My experience with a new g0858, so far

[Jason Evans]

So I just bought a g0858, jointer. I went with this one over the g0490x for a few reasons. The 858 is a helical head vs spiral for the 490x, I've read the fence doesn't stay square when moving it on the 490x, but have read that the 858 stays square when moved. This was one of my reasons of upgrading from my older jointer, I had to adjust every time. I guess I'll find out over time if it stays square. Also the 858 is made in Taiwan in an iso9001 factory, so I was guessing this might be better than Chinese made. But to be fair to China, I've got lots of Chinese made things that are excellent, including the computer I'm typing on. Anyway, another thing that tipped the scales to the 858 was that it was available right now. That was a pretty big selling point.

Grizzly said I couldn't get it shipped to my house because it is too big for lift gate service, by a couple inches, although it will fit on a lift gate. So my plan was to get it shipped to a business nearby, owned by someone I know, that has a loading dock. Then I would get a wrecker truck to move it or rent a truck with a lift gate. T force freight was super nice and mentioned a courier that would take it from the terminal to my house for $58, Sweet!

So It's here now. I've uncrated it. The crate had a couple pretty big dents in it, and the outer two pallet feet were bent over, I was worried, noted it on the ticket and took pictures, but when I opened the crate, everything looked good, damage wise. Well, except a dent on the top corner of the stand, but the dent wasn't near damage on the crate, so I think it happened at the factory. I'd like it to be perfect, but whatever, nothing ever is.

It was not set up out of the box. The tables are not coplanar, by quite a bit, and the outfeed table is not parallel with the cutter head by .007". I've checked the tables and there is about a .009" dip in the infeed table and about .007" for the outfeed. I checked my first steel straight edge against a very expensive surface plate and I couldn't get the thinnest feeler gauge I had on me, .0015" under it, so it's pretty straight. I also bought another one, a kinex 39" steel one off amazon, and it is pretty dang straight too. Very nice for the price, but that's a whole other topic.

Also the paint is chipping off a bit on the back of the outfeed table, but only a bit, doesn't really bother me, I can just touch it up, or put some wax on it.

The motor runs nice and quiet and smooth. I did a test cut even though it's not aligned, just because, and it really cuts nice. Not as pretty a surface as straight blades, but very nice.

I called grizzly just a bit ago to ask about what the specs were on the tables for flatness. The guy said it's usually about .002" per foot, but he said he had to double check that to make sure it hadn't changed and he wasn't telling me wrong. When I told him about what I had measured, he took my number and said he'd have to do some more research and call me back. He said it might be tomorrow. So I'll see what they say.

.009" sounds like a pretty big dip for a jointer table, what do you guys think? With the straight edges on there it is a pretty big gap visually.

Anyway, Thanks everyone

[Charles Coolidge]

Trying to dial in the tables coplanar and adjust parallel to the cutter head with those dips will be difficult unless you have a straight edge long enough to span the entire table length. Faced with a similar situation I found myself wondering if the tables need to be adjusted to the cutter head or the cutter head shimmed.

[Jason Evans]

Thanks Charles. I was hoping you’d chime in since you have the same jointer. How flat are your tables? And just because we were talking about it before, mine was made in October of 2021.

I bought a 50” aluminum Fulton straight edge from peachtree woodworking on Amazon. I haven’t thoroughly inspected it yet. I know it’s not the same length as the tables but 72” straight edges are pretty pricey and the even that isn’t long enough.

Another thing about this jointer is the rabbeting extension is parallel with the infeed table. Should be an easy fix I guess. I am a bit disappointed with the flaws though. Doesn’t really seem like what I imagine iso9001 quality to be.

[Darrell Bade]

ISO9001 is a big misnomer and a joke in my opinion. I have worked at several manufacturers that were certified and worked through the certification process at 2. The certification says that you have all these procedures in place and you follow them. It does not say the procedures are good and you make a good product, just that you have your process defined and you follow it. Enough of that rant.

