What 8" jointer would you get and why?

[Alden Peterson]

I think I'm finally going to pull the trigger on an 8" jointer. I don't have one right now and I'm tired of having to planer sled/table saw sled for jointing and not getting perfect cuts on those anyways.

Prices are all over the place between brands. I'm wanting helical and probably parallelogram. Willing to buy new as well.

Any suggestions to look into?

[Thomas Wilson]

Powermatic would be my choice. I have the 6” and wish I had gotten the 8” parallelogram.

[Alden Peterson]

Something weird I noticed is there are no more 8" powermatic jointers listed on their website. I wonder if that's a temporary glitch?

[Aaron Inami]

Something weird I noticed is there are no more 8" powermatic jointers listed on their website. I wonder if that's a temporary glitch?


I also just noticed a severe lack of items on both Powermatic and Jet websites. On Jet, all the DC-650 and DC-1100 dust collectors are gone. On the Powermatic, only 3 dust collectors are shown (but there are 8 Powermatic dust collectors on the Woodcraft site).

I'm going to guess it's a data glitch in their system.

[Alden Peterson]

I also just noticed a severe lack of items on both Powermatic and Jet websites. On Jet, all the DC-650 and DC-1100 dust collectors are gone. On the Powermatic, only 3 dust collectors are shown (but there are 8 Powermatic dust collectors on the Woodcraft site).

I'm going to guess it's a data glitch in their system.

I've been tempted to get the PJ-882HH for a while. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and buy it on Amazon.

[Andrew Hughes]

There's a manufacturer offering woodworking machines called Iron wood.
I've seen a few in YouTube videos but not in person.
The head they offer looks to be a better choice if you must have carbide and self setting with forward rake.
Not sure if they offer a 8inch .
I do believe it's the parallel design.
Good luck

[Dave Sabo]

Have you considered one of Grizzly’s lines ?

How’s the used market in your area ? It’s not listed in your profile.

Laguna has a nice offering , though you have to deal with Laguna.

Have you considered a combo like a Hammer A3-31 ? More money but more/better machine that anything mentioned so far.

[Greg Parrish]

I started out with a 6” Powermatic with helix cutter. Nice machine but not wide enough and would sometimes move due to lack of weight. I sold it to upgrade.

next machine was a hammer 12” jointer planer with segmented cutter. This was a really great machine but honestly I got tired of converting back and forth between functions. I sold this a few years back with the rest of my shop.

today as I’ve inched back into woodworking I’ve had to keep everything mobile in my space. I also decided to limit costs where I could. I shopped Facebook marketplace and found a great condition jet 8” jointer for sale for a good price. So far I only had to add some plywood into the mobile base and a dust collection connection to the side. Otherwise for less than 1/2 new it was a good find I think.

Be sure to check your used market. I drove around 100 miles to get this one.

[glenn bradley]

Any of the 8" machines that are basically clones of the old Delta DJ-20 should be fine. Jointers are simple machines that just require that the design be well implemented (like drill presses). My Grizzly G0490X clone has served me well for over a decade without a hiccup. A heavier, fancier base is fine but does not effect the operation of the machine itself. Good luck on the quest and I will agree that although J/P combos (no matter how nice) are great space savers the short beds and changeover would wear on me unless I had to go that way to make things fit.

[Keith Outten]

I own a Grizzly 8" by 72" jointer that is over 20 years old that has served me well. I'm not sure if Grizzly still has a price point advantage, if so you would be wise to put a Grizzly jointer on your list of machines to evaluate.

[Jim Becker]

While I prefer a wider arrangement as comes with a J/P combo, I'll echo what Glenn just mentioned...pick something that's available as there really isn't anything innovative about most 8" jointers. Pre-owned is the most cost effective if you can find something. Otherwise, focus on actual availability and price rather than paint color and name. (unless you prefer a particular color, of course...I'm actually anal like that! LOL )

[Gary Petersen]

I bought an 8-inch Grizzly GO858 jointer in 2019 and have been very pleased with it. I like the long bed it has and have found its adjustments easy to make. I was concerned about the lever table adjustment being fine enough but it has worked very well for me. It cuts well and has been rock-solid reliable since I've had it. I've liked Grizzly's delivery service as well as the driver has helped me move the pallet into my shop both times (table saw and jointer) I've ordered from them.

Relatively recent woodworking magazine reviews of 8" jointers include Fine Woodworking in February 2019, WOOD Magazine in May 2016, and Woodworker's Journal in April 2015 if you've got access to back-issues.

I decided on Grizzly for reasons I don't remember (but may have included that I was happy with the table saw I had bought from them) and did a feature comparison between several models. I can't post pictures to this forum but can share it with you directly if you like. There is supposed to be a send email option but I'll be darned if I can find it. Email me if you can find it or post an email address and I'll send it to you.

[Warren Lake]

8" Poitras used, then buy another machine with the money saved

[Myles Moran]

I have the 8" grizzly dovetail. I didn't want to pay for the parallelogram, but did pay for the helical head. It was also in stock when I bought which was a big factor as well - I would've upgraded to parallelogram if that was in stock instead of the dovetail.

For me I set it and forget it. I don't remember the last time I messed with the setup of my jointer aside from confirming the fence is 90° before edge jointing. Results off it are as good as can be.

[John TenEyck]

I would get the one that's at least 12" wide. Seriously. I started with a 10" J/P and now have a 14" but still often wish for wider. Everything gets easier on a wider machine. Long beds are nice, but not nearly as important to me as width.

John

[Bill Dufour]

Used will be a lot less and available. A uhaul 5x9 trailer rents for $26 a day with tax and insurance. The 3x7 is a little cheaper and lower weight.
BilL D

[Greg Parrish]

I've been tempted to get the PJ-882HH for a while. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and buy it on Amazon.

Other places like Acme Tool have it for $300 less than Amazon with free shipping and show in stock. Just an FYI.

https://www.acmetools.com/8-in-parallelogram-jointer-helical-cutter-head-1610082/662755955839.html

[Phil Gaudio]

I'd go used with either a Delta or Powermatic made in the USA (Delta made in Brazil also OK).

