Geetech 8" Jointer

[Michael Mayo]

So in my quest to find an 8" jointer I found an 8" Geetech jointer locally on CL for $450. I spoke to the gentleman on the phone and he was pretty nice but wasn't really willing to reduce the price. I am wondering and I know it is a subjective thing if $450 is a fair price for this older jointer? I have read a few reviews online about this jointer and they all semm to be favorable. The jointer was used very little and it shows in the pics as the tables are very shiny and look new.

The other thing I was wondering is how do you check co-planarity of the tables to each other? I have a 50" straight edge I got from Woodpeckers so I will bring it with me but I am not completely certain how I would do that check? Thanks for the help.

[Mike Heidrick]

$450 is very reasonable for an 8" jointer! I would not reduce the price either.

Just use it to check how well it works. Id let you use a straightedge on it in your trailer on your way home LOL. Either you want it or you don't. He wont have a problem selling it at $450.

[Roger Rayburn]

Raise the infeed able to the same level as the outfeed table. Rotate blade out of the way. Lay the straightedge across the two tables and check for light under the center or either end. The less intrusive way to check is to pick up two very large plastic right angle triangles at the art store or office supply store. Don't have to move the table for this one. Put one triangle on the infeed, one on the outfeed with the verticals touching each other. If there is a gap between them anywhere, the tables aren't in the same plane.

[Jeff Duncan]

First I think $450 is a pretty fair price even for a lesser known offshore brand....assuming it's in good working condition. As far as checking it out, I personally wouldn't worry much about checking the tables for being coplanar. In terms of buying the machine it's kind of a moot point, like checking to see if a fence is set accurately on a table saw. Even if it's perfect now the mere act of moving it from one shop to another could knock it out....not likely but possible. What you want to check for is that the tables and fence are pretty flat, and that's where a good straight edge comes in handy. If the tables have bowed or twisted your going to have to get them back to flat to make it a usable machine.

Now if your talking about checking for coplaner once you've bought it and have it back in your shop then you have a series of steps to go through to make sure it's tuned well. It's not overly complicated but does take several steps and your best bet would be to google jointer setup as it's been gone over pretty thoroughly by folks better at describing it than me;)

good luck,
JeffD

[Myk Rian]

When lifting it, keep the straps close to the base. Don't lift by the table ends.

[Matt Day]

I agree that the price is good.

Don't even bother checking to see if the tables are coplanar. For one thing, it'll probably get out of whack when you move it. And secondly you should run through the machine thoroughly when you get it in your shop to check all the adjustments.

Now what you could do with that straightedge is to make sure the infeed table, fence, and outfeed table are flat (no cup, twist, etc).

8" jointers are much bigger and heavier than a 6", so be prepared to remove the top from the base and have enough manpower on hand or an engine hoist.

Good luck!

[ed vitanovec]

Gee tech is the manufacture for many well known brands like Jet, Powermatic, Woodtek. They are a quality manufacture and I own several of their tools under the Gee Tech name. I would buy the jointer for $450 if it is in good shape.

[Mark Burnette]

Geetech makes machines for a bunch of well-known name brands, including SawStop, so they do know how to make a fine machine. Hopefully that wide distribution also means parts will be available for a long time. I'm impressed with my 6" Sunhill (Geetech) that was better made and cheaper than anything available at the time.

http://www.geetech.com.tw/geetechE/sp.html

[Michael Mayo]

Thanks to all for the advice. I am going on Saturday to pick it up. I don't have anyone to come and help me with it so it will be a disassemble/reassemble affair so the co-planar issue is definitely moot. The guy selling it is elderly so he won't be able to help much so it will have to be just me and my tools to get it in the truck and home. Sure wish I had a manual to look at prior to picking it up but I have found zero online for these machines.

[Don Jarvie]

Do you have a picture? Compare it to a Powermatic, Jet etc and see if its similar and try to get a manual.

[ed vitanovec]

Check Grizzly website to see if there jointer looks like the one you are buying(G0656), they have the manuals on line.

[Don Morris]

I have had a Geetech 8" jointer for years and been very happy with it. Had to replace a fence part recently (my fault for over-tightening) and used a Jet replacement part. There is a Fine Woodworking or some other magazine article 8 -10 years ago which described how to make a long straight edge testing device out of MDF and 4 dry wall screws. By a certain process back and forth, you place the 4 screws well apart and can make the screws line up and if the table doesn't fit flush with all 4 screws you can measure how much it's out of alignment or adjust it until it's flush. Save the piece of MDF and that way you can always have a cheap and always ready way to test your table for alignment too. I threw it out when I bought a long metal straight edge to use for other purposes as well. I'd pay $450.00 if the machine was in good condition.