Can't help you on your dip problem, never put a straight edge on mine and looked for dips so I don't know what is bad or good. Good luck with it.

[Richard Coers]

It is nice to name the machine along with the model number. Of course I figured it out a couple sentences in.

[Myles Moran]

I have a g0656 that i measured flat within .005, and most of that dip is concentrated in one area. (Back half of the outfield). That said I've never had a single issue related to that level of flatness, only with my technique or not being patient enough with acclimating stock. Since it's a parallelogram, you should be able to tweak it a little closer to 0. That said, anything under .010 is good to me.

[Jason Evans]

It is nice to name the machine along with the model number. Of course I figured it out a couple sentences in.

Doesn’t everyone know the g0858?! Just kidding, just added the word jointer. Thanks for the heads up.

[Jason Evans]

I have a g0656 that i measured flat within .005, and most of that dip is concentrated in one area. (Back half of the outfield). That said I've never had a single issue related to that level of flatness, only with my technique or not being patient enough with acclimating stock. Since it's a parallelogram, you should be able to tweak it a little closer to 0. That said, anything under .010 is good to me.

Thanks for your feedback. The dip, right in the middle of the infeed table is actually .011 or .012 along the far edge now that I’ve remeasured. I think I’m going to get it all tuned, as best as I can anyway, and see if I get straight boards before making a big deal about it with grizzly.

[Kevin Jenness]

You will be well served by getting or making a straightedge as long as the entire jointer. You can make one of wood good enough for the purpose. To be sure of its accuracy you will need 3 to check against one another. In my shop I would use the sliding table saw, but you can get close with a table saw and finish up with a long hand plane.

I suspect you will have problems getting the jointer to work properly if the outfeed table is that concave, but you won't know until the tables are adjusted parallel. First get the outfeed parallel with the cutterhead, then line up the infeed. Good luck.

[Charles Coolidge]

ISO9001 is a big misnomer and a joke in my opinion.

It was clear the factory made no real attempt to adjust my jointer and other parts were just slapped on. I fired off an email to Grizzly questioning their QC and manhood.

[Charles Coolidge]

Thanks Charles. I was hoping you’d chime in since you have the same jointer. How flat are your tables? And just because we were talking about it before, mine was made in October of 2021.

I bought a 50” aluminum Fulton straight edge from peachtree woodworking on Amazon. I haven’t thoroughly inspected it yet. I know it’s not the same length as the tables but 72” straight edges are pretty pricey and the even that isn’t long enough.

Another thing about this jointer is the rabbeting extension is parallel with the infeed table. Should be an easy fix I guess. I am a bit disappointed with the flaws though. Doesn’t really seem like what I imagine iso9001 quality to be.

The infeed table was quite flat, I found one area that was dipped .0015 to .002. I was very happy with that. The outfeed table had a long dip though the full width of the table about .005 deep. Using my Starrett 48 inch straight edge, I could get the last 3 inches of the outfeed table, the first about 7 inches of the outfeed table and the infeed table flat with each other, leaving the long dip in-between on the outfeed.

Mine was manufactured in the same month and year. My rabbeting extension was ramped up like a ski jump (eye roll).

After I got the tables coplanar I checked the cutter head, it was .0025 high at the rear. THAT'S when I should have stopped and shimmed the cutter head instead of trying to adjust the tables. HOURS later I finally got the tables back to coplanar and back to the cutter head being .0025 high at the rear. That got hairy, I would not attempt that again without a pair of precision straight edges.

[Jason Evans]

ISO9001 is a big misnomer and a joke in my opinion. I have worked at several manufacturers that were certified and worked through the certification process at 2. The certification says that you have all these procedures in place and you follow them. It does not say the procedures are good and you make a good product, just that you have your process defined and you follow it. Enough of that rant.

Can't help you on your dip problem, never put a straight edge on mine and looked for dips so I don't know what is bad or good. Good luck with it.

Guess I was fooled.