[Ron Selzer]

I bought a Shop Fox in 2020 8" Jointer with Adjustable Beds and Helical Cutterhead at Grizzly.com (https://www.grizzly.com/products/shop-fox-8-jointer-with-adjustable-beds-and-helical-cutterhead/w1741h) from someone else on line, strictly lowest price. Happy with it, have not used it a lot yet, 100-150 bdft of lumber. Like the length of the tables, no longer need to use extension tables like I did with the 6" Jet I used for 30 yrs. Not crazy about the mobile base, gets the job done.
Have since bought a MinMax 12" combo machine with bad motor, found a motor, now need to find the time to change the motor out. When I was shopping, I found another 12" combo machine new, wife said buy it and lets get on to lunch, however the local place (Columbus, Ohio) selling it new would not give me a price, answer any questions about it and said they could not sell it to me at that time. Told me, I needed to come back during the week when another guy would be there to answer questions, take my order and give me a firm price. I did not go back as they were not interested in selling to me. Not a small store either. Woodworking tools and supplies only. Went to local WoodCraft store, after waiting over 10 minutes for someone to talk to me about an 8" Powermatic they had on display I walked out. One customer in the store when I walked in and 4 employees, 3 talking to each other and one waiting on the other customer. Another customer walked in and immediately one of the three walked over to help him, I still was ignored and walked out. Went home and bought the Shop Fox off of the internet based on lowest price.
Had hunted for over a year for a used 8" jointer before going ahead and buying a new one. Always sold when I saw it or overpriced.
Good luck
Ron

[Alden Peterson]

I bought a Shop Fox in 2020 8" Jointer with Adjustable Beds and Helical Cutterhead at Grizzly.com (https://www.grizzly.com/products/shop-fox-8-jointer-with-adjustable-beds-and-helical-cutterhead/w1741h) from someone else on line, strictly lowest price. Happy with it, have not used it a lot yet, 100-150 bdft of lumber. Like the length of the tables, no longer need to use extension tables like I did with the 6" Jet I used for 30 yrs. Not crazy about the mobile base, gets the job done.
Have since bought a MinMax 12" combo machine with bad motor, found a motor, now need to find the time to change the motor out. When I was shopping, I found another 12" combo machine new, wife said buy it and lets get on to lunch, however the local place (Columbus, Ohio) selling it new would not give me a price, answer any questions about it and said they could not sell it to me at that time. Told me, I needed to come back during the week when another guy would be there to answer questions, take my order and give me a firm price. I did not go back as they were not interested in selling to me. Not a small store either. Woodworking tools and supplies only. Went to local WoodCraft store, after waiting over 10 minutes for someone to talk to me about an 8" Powermatic they had on display I walked out. One customer in the store when I walked in and 4 employees, 3 talking to each other and one waiting on the other customer. Another customer walked in and immediately one of the three walked over to help him, I still was ignored and walked out. Went home and bought the Shop Fox off of the internet based on lowest price.
Had hunted for over a year for a used 8" jointer before going ahead and buying a new one. Always sold when I saw it or overpriced.
Good luck
Ron

yeah I've not had any luck finding a used one either -- either basically MSRP, junk, or non-existent.

[Paul Haus]

yeah I've not had any luck finding a used one either -- either basically MSRP, junk, or non-existent.
Put a WTB on some of the various forums, maybe on some of the other online places that have marketplaces on it. A jointer is one of the few tools that need little to no maintenance on them. Replace the bearings every 20 years and wax the beds every so often.
The big thing is being read to jump as soon as you see something, those that delay doesn't get. My 2 cents.

[Drew Bernat]

I have a 8” Laguna jointer and I’m really happy with it. The fence stays perpendicular and the beds are dead flat. That said, the helical model is now $3,200 … wow. Just wow.

[Alex Zeller]

Back when Covid hit I bought a used PJ882-HH with the mobile base for $2k used. It required me to go out of state to pick up. I felt like I was paying top dollar at the time but it was only a few years old and in great shape. Funny how the future has a way of changing our opinions on if a purchase is a good deal or not. Over all I'm very happy with it. But they are a basic machine. As long as the tables are flat and the fence stays put what else is there. I have yet to find the 2hp lacking. The longer tables (vs the 72" and 76" variations out there) are nice. I would have liked to get a 12" one because on occasion I do need wider but I can't say I've never found a way around it. I couldn't imaging going to a 6" jointer now.

[Alden Peterson]

I have a 8” Laguna jointer and I’m really happy with it. The fence stays perpendicular and the beds are dead flat. That said, the helical model is now $3,200 … wow. Just wow.

Prices on all jointers are kinda insane right now.

[Alden Peterson]

Yeah, that same PJ882-HH/mobile base new would be a lot more now....

[John Kananis]

G0858 here - Absolutely zero complaints. As others have said, joiners are simple machines. I just checked pricing though, Holy cow! You're looking at over 3k with shipping and tax...I think I paid about 1700 for mine.

[glenn bradley]

I feel sorry for folks trying to get into the craft or upgrading their shops right now. I have often seen the current asking price on products I have and am thankful that I bit the bullet and bought them when I did. Much of that was due to influence from forums like this where folks share their experiences and consequences. Thanks to all.

[Dave Sabo]

8" Poitras used, then buy another machine with the money saved

Might be a viable option if he lives in Canada, otherwise ....................................:(

and it ain't likely to have a spiral cutter either.

[Warren Lake]

thats odd as I buy machines from italy, Austria, US, England and others and im in canada.

Its the best bang for the buck but then im old school and made a living off high speed steel for over 40 years. Too bad so many skip the basics and will never know them and understand them, its just right to a BMW.

[Andrew Hughes]

I just realize something. The spiral inserts heads are the 21 century Ginzu knife of the 80s.
Instead of as seen on TV it’s i saw it on YouTube

[Phillip Mitchell]

I would buy a used 12” + jointer and go HSS or Tersa style if the machine already had it.

Have you ever used a jointer with a helical cutterhead? I don’t understand why you’d want or need this on a jointer as a milling machine. Planer, sure I can see the appeal. Often times the helical knives leave a slightly scalloped surface which seems like it would be terrible for edge jointing for edge glue ups and need an extra step to get rid of the scallops in prep for a tight glue joint.

I have a 12” Oliver with Tersa style indexed cutterhead and can go straight from the machine to edge glue ups with very very clean edges.

I used to own a nice 8” invicta DJ-20 and have also used a DJ-15 with Shelix for edge jointing and I’ll take the 12” + with straight knives everyday. I paid 1/3 to 1/2 the price for a new Powermatic 8” Helical machine for my used 12” with Tersa head about 4 years ago. Deals are out there on used machines; I see them frequently. You just have to know where to look, look everyday and be ready to pounce when the right machine/price/location pops up.

You don’t need a new jointer or a helical head, just a good one and long beds, mass and wider cutterhead is really what makes a difference on a jointer, IMO. That, and fence that holds 90*.

[Ronald Blue]

Your general area could be helpful. We might be able to steer you towards something that isn't listed etc. For example I found a 16" Grizzly when I searched.

[Jay Rasmussen]

Powermatic got my vote. My 6" is great.

