Buying a new 490 or 495X

[keith micinski]

SO, I have been trying to find a used grizzly 490 for 2 years now because there is a great value to be had in used tools and in that time the 490 has gone up 250 dollars and I have missed out on various 10 percent off coupons and free shipping options and still don't have an 8" jointer. I have a Rigid 6" jointer and while I like it and it has served me well it is the only piece of equipment I have that I would call sub standard. I have finally decided to pull the pin on a new one and when I look at the pricing in my new catalog I see the 490 is up to 1325 and the 495x is down to 1995. I have managed to convince myself that it would be silly not to spend the extra money and just get the 495x but I am pretty sure I might be biased. What do you guys think?

[Erik Loza]

Keith, you bring up a couple of really good points. No opinion on the jointers(?) in question but here are three observations that have always proven true in my ten years of selling machinery:

1.) Assuming you truly need said piece of equipment, "waiting to find that great deal" on a piece of used machinery never benefits you. Reason being that this logic assumes that you will do zero woodworking during the time it takes you to find what you need. Or to put it another way, it assumes that your time is worth nothing. Because people sometimes focus on the cash they "think" they will save when (and even, if?) they even find their magical deal, rather than focusing on the value of the work they could be accomplishing in the meantime. I think your decision to just bite the bullet and do it is the right one.

2.) Buy as much machine as you can afford, and sometimes a bit more. I have never had a customer, for example, bitch about having "too much" bandsaw or "too wide" a planer. On the other had, there are lots of folks in the "if I could do it over again" camp. Yes, the price tag is higher now but will you honestly miss that $600 in a year? Again, remember the value of your time.

Just my 2-cents and best of luck with your decision.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[glenn bradley]

Just to help mess you up. I have DRO's on several machines but, would find one on the jointer to be effectively useless based on what the machine is used for. The G0490X would save you almost $1000 over the G0495X, has longer infeed table and only 7 5/8" shorter overall table length. The G0495X does have some other cool features but, I don't know that I would spend $1000 for them. Then again, people spend $1000 for paint :D . . . sorry, I couldn't resist that one. Seriously though, if you have been wooing a used G0490 for a couple of years the G0495X is quite a jump. For me the used G0490 would immediately require a spiral head and the usual 'upgrades' that are now standard on that family of machines (serpentine belt, enclosed dust chute, etc.) so the "savings get eaten up pretty quickly. You are surely more familiar with the G0495X than I am since you have been shopping it. When I am picking a new machine I get pretty familiar with the shortlist I am considering as well so don't let me talk you out of the G0495X. I am just wondering what the $1000 buys . . . food for thought.

[Bill Space]

Have you not considered the G4090X with the spiral cutter head? I have this jointer and am pretty happy I bought it.

Today the G4090X price is $1,250 plus $150 shipping.

The G4095x just did not seem to fit my budget for what extra it offered. Almost $1,000 more and the same cutting width...does have a bit longer table length...but not all that much...

Bill

Edit: looks line Glenn types faster than I do! But also looks like he and I are on the same page! :)

[keith micinski]

Sorry I typed a wrong thing. I am looking at a 490x so the cost difference is really only 650. I agree about the digital read out on the jointer being useless because i am trying to flatten boards and don't care how much I am taking off. The biggest thing I like about it is the adjustment wheels up front I like that its quite a bit heavier and I also like the fact that even though the infeed is a few inches shorter over all it has longer tables. I think that rack and pinion fence might be pretty nice to.

[Mikail Khan]

In my opinion the spiral cutter head is well worth the extra $650. Less noise, no blade changes.

MK

[keith micinski]

We'll the 490x comes with the spiral cutter head for 650 less.

[John A langley]

Keith take a look at the 656x it took me about a month to decide on which jointer I want I bounced back-and-forth between the two that you're looking up and ended up with the 650 6X very happy with it

[Steve Milito]

I have finally decided to pull the pin on a new one and when I look at the pricing in my new catalog I see the 490 is up to 1325 and the 495x is down to 1995. I have managed to convince myself that it would be silly not to spend the extra money and just get the 495x but I am pretty sure I might be biased. What do you guys think?

I'd look into the 12" G0609 if you are willing to spend $2K on a jointer. I'd rather have a 12 inch jointer with standard knives rather than an 8 inch jointer with all the bells because the majority of my projects aren't made with highly figured wood and the jointer is the most "set it up and leave it alone" tool in the shop.

[glenn bradley]

In my opinion the spiral cutter head is well worth the extra $650. Less noise, no blade changes.

MK

Not to mention the cost savings over time as presented by Fine Woodworking and others. My G0490X has paid the difference in price already based on my sharpening and replacement history with a knifed machine; everything from here on is gravy.


Edit: looks line Glenn types faster than I do! But also looks like he and I are on the same page! :)

Indeed we are. I don't know about you but, the long parallelogram beds, 3HP, tall fence and spiral head were all at the top of my "must haves" list.

[keith micinski]

I'd look into the 12" G0609 if you are willing to spend $2K on a jointer. I'd rather have a 12 inch jointer with standard knives rather than an 8 inch jointer with all the bells because the majority of my projects aren't made with highly figured wood and the jointer is the most "set it up and leave it alone" tool in the shop.

I'm different, a lot of the wood I work in is figured and more importantly most of the wood I get from the sawmill is around 8 inches so the extra capacity of the 12 wouldn't help either. The spiral head and not having to mess with knive changes and alignment is a big plus for me also. Another key feature for me has to be parallelogram beds. I plan on owning this for the rest of my life I want to be able to keep it adjusted perfectly forever and not have to worry about worn or sloppy dovetail ways that can't really be adjusted.

[Steve Milito]

I'm different, a lot of the wood I work in is figured and more importantly most of the wood I get from the sawmill is around 8 inches so the extra capacity of the 12 wouldn't help either. The spiral head and not having to mess with knive changes and alignment is a big plus for me also. Another key feature for me has to be parallelogram beds. I plan on owning this for the rest of my life I want to be able to keep it adjusted perfectly forever and not have to worry about worn or sloppy dovetail ways that can't really be adjusted.

The G0609 has parallelogram beds.
I routinely find 12" Oak, Cherry, and Maple in my area; so the extra 4" is indeed handy to me; but I understand priorities change dependent on lumber availability and desired projects.
One of these days I'll probably upgrade the cutter to a spiral.

[keith micinski]

After having the spiral head in my grizzly planer I don't see any way I can give up and go back to straight knives for my jointer. So that will have to be my deciding factor no matter what I decide.