[Jason Evans]

You will be well served by getting or making a straightedge as long as the entire jointer. You can make one of wood good enough for the purpose. To be sure of its accuracy you will need 3 to check against one another. In my shop I would use the sliding table saw, but you can get close with a table saw and finish up with a long hand plane.

I suspect you will have problems getting the jointer to work properly if the outfeed table is that concave, but you won't know until the tables are adjusted parallel. First get the outfeed parallel with the cutterhead, then line up the infeed. Good luck.

I may be able to get a piece of wood straight enough with my older jointer and table saw. I'm not all that good with hand planes. I bought a couple of them quite a while ago, used ones, and it was kind of a frustrating experience. Just sharpening the blades took forever, and trying to make the soles flat took forever too, they were pretty out of flat, which I guess is why they were for sale. I hope to give it another swing at some point, but so time consuming.

It seems with woodworking sometimes there is no end to the expensive things you have to buy, like a $700 Starrett straight edge or 3, right after you bought an all in total $3000 jointer. I will try with the few straight edges I have on hand, two steel ones, a 37", a 39" and an aluminum 50". The aluminum one seems a tiny bit off, like .001" or .002" over the length, but it's hard to tell since it's longer than the steel ones. The steel ones seem really good. I can't get a .001" feeler gauge in between them, but I do see a bit of light with a flashlight behind them.

[Jason Evans]

The infeed table was quite flat, I found one area that was dipped .0015 to .002. I was very happy with that. The outfeed table had a long dip though the full width of the table about .005 deep. Using my Starrett 48 inch straight edge, I could get the last 3 inches of the outfeed table, the first about 7 inches of the outfeed table and the infeed table flat with each other, leaving the long dip in-between on the outfeed.

Mine was manufactured in the same month and year. My rabbeting extension was ramped up like a ski jump (eye roll).

After I got the tables coplanar I checked the cutter head, it was .0025 high at the rear. THAT'S when I should have stopped and shimmed the cutter head instead of trying to adjust the tables. HOURS later I finally got the tables back to coplanar and back to the cutter head being .0025 high at the rear. That got hairy, I would not attempt that again without a pair of precision straight edges.

You got lucky with that flatness. I remember you saying you couldn't get your out feed table high enough to be on level with your cutter. After trying more you couldn't get your outfeed table at the same height and parallel with the cutter?

Adjusting tools for hours can be some of the most frustrating times in the world. Especially after paying a lot of money for a new tool. I just want to make a piece of wood straight, but that involves fiddling with wrenches and straight edges forever. I feel like I've been messing with jointer for weeks now. Getting my old one good to go took FOREVER, and now I'm messing around with the new one.

[Kevin Jenness]

It seems with woodworking sometimes there is no end to the expensive things you have to buy, like a $700 Starrett straight edge or 3,

My point is you don't "have to" buy anything, you can probably make an effective straightedge with relatively simple tools at hand. Lacking a jointer plane you could use a coarse flat sanding block. The key is to have three pieces to check against one another, A to B, B to C, then A to C. If they all match, they are straight. If you are near a shop with a decent sliding table saw they could straightline a piece of wood or sheet stock in a couple of minutes.

You can check your metal straightedge by laying it on a flat sheet, marking a knife line along one edge at the middle and ends, then flipping it over and comparing the same edge to the knife marks. Any deviation is double the variation from straight.

[Jason Evans]

Now that you mention it Kevin. I do know someone with a sliding saw. Thanks.

[Charles Coolidge]

You got lucky with that flatness. I remember you saying you couldn't get your out feed table high enough to be on level with your cutter. After trying more you couldn't get your outfeed table at the same height and parallel with the cutter?

Adjusting tools for hours can be some of the most frustrating times in the world. Especially after paying a lot of money for a new tool. I just want to make a piece of wood straight, but that involves fiddling with wrenches and straight edges forever. I feel like I've been messing with jointer for weeks now. Getting my old one good to go took FOREVER, and now I'm messing around with the new one.

