8" bench top jointer or 6in floor standing jointer

[Peter Choi]

I'm building out my workshop and make furniture. In my area rough lumber is half the cost of S4S, so I might as well flatten my own lumber. I don't have the money for a full 8 in jointer as this is just a hobby/side income for now but was wondering if you recommended a 8 in bench top jointer like this grizzly with extensions to get a 52" bed

https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-8-benchtop-jointer-with-spiral-type-cutterhead/g0947?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_5unBhCMARIsACZyzS2iMyaPoKyfJVW5DqaI akDyQZZh2x-Za3gH6ZSo71X6LQ5ZwsMuI1caAmtUEALw_wcB (https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-8-benchtop-jointer-with-spiral-type-cutterhead/g0947?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_5unBhCMARIsACZyzS2iMyaPoKyfJVW5DqaI akDyQZZh2x-Za3gH6ZSo71X6LQ5ZwsMuI1caAmtUEALw_wcB)

Or I can get a used floor jointer for a few hundred dollars. Jointers in my area, seem to be 20 years old and don't have as nice of cutter heads as that grizzly.

Basically I just want to finish some rough lumber, mainly white oak and walnut for furniture.

I know boards come wider than 6 in", sometimes wider than 8", would you recommend flipping it over to flatten the face or rip it in half to get board widths under 6 or 8 inches?

[Randy Heinemann]

For me, there would be a couple of factors:

1. Bed length - If the floor models have longer beds, then it will be easier to joint and flatten longer boards effectively.
2. Board width - If you commonly flatten boards that are close to or wider than 8", then an 8" jointer would be a good choice.
3. Cutterhead - A spiral cutterhead is always on the top of my lst these days. Spiral cutterheads are generally quieter and, most importantly, give a better surface, especially on figured wood.
4. Condition of the used jointer is also important. If you can find a good used 8" spiral cutterhead jointer with 50"+ bed, that would seem ideal.

Jointers should last a long time, but, of course, it depends on how the original owner(s) cared for it. Do the infeed and/or outfeed tables sag? The motor shouldn't be an issue. Are the tables rusty or have they been kept protected by waxing them periodically. If the heads aren't spiral with carbide cutters, are the blades easy to remove and reinstall when sharpening is needed?

After I bought a Jet 8" helical head long bed jointer, it immediately improved my flattening and jointing results. I rarely find or use boards wider than 8" so it works for me for almost all of my woodworking projects.

Remember that, regardless of what size jointer you have, you can only flatten one side of the board on the jointer. To get a board that is both flat and has parallel sides you need both a jointer and a planer.

Since I don't know your experience, I'm sorry if all of this is obvious to you. It wasn't my intent to "talk down" to you.

[Michelle Rich]

I used a 6" delta cast iron floor model for 35 yrs. I then bought an 8" wahuda. I love the wahuda. I built a table and inserted the wahuda into it and can do very long boards. If I were buying today, I'd get a 10" wahua, and insert it in a table and be very happy

[Monte Milanuk]

I built a table and inserted the wahuda into it and can do very long boards.

Any chance of details/pic of this setup? I have an 8" Wahuda, and it works pretty well... except for the occasional long board (bed rails, etc.). PM if you'd rather ;)

[Michael Burnside]

I have an 8" Powermatic PJ882HH floor with helical head and 82" wide bed and love it. I generally rip to nothing over 7" if I'm building fine furniture due to wood movement concerns. That said, I don't think I could stand to use a 6" as it would probably feel a bit small when jointing 5-6" boards. Michelle brings up a very good point IMHO. I've seen serval reviews of the Wahuda 8" and people generally seem to love them. I'd guess the 10" is just as good. If I were considering a benchtop, that's the direction I'd go and just build a table insert into my main workbench so I could have adequate support on longer boards.

[Brian Runau]

8" is a preferred width, you won't like a 34" bed. Look at 8" longbed floor models straight blades for lower upfront cost, you can always add spiral cutter head later as money allows.

[Edward Weber]

You can get away without a jointer, if you have a planer and a tablesaw. It's not the best scenario but it is certainly doable.
If you need to have an 8" jointer, a longer bed than the benchtop models is almost a necessity. Unfortunately, the floor models with the long beds will run you three times the price and up.

[Ralph Okonieski]

I started with a 6” jointer and also used the technique Edward described with the planer. Neither approach is desirable. Save your money a little longer and get the 8” or larger if possible. You will not regret it.

[Bruce Wrenn]

You can joint boards up to 9" wide using a 6" joiner, as long as it has a rabbeting ledge (most do.) Search youtube for videos showing technique.

[Rich Konopka]

I have an 8” Wahuda table too join that I used before I went big with a Felder. I really like it and would recommend it. What also need to consider the length of your stock that you mill. The tabletop jointer has a shorter infeed and outfeed that introduces challenges with longer stock. There are work arounds with supports and other stands.