[Ronald Blue]

I would buy a used 12” + jointer and go HSS or Tersa style if the machine already had it.

Have you ever used a jointer with a helical cutterhead? I don’t understand why you’d want or need this on a jointer as a milling machine. Planer, sure I can see the appeal. Often times the helical knives leave a slightly scalloped surface which seems like it would be terrible for edge jointing for edge glue ups and need an extra step to get rid of the scallops in prep for a tight glue joint.

I have a 12” Oliver with Tersa style indexed cutterhead and can go straight from the machine to edge glue ups with very very clean edges.

I used to own a nice 8” invicta DJ-20 and have also used a DJ-15 with Shelix for edge jointing and I’ll take the 12” + with straight knives everyday. I paid 1/3 to 1/2 the price for a new Powermatic 8” Helical machine for my used 12” with Tersa head about 4 years ago. Deals are out there on used machines; I see them frequently. You just have to know where to look, look everyday and be ready to pounce when the right machine/price/location pops up.

You don’t need a new jointer or a helical head, just a good one and long beds, mass and wider cutterhead is really what makes a difference on a jointer, IMO. That, and fence that holds 90*.

I upgraded my Jet jointer to a helical head and would NEVER go back to straight knives. Scallops? How fast do you have to feed to attain that result? I get excellent surface finish off the jointer. The noise reduction is worth it by itself. The feed resistance is much lower. In the unfortunate instance you miss a staple or something if it does damage an insert or two you can be up and going again in less than 5 minutes. Try that with blades. Figured wood with straight knives? Good luck.

I agree if he can locate used that is usually a better value. As others have said jointers aren't complex machines and not difficult to figure out if it's all it should be.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I drool over those who are able to find used tools that are in good shape and reasonably priced. I watched out local used tool market for about a year. The pictures showed power tools that had been abused and prices were often at new tool price. I quit looking.

I purchased a Grizzly G0490X and other than removing covers to check the tightness on the set screws in the pulleys shortly after buying it. It has performed flawlessly.

[Michael Schuch]

I inherited my fathers 8" Jet jointer that he paid $150 about 20 years ago. The fence would loosen up during use which is why it was so cheap. It took us about a day to go through it back then and fix the problem which ended up being some rough castings. After smoothing out the castings the fence has been fine ever sense.

Before inheriting my fathers Jet jointer I had a Harbor Freight 6" jointer that I purchased new about 30 years ago (back before they had local stores). It is one of the very few machines I have purchased new. That stupid jointer always got the job done and did a good job in the process which made paying to upgrade it very hard to justify. Both of these pieces of Chinese iron had flat planer tables and worked great with little attention.

My instinct would be to look at Grizzly jointers first and go from there. Are there any jointers NOT made in China any more... besides European machines?

[Phillip Mitchell]

I upgraded my Jet jointer to a helical head and would NEVER go back to straight knives. Scallops? How fast do you have to feed to attain that result? I get excellent surface finish off the jointer. The noise reduction is worth it by itself. The feed resistance is much lower. In the unfortunate instance you miss a staple or something if it does damage an insert or two you can be up and going again in less than 5 minutes. Try that with blades. Figured wood with straight knives? Good luck.

I agree if he can locate used that is usually a better value. As others have said jointers aren't complex machines and not difficult to figure out if it's all it should be.

Well, personally I am partial to the Tersa style cutterheads with indexed knives. I have dealt with plenty of figured wood with straight / Tersa knives and if they are sharp and you can feed slow enough, then I have seen some truly beautiful results.

The scallops I have seen are small and not a result of feed rate but bc of the geometry of the cutters. Every time I have experienced it was an a Byrd branded helical head, fwiw. Not a huge thing, but it is something nonetheless and was another step to clean up particularly for edge jointing to get a totally tight joint with no tiny gaps before, say, a panel glue up.

My experience is that the force/pressure required on a helical head jointer is actually more than straight knives within the same width cutter head

The noise reduction is certainly nice.

A Knick in a Tersa style knife is less than a 5 minutes fix, but no, not with traditional straight knives. Maybe 15 minutes.

I have used helical head jointers and planers and just don’t drink the koolaid in most cases. If you’re doing vast majority highly figured, ok sure..otherwise it feels unnecessary and expensive especially for a jointer.

I can see the value a lot more in a planer, though still quite pricey if going new. Just trying to present a different opinion based on my experience and to show that it’s possible to get more quality and capacity used for probably 1/2 the price of a new PM helical jointer, that’s all.

Carry on :)

[John Kananis]

I've not experienced the scallops with my machines but I don't use the Byrd heads either... I'm curious though, why do you feel it's good in a planer and not a jointer? I mean, it's either good or not good, both machines are used in different parts of the same process.

[Andrew Hughes]

I've not experienced the scallops with my machines but I don't use the Byrd heads either... I'm curious though, why do you feel it's good in a planer and not a jointer? I mean, it's either good or not good, both machines are used in different parts of the same process.

I jointer is a hand fed machine. A planer isn’t so that’s a big difference. Inserts take more pressure to keep the wood in the cut unless your cutting depth is tiny or the boards are thick and stiff.
Carbide dulls carbide will Nick. Inserts will get nasty pitch build from fat wood. I have insert head in my planer so I’m not saying they don’t do as advertised. I prefer sharp t1 steel in my jointer it leaves me with a far better surface with the ordinary common woods I use.
Anyone can see clearly what surface on this Alder is superior

[John Kananis]

I don't agree with the additional pressure and imho, the downward pressure on a piece being "pushed" through a jointer should be on the outfeed side of the machine anyway (infeed until the cut engages and then outfeed once you get it over the hump). Pitch and nicks will occur in any blade configuration. I really believe this is one of those subjective things that folks become partial to one way or another and prefer it because they like it that way.

[Michael Drew]

Powermatic would be my choice. I have the 6” and wish I had gotten the 8” parallelogram.

What is a "parallelogram" in the world of jointers?

[John Kananis]

What is a "parallelogram" in the world of jointers?


https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?106917-What-is-the-difference-between-a-parallelogram-jointer-and-regular

[Phillip Mitchell]

I've not experienced the scallops with my machines but I don't use the Byrd heads either... I'm curious though, why do you feel it's good in a planer and not a jointer? I mean, it's either good or not good, both machines are used in different parts of the same process.

Maybe I just have had bad luck with multiple Byrd helical heads... certainly a possibility.

