Looking for a jointer.

[Jacob Lundmark]

Hello everyone,

I am in the market for a jointer. I am just beginning in my woodworking journey and I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the following.

1. I am leaning 6" for both space and cost. I will be building furniture from entertainment centers to dressers and also dabble in some cabinetry. Will 6" be sufficient?

2. I am leaning used on craigslits. There are a few Jet and one Steel City that have peaked my interest. Any thoughts/opinions on these?
-$600 http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ram/tls/5620686737.html
-$500 http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/tls/5645778793.html
-Search http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/search/sss?sort=date&query=jointer if you see anything else.
3. Is there another jointer that would produce more bang for my buck?

Thank you so much for any input.
-Jacob

[Nick Nelson]

I would really look for an 8". Grizzly has them new priced well, but if you look long and hard you can find a older delta or powermatic near your price range.

[David Kumm]

I'd look at the longest bed I could fit in and buy an 8" if possible. For used, seeing them in person and bringing a quality 6' level and feeler gauges will tell you how flat the tables are. That is huge in the jointer game. Wedgebed jointers can be a pain if the tables droop. Parallelogram like the Delta DJ 20 or DJ 15 are pretty decent used jointers as are the green are even yellow Powermatics from the 1970s to early 2000s. Powermatic used very good meehanite cast iron when they made machine here in the US so don't be afraid of age. Dave

[Dan Friedrichs]

Um, there are 2 Northfield 12" jointers on your craigslist. Problem solved? :)

I think you will OFTEN want for those extra 2". If you just look at the distribution of widths of boards that you buy, I think you'll find that at least 50% are between 6" and 8" wide. Few boards are sold narrower than 6", and not too many are wider than 8". It's such a waste of time (and material) to rip wide boards down just to joint them. You really want 8".

I know these are a little pricier, but they are WELL worth the additional costs and will hold their value better, as well:

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/tls/5604646831.html
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/tls/5604794386.html

Or new:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-x-72-Jointer-with-Mobile-Base/G0656W

[John Sanford]

Another recommendation that you hold out for an 8" jointer. Of the two linked by Dan, I'd probably go for the Delta. If space restrictions flat out prevent you from getting an 8" jointer, then know that you CAN get a 6", and face anything you have to work over 6" using handplanes. Remember, you won't be thicknessing them, just face jointing them.

[John Schweikert]

Jacob, if you can get the Jet for less than $500 I think that is reasonable. I have the Jet long bed 6" and added a Byrd head to it. The beds may require just little bit of shimming to nail it for coplanar but they are good jointers. I am completely happy with mine. The moment you move to an 8" jointer, you'll have to have 220v, the machines weigh considerably more, cost more, and may not show up used anywhere as often.

[glenn bradley]

Answers will vary with experience and use case. I found 6" too narrow 90% of the time. I find 8" wide enough 90% of the time. If you are really space crunched, make a planer sled (assuming a decent planer) and skip the jointer for awhile. I did this for 18 months and was OK. don't get me wrong, I was very glad to get a dedicated 8" jointer but, i survived.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Be patient and quick - a 8" jointer will come for not much more than the 6" you're looking at.

This is likely true. I've bought two 8" jointers (a DJ-20 and a Grizzly) for <$500/ea on craigslist. Keep your eyes open...

[Peter Kelly]

Um, there are 2 Northfield 12" jointers on your craigslist. Problem solved? :)You'd have to be insane to pass on either of them. That 12HD for $4,500 is a peach.

[John TenEyck]

If you are really cramped for space look for an Inca J/P. It's a 10-1/4" jointer and planer. You will thank me a thousand times over you didn't settle for a 6" jointer. I seriously don't know how anyone who wants to use solid wood construction can get by with one. Even 8" is too narrow in my opinion, but a lot of small cabinet shops seem to get by with an 8" jointer and 15" planer. Anyway, a used Inca can be had for $400 - $900 depending upon condition. I had one for 25+ years and made a LOT of furniture and cabinets with it, including many large ones. I finally upgraded to a 14" MiniMax J/P - and would have gotten a 16" if I could have found one for a good price.