If you look for an older jointer you can always replace it with a helical head. I would love an old DELTA DJ20(like Norms).

HTH.

[lou Brava]

You can joint boards up to 9" wide using a 6" joiner, as long as it has a rabbeting ledge (most do.) Search youtube for videos showing technique.

Now that's very interesting, a big advantage in that is cost, availability in used market & shop space. I've been looking for a decent used 8" for a few months and have seen a lot of well priced newer 6" machines. I'm about ready to bite the bullet on a new 8" but 2.5K for a hobby WW shop has held me back. I'm headed to YT & check out those videos

[Stan Hendrix]

You can get away without a jointer, if you have a planer and a tablesaw. It's not the best scenario but it is certainly doable.
If you need to have an 8" jointer, a longer bed than the benchtop models is almost a necessity. Unfortunately, the floor models with the long beds will run you three times the price and up.

There is a third method of jointing without a jointer: Use a router mounted on a sled sliding along rails. Not as easy as a dedicated jointer but it works very well especially for wide pieces. You can also use the router table for edge jointing.

[Stan Hendrix]

I've seen serval reviews of the Wahuda 8" and people generally seem to love them.

Not if you read the reviews on Amazon. Apparently, Wahuda filters out the negative comments on their website.

I was in the market for a benchtop jointer until a friend gave me his 1991 vintage Craftsman 5" jointer. I think the old Craftsman is better than any of the current benchtop jointers. It has cast iron infeed/outfeed tables as well as a cast iron base; the fence is stamped metal but of a thick gauge that doesn't bend or flex and is easy to square. The tables are sufficiently flat and need no adjustment. And the table and fence settings hold their positions. Yes, it is a PIA to align the blades but it is worth it. Solid performance after 32 years! Need a good benchtop jointer? Look for a used vintage one.

[Michael Burnside]

There is a third method of jointing without a jointer: Use a router mounted on a sled sliding along rails. Not as easy as a dedicated jointer but it works very well especially for wide pieces.

True, but it's also like saying I could joint on my CNC. Arguably more accurate than the router/sled since my gantry and table are in perfect alignment. I'd say buy a jointer waaaaaay before I bought a CNC or rig good enough to flatten to satisfaction.

[Stan Hendrix]

I have an 8" Powermatic PJ882HH floor with helical head and 82" wide bed and love it. I generally rip to nothing over 7" if I'm building fine furniture due to wood movement concerns. That said, I don't think I could stand to use a 6" as it would probably feel a bit small when jointing 5-6" boards. Michelle brings up a very good point IMHO. I've seen serval reviews of the Wahuda 8" and people generally seem to love them. I'd guess the 10" is just as good. If I were considering a benchtop, that's the direction I'd go and just build a table insert into my main workbench so I could have adequate support on longer boards.


True, but it's also like saying I could joint on my CNC. Arguably more accurate than the router/sled since my gantry and table are in perfect alignment. I'd say buy a jointer waaaaaay before I bought a CNC or rig good enough to flatten to satisfaction.

No, it isn't like saying use a CNC. Most woodworkers probably have a router but not a CNC machine. Of course a jointer is preferred (but only a good one). Even if you have a jointer, having the router sled jig on hand can be useful for slabs that may not fit your jointer or planer. Making one is easy and cheap and, if you don't have a router, it is an excuse to get one.:)

[Tim Andrews]

Since I have limited space in my garage work shop, I decided to get a benchtop jointer. After much research, I bought the 8” Cutech. It seems to be almost identical to the Wahuda with 2 exceptions. The newer models have a longer fence, and more importantly they added 2 supports to keep the fence square. The biggest complaint I saw with most benchtop models was flex in the aluminum fence, and the extra supports eliminate that problem.

Of course the shorter bed length limits the length of boards you can flatten compared to a bigger jointer, but it’s a great machine for 95% of my needs. There’s an extension rail on each end when needed.

[Scott Winners]

There was a day not long ago when I had to have a jointer today. I don't remember exactly why my big long Stanley Baileys weren't the best tool for the job, but I needed a jointer today. I am pretty sure there were multiple boards needing jointed.

Any road, I went on line to look at reviews and what was in stock at my local homestores. I narrowed my list down to three benchtop/ homestore jointers to see what my budget had to be. I had the cash, I still had the woodoworking problem. Before I drove to the homestores, I looked on CL and F marketplace and found a 6" floor model jointer that was under budget.

This was in the last three years, 2020 or later. At the time, and still currently in my opinion, the top of the heap for jointers that can run on 110/120 volts AC are the various 6" floor standing units. Jointing is a violent operation. Your machine needs to have mass and be stable; with coplanar feed tables and square fence assumed.

If you have to start with a benchtop jointer for space or $ constraints there are some highly rated tools out there. Next up, but still able to run on 110/120 volts are the 6" floor standing models. If 6" floor stander doesn't meet your needs, you are going to need a 220 volt circuit to run the next size up.