My logic for saying its better in a planer is that the planing to final thickness occurs later in the milling process / after jointing and it seems unnecessary to have a helical head so early in the process in terms of tear out. I actually have more control over tear out with my jointer because it’s hand fed and I can modulate the speed infinitely. My particular planer doesn’t have infinite speed adjustment (most don’t unless you have a VFD on the feed motor)

Point being that to me if worried about tear out, etc then it makes more sense to have it in the planer which is typically the last stages of the milling process, prior to sanding, etc. Of course if my planer left the tiny scallops that I have seen in multiple Byrd heads, then I would be a bit annoyed and upset by that as well. I have also experience some infuriating and majorly time wasting hours trying to get rid of ridges and lines in the cut after rotating to fresh cutters...happened more than just once and left a sour taste in my mouth.

I can say that if I had the $$ to burn I would certainly consider putting a Hermance or similar quality helical head in my planer, but that would likely cost 4-6x what I paid for the machine. It would be a hard choice choosing between that level of helical and Tersa. I really like the Tersa in the jointer for both setup and edge jointing quality. The bonus is that face jointing produces very nice quality surfaces as well, but is typically not necessary as both faces with likely be run through the planer afterwards multiple times anyway.

I have no allegiance to one specific tooling approach over the other; I’m just speaking from my experiences. I have a very nice CGG Schmidt 4” tall helical cutterhead I use with a bearing on my shaper for flush / template cutting and it’s amazing what it can do even against the grain.

[Michael Drew]

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?106917-What-is-the-difference-between-a-parallelogram-jointer-and-regular

Thank you!

[John Kananis]

Maybe I just have had bad luck with multiple Byrd helical heads... certainly a possibility.

My logic for saying its better in a planer is that the planing to final thickness occurs later in the milling process / after jointing and it seems unnecessary to have a helical head so early in the process in terms of tear out. I actually have more control over tear out with my jointer because it’s hand fed and I can modulate the speed infinitely. My particular planer doesn’t have infinite speed adjustment (most don’t unless you have a VFD on the feed motor)

Point being that to me if worried about tear out, etc then it makes more sense to have it in the planer which is typically the last stages of the milling process, prior to sanding, etc. Of course if my planer left the tiny scallops that I have seen in multiple Byrd heads, then I would be a bit annoyed and upset by that as well. I have also experience some infuriating and majorly time wasting hours trying to get rid of ridges and lines in the cut after rotating to fresh cutters...happened more than just once and left a sour taste in my mouth.

I can say that if I had the $$ to burn I would certainly consider putting a Hermance or similar quality helical head in my planer, but that would likely cost 4-6x what I paid for the machine. It would be a hard choice choosing between that level of helical and Tersa. I really like the Tersa in the jointer for both setup and edge jointing quality. The bonus is that face jointing produces very nice quality surfaces as well, but is typically not necessary as both faces with likely be run through the planer afterwards multiple times anyway.

I have no allegiance to one specific tooling approach over the other; I’m just speaking from my experiences. I have a very nice CGG Schmidt 4” tall helical cutterhead I use with a bearing on my shaper for flush / template cutting and it’s amazing what it can do even against the grain.

I totally understand and this is exactly what I mean, your individual style/setup/whatever will dictate what's best for you. I've not tried a tersa but I hear positive things.


Thank you!

Sure thing.

[Bill Dufour]

This jointer was made in Sweden. Maybe the op lives there?
Bill D.
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?78809-EJCA-14-quot-Jointer-Planer

https://www.ejca.se/

[Alden Peterson]

This jointer was made in Sweden. Maybe the op lives there?
Bill D.
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?78809-EJCA-14-quot-Jointer-Planer

https://www.ejca.se/

Nope, I live in Minnesota :(

If there's anything I'm getting from this thread and all the amazing advice it's that essentially no one has been upset with their 8" plus jointer. And that it seems I might as well pick one I like the colors on since I'll have to look at it a long time :cool:

[Andrew Hughes]

Nope, I live in Minnesota :(

If there's anything I'm getting from this thread and all the amazing advice it's that essentially no one has been upset with their 8" plus jointer. And that it seems I might as well pick one I like the colors on since I'll have to look at it a long time :cool:

Whats better then a 8 inch jointer 3 all wrapped up in one.
only in America bigger the better :)

[Alden Peterson]

Well. I can safely say I do not need a 24" jointer :)

I probably would enjoy a 12" one but honestly for 99% of what I do/will do an 8" one will be fine.

[Phillip Mitchell]

Not sure where in MN but these are from Minneapolis Craigslist and all look could be worth considering. You can buy a ~$250-300 VFD and easily convert any 3 phase jointer on this list to run on a single phase 220v outlet and have cutterhead braking which is a nice feature if the motor happens to be direct drive. This was about 5 minutes of searching on CL, which is nearly dead these days.

12” Northfield - $2750
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/tld/d/savage-12-northfield-medium-duty/7520541434.html

8” Delta - $750
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/bfd/d/savage-delta-rockwell-jointer-1hp-3ph/7520511749.html

16” Crescent - $4k - maybe single phase
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/tls/d/minneapolis-wood-jointer/7513932253.html

12” crescent - no price listed
https://stcloud.craigslist.org/tls/d/alexandria-crescent-12-jointer/7508951475.html

[Alex Zeller]

I had no plans on getting an insert head if I purchased new. But when you buy used you get what the seller is offering. I have yet to see any scallops. I assume my PM has a Byrd head but maybe they started making their own head recently? I do know that the argument that jointing is too early in the process to worry about it is flawed. I often do the edge of a board on my jointer (and then parallel it up the other end on the table saw) and go straight to glue up. Any imperfection would show up. I own no tools with straight knives and I doubt I would in the future. I get some people don't like them but I'm converted. If scalloping is a problem then look at some of the Grizzly products. Some of their insert heads don't have the inserts at an angle so that should eliminate any chance of scalloping.

[Jared Sankovich]

I jointer is a hand fed machine. A planer isn’t so that’s a big difference. Inserts take more pressure to keep the wood in the cut unless your cutting depth is tiny or the boards are thick and stiff.
Carbide dulls carbide will Nick. Inserts will get nasty pitch build from fat wood. I have insert head in my planer so I’m not saying they don’t do as advertised. I prefer sharp t1 steel in my jointer it leaves me with a far better surface with the ordinary common woods I use.
Anyone can see clearly what surface on this Alder is superior

That's been my experience with insert carbide. Any "soft" density woods tear (not tear out) allong the softer early wood with carbide. Poplar can be especially bad. On hard brittle woods like sapele inserts are fantastic.

