Shop Fox 8 Inch Jointer Deal

[Craig Wahl]

After shopping around for an 8 inch jointer for a while I found a number of Shop Fox retailers dropped the price on the Shop Fox W1741 quite a bit. Amazon has it listed for $900 including shipping. Only problem is that shipping looks like it is 1 to 2 months out. I got a screaming deal on a local one so local dealers may be participating too. I havent used mine yet, but the fit and finish is good. I think this machine is probably the best DJ-20 clone out there and is the cheapest- that cant last long. With the integrated rolling base, 3 hp motor, magnetic switch and two year warranty I think its pretty hard to beat at $900 delivered.

[Ryan Hellmer]

I used to have one of those, great jointers. I only got rid of it to get a 16" Crescent. That is a fantastic price new.

[Lloyd James]

You should be ashamed of yourself from taking advantage of the distributors.
I been thinking about buying my 1st joiner and have decided to jump to an 8" over the 6". I have read every review you
can find. Sometimes reading reviews with the thought of buying is more fun than running the machine. :)
Powermatics, Generals, and Deltas seem to be the favorites of many woodworkers. But most of us need money for other woodworking tools and wood, so brands like Grizzly and Shopfox are a good choice.
Thanks Sawmill for printing the best reviews to us.

[Craig Wahl]

After researching all this stuff quite a bit I think many of the big name tool companies are owned by the same parent companies & have manufacturing agreements with some of the same Chinese foundries. The DJ-20 style jointer beds are all identical so I am sure there is some connection between Delta and the tool companies that sell DJ-20 clones. I actually purchased a Delta DJ-20 a few months back, then sold it when thought I was running low on cash. Seller remorse caused me to watch for a good deal on a DJ-20 (original or clone) and that’s how I stumbled across the Shop Fox deal. I actually prefer the Shop Fox hands down regardless of price (I paid $900 for the DJ-20 & $577 for the Shop Fox. I have no idea what my local hardware store was thinking, but I didn't think it would be smart to question them). The SF has the benefits I mentioned earlier whereas its only weakness to the Delta is the warranty (2 years compared to 5 with Delta) & knobs. Fit and finish is very similar although the Delta has steel, chrome plated knobs whereas the SF has plastic cheapies that are pretty cheesy feeling, but will probably work fine. The SF's 3 hp motor is a huge plus over the Delta though. The SF motor looks nearly identical to the motor on my Delta DC-380 planer so I think the SF motor is a decent quality motor and probably is not too overrated. I am kinda rambling now, but at rate, if I was in your shoes I would look seriously at the SF 1741 & call a few local places to see if they have an old model they have been stumbling over for a while and want to sell cheap (that was the case for both the DJ-20 I bought and the SF- different hardware stores though). Good luck.