(Pre-gloat) Just bit the bullet on a new jointer

[bob cohen]

Well after two years of decision making and lots of fretting, I took the plunge and ordered the Grizzly G0490 8" Parallelogram jointer to replace by 6" delta 37-195. I will write a full report (promise) after I get the thing up and running. As you might imagine, I have come close to making this purchase several times over the last 2 years. Initially, I thought I would go with the Delta DJ20 or powermatic pj822, but after reading so many positive reviews and remarks (many on this site) about the Grizzly, I went in that direction instead. The $ savings as you know is huge, enough to offset the new 100 amp sub-panel that I just had installed in my basement shop--upstairs main panel is completely full. Oddly, one of the reasons I feel comfortable going with the Grizzly is that it comes in two boxes. The powermatic and (I think) delta come pre-assembled and I just could not picture getting either down my basement steps. The idea of paying extra for pre-assembly and alignment (I presume delta and powermatic are charging us for this somewhere), when I'd have to disassemble and reassemble the unit to get it into my shop seemed silly.

I own one other grizzly tool--a benchtop drill press. I got it abt 8 yrs ago shortly after I started woodworking. I swore at the time that I would never buy another grizzly tool, mainly because the hollow mortise chisel attachment that I co-ordered could not be attached to the unit, at least not without a sledgehammer. So why did I break my promise?

First, It seems from postings here and elsewhere that Grizzly has made significant improvements in their quality control since the time that I bought the drill press.

Second, I am a much more experience woodworker now, better able to get top performance out of a machine and more aware of what it is designed and not designed to do.

Third, that drill press really isn't so bad after all--lots of power and one of the few pieces of original equipment that I haven't needed to upgrade.

Fourth and most important, I really think the grizzly jointer might be as good or better than the other units that I've been considering. Its got poor HP (albeit probably an over kill) and many reports of dead on flat tables.

Well like I said, I'll give another report once she's been put to test--I have abt 100 bd ft of quarter sawn white oak ready for surfacing.

[David Weaver]

I thought I would go with the Delta DJ20 or powermatic pj822...The idea of paying extra for pre-assembly and alignment (I presume delta and powermatic are charging us for this somewhere),

Congrats and welcome to the board. Having bought some delta stuff, and examining some others that a WW-buddy has (including a DJ-20 jointer), the assumption that it is aligned to your expectations would've had a good chance of being crushed hope when you got it. Buddy's jointer was about 0.01" out, my TS was 0.02" out of alignment from the miter groove.

Also, the DJ-20 is made in taiwan, has been for a while. It's an awful lot of money compared to what's available now from other makers.

Oh yeah, and welcome to the board!

[glenn bradley]

Its got poor HP (albeit probably an over kill) and many reports of dead on flat tables.

3HP on an 8" is 'poor'?

[bob cohen]

the griz has more hp than the delta and powermatic

[D.McDonnel "Mac"]

The Parallelagram design is what sold me on the DJ20 I bought several years ago. It is an elegent engineering solution to moving the tables. Now that PM and Griz have picked up the design I'm not sure which I'd choose. By the way the Delta comes in two pieces, the base/motor and the assembled upper section (Tables and center section).

Mac

[Ed Bamba]

The need for 220V on the G490 is what led me to purchasing my DJ20. I got mine for $1100 (nearly unused). The finish may not be as nice as the Grizz, along with the need for a mobile base (mine came with a Jet mobile base), but I find that 1.5 HP is plently when jointing an 8 inch wide WO board. Not sure why Grizz had to put a 3HP motor in theirs, but hey, the more power the better I guess.

Congrats on your purchase.

Ed

[Allan Froehlich]

Did you get the spiral cutter on that jointer?

Fine Woodworking labled the G0586 inch as the best overall and best value in their 2007 tool guide.

BTW- the G0586 is only 2 hp in this book.

[Brent Grooms]

Did you get the spiral cutter on that jointer?


