wanting to move from an 8" to a 12" jointer

[david paul miller]

I bought a Grizzly 8" GO490X spiral head jointer in July ,made a few test cuts and now wanting to sell to get a 12" jointer planer combo . my question is realistically how bad of a hit would i have to take putting it on CL, I paid $1,339 w/ shipping. what would be a reasonable price /or what could i expect to get for it?

[david brum]

I'll bet you can get a grand for it, if you clearly and reasonably explain that the buyer won't have to pay shipping and taxes. They also won't have to unpack, assemble and adjust. I would think that anyone who's in the market for one would jump at the chance to save several hundred dollars on a new unit.

[Terry Beadle]

Just curious but what specific need are you having that a 8 inch is not doing the job?

Are you working in especially wide stock?

[David Kumm]

David, I think $1000 is about right but the market is soft. If you are going the J-P route make sure you do your homework and buy a stout machine. Lifting tables and returning them can lead to all kinds of problems. The MM guys complain about the 12" unit as it is lighter than their 16" and more prone to table and fence issues. I would look at a used heavier machine. If you have the room, separate planer gets away from those issues. I realize I'm not on point but after you sell it is too late to reinvent the wheel. Dave

[david paul miller]

Just curious but what specific need are you having that a 8 inch is not doing the job?
ma
Are you working in especially wide stock? I have 9"-12" stock on hand, thought it would be nice to have a 12" jointer for when i want to re saw 12" on the band saw , or for the 9" bottom rail when building exterior doors. (without having to rip and glue back.) Has anybody ever tried or had luck adding table extensions on the sides of a jointer to face joint a wider board in 2 passes?

[glenn bradley]

Your reasons are sound and only you can judge if the majority of your work requires a 12" machine. I have an 8" which meets most of my needs. While waiting to get it (and now when I need wider jointing) I use a planer sled (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?58735-Planer-Sled-2.0).

[Mark Ashmeade]

Without wanting to denigrate any particular brand, I've found that used values favor the established US brands (Delta, Jet, PM etc). I think a grand is on the high side. If you could buy a new one for only 30% more, with the warranty, peace of mind of knowing every hour of its history, I don't see why you'd buy a used one. I typically look to pay in the 40-60% range depending on what it is and who made it, together with its condition.

[Myk Rian]

Has anybody ever tried or had luck adding table extensions on the sides of a jointer to face joint a wider board in 2 passes?
Yes, I have. You use the 8" to joint a rabbet, put a board under it, and run the un-jointed side through the planer. Flip it over and plane the rabbet off the jointed side.

[david paul miller]

Yes, I have. You use the 8" to joint a rabbet, put a board under it, and run the un-jointed side through the planer. Flip it over and plane the rabbet off the jointed side. Thank you , I like that idea, I'll try that today. The sled is another good idea I forgot about, I saw Mark from the wood whisperer use a sled w/ shims and hot glue. If I can get a grand for my 8" I will go for a 12". other wise these will be suffice.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, I went the same route, 8" jointer to 12" Hammer J/P and couldn't be happier.............Rod

[jerry cousins]

without considering the brands in the discussion - several years ago i moved up from an 8" to a 12" - if you can -just do it. i found it made things a lot simpler (although i had to figure out a 3 phase converter - which i did not think too simple).
jerry

[Chris Fournier]

My dearly departed MM 12" combo was a rock. I am completely unaware of isssues with this machine except for joy that is. I miss it even though I now have a 16" MM combo machine. The 12"er was one rock solid, day in , day out performer. You'll take a kicking moving on from your 8" machine, it's that simple. If you can stomach it go for the 12"er, you won't regret it. I too moved from an 8" jointer to the 12" combo and I was happy as a clam to do so. If your shop is tight for space a combo machine will open up a lot of space.

[Mike Delyster]

Yes, I have. You use the 8" to joint a rabbet, put a board under it, and run the un-jointed side through the planer. Flip it over and plane the rabbet off the jointed side.

I've done the same thing on my 8" jointer, works very well on boards up to about 12" wide.

[David Kumm]

Chris, I didn't mean to come off sounding negative about the MM J-P. By pointing out some potential- although rare- issues with the good stuff I was trying to steer clear of the cheaper models. Much more complicated to make a good combination machine than two stand alone ones. The frequent changes to the settings demand a solid machine. MM, Felder, or Knapp if you can find one are the pick of the combo litter. Dave

[Peter Aeschliman]

I watch craigslist religiously, and I've sold a lot of machines on craigslist as well. Out here in the Seattle area, 6" jointers are a dime a dozen and sell for 50% of retail at best. But 8" jointers command a price premium and tend to sell quickly. It seems that people easily get around 60-70% of retail from what I can tell. Given that your machine is basically new, you might do better. I think $1k is reasonable.

If you already have a decent planer, definitely skip the combo machine and just buy a dedicated 12" jointer. I have a Laguna 10" combo machine. I like it just fine, but I do find myself missing my standalone planer. The change over isn't a big deal, but the planing operations will kill your back. The planers on the combo machines are really low to the ground, so you will hunch over a lot. I just milled up a significant amount of walnut in my shop... probably 12 hours of jointing and planing over a few days. My back was sore for a few days afterwards.

The other thing I'm not thrilled about with most combo machines is the dinky extruded aluminum fences. They're functional and work okay, but I really miss the heavy cast iron fence on my previous 6" jointer. That thing would never budge and held its settings super well. With my Laguna, I have to re-square the fence every time I switch back to jointing from planing... not all combo machines are like this.

