Opinion wanted.

[Gordon Eyre]

I will be buying a new jointer in the next week or two and would appreciate your thoughts relative to 4 HSS knives vs. a spiral head. What I am really asking is what will an additional $300+ buy me if I upgrade to a spiral cutter. My machine of choice at this point is the Grizzly GO604X and this is based on the bed length (55") and what I can reasonably afford for my hobby of woodworking.

[Chuck Wintle]

I will be buying a new jointer in the next week or two and would appreciate your thoughts relative to 4 HSS knives vs. a spiral head. What I am really asking is what will an additional $300+ buy me if I upgrade to a spiral cutter. My machine of choice at this point is the Grizzly GO604X and this is based on the bed length (55") and what I can reasonably afford for my hobby of woodworking.
what kind of wood will you be jointing as I get the impression that the spiral cutter works for difficult grain whereas the regular cutter is good for ordinary grained wood.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Gordon,

I have the 8" version of that jointer. It works well. I bought the spiral cutter head version as I don't want to spend time sharpening or aligning blades. When one side gets dull, I rotate it 90 degrees. When the 4th side gets dull, I order replacements. No alignment required. I have yet to dull the first set in the 2 years I have owned and used it.

That is the primary reason I bought the spiral head.

[Jay Rasmussen]

Gordon,
Spiral head gets my vote. I’ll be upgrading my DJ-20 when the time comes.
Jay

[david brum]

Spiral head, hands down. Adjusting jointer knives is ( in my opinion) a huge waste of valuable shop time which could be spent on something useful, like ordering new tools. Seriously, my jointer and planer were switched over a few years ago with no regrets.

[Phil Thien]

Personally, I wouldn't bother with a spiral head for a jointer, as 99% of everything I put through a jointer will also have to go through a planer. So if there is any tear-out from the jointer, the planer would handily clean that up.

If I were flush with cash, I suppose I'd get spiral heads on both.

But I wouldn't end-up in a situation where I had a spiral head on a jointer, and straight knives on the planer. That would be sub-optimum.

[John TenEyck]

Were I buying new, I'd get the spiral head. Since I'm cheap and only buy used stationary machines, I'll probably never have one. On the other hand, if you are comfortable sharpening and setting jointer knives, and you have a drum sander, there's no great need for a spiral head. When I get into nasty woods with tear out, I just stop shorter of jointing/planing to final thickness than I would with wood that doesn't tear out and go the rest of the way with the drum sander. Of course, this adds time, but I'm a hobbiest like you so a few extra minutes isn't costing me business.

John

[Gordon Eyre]

what kind of wood will you be jointing as I get the impression that the spiral cutter works for difficult grain whereas the regular cutter is good for ordinary grained wood.

Thanks for your input. I pretty much use standard woods as I cannot get anything exotic around here so that would not be a strong point for spending an additional $300+


Gordon,

I have the 8" version of that jointer. It works well. I bought the spiral cutter head version as I don't want to spend time sharpening or aligning blades. When one side gets dull, I rotate it 90 degrees. When the 4th side gets dull, I order replacements. No alignment required. I have yet to dull the first set in the 2 years I have owned and used it.

That is the primary reason I bought the spiral head.

Definitely this would be a strong point for the spiral cutter. I guess I just have to weigh the inconvienience of the blades against the $300. I used my old jointer for 25 years and while it was a pain to sharpen and mount the blades I just thought of it as a necessary evil. Thanks for reminding me of that Ken.


Gordon,
Spiral head gets my vote. I’ll be upgrading my DJ-20 when the time comes.
Jay

As a retired person on a fixed income I have to weigh the cost against both my wife's and my own needs and wants. I never go in debt for anything so that is not an option for me. Like yourself, I certainly understand the want side of the equation but my wife's wants just go on and on. :)


Spiral head, hands down. Adjusting jointer knives is ( in my opinion) a huge waste of valuable shop time which could be spent on something useful, like ordering new tools. Seriously, my jointer and planer were switched over a few years ago with no regrets.

I hear you David. Still, one could buy an extra set of knives and then would just have the task of resetting them every couple of years.

[Len Henkel]

My vote is also for the spiral carbide head. One thing not mentioned yet is that the spiral head is so much quieter, almost a joy to use.

[Gordon Eyre]

Were I buying new, I'd get the spiral head. Since I'm cheap and only buy used stationary machines, I'll probably never have one. On the other hand, if you are comfortable sharpening and setting jointer knives, and you have a drum sander, there's no great need for a spiral head. When I get into nasty woods with tear out, I just stop shorter of jointing/planing to final thickness than I would with wood that doesn't tear out and go the rest of the way with the drum sander. Of course, this adds time, but I'm a hobbiest like you so a few extra minutes isn't costing me business.

John

What you say makes a lot of sense John, thanks for your input.

[Gordon Eyre]

My vote is also for the spiral carbide head. One thing not mentioned yet is that the spiral head is so much quieter, almost a joy to use.

Good point Len, I wonder why that is?

[Len Henkel]

Gordon, from what I can gather a spiral head slices the wood rather than beat it into submission. Plus the numerous carbide cutters are taking small amounts at a time.

[Bas Pluim]

I wish I had not bought a spiral cutter head. Said no-one ever.

