JET Planer / Molder

[Dave Fairfax]

I am very close to buying the JET Planer Molder. I've read the reviews and watched the tool review videos on youtube, and I generally like what I hear and see. However, I would like to hear from anyone who has one or has used one of the JET's before. I'm open to other suggestions. Budget is <= 1500. I will be mostly planing and milling decorative moldings (crown, chair, base, etc.)

Thanks.

[Jim Andrew]

I bought a Woodmaster for the same reasons. Have made the casing and base for the house. My neighbor bought a 15" Grizzly planer, and it will out plane my woodmaster, even though it is only 3 hp.The WM is 5 hp. He also bought the 3 hp shaper and 1/2 hp power feeder, and uses the cutters from MLCS to make molding with the shaper. Think I am going to head his direction, as there are so many other things you can do with a shaper and power feeder.

[Mike Heidrick]

I own the Jet. Grizzly sells a similar 13" machine. You can find knives used but not as easily as a Williams and Hussey (or Shop Fox clone of the W&H). The Jet does a good job. It can also be a 13" planer but mine stays as a molder. I think it is easier to use it than my shapers if you have the knives for the profile you want and once it is set up. It takes more passes though than my shapers do. I have a 3hp Griz and a 5 hp tilting spindle Laguna shaper each with 1hp feeders. The W&H and SF will do curved molding as will a shaper. The Griz/Jet would be more difficult to do curve molding if at all. A woodnet member in Troy IL has the 13" Griz and he does very nice crown using multiple cutters mounted at the same time molding. He gets a variety of cuts with the cutters and a custom sled/guide setup that bolts to the planer table. The dust collection is not the best on the Jet. I have a 5hp cyclone too so I promise its not the collector.

I made the trim on this for about $2.75 worth of red oak shorts from LaVern in IN.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e169/BloomingtonMike/bc1.jpg

My Planer/molder

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e169/BloomingtonMike/moulder.jpg