[Mike Heidrick]

Id hire some movers. I doubt it is even a 1 person job disassembled. Not worth hurting yourself or the jointer.

[Jeff Duncan]

I don't know if it's worth hiring someone to move it, will probably cost as much as the machine! I do agree with Mike though that it's not worth hurting yourself. An 8" jointer is much heavier than it looks! I would highly recommend finding at least one friend who can give you a hand.

good luck,
JeffD

[Mark Burnette]

Getting any discount off that $450? That machine sells brand new for $550 at the place that bought out Sunhill (and still located in the same warehouse as Oliver machinery). Of course the shipping would add.
http://stores.lomatools.com/-strse-Machinery/Categories.bok

$450 is still a good deal--but this could be bargaining leverage :)

I don't know if Geetech still makes the jointers for Grizzly but their lever-adjusted 8" jointer is at $975.

[Todd Davidson]

Here's another 8" Grizzly (Geetech) jointer in Mass for $325 obo: http://westernmass.craigslist.org/tls/3649362752.html

[ed vitanovec]

There are 2 models, lever and hand wheel. The hand wheel was more expensive.

[Michael Mayo]

Well I went and bit the bullet on the 8" Geetech this morning. I had a buddie of mine go with me and it is a good thing I did because that thing weighed a ton. I wasn't expecting it to be as heavy as it was but some of you did warn me and I thank you for that because I was going to go alone and if I did it would have been a nightmare. It is a super nice jointer with 73" tables and a 2 hp. 220 v. motor. I tested it out at the PO's house before we carted it out and it worked perfectly. The tables had only a couple of minor rust spots that I was able to scrub off this afternoon with some green scotchbrite. Tomorrow I will do a quick wet sand just to remove the scotch brite scratches. The outfeed table didn't move very well so I removed all of the hardware that holds it on and although I wasn't able to figure out how to completely remove the table itself I was able to remove a pressure plate which ended up being the culprit. It had years of gooey lube or something on it so i used some mineral spirits and wiped it down and then reinstalled. The table now moves smoothly just like the infeed table. It came with a cheap Craftsman mobile base that it doesn't fit. I am going to do a bit of modifying to get it to fit and also to beef it up as I need to be able to move this thing around in the garage. I am very pleased with the purchase and can hardly wait to start jointing some stock with it.

While we were there Derrick my friend saw a nice anvil and asked about it the guy said it was for sale and when asked how much he said what do you think it is worth? So I piped in $75 and he said sure that sounds good. So then Derrick spies a lathe in the back of the basement. So he asks about it. Harvey the owner said take a look it is a pattern makers lathe? I had never seen such a lathe but it was very cool. It looked like a metal working lathe except it was designed for wood. Had a cross slide vise, a huge tail stock, and a stand alone tool rest pedestal. Derrick asked how much and the guy said $450 which if I were a betting man is far below what it is worth. So Derrick and I are headed back to Harvey's in a couple of weeks to pickup the lathe and the anvil so it was a very good day!!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8519/8523514498_894fdc8364_o.jpg

[Roger Rayburn]

It just gets awsomer and awsomer. Amazing score!

[Mike Heidrick]

Looks like a beauty

[Mike Heidrick]

Getting any discount off that $450? That machine sells brand new for $550 at the place that bought out Sunhill (and still located in the same warehouse as Oliver machinery). Of course the shipping would add.
http://stores.lomatools.com/-strse-Machinery/Categories.bok

$450 is still a good deal--but this could be bargaining leverage :)

I don't know if Geetech still makes the jointers for Grizzly but their lever-adjusted 8" jointer is at $975.

WOW!! Great prices on new jointers!!

[Don Morris]

Again, looks like my jointer and I've been very happy with it. Also, that article, I mentioned, as I remember, showed how to remove the infeed and outfeed tables properly. Which again, as I remember took two persons to do the job right. I had my jointer in the garage for a week until my two sons showed up on the scene to help me lift it over a foot high entrance step because you're right, it is a beast and needs to be on a good mobile base. Mine gets moved with regularity. You'll be very happy with your purchase. Nice find.

[ed vitanovec]

Nice score, they are nice machines.