I cannot personally imagine moving from a 6"/120volt floor stander to an 8"/120 volt benchtop and being happy, but I am comfortable doing a LOT of my stock prep with handplanes. If a benchtop jointer meets your needs for the work you do, that is great, carry on.

[Paul Koenigs]

Peter, get the 6" floor jointer. It's going to have more mass than the table top one. Most likely , longer beds also.
Don't worry about how nice the cutter head is.. Plain old fashioned knives are just fine.

Another technique.. if the board is too wide for your jointer.. join what you can on the jointer.. let's say it's 9" wide and the joiner can only do 6".
Then take a scrub plane or jointer plane and take care of the rest (the last 3" of width).. since the 6" part is already flat, you have a good reference surface.
It doesn't have to be perfect if you have a planer.. you can plane the other side and then flip the board over.
Also, if the left over (3" in this example) is quite thick, you can carefully flip the board over and rough out some of it.
I'm not really a hand tool guy, but it's really not that bad to do it this way (I would never join a board by hand for fun, just not my thing).

I never had good luck flipping the board with every join, but I'm sure I wasn't doing it right.

[Mike Mason]

FWIW, I vote for an 8" floor standing jointer with straight knives (to keep the cost down) and a long enough bed for accuracy. I see a lot of 6" jointers on craigslist, but rarely an 8" jointer; is it because there were so many more 6" models, or is it because people ultimately move up to an 8" jointer after working with a 6"? If the latter, save your money and buy once, rather than twice. I started with a 6" and in hindsight wish I hadn't, although I was able to sell my 6" for close to what I paid for it.

You didn't mention if you have a planer, but as one of the earlier posts said, you can't make an S4S board from rough lumber without one; you need to first establish one perfectly flat face with the jointer and then use the planer to get a perfectly parallel face. You can get two perfectly flat faces with just a jointer, but they won't necessarily be parallel. (Perhaps you already know this). In fact, a planer would be my first choice over a jointer, since you can easily reduce the thickness of S2S boards you can buy and avoid the "novice look" in which everything you build is 3/4" thick, even when it shouldn't be (such as drawer sides, etc.). But if you think you are going to stay with woodworking, you really need both, and you might as well get both at the same time since you need both to work with rough lumber.

[Rich Konopka]

Since I have limited space in my garage work shop, I decided to get a benchtop jointer. After much research, I bought the 8” Cutech. It seems to be almost identical to the Wahuda with 2 exceptions.

Cutech is now Wahuda.

[Tim Andrews]

Cutech is now Wahuda.
Rich, unless you have updated information that I can’t find, they are not the same. Shinmax, the original manufacturer, is suing Wahuda for rebranding the Cutech jointers in the US. It’s a very confusing situation and I don’t know if it has been resolved.

Shinmax Industry Co., Ltd. v. Wahuda LLC a/k/a Wahuda Tools
https://insight.rpxcorp.com/litigation_documents/14035171

[Jason Parker]

I have an 8" Wahuda, it works well, longer stock on oem machine not so much and gets fussy, the end supports just don't function well when you need them. I ended up building a cabinet for the jointer to sit on and another two cabinets on either side flanking the Wahuda (one on infeed side and one on outfeed side), and I built table extensions out of melamine, attached adjustable cabinet feet to the base of each table extension box, and removed the ends of the Wahuda extension wings using the extended tubes for support under the extensions tables. The build was sort of a pilot project to see if it would work (which it does). Using an allan wrench on the adjustable feet, I can tweak the table heights to get them pretty damn flat but there is lots of trial and error. It's working pretty well currently. I lost some garage wall space, which I originally wanted to preserve, but the cabinets now allow me to store other tools out of the way also, freeing up other space, so it was a decent win-win.

[Brian Runau]

Peter, curious what you plan to do. Brian

[Russell Hayes]

There are always in my area a lot of 6" floor standing jointers used for sale in my area, mostly because they upgraded to 8"+. So buy what you mentioned or go ahead and and buy an 8" floor standing jointer. The only other question is Helical or Knives. Basically it is a question of time to set knives vs. less often turning helical cutters. Unless you deal with a lot of figured wood then go helical. I have a 1985 Powermatic model 60 8" with 65" bed and knives. If you think 2-3 inches more of infeed and outfeed will make you a better woodworker go for it, but I don't think so.

[Rich Konopka]

Rich, unless you have updated information that I can’t find, they are not the same. Shinmax, the original manufacturer, is suing Wahuda for rebranding the Cutech jointers in the US. It’s a very confusing situation and I don’t know if it has been resolved.

Shinmax Industry Co., Ltd. v. Wahuda LLC a/k/a Wahuda Tools
https://insight.rpxcorp.com/litigation_documents/14035171


Sorry, I was referring to the company name.

[Rick Potter]

Always wondered why DeWalt didn't develop a benchtop jointer to accompany their popular and well thought of 735 planer.

Or did they?