Yeah the stop bolts were also not adjusted correctly. Reaching under/in to get at those was a real treat. Later after I removed all the sheet metal and fence that was much easier. Speaking of which, put $5 in the cuss jar before you try to remove those plastic buttons covering the sheet metal screws. lmao! Yeah no kidding, Grizzly how much more $$$ for the thing to arrive setup correctly and ready to use??

Now that said Jason, I AVOIDED even buying a jointer as long as I could, trying various youtube alternatives BECAUSE they are a giant pain. I have setup god knows how many machines wood and metal working with high end tools and an unlimited budget but jointers are my kryptonite. A show of hands people, who's a member of the jointer haters club?? (Charles raises hand)

(lightbulb) a cheap alternative long straight edge, that melamine covered shelving on edge? Might be good enough. I bought some when I was still trying to avoid buying a jointer.

[Jason Evans]

Yeah. Those little caps over the screws for the metal guards are really awful. It’s like they’re designed to cut under your fingernails. I had to use a razor blade to start to pry then used a screwdriver, just about broke them. I can’t believe this was the final design solution. There has to be a better solution. I’ll probably find some little rubber plugs or something if it’s something I have to access a lot.

My first jointer wasn’t so bad. It made straight wood for a long time until I moved. Then it was really difficult to realign. Dovetail jointers are no fun

[Thomas Pender]

I had a a somewhat similar experience with Jason and my Grizzly 0858. However, they had no problem delivering it on a lift gate outside my driveway and wheeling it into my lower level shop with its garage doors. I did tip the driver.

I know the table is not flat or that co-planer and that it has other hiccups and that setting it not to snipe is a bear. Plus, the fence knob would not push it more than 3.5” across the table. So I worked with Grizzly on the fence knob issue and they replaced the fence carriage (a big heavy part as you can see in the manual) and now that part of it works. The helical head is wonderful IMHO - when I am flattening large wide boards I get a real workout because of the constant contact with the wood. (Keep in mind I use a lot of white oak.). Dust collection is ok - wish they used a 5” hole - would work better with my Oneida Dust Gorilla System. It shares a 5” line with my Sawstop (different 4” hoses from a wye joint) and I usually close the jointer blast gate when I use the Sawstop.

Paint job was not perfect - some nicks here and there. Plus, as I have said before, I believe my Sawstop consistently cuts flatter glue lines for edge gluing than I can sometimes get out of this thing and I have been using jointers for a long time.

Weirdest thing is that the Grizzly emblem was put on upside down and I have left it that way. Kind of like a confession of irony.

Now, would I buy it again? Tough call. Some things about it are wonderful, but to say it was even close to being ready to use from the factory would not be true. But, I was kind of happy with Grizzly’s customer service or at least not unhappy. Now if I understood better how to adjust it that would be good, but C’est la vie.

[Jason Evans]

Thomas: That's pretty funny that your emblem was put on upside down. Maybe it'll make your machine a collectors item some day, like the upside down plane stamp. Maybe some guy at the factory was about to quit that day and was laughing on his way out. It's a shame to hear that you still have to use your sawstop for edge glue lines. That is what I'm trying to avoid. I want to walk up to my jointer and have it put a straight edge on boards, not kind of straight, but straight.

Grizzly called me back today. The guy was super nice and funny too. Anyway, he said the official specs for these tables is .002" per foot or .006" across the whole table and that would put my tables out of spec. He said they could either send me new tables or a WHOLE NEW MACHINE. I couldn't believe he said that. This is great customer service in my opinion. Although a new machine is tempting, it could have other issues to deal with. Also, getting it to my house was kind of complicated coordinating with Tforce trucking and the courier, tipping the driver and the other guy with him. So I opted to install the new tables myself.

I asked if I could get a small discount back for having to remove the tables and install the new ones, and he said, yeah probably, how much do you want? I was like uhh, well how much will you guys give me. He was firm with me picking the number, but said I could get back to him. He also said if they rejected my number I could still choose to get a new machine.

So, how much should I ask for? Has this happened to anyone?