[Bill Dufour]

An 8" jointer is easy enough to move onto a trailer if you know what you are doing. I bet a 12" or bigger is a lot more work and thought not to snap off the tables. The sunbelt rental drop deck trailer is nice for stuff like this. I think it is about $50 a day. I am in the process of moving my 8" delta onto a mobile base using a engine crane.
Bill D

https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/equipment-rental/0241700/8-9-lift-bed-single-axle-trailer-10k/

[Warren Lake]

an 8" jointer is a lightweight at under 500 lbs. The Poitras is still a lightweight at over 600 lbs but at least the base wont be flapping in the wind. Soon as i added the SCM never used the general after. It works but no comparison using a machine with weight. You hear it instantly when you turn it on even before you run a board over it.

[Holmes Anderson]

OP, why are you "probably" wanting a parallelogram jointer? Have you had a bad experience with wedge bed jointers?

[James Cheever]

I know this is not a 8" jointer, but I'd recommend you spend a bit more and get a 16".

That's what I did. I got a Hammer A3-41A (not the combo). It is a great jointer.

[Ronald Blue]

That's been my experience with insert carbide. Any "soft" density woods tear (not tear out) allong the softer early wood with carbide. Poplar can be especially bad. On hard brittle woods like sapele inserts are fantastic.

I have to believe it's related to the insert. I have ran everything from pine/fir and cedar to walnut, hickory, oak, and ash and have had no tear out issues. I have the Grizzly version helical head on my Jet jointer. Soft or hard wood it doesn't matter. The inserts are razor sharp and you have to treat them as such just as if it were a freshly sharpened high speed steel straight blade. Maybe you should try different inserts. I know it makes a huge difference in carbide CNC router bits. Some are just far better than others.

[Alden Peterson]

OP, why are you "probably" wanting a parallelogram jointer? Have you had a bad experience with wedge bed jointers?

Honestly I don't have a good answer for this.

I've not owned a jointer before but expect I will not own another one after this. Maybe I just get a cheaper dovetail one and call it good?

[Alex Zeller]

Honestly I don't have a good answer for this.

I've not owned a jointer before but expect I will not own another one after this. Maybe I just get a cheaper dovetail one and call it good?

A parallelogram jointer is easier to set up and adjust when the dovetail wears. If you are looking for a long bed jointer the parallelogram jointers have the option for longer tables.

[Eric Arnsdorff]

This has been my experience and I’m still learning…

I originally had a 6” Grizzly long bed dovetail slide jointer with a straight blade cutter. It worked well for many years (well prior to carbide insert cutter-heads). The dovetail slides were a pain to get parallel with shims and such. But once setup it worked very well. The long bed is essential and is my first take-away.

I came across a Delta DJ20 8” long bed jointer with parallelogram table adjustment. This was a definite upgrade and I bought it close to what I sold my 6” Grizzly. The longer bed and the ease of bed adjustment along with the wider width are definitely worthwhile features to me. Setup is a breeze.

I recently bought a 15” 3hp Grizzly planer with the carbide cutter head. The spiral cutter head really has no tear out. This replaces my Dewalt 13” straight blade planer which was also very capable for a hobbyist like me. But this planer is a giant upgrade once again. The cutter head convinced me to replace my jointer cutter head with a helical carbide insert version. I’m installing it this weekend so I don’t have functional experience on the jointer but my expectations are high.

Tear out was always something I had to work around with my previous tools. I’ve made a lot of nice things with my previous tools so these upgrades are not have to haves but definitely worth it in my opinion.

My opinion is at least an 8” wide parallelogram long bed jointer with a carbide cutter head. Finding quality used equipment saves a lot of money if that is an issue and it is doable with some patience. In this category there aren’t a lot of variations on the design so I’m not sure how much brand matters in this category. My Delta DJ20 is over 25 years old and is the same tool you buy new today and has zero issues.

[Jim Becker]

A parallelogram jointer is easier to set up and adjust when the dovetail wears.

This is an important point if one changes the table setting frequently, particularly in a production environment. But I wonder if it's as big of a concern for "most folks"...many of us set the jointer up to cut some nominal amount (1/32" or so) and just leave it there "forever". There's no real wear happening in that case.

[Jared Sankovich]

This is an important point if one changes the table setting frequently, particularly in a production environment. But I wonder if it's as big of a concern for "most folks"...many of us set the jointer up to cut some nominal amount (1/32" or so) and just leave it there "forever". There's no real wear happening in that case.

I change the depth of cut almost every time I'm jointing things, frequently ill change the depth mid process. To be fair I'm running a jointer with a ships wheel with .010" per revolution so doc changes are fast and repeatable.

[Robert Hayward]

But I wonder if it's as big of a concern for "most folks"...many of us set the jointer up to cut some nominal amount (1/32" or so) and just leave it there "forever". There's no real wear happening in that case.
That describes my use of a jointer in my hobby/craft shop. Rarely does the infeed table get adjusted. Maybe if I have a thick piece that is really rough I might set the depth of cut deeper for the first few passes. Then back to a thin cut and it stays there. My jointer has a Byrd head so the need to adjust the outfeed table is almost nonexistent, with the exception of the first time I set up the machine.

[Jim Becker]

I have not changed my cut depth on the FS-350 since the day I bought it. That works for me, but maybe not for others. It really comes down to what one does. Most of my use for the jointer is for flattening faces and I prefer to take light cuts for that kind of operation to minimize the lost material before I can subsequently process for thickness. In the rare event I do an edge, I don't mind a few extra passes...

[Dave Sabo]

I change the depth of cut almost every time I'm jointing things, frequently ill change the depth mid process. To be fair I'm running a jointer with a ships wheel with .010" per revolution so doc changes are fast and repeatable.

Jared - exactly how many dovetailed wayed jointers have you worn out in your career ?

I've got one , third hand that's over a century old and rode hard....................it still keeps it's settings from when I set it up 40 yrs ago. My daily driver is a combo machine with dovetailed ways and it's just fine too.

Buy what you want & like , but let's not pretend a jointer with dovetailed ways is somehow inferior, or not up to the task. Especially for a non-factory setting of a hobbyist.

[Warren Lake]

One a jointer the dovetail ways are more for a set up rather than for wear. Its not a high wear application. On my mortise machine the chain and chisel move up and down in the dovetail ways and in that application there is a fair number of inches of movement each time its used and some load from cutting.

Adjustment for wear on the mortise machine will be reality at some point same as many years on a milling machine they will need to scrape the ways.

[Jared Sankovich]

Jared - exactly how many dovetailed wayed jointers have you worn out in your career ?

I've got one , third hand that's over a century old and rode hard....................it still keeps it's settings from when I set it up 40 yrs ago. My daily driver is a combo machine with dovetailed ways and it's just fine too.

Buy what you want & like , but let's not pretend a jointer with dovetailed ways is somehow inferior, or not up to the task. Especially for a non-factory setting of a hobbyist.