If you can't find an Inca, get an 8" jointer. If you buy a 6" you'll soon be looking for an 8" - or larger.

John

[Jacob Lundmark]

One thing to note. I do NOT have 220V in the garage at the moment. Is this a must for a 8"?

[Dan Friedrichs]

One thing to note. I do NOT have 220V in the garage at the moment. Is this a must for a 8"?

It may be possible to get it to run on 120V, although it might require a 30A circuit (which you likely don't have, either). Give some thought to adding a few 240V circuits. People tend to be afraid of them, but other than a different width of breaker and a different receptacle, it's no different than adding a 120V circuit (so if you think you're handy enough to do that, don't get scared away from installing a 240V circuit)

[John TenEyck]

You can run an Inca on 110V or 220V, at least that's the way the separate Baldor 1.5 HP motor on mine was. Not sure on the later models with a direct drive motor. If you can't find an Inca look at a 12" J/P. Larger, but still smaller than a separate jointer and planer. Those likely have 220 V, only, motors.

John

[Matt Day]

One thing to note. I do NOT have 220V in the garage at the moment. Is this a must for a 8"?

When I rented for a year I made a 220V extension cord (Romex, yes, technically illegal) that I could plug into the dryer outlet for my 220V tools. If yours is close by, that may be a temporary work around. Running a 220V line would be recommended of course, which is basically the same as running a 110V line.

[ed vitanovec]

Go as big as you can afford in both size and cost, consider 8" if you think your woodworking interest will grow. Rikon has a small 10" Jointer/Planer combo machine as does Grizzly Tools.

[Curt Harms]

Combo machines are great for space saving and for jointer width. My Jet combo gets me a 12" jointer & 12" belt driven planer in a space 2' X 5'. The entry price may be a bit steep for Jacob though and 240 volts are required in most cases. Jointer width beyond 6" is for face jointing. There are ways to face joint stock wider than 6" on a 6" jointer but doing so frequently is gonna get tiresome. Doing so once in a great while because you mostly use sheet goods might be worth the $ savings.

[James Gunning]

The only tool purchase I have regretted is buying a 6" jointer vs. an 8". I have a Powermatic 6" with the extended tables, it's a superb jointer and works well, but I really wish I had bought the 8" model. If I was buying now, I would buy a combination machine with a 12" jointer and planer.

[Jacob Lundmark]

Thank you for all the feed back. I discussed with my wife last night and we are in agreement to save up for an 8". I will watch craigslist with the Grizzly as a fall back. I already have a planer.

In the mean time how would you joint a board? Hand plane? or a jig for the table saw?

Thank you!

[Dan Friedrichs]

If you're just jointing the edge of a board to get it straight, you could do that with a hand plane, a table saw, or a router table.

If you're flattening the (wide) face of a board before running it through your planer, you could use a hand plane or a sled for your planer.

I'm a big fan of power tools, but even a cheap hand plane can do a very good job, even without much effort or experience. If I had to give up one power tool in my shop, I'd probably volunteer to give up my jointer - I could hand plane stock to "close enough", then run it through the planer to clean it up.

[Jacob Lundmark]

What do you think of a jig like this?
http://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/article/flatten-boards-without-a-jointer.aspx

[Prashun Patel]

I worked fine with a 6" jointer for several years. People make a big deal about having an 8" one, but I found that I am rarely working with solid stock greater than 6" that required face jointing. The only time I am using wider stock is when I'm making table tops. For that it is not crtitical that the face be jointed; I often just plane each side and true it up after gluing. Now, YOUR mileage may vary on that, if you are making a lot of blanket chests with wide boards that require the boards to be true flat for joinery purposes.

My point is, you are wise to wait. You can edge joint with a router or tablesaw jig. For many projects you can face joint with your planer and a planer sled that prevents the piece from flexing while going through. You can build a plunge router jig and sled to do the same thing.

It's good to work a while with the tools you have to determine what you like to make before you commit to certain tools.