FWIW... the spiral byrd head is larger in diameter than the std straight blade head and will limit the travel of the fence (it runs into the side of the table. I dont know if the other grizz spiral head will do this or not. At this point all I know is that my next purchase (unless I run into a better deal on something) will be a grizz 15in planer with the byrd head. I will just order it so that when it arrives, it will be warm enough outside to get the dragon drool off of it!

[David Weaver]

The need for 220V on the G490 is what led me to purchasing my DJ20. I got mine for $1100 (nearly unused). The finish may not be as nice as the Grizz, along with the need for a mobile base (mine came with a Jet mobile base), but I find that 1.5 HP is plently when jointing an 8 inch wide WO board. Not sure why Grizz had to put a 3HP motor in theirs, but hey, the more power the better I guess.

Congrats on your purchase.

Ed

Ed - the reason is probably the same as it is for putting 5 horsepower motors in 12-inch combo machines and 16-inch bandsaws. It's hardly needed by probably 999 out of 1000 users, but it's what people want, and it's easier just to give the market what it wants than it is to try to reason with it.

Leonard Lee made a good point when he said LV is lapping all of their blades to something like 0.0001 or 0.0002" flatness. He doesn't think it's necessary or really much of an advantage, but he's tired of arguing with people about what flatness is critical, so he's just going to give the market what it wants rather than trying to educate people one by one.

Shiraz may be able to elaborate, and I'm not trying to put him in a bad position to say they're overspecing (is that a word?) machines for no good reason, but when you run a business an half the people want "more" and it doesn't bother the other half to pay a few extra bucks for more, then if you don't give the people what they want, someone else will.

[bob cohen]

If I had made the purchase last year (and the spiral was available then), I would've gotten it. As it is I went with the straight cutter, largely because of the reviews in wood magazine or woodworkers journal (cant remember which). I work mostly in quarter sawn white oak and curry. These generally are not highly figured, so I think the s8 cutter will perform better than the spiral.

[Don Bullock]

Bob,
Welcome and congratulations. Remember -- it didn't happen unless we get pictures.

My G0490 is my first jointer and it's working great for me. It's got the standard knives. I just jointed several boards for my current projects last week and "enjoyed" using it. In my shop the mobile base on it comes in handy.

I'm looking forward to hearing how you like your G0490.

[Stephen Clem]

What is the difference between a regular jointer and a parallelgram jointer? Is it worth the extra $$?

[keith ouellette]

What is the difference between a regular jointer and a parallelgram jointer? Is it worth the extra $$?

A regular jointer has beds that slide on dove tail ways. The look like wedges.
The beds on a para sit on bushings which allow you to move the beds in an unlimited amount of directions for set up so each corner of each bed can be raised up or down a little to put the beds in the same plane. You just can't do that with the old stile. If a bed sags you have to shim it which doesn't work very well.

[bob cohen]

The parallelogram beds stay the same distance from the cutterhead as they are raised and lowered. This is not the case with beds that sit on dovetail ways. In principal the parallelogram beds should thus give better work support. In practice, I do not know if the difference would be noticeable, I only mention it because it is something that two different delta sales reps talked about.

[Paul Johnstone]

. Oddly, one of the reasons I feel comfortable going with the Grizzly is that it comes in two boxes. The powermatic and (I think) delta come pre-assembled and I just could not picture getting either down my basement steps.


Actually, the Delta comes in two boxes as well.
I can't imagine anyone shipping an 8" jointer preassembled, as it's so much more managable/efficient to pack the table seperately.
I'm not poo pooing your purchase, just pointing that out for other people that read the thread.

[Paul Johnstone]

Ed - the reason is probably the same as it is for putting 5 horsepower motors in 12-inch combo machines and 16-inch bandsaws. It's hardly needed by probably 999 out of 1000 users, but it's what people want, and it's easier just to give the market what it wants than it is to try to reason with it.
.

There's probably some people that will buy based on whatever machine has the most HP.

Also, maybe Grizzley saves money by using a 2 HP motor. Maybe they use the same motor in other tools, and thus it reduces the amount of inventory they need to carry or lets them negotiate better volume pricing.