So again, I recommend just getting a dedicated 12" jointer if you like your planer alright. For only $100 more than grizzly's combo machine, you can get a monster 12" jointer:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Jointer-w-Spiral-Cutterhead/G0609X

[John Lanciani]

My only advice would be to look hard at 16" machines if you're going to go to a combo. :)

[jonathan eagle]

I bought a Grizzly 8" GO490X spiral head jointer in July ,made a few test cuts and now wanting to sell to get a 12" jointer planer combo . my question is realistically how bad of a hit would i have to take putting it on CL, I paid $1,339 w/ shipping. what would be a reasonable price /or what could i expect to get for it?

I guess I'd give it a try and see what you can get. I sold my 11 year old, 6" $395 grizzly jointer for $300, and $465 grizzly bandsaw for $300 and $400 respectively. I bet you'll get $1000 easy. Sounds like it may be where you live as well. Most of the jointers around my area were nothing special 6" delta and jet jointers. Most people come look at the tools and don't read the hype about brand.

[Matt Day]

I've jointed 12" wide stock on my 8" as well as described above. It works well for me now and for the foreseeable future but if I was using over 8" wide stock regularly and worked in the shop every day, I would probably consider a 12".

$1000 for the spiral cutterhead on a basically new jointer sounds like reasonable. Good luck with the sale!

[Chris Fournier]

Chris, I didn't mean to come off sounding negative about the MM J-P. By pointing out some potential- although rare- issues with the good stuff I was trying to steer clear of the cheaper models. Much more complicated to make a good combination machine than two stand alone ones. The frequent changes to the settings demand a solid machine. MM, Felder, or Knapp if you can find one are the pick of the combo litter. Dave

I would never consider an economy mfgr for the combo machine. Buy the best that you can afford. I've been on the combo path for about 10 years now with no issues. In the 12" combos the MM has the heaviest castings and chassis that I saw and I considered all the competition.

[david paul miller]

After much thought I have decided to go with a dedicated jointer. Hoping I can get a grand for my 8", I don't have room for an 8" and a 12"

[Peter Aeschliman]

I think you made the right decision since it seems you have the budget for it. Which model have you chosen?

[Rick Fisher]

I think you will find there is more to a 12" Jointer than 4" ..

I have a 12" Griggio PF-310 .. Its not only 4" wider, its got over 8 feet of bed length.. the fence alone is bigger than the bed on my old Delta X 6" .. Its 7" tall x 54" long.

In addition, its got a 4hp motor, it will remove 2mm - 3mm of material, face jointing 10" or 12" of nearly anything.. Its truly impressive.

Last thing I face jointed ( weekend ) was some 2x10 and 2x12 black walnut.. longest cut was 72" .. Heavy enough that I just wanted to get it over with.. so I set the cut deep.. the Jointer found it irrelevant..

I move the fence around and it stays square.. I have not had to adjust it back to square in over a year.. Its about 1100 lbs.. 12" Jointers are heavy.. Way less fuss and vibration.. just not easy to move out of the way.. lol

There is the odd time I wish I had a wider machine than 12" .. but just remind myself to be content.. If you want a 12" .. you will notice to be a significant increase in machine.. in many ways.

[David Kumm]

I second Rick's comments. The large fence is a big deal. When looking for a larger jointer the tables and fence should be flat. I am a big fan of older jointers, american and euro. Both my Oliver and Porter have swing away guards that move out of the way for face jointing even wider boards. If not going the byrd route, look at cutterhead diameter. Bigger is better. The old jointers went up to 5". Eight foot tables and 54" fences were pretty common. Structure is important. When you drop a board you can barely lift on the infeed table you don't want it to move. Make sure there is plenty of adjustment built in as with big tables a little out of whack is a lot. Do not skimp on the machine to afford the cutterhead. Dave

[Sam Layton]

David,

I think you made the correct decision. You just purchased an 8" and want a 12". Is there any chance that you will want a 16" after you purchase a 12". I went from an 8" to a 16" several years ago. While looking around, consider a 16", there are really good deals on larger machines.

Sam

[david paul miller]

I think you made the right decision since it seems you have the budget for it. Which model have you chosen? probably the GO609X, a 12". but second guessing myself, I thought the 8" was all I needed , I don't want to make another mistake and wish I had gotten the 16". But I think the 12" is going to do it. I also need to research other brands before I buy again. This is going to be my last jointer

[Joe Wiliams]

If you are any where near Portland, Oregon I'm interested in your 8" jointer :)

[Jimmy Horrocks]

Hey Peter...Do you have any trouble with the motor on your 10" running hot...really, hot...Does she want to bog down if you take just a bit toooo heavy of a cut when planing? Thanks, Jimmy

[Peter Aeschliman]

Hi Jimmy, I will reply with you via private message since this would take the thread off topic.

[Alan Lightstone]

I agree about re-squaring the fence on my Laguna 12" combo machine. Would it have killed them to include a stop so the fence could be quickly set to 90 degrees?

I do find the changeover a pain, but do it. A power screwdriver with a socket in it speeds things up tremendously. The biggest problem with the Laguna 12" combo is the dust collection while jointing. Even with a 5HP Oneida and an enlarged 6" DC outlet, it's pretty poor. It dumps tons of chips on the planer bed. Dust collection is much better on it when planing.

But I do like the machine. If I had more room, I would prefer separates. I do love the 12" capacity over 8", as I deal with many wider boards.