Steve LeLaurin
07-25-2011, 9:30 PM
FYI ... For those in the market for a small footprint jointer: Steel City has a couple of new entrants into benchtop jointers. Both have their version of a spiral/helical cutter. One has cast iron tables (model #40610CH -- 34 lbs), the other has granite tables (model #40610GH -- 59 lbs), both have aluminum fences, neither comes with stands. See http://www.steelcitytoolworks.com/products_category.cfm?section=2&category=7 Both are around $300, and are available through Lowes. There doesn't seem to be any of the units in stores yet, and only the cast iron version was on the Lowes website. But a call to the manager of a local store in KY produced a willingness to order either one for me.
By the way, a Steel City phone rep told me that if I wanted to inspect one before ordering, look over the Porter Cable model PC160JT on the shelves at Lowes. It is made by the exact same factory in China where the Steel City machines are made, and the engineering is about the same. This PC machine doesn't have cast iron/granite/spiral cutter, but otherwise functionally quite similar.
By the way, a Steel City phone rep told me that if I wanted to inspect one before ordering, look over the Porter Cable model PC160JT on the shelves at Lowes. It is made by the exact same factory in China where the Steel City machines are made, and the engineering is about the same. This PC machine doesn't have cast iron/granite/spiral cutter, but otherwise functionally quite similar.