[glenn bradley]

Another spiral head advocate here. They are less expensive in the long run. One of the mags did an article on the total cost of ownership over time. I can tell you, based on my knifed machine use, that I made up the additional cost of the spiral head in about 24 months. This will vary with your work, some make back the investment sooner, some later. The carbide stays sharp many times longer than HSS knives. When they do finally need attention, you rotate to the second of four edges.

Ah, here's the article I was thinking of: http://www.finewoodworking.com/tool-guide/article/bottom-line-on-segmented-cutterhead-cost.aspx

[Dave Zellers]

I wish I had not bought a spiral cutter head. Said no-one ever.
Some who wished they had another router might have.


I'm rapidly starting to believe you can actually have too many clamps but it will be a long time before you have too many routers.

[Gordon Eyre]

Gordon, from what I can gather a spiral head slices the wood rather than beat it into submission. Plus the numerous carbide cutters are taking small amounts at a time.

Smile!


I wish I had not bought a spiral cutter head. Said no-one ever.

Two smiles!


Another spiral head advocate here. They are less expensive in the long run. One of the mags did an article on the total cost of ownership over time. I can tell you, based on my knifed machine use, that I made up the additional cost of the spiral head in about 24 months. This will vary with your work, some make back the investment sooner, some later. The carbide stays sharp many times longer than HSS knives. When they do finally need attention, you rotate to the second of four edges.

Ah, here's the article I was thinking of: http://www.finewoodworking.com/tool-guide/article/bottom-line-on-segmented-cutterhead-cost.aspx

Thanks Glenn, this makes a lot of sense. Good article also.



Some who wished they had another router might have.


I'm rapidly starting to believe you can actually have too many clamps but it will be a long time before you have too many routers.

Three smiles!

[Joe Shinall]

I read your first question and then didn't even bother to read through the other posts, just wanted to give you my honest opinion. Here it is:

Hell yes it is worth it for a shelix head! I spent 2 hours with my dad upgrading my Grizzly 15" planer to the shelix. I had spent a solid hour or more before trying to align new blades. It has been smooth as silk on every type of wood I have thrown through there, exotic and domestic, hard and soft. I have yet to dull a blade and it's been in decent use for 6 months or so.

[Matt Day]

Personally, I wouldn't bother with a spiral head for a jointer, as 99% of everything I put through a jointer will also have to go through a planer. So if there is any tear-out from the jointer, the planer would handily clean that up.

If I were flush with cash, I suppose I'd get spiral heads on both.

But I wouldn't end-up in a situation where I had a spiral head on a jointer, and straight knives on the planer. That would be sub-optimum.

I agree with Phil in this. I don't have a spiral head on anything yet, but it will go on the planer first for sure if it ever does.

And the cost of a spiral head upgrade with a new machine vs upgrading later from HSS knives is about the same. I don't think you save much money if you buy it with the machine.

Good luck!

[Paul McGaha]

Hi Gordon,

I bought a planer that came with a helical head. Beautiful finish on the wood and cuts much more quiet than a planer with knives. I'd say the finish off the helical head is about equal to 100 or 120 grit of sanding.

I just had the head on my jointer changed out to a helical head.

So, I'm in the go with the spiral head camp.

Good luck with whichever head you choose. That's a nice looking jointer you picked.

PHM

[Gordon Eyre]

I read your first question and then didn't even bother to read through the other posts, just wanted to give you my honest opinion. Here it is:

Hell yes it is worth it for a shelix head! I spent 2 hours with my dad upgrading my Grizzly 15" planer to the shelix. I had spent a solid hour or more before trying to align new blades. It has been smooth as silk on every type of wood I have thrown through there, exotic and domestic, hard and soft. I have yet to dull a blade and it's been in decent use for 6 months or so.


I agree with Phil in this. I don't have a spiral head on anything yet, but it will go on the planer first for sure if it ever does.

And the cost of a spiral head upgrade with a new machine vs upgrading later from HSS knives is about the same. I don't think you save much money if you buy it with the machine.

Good luck!


Hi Gordon,

I bought a planer that came with a helical head. Beautiful finish on the wood and cuts much more quiet than a planer with knives. I'd say the finish off the helical head is about equal to 100 or 120 grit of sanding.

I just had the head on my jointer changed out to a helical head.

So, I'm in the go with the spiral head camp.

Good luck with whichever head you choose. That's a nice looking jointer you picked.

PHM

Thanks everyone for your input, I have decided to go with the spiral head. The three facts that swayed me to this choice was the smoother surface, quieter, and cost effective over the long haul.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Late to the party:

When I got my PM-60B, the spirla heads were not yet really in the game [> 15 yrs}. I had the head changed out by the shop I bought it form to a Terminus head. Reversible blades that snap in place - no alignment problems, < 10 min to change the blades.

I'm happy. Spiral would be nice, but that is at the wrong point on the cost-benefit curve.

[Joe Shinall]

Thanks everyone for your input, I have decided to go with the spiral head. The three facts that swayed me to this choice was the smoother surface, quieter, and cost effective over the long haul.

Yeah, forgot to mention how much quieter the planer was afterwards. I couldn't run my machine in my shop at night before without waking up neighbors. Now it's no louder than my table saw and I have no complaints on the noise.

[Gordon Eyre]

Placed my order today for the G0604ZX so the discussion is over. Looking forward to having a great jointer with Parallelogram tables and a spiral cutter. After 25 years of using a Craftsman jointer this should be a dream. Thanks again to all of you for your input.