6 inch Jointer regrets?

[Doug Donnell]

Hey, folks, been lurking awhile and I am really impressed with this forum. The level of maturity and helpfulness is refreshing.

I am considering my next tool purchase, which should be a jointer as I already have the TS, DP, BS, MS, and thickness planer. Money, like for most of us, is an issue but not the primary one. Space in my shop is also at a premium. My question to those of you who have or had a 6 inch jointer, do you regret the width? I suppose most of us would prefer an 8 or wider, but do you feel seriously constrained by a 6 inch? I have not yet progressed to buying rough stock but would like to, and I am wondering if ripping boards down to 6 then edge glueing them back is practical. Are 6 inch wide rough stock boards enough cheaper to make it unlikely that this would be a common issue?

And any advice on bed length? Some 6 inchers have substantially longer beds, but come with a higher price tag... does the longer length improve the functionality of the narrower bed?

Sorry about the length of the post. There are enough Craigs List 6 inch jointers in the Atlanta area to pick from several over the course of a few weeks so costs can be reasonable when I decide to pull the trigger. Don't mind cleaning up a machine but not into reconstructive surgery. Any advice appreciated!

Doug Donnell

[glenn bradley]

I was unhappy with my 6" a month after I bought it. Many, many folks here warned me to learn from their mistakes. But, I thought, like many others, "how could 2 more inches make that much difference?".

The 6" was good for edge jointing and table leg sized boards. For face jointing it was not useful to me. YMMV. I finally made a planer sled and sold the 6" because it was just taking up room. I am days away from ordering an 8" (finally).

Now on the upside; there are loads of used 6" jointers on the market coming from people just like me. In fairness, there should be some folks chime in who have been totally happy with their 6" for years.

Like so many other decisions we make, it is based on what you do. If you are not going to do a lot of panel glue ups for tables, dressers, frame / panel doors and the like, there is no need to sacrifice the room. Having said that, check the footprint of a "real" 6" jointer vs. an 8" . . . not that much difference.

Enjoy the journey ;-)

[George Summers]

But, I thought, like many others, "how could 2 more inches make that much difference?".


I am among those that wish I had something larger than a 6" and also among those that don't really think that an 8" would give me "that much" more than the 6". If I can ever afford to upgrade, I will go with a 12". I have found that better than 80-85% of the stock I end up working with is 8-10" wide thus the 8' would give me practically nothing.

George

[Jeff Duncan]

The problem is practical jointer size, (like most woodworking machinery choices), greatly depends on what type of work you do.
I'm a professional cabinetmaker and have been using a 6" longbed jointer for many years. Coming from a background of having access to much larger industrial machinery, I hated every time I had to use it, but it got the job done.
I'm now in the process of tuning up my 30+/- year old 16" jointer, which for me will greatly increase productivity. For most it would probably be too big a machine, but for me it should be just right.
Basically the only way to know what size machine you need is to own one and use it. Kinda stinks but that's really the way it is. For some people an 800 sq. ft. studio apt. is all they need, for others a 4 bedroom 4000 sq. ft. home is a minimum, everyone has different requirements as will you. Buy yourself a quality name 6" and use it, after a couple years if you need a bigger one buy it and sell the 6". And welcome to the club, I've replaced almost every tool I've ever bought. Not b/c I made poor choices in the beginning, but b/c my needs changed with my skill level and type of work.
good luck,
JeffD

[Mike Cutler]

Doug

One of the first paradigms to rid yourself of is the size of the jointer, and the size of your shop.

A 6' board requires 13' of open space to joint it, an 8' requires 17', etc.... The size of the jointer underneath the material isn't the real issue.
Whether the jointer is 48", 72" or 84" long, etc, other than storing the jointer when not in use, It's the size of the material that should be given the most consideration. It's still takes the same amount of space to joint a given board.

A 6" jointer can be limiting, I have a Jet 6". Buy the biggest jointer that you can afford.

[Dave Lehnert]

I used an 4" for years and moved up to a 6" . No matter what size you get, you will always wish you had bigger at times. I always say why stop at an 8". Get a 12" or 16". As you can see ,You just need to pick the largest your shop and budget can handle.
I was always told I should never use boards wider than 4" or 6" when gluing up a top anyway.

[Ben Rafael]

I've had a 6" for about 5 years, and I have no complaints about it. If I need to joint anything wider then I take out my handplanes.

[scott spencer]

I've rarely needed more length but frequently run into boards between 6" & 8". Budget and space limited my selection, but if those factors aren't an issue, it's a no brainer IMO.

[Ray Newman]

You mentioned bed length. A longer bed allows the operator to more safely & better edge or face joint longer boards.

Get the longest bed that you can, considering how much room you have fore & aft & how long a board you think you can safely handle.

Over the years, I traveled down the rough & rugged road of tool buying/ownership. My old 6" Delta was a good machine but the beds were just too short for me. When I finally saw the light, I sold it off & bought a 8" JET, which serves me well.

The only "upgrade" I did to the JET was to install a set of double-edged disposable blades. Initial start up was a bit, but ea. blade has two edges & they are snap to change -- maybe 15 minutes for all 3 knives!