None, and I guess my point got lost. My jointer has dovetail ways, and is 79 years old.

[Tom M King]

You might have to worry about wear after it's gone up and down as much as a piston in a car engine after the car has been a 100,000 miles.

[Alden Peterson]

That describes my use of a jointer in my hobby/craft shop. Rarely does the infeed table get adjusted. Maybe if I have a thick piece that is really rough I might set the depth of cut deeper for the first few passes. Then back to a thin cut and it stays there. My jointer has a Byrd head so the need to adjust the outfeed table is almost nonexistent, with the exception of the first time I set up the machine.


I have not changed my cut depth on the FS-350 since the day I bought it. That works for me, but maybe not for others. It really comes down to what one does. Most of my use for the jointer is for flattening faces and I prefer to take light cuts for that kind of operation to minimize the lost material before I can subsequently process for thickness. In the rare event I do an edge, I don't mind a few extra passes...


I guess one way to think about this is worst case, it's a long arduous process to tune a dovetail jointer vs parallelogram I basically spend the 4-6 hours and save $500 and buy myself a $500 straightedge to better flatten it :)

[Andrew Templeton]

This is an important point if one changes the table setting frequently, particularly in a production environment. But I wonder if it's as big of a concern for "most folks"...many of us set the jointer up to cut some nominal amount (1/32" or so) and just leave it there "forever". There's no real wear happening in that case.

I am 100% with you on this one, it is super rare that I ever change that setting. Then again, I have only had the joy of having had to set the beds on a Hammer combo unit. I have not had to do it on my recently acquired Minimax so I may be just speaking from lack of experience.

[Jim Becker]

There are a lot of good reasons that one might want to reset the cutting depth on a jointer...a particular leg taper technique I recently saw in a Bent's Woodworking video is one example. And then there's rabiting that some folks do using the jointer. I just haven't done any of these things as I use other methods. So many choices!!

[Ronald Blue]

There are a lot of good reasons that one might want to reset the cutting depth on a jointer...a particular leg taper technique I recently saw in a Bent's Woodworking video is one example. And then there's rabiting that some folks do using the jointer. I just haven't done any of these things as I use other methods. So many choices!!

I'd be curious how many people cut rabbet's on their jointers these days when there are many other options. Even if one does change the settings it shouldn't have any adverse effect on the machine for years and years. I'm like you Jim. I just take additional passes if needed rather than take heavier cuts.

[Warren Lake]

maybe in hobby land but if you make a living you set up to do what you need to do. Jointing up to 16 foot edges required a much deeper pass. Mel has tons of time on machines and he was the first one to mention using a jointer like a straight line rip saw, he was doing an edge in one pass dropping the infeed up to the maximum of the machine. In some cases that is 1/2" or more, whatever needed. I cant remember how much the griggio can drop maxiumum. On the straight line you have to go get what you put in, on the jointer once the pass is done its still in your hand.

and yeah used to rabbit all the time when I had one job that was 9" on an 8" jointer You rabbet off both outside edges first then flatten the middle to flip for the planer.

[Mel Fulks]

Never understood the fear of taking deep cuts. Light flesh cuts bleed ! The rule is “ be careful “. What is safer about a shallower cut ,
especially if a shirt sleeve …or shirt tail is involved ?

[Warren Lake]

I always wear a suit, do worry about my Tie at times.

[Eric Arnsdorff]

When I had my dovetail style jointer tuned in I rarely adjusted for fear of losing calibration. But with the parallelogram jointer I change it all the time and it stays parallel and square. It’s nice to take off what is needed which can be a lot sometimes and just a little sometimes.

[Warren Lake]

Was it made by KTel?

[Ronald Blue]

Never understood the fear of taking deep cuts. Light flesh cuts bleed ! The rule is “ be careful “. What is safer about a shallower cut ,
especially if a shirt sleeve …or shirt tail is involved ?

I must have missed the post about light cuts for fear of getting hurt. I take light cuts to not produce more chips than necessary. I'm sure is I was running production I would view that differently. Because I'm retired though and have a taxi service to run for the grandkids and their ball games to enjoy. I will admit though now that I have my shop air conditioned I usually get there at least a little while nearly everyday.

[Phillip Mitchell]

There are times where a deep cut especially edge jointing a crooked board that is significantly longer than the outfeed table is the way to get the job done, otherwise you will be making expensive crooked firewood.

I keep my infeed set at 1/16” as a home base reference but often adjust the depth of cut deeper or shallower for situations like above or the other way to 1/32” or less if just needing to lightly clean up an edge or sometimes to dial in door edges to avoid saw marks from the sliding table saw/track saw.

If edge jointing a particularly heinous or crooked, long board I will set the depth of cut to match the amount of crook (up to 1/2”) and straighten it fully in one pass easily. You run the risk with long crooked boards of just removing material and keeping it slightly crooked no matter how many passes as the front end slides down off the end of the outfeed table gives you a curved cut...depends on how much crook and how long of course, but it’s not hard to do if taking light cuts on such a board and not realizing what’s going on.

[Kevin Jenness]

You run the risk with long crooked boards of just removing material and keeping it slightly crooked no matter how many passes as the front end slides down off the end of the outfeed table gives you a curved cut...depends on how much crook and how long of course, but it’s not hard to do if taking light cuts on such a board and not realizing what’s going on.

There's no substitute for paying attention, but I normally run the convex edge down on a crooked board and the convex face on a bowed one.

I adjust the depth setting frequently depending on the task. I would not expect that to result in slop on a dovetail way jointer that could not be cured by tightening the gibs after a long period of use. If you're worried about it, lube the infeed ways periodically.

[Phillip Mitchell]

There's no substitute for paying attention, but I normally run the convex edge down on a crooked board and the convex face on a bowed one.

Yeah, I have done that as well...just kinda depends on the board. You have to be mindful to keep the convex from rocking on the outfeed side obviously, which really kinda depends on how bad it is and how much is being cleaned up per pass. More than 1 way to skin a cat for sure.

[Pat Germain]

- I still don't know on what Unicorn Ranch people are finding good, used woodworking machines for good prices. For years I checked all the web sites and always saw the same thing; ho-hum tools at high prices and a few nice tools at almost full MSRP. So why bother? I didn't

- Years ago I bought a Shop Fox 8" jointer. This was right when Grizzly launched their Shop Fox line which was intended for brick & mortar stores. Ironically, I ordered it online. :-) It's been a great jointer. All the guys here recommended not even bothering with a 6" jointer. Boy were they right! Almost every time I have flat planed I had just enough width. If I had a 6" jointer, I'd be a doing a lot more ripping. By all means buy the widest jointer you can afford and you can find. (I'd love to have an "aircraft carrier" like David Marks.)

