current pricing is compared to your budget but it might be worth a look. I've had the big brother to this one, the MSP 415, for about 5 years and it is a workhorse. I just put a Byrd head on it last year and it is even better. I don't think you're too far from me, feel free to PM if you'd like to come by and take a look.

John
http://www.rojekusa.com/images/combination/msp310m_m.jpg

http://www.rojekusa.com/PHP/msp310m.php

[John Lanciani]

Hi Jason,

I'm pretty sure that they still don't offer factory installed insert heads but I know that Byrd has made heads for the 12" machines and they designed and made a 16" head for me working off of factory prints. (you don't even want to know what that cost). Mine shipped with a non-tersa head, but I wouldn't be the least bit concerned with the integrity of the Tersa design.

I currently have 3 Rojek machines and I sort of look at them as the Grizzly of Europe, they're a whole lot of value for the money.

[Steve H Graham]

I got the Rikon. I've only used it once. The manual is a horror. The fit and finish are above-average Chinese, which means serviceable but not all that pretty. I chose it over Grizzly because it's lighter and more mobile, and because it has 3 knives instead of 2.

It's very quiet, and it joints just fine. Sawdust goes EVERYWHERE. I can't complain. It will do what I need it to do, it didn't leave me broke, and it has a small footprint.

Haven't tried the planing function. I bought it for jointing.

I'd say the quality is not unlike Shop Fox. Not as nice as Ridgid, but better than Northern Tool.

[Carl Babel]

I have been eying up the new Grizzly 12" Planer/Jointer (G0634XP). It has an end-mount fence (much smaller profile than side-mount fence models: you can position it right up to the wall). There has been concern expressed about the fence not staying perpendicular to the blade, but the general consensus seems to be that as long as it stays square to the table, everything is okay.

[jonathan eagle]

Steve,
You are talking about the 25-200 correct?
It is 12" vs the g0675 is 10". Unless you are thinking of a different grizzly.
Do you find the fence on the 25-200 OK? It looked a little flexible to me. I want the tool just for jointing as well.
Quality wise, it looked like my grizzly tools. I've never seen a large ridgid tool other than the light weight stuff at home depot. Didn't know they made them.
That's worrisome about the sawdust.
Jonathan

[Jason White]

Steve, just to be clear -- are you talking about the 12" Rikon? Also, do you have it hooked up to a dust collector?

Jason


I got the Rikon. I've only used it once. The manual is a horror. The fit and finish are above-average Chinese, which means serviceable but not all that pretty. I chose it over Grizzly because it's lighter and more mobile, and because it has 3 knives instead of 2.

It's very quiet, and it joints just fine. Sawdust goes EVERYWHERE. I can't complain. It will do what I need it to do, it didn't leave me broke, and it has a small footprint.

Haven't tried the planing function. I bought it for jointing.

I'd say the quality is not unlike Shop Fox. Not as nice as Ridgid, but better than Northern Tool.

[Jason White]

Bump!

I'm now thinking that a 12" unit will work for me, as long as the total length isn't much more than 50". My shop is a very small one-car garage and it's already crammed full of stuff. I usually have to move two or three machines just to be able to set up the one I need.

[Steve H Graham]

Mine is 10". The dust collector is a cheesy pipe you wedge between the planing table and the jointing feeds. I haven't used it yet. I read that it doesn't do much, and the sawdust is shaped in a way that makes it easy to sweep up.

[Douglas Clark]

Okay, looking at the Grizzly catalog, I finally see their 10". For the floor footprint it takes, and the cost of the thing, I personally would hold out, save up the extra bucks, and grab the 12". I don't often plane past 10", but I do. I never plane past 12"... (sort of a lie, I have planed 24" wide material with my #5 hand plane...)

You guys probably already know this but JIC, It should be noted that the footprint shown in the 2011 catalog for the 12" is off if you are actually looking at the 634. The catalog shows the footprint as being 41-1/4"L x 59-5/8"W x 45"H. This seemed way off to me, so I called Grizzly and the CSR told me it was actually 24" deep, which is only 2" wider (go figure, huh). I'm guessing that the reason the catalog is off is because it's showing specs for the 633 before they upgraded to the 634 and switched the fence to an end mount. But that's just a guess.

Even more importantly, if you are really tight on space... the CSR also gave me a longer dimension than shown in the catalog for the table. I don't remember for sure but I think she said 69" (please double check that number, because I'm not positive whether it was 69" or 71") which is nearly a foot longer. Personally, I'm still eyeballing a 12" (not sure what brand yet) but that probably won't happen until later this year at earliest though.