Another jointer question!

[Matt King]

Well, I certainly appreciate all of the input that I received in the "which one first" thread that I posted several days ago. The upshot of it is this - my Dewalt 735 should be here tomorrow (just a pre-gloat, mind you - I understand that gloats don't count without pics!;) ) and I'm going to purchase a jointer this weekend.

Now, to my question (yes, it *might* could be labeled a 're-hash'!:rolleyes: )....

Ridgid - 399 + tax... has lifetime warranty, but is an 'open stand'...
Craftsman 'pro' - 380 + tax... closed stand, slightly cheaper...
Grizzly 1182HW - 408 w/shipping... closed stand, good reviews (I think!)
Others that I may have left out of this list...

Now - y'all make my decision for me, please!!! :D :D

Seriously, I'm leaning towards the Ridgid. Certainly the 'instant gratification' of picking it up and taking it home plays into it, but it really seems like a good machine.

I'd love to hear the opinions here, before I actually pull the trigger. I'm just wondering how many folks will encourage me to roll my pennies and save for the G1018 at 673 shipped.... ~whistling nonchalantly~:)

Thanks again, y'all. This is a great place with many great people!

Take care,

Matt

[thomas prevost]

Matt, If you are considering $673 What about the new Griz 8"X 75 at $703 to your door? I just received mine and it is one heck of a machine for the buck. If you follw any of the threads, an 8" is the place to be.

[Matt King]

Well, I'm not exactly considering spending the $673... SWMBO would have problems there, and we all know what happens when SWMBO ain't happy!:eek:

I better stick with the 6 inch jointer for now, for space considerations as well. Once I have a real shop, then I'll have room for a larger jointer, hopefully a 12 incher!

Thanks again,

Matt

[JayStPeter]

I usually say go for the cheapest when it comes to jointers. But, with that list all coming in within small $, go for the one you like best. They're all basically the same. The Ridgid has the best warranty and easy return if you're dissatisfied (if that makes your instant gratification seem even better ;) ).

The Yorkcraft at Wilkemachinery.com has a built in mobile base @ $339 + shipping. Depending on where you live, shipping might take that one out of range (don't use Grizzly shipping numbers as a guide, they are usually much lower than anyone else).

Jay

[frank shic]

matt, i've had the ridgid for the last six months - works great! just keep in mind that you have to move the blade guard slightly out of the way when you're cutting stock under 3/4" and make sure that you've got a dust collector hooked up to the exhaust port if you're doing a lot of face jointing. you may also want to consider building a wooden push stick with a foot at the end to assist you when face jointing or using a tile grout float.

good luck!

[Mike Cutler]

Matt. The Rigid has been getting favorable press both here and on other forums. It's also hard to dismiss the very liberal return policy that the big box stores have. It's almost a no fault warranty in itself.
It should do what you need it to do, although I'm a member of the "Bigger is Better" camp.
One misnomer in your post though. The physical size of the jointer is only a consideration when you are not using it. To joint an 8' board you need 17' of space. It doesn't matter if there is a 6" or a 16" jointer underneath the material. Just some food for thought.
Good luck and have fun.