- My jointer is a parallelogram. I honestly don't recall why I opted for that. Probably because that's what was available

- I also never change the depth setting on my jointer. It has literally been a set it and forget it

- Here in 2022 it's all about availability. Supply lines are starting to get better, but there are still a lot of problems. If I was looking for a jointer today, I would look at stores far and wide to see what they had in stock on the floor or in the back room. Order it? Forget about it. Right now any machine in the hand is worth two on back order

[Andrew Hughes]

I looked and hunted for my jointer for more then a year. The quest for used machinery can take a long time .
Almost settled for a machine but glad I didn’t.
I’m a starving woodworking artist so I cannot afford s2s or anything but rough even even air dried come take what you want isn’t free. Without a jointer to flatten gnarly twisted wood would be nearly impossible.
There no free lunch

[Holmes Anderson]

A parallelogram jointer is easier to set up and adjust when the dovetail wears. If you are looking for a long bed jointer the parallelogram jointers have the option for longer tables.

It takes a long time and lots of depth of cut adjustments for the ways to wear so much that shimming is required. So long that it isn't worth worrying about. The supposed ease of adjustment advantage is not an advantage at all because 1) realignment is rarely if ever needed, 2) realignment of a parallelogram jointer is not so trivial as some suggest, and 3) shimming a wedge bed jointer isn't as difficult as some suggest. Also, if your jointer falls out of alignment so often that ease of realignment is a valuable feature then you need a new jointer.

I also take issue with the alleged speed of adjustment advantage. It is also irrelevant because wedge bed jointers with lever arm adjustment are available. I have one and actually prefer the adjustment wheels on my old jointer. As to speed of adjustment, there is very little difference and either way the time is trivial in comparison with most setup tasks.

I also take issue with the alleged constant gap advantage. There is a larger gap between the cutterhead and the infeed table at extremely deep cut depths with a wedge bed jointer but most users probably don't use those settings and I've never heard of anyone having a problem because of that gap anyway.

I will grant you that parallelogram jointers tend to have longer infeed and outfeed tables but the tables on a long bed wedge style jointer are plenty long and considerably longer than the tables on the J/P combo machines that so many woodworkers on this forum advocate. Parallelogram jointers also tend to be heavier, which is nice in the shop but not so nice when moving them.

To be clear, I am not suggesting that there is anything wrong with the parallelogram design. It seems to me that it was designed to be easier to manufacture because less precise machining is required. But why would pay a price premium for an advantage that only benefits the manufacturer? I suppose there is additional steel and cast iron that may add to the cost, but does that justify the price premium to the woodworker? Right now there is a $1k difference between the PM PJ882 and the 60C.

[John Kananis]

Andrew, there's zero chance I would joint that board as is; you'll wind up with toothpick stock. Crosscut that sucker into pieces that'll let you retain some of the thickness.

[Phillip Mitchell]

- I still don't know on what Unicorn Ranch people are finding good, used woodworking machines for good prices. For years I checked all the web sites and always saw the same thing; ho-hum tools at high prices and a few nice tools at almost full MSRP. So why bother? I didn't

Craigslist, FB Marketplace, woodworking FB groups (too many to list), WoodWeb, OWWM.org, Vintage Machinery Classifieds, GovDeals, IRS auctions, HiBid, Machinery Max Auctions, Machinio, eBay, posting want to buy ads on sites like this or more local woodworking forums are all places that I have either looked consistently and found or actually purchased all of my woodworking machines (except one) from for what I consider good deals.

It is effort and you need to educate yourself about what you need, what you’re actually looking for, relative values, etc in order to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The more mainstream the avenue is (FB marketplace) then the more crap you don’t want will be in your face, but also the higher the chance of finding something of high value at a low price (selling off grandpa’s tools - need them gone make me an offer - kinda thing)

Many folks probably don’t have the persistence, patience, and desire to find good deals on quality used machinery and be willing and able to drag it back to the shop safely, which of course is totally fine and good, especially if you can afford new. Some of us can’t afford new / prefer buying used and punching up a few weight classes in quality for less $. I have built my entire shop around good condition “used/industrial” for a fraction of the price of hobby - mid level new imported.

Even these days with the market being still pretty hot for used machinery there are deals, you just have to be diligent and put in the effort to find them and be willing and able to strike when the iron is hot.

[Mel Fulks]

When the chips are down …don’t count them , or weigh them ! Faster to just sweep them up ! One of the little known woodworking
secrets that “Old Timers” selfishly hoard !

[Alex Zeller]

Like most things when it comes to woodworking there's no shortage of different ways to make a project. I'm always adjusting the infeed table. I have no doubt that cast iron wears and that American cast iron isn't the same as Chinese or Taiwanese cast iron. Most likely a hobbyist will never wear out a dovetail or T slot but it does happen. Before switching to my PJ882 I had a PM60. It was an older green one and it was just too fiddly to get it right. It had to be shimmed to get it to work well and because it was on wheels I would check it monthly. I would say once a year I had to set it up (most likely from someone thinking they could slide it sideways by lifting up slightly on one of the tables.

As far as setting each one up goes, it's like the blade vs insert argument. You will have people on each side saying one is better than the other. All I know is, for me, I no longer have a tool with straight blades and will never own one in the future. I've spent too much time sharpening and setting up blades vs actually making chips. After dealing with a worn dovetail jointer vs a parallelogram jointer I wouldn't go back. Te parallelogram is just too easy to adjust. I respect those who feel differently just like I respect those who say you should get a vintage 2000lb jointer. I just know that's not for me or my shop.

[Jack Frederick]

I have had the Grizzly GO490 for a few years now. I picked it up off the classifieds here. It was originally the straight knife head but the previous owner added the segmented head to it. it has been an excellent jointer for my hobbyist needs.

[Jared Sankovich]

Many folks probably don’t have the persistence, patience, and desire to find good deals on quality used machinery and be willing and able to drag it back to the shop safely, which of course is totally fine and good, especially if you can afford new. Some of us can’t afford new / prefer buying used and punching up a few weight classes in quality for less $. I have built my entire shop around good condition “used/industrial” for a fraction of the price of hobby - mid level new imported.

Even these days with the market being still pretty hot for used machinery there are deals, you just have to be diligent and put in the effort to find them and be willing and able to strike when the iron is hot.

This. Used industrial is still cheap (relatively speaking) I looked yesterday and saw a bunch of 12" plus jointers available at less than new 8" import prices.

[Tom M King]

I have always adjusted the infeed a lot. Why take three passes when one will do? This jointer was used when I bought it at a school auction in 1975. I've never done anything to it but change the knives, and bearings a couple of times.