You may also look into jointer/planer combination machines. If you can get used to the minor inconvenience of switch over (meaning get one that makes this as painless as possible) then you can save a lot of space. Further, by upgrading to a superior cutter head, you can get twice the benefit for the price of one. For hobbyists, the decreased longevity of the blades because of dual purpose isn't as much an issue as it is for pros.

[David Winer]

"I do NOT have 220V in the garage at the moment. Is this a must for a 8"?"
________________________________________

I have 220 volt machines but my 8" Powermatic jointer is not one of them. Never had a power problem. I normally take light cuts which may be a factor.

When new to woodworking, I faced the same choice of 6" or 8" and asked a professional furniture maker about the issue. Answer: Definitely get the 8".

[Chip Clark]

Everyone I have asked who owns a 6" jointer said they wished they saved a bit more and bought an 8".

[glenn bradley]

Everyone I have asked who owns a 6" jointer said they wished they saved a bit more and bought an 8".

Boy we love to talk about jointers, don't we? I'll just add that I belonged to SMC and was told by everyone NOT to settle for a 6" based on the fact that I was making tables, dressers, hutches and so forth. But nooooooo . . . I was smarter than that . . . I could make it work . . . I sold my 6" jointer about a month after I got it, at a loss, built a planer sled and saved my pennies. I still smile every time I turn my 8" jointer on ;-)

[Richard Young]

I have a 1.5 hp Baldor in my 8" Bridgewood and it runs great on 120v, never had a problem with it.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Boy we love to talk about jointers, don't we? I'll just add that I belonged to SMC and was told by everyone NOT to settle for a 6" based on the fact that I was making tables, dressers, hutches and so forth. But nooooooo . . . I was smarter than that . . . I could make it work . . . I sold my 6" jointer about a month after I got it, at a loss, built a planer sled and saved my pennies. I still smile every time I turn my 8" jointer on ;-)

Glenn,

You are the only person ever to do that!:confused::eek::rolleyes::D

[Martin Wasner]

You'd have to be insane to pass on either of them. That 12HD for $4,500 is a peach.


It's been on there for a while. He had it listed for $5500 at first. My lust has been a bit overwhelming on that. I have a Powergrizzlymatic 54A that would go whipping down the road if I had the free cash available to pick up that Northfield.

[John TenEyck]

What do you think of a jig like this?
http://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/article/flatten-boards-without-a-jointer.aspx


Yeah, that will work and many folks like them. IMO, they are just too slow to fool with, and they get huge if you need to flatten long stock. Where do you store the thing? And then you are still faced with how to joint the edges straight.

Can you live w/o a jointer? Sure. You can live w/o any power tools. But woodworking for me is a lot more enjoyable because of the ones I have. The jointer and planer take the what is for me drudgery out of stock prep, and give me four square lumber quickly and reliably.

John

[Robert Engel]

The 8's have it.

240V is no big deal - at least, not a deal breaker that would prevent purchasing the machine.

If you don't have enough slots in your panel, use a couple split breakers and this will open up 2 slots.

It shouldn't be more than a couple hundred dollar job by an electrician. You're gonna need it anyway for that 3HP cabinet saw you know you want :)

[Mike Schuch]

All of those jointers should be really nice starter jointers. They all seem on the pricey too... but it has been a while since I have done any jointer shopping.

I spent 25 years with my $149 Horbor Freight 6" jointer and it did every thing I needed it to do... quite well too. I now have my fathers 8" jointer and love it. I find the extra length of the table on the 8" jointer MUCH more useful than the extra width. I have appreciated the extra 2" width a couple times but not that often.

[Randall J Cox]

I used a 6" Craftsman (used) for 20 years before I upgraded to an 8" Powermatic. Wish I had done it much sooner! Randy

[Rich Riddle]

I progressed from a 4" Craftsman to a 6" Delta, to a 8" Jet, and then just jumped up to the 14" because purchasing a jointer too small was costing me money every time the shop needed an upgrade. It's far cheaper to buy the size you really need in the future; trust me on that.