Sure beats packaging & sending them out. & it seems to me that I only :D nick a blade on Saturday night or during a holiday weekend.


www.estausa.com/index.html (http://www.estausa.com/index.html)
http://www.estausa.com/index.html

If I was in the market for a new 8” jointer, I would seriously look @ the 4 blade Sunhill machine for approx. US $600.00. When I bought my Sunhill 15" planer, I looked @ this jointer & it is a dead ringer for my JET (or vice versa)!

http://www.sunhillmachinery.com/

While a jointer w/ a rack & pinion adjustable fence is nice, it will add to machine’s footprint.

Some jointers have levers to raise/lower the beds; others hand wheels. I 1st learned to operate a jointer w/ hand wheels & just stuck w/ that design. Try both & see which you like better.

Buying pre-owned, bring a reliable straight edge to check how true the beds are. I’d also ask the seller to fire it up & do a test cut.

[Tony Marchesano]

I can't add too much from what has already been said. Ideally, your planer and jointer will be a matched set. For most of us, space and money dictate otherwise. As Mike and Jeff said, it depends on the type of work you do. You will want a jointer to handle whatever size lumber you intend to work with regularly. For the occasional larger sized boards you can rip them to fit, get out the hand tools or make friends with someone with a larger jointer. :D

[Michael Hammers]

Every time I have a 6" plus board to join!:D

[Cary Falk]

I have a 6" Jet and have no regrets. Very seldom do I have a board wider than 6" to joint. Storage space is more of a concern for me than money.

[Bill Wyko]

I recently got a 6" Grizzly for $150.00 with a roling base. I've used it a few times and really like it. It has a 4ft bed. If you can get into it right you could always sell it for what you paid for it.

[Dewey Torres]

If money isn't a big issue but and space plus a really nice jointer is...

Sell your planer and buy this (below link)...

If you do, you might be the first to post a tool gloat on this as it just came out recently.

http://www.tools-plus.com/jet-708475.html?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=channelintelligence&utm_term=JET708475

Dewey

[Orlando Gonzalez]

I got a Powermatic 50 off CL for $150 with 4' beds. It's what I can afford in money and space at this time. I will be making a planer sled to take care of wider board (see Glenn Bradleys' thread). I put the Byrd Shelix cutterhead on it because I couldn't set the knives. :mad: Later on I may go bigger if I can afford it.

Regards

Orlando

[Curt Harms]

If money isn't a big issue but and space plus a really nice jointer is...

Sell your planer and buy this (below link)...

If you do, you might be the first to post a tool gloat on this as it just came out recently.

http://www.tools-plus.com/jet-708475.html?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=channelintelligence&utm_term=JET708475

Dewey

I and at least one other person on this board have the Jet J/P. I went through this process recently. 8" is better than 6" but sure as shootin' 8" wouldn't be wide enough either. 12" jointers ain't cheap unless you can bang into old iron and have the means to get a heavy jointer where it needs to go. I have a basement shop and a half-ton plus jointer wasn't going down the steps into it. When the Jet jointer/planer became available, the price, size and design rang my chimes:).I'm happy with my choice but it ain't all that cheap.

HTH

Curt

[Peter Quinn]

I have an 8" DJ-20 and a 6" general long bed. The 6" does a good job and is very accurate, but it is difficult to explain how much more industrial the 8" weight class is. The 8" is not merely 2" wider, it is hundreds of pounds heavier, the motor draws double the amps, and the beds are longer and far more rugged. Every 8" I have examined is a big jump up from the best 6" I have seen.

I can and have accomplished many things with the 6", so I kept it for special setups, but the 8" is my primary weapon now and I wish I had a 16".

I have also used 12" industrial parallelogram jointers at work and they are a step up from my 8", but not as big a step as the 6" to 8" jump. If you can swing it I'd start at 8", if you can not 6" long bed is not a bad way to go.

[Roger Lance]

Doug...I have a Delta DJ-15 which is the baby brother of the DJ-20 and is a 6" jointer with a relatively long bed of about 56". I bought it maybe 16 - 18 years ago mostly because that was the jointer that Norm Abram was using for an extended period and if it was good enough for Norm it was good enough. Of course Norm moved up to the 8" DJ-20 sometime after and has keep it to this day. I can honestly tell you that I've really not regreted the 6" that much as I've found ways to use a planer to flatten a board up to the width of the planer. But for straightening an edge, the jointer is the tool and the longer the beds the better. Would an 8" be preferable...yes...no question. Except that people with 8"s are talking about getting a 12"...and some people with a 12" are talking about getting something even bigger...etc...etc. I would suggest that you buy a used jointer of the very best reputation...with a long bed...if you have them near you in 6" size so be it. Then I would suggest that you use it and develop your skills on it and gain insight into what you really need or don't need. And if you want to move up...no big deal...sell what you bought to the next guy and move on...if you buy right, you can sell right and there really doesn't have to be much financial loss involved. Life will go on.

[Doug Donnell]

I thank everyone for