I used it to straighten this old 8' 4x4 with little trouble. I don't remember how many passes to get to this point, but I expect four. I did lighten the cut by the time I had gotten the big bow, and most of the twist out of it.

Start with the bow down, and follow the flat spot you made. Hold it down on the outfeed, and it has nothing to do with the length of jointer other than physically being able to hold it down. If it doesn't start on the plane you wanted, do tapering cuts until it gets aligned like you want it. You could look at this 4x4 and see three sides, plus it had a bow. It was the last dry one I had though, so I used it.

I started with a 3' total bed length Delta, and straightened more than a few 16' boards on it, but I had helpers back then. It's a joke that piece length is limited by jointer length.

[Mel Fulks]

Agree with Tom.
In a commercial shop there might be a “straight-line” power fed saw . But I’ve not see a shop with two of them, and they take up a lot of
space. Sometimes 2 or 3 long bed jointers are needed to keep the work flowing. Those jointers will usually remove 3/4” to 1” in one pass.

[Warren Lake]

Hey Mel,

You have to agree you have been stating that as long as ive been reading you here. Hence my past statement there is a guy that has spent time on machines and understands wood.

[Mel Fulks]

Warren , sometimes when in a long line at at the grocery store …I start explaining proper use of woodworking machinery . That makes a lot
of people leave . Yes , I hate to see so many with lack of interest . But on balance ,it sure speeds up the line !

[Warren Lake]

If the old guy was still here there would be more questions. He once said you know it all, day later I said you know what I asked you. he said yeah. I said I dont and neither do you. He turned red and started laughing.

His understanding was next level. I said why is it when I rip a 45 on the table saw there is more tension release than if I do it on the shaper. No pause just instant answer because the shaper nibbles the material away.

So even how you machine a thing can have different reactions.

[Robert Hayward]

Tom, cannot help but wonder what size piece of lumber did you end up getting out of that twisted 4X4?

[Tom M King]

1-15/16 x 2-15/16 handrail piece. I wanted to keep them as thin as possible to not cut any more of the view than necessary. Target was 2x3, but some of the pieces wouldn't quite let me get that much out of them. Painted, so I used old, dry treated stuff.

[Pat Germain]

This. Used industrial is still cheap (relatively speaking) I looked yesterday and saw a bunch of 12" plus jointers available at less than new 8" import prices.

Were those 3-phase machines? I don't even see used industrial machines for sale in my area.

[Jared Sankovich]

Were those 3-phase machines? I don't even see used industrial machines for sale in my area.

They may have been. It's not much of a barrier to entry.

Most of my machines are 3ph, ideally all of them would be.

[Joe Calhoon]

Were those 3-phase machines? I don't even see used industrial machines for sale in my area.

Pat, Colorado is pretty dry for vintage industrial machinery. I’ve picked up a couple machines here just out of luck and good timing but mostly not available or costly. Sometimes good auctions if you keep your ears open.
Joe

[jeff oldham]

i bought the g0814x from grizzly,,its a 6 inch jointer and the reason i bought it is for the v style cutter head and space,,,with that being said after i got it the vibration and noise was terrible,,,i called grizzly and they walked me thru everything to try to get the vibration out which did not work,,so they sent me a new machine out and told me to send the old one back,,,plus paid for the return shipping,,,all i did was switch out the jointer itself,,,and i could not be happier,,,no vibration,,i even did the nickle test and it never fell plus the noise level went down so much,,my dust collection is louder than the jointer,,,im not a big fan of ordering machinery on line but grizzly customer service is great,,it changed my attitude in that respect,,,,,i will say this and i told the grizzly rep about it,,,the cover over where you change the belt is 90 percent of where the noise was coming from,,i put some stick on rubber between the cover and housing and it cut the noise level almost out,,

[Bill Dufour]

V style cutter head?
Bill D

[Andrew Pitonyak]

What is a "parallelogram" in the world of jointers?

I am not well informed, but, I believe that Jointers come in two primary varieties, Parallelogram and Dovetail; but I think that there others (for example, things made by Oliver if I am remembering correctly).

You adjust a dovetail jointer using shims whereas a parallelogram jointer has four points of adjustability. I think that a parallelogram is easier to adjust but you need to adjust them rarely. So, if the price is the same take the parallelogram. If the parallelogram is significantly more expensive, well, you are probably fine with a Dovetail.

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?220881-Parallelogram-Jointer-vs-Dovetail-ways-Which-to-choose

Note I do not own a jointer; sadly.

[Jason White]

I had a Grizzly G0490 that served me well. Worked much better after I upgraded the cutterhead. https://youtu.be/gKwX092vWu4

[Brian Holcombe]

I take large cuts when edge jointing, and for really long boards I prefer to put the convex edge down. If the concave edge is down it will remain concave unless the jointer has very long tables and outfeed supports. At my shop I have Aigner tables setup on the jointer so most stock can be jointed either way but I still prefer convex down in most cases as it will produce a flatter end result. It does however take more care in the first cut to balance out the gap and avoid shifting the board as it’s processed.

I consider this an approach for experienced folks and rarely ever teach it to beginners since many of them have a difficult time avoiding tilting the board as they feed it which can result in a kickback.

[Warren Lake]

I do the same way. You just drop on with judgement where you want to start and balance as you go by where you place the board

The concave just do the trailing end of the board till knocked down then spin it around works fine. Either way will make an equally straight edge.

i use support when needed, mcgiver brand, then used the money saved to buy another machine. :)

[Christopher Stahl]

I’ll throw out there that I have several machines coming up for sale. Two, of which, are jointers. Well, ones a combo. I have an 8” Grizzly G0500 and a Grizzly G0634 12” combo, with the helical head. I bought all new equipment for the new shop so I have a handful of equipment that needs a new home. Just cleaning up the hardware a bit since it sat in storage for 3 years. The G0500 is about ready to be listed.

I’m in the Austin, Tx area.

[Alden Peterson]

Just ordered a Powermatic 60HH (off Amazon, of all places, fulfilled by Acme but I get 5% cash back and free shipping via Amazon prime card).

Excited for it to come!

Now I have to figure out how to get a mobile base for it that doesn't suck...

[Randy Heinemann]

I have owned a Jet 8" HH jointer for about 7 years and it was possibly the best purchase I ever made. It was less expensive than the Powermatic version. The only real difference between Powermatic and Jet at the time seemed to be that the helical heads on the Powermatic had more cutters and maybe a little better fit and finish. However, the Jet does a great job and, over the 5-year warranty period I got great support from JPW. I never regretted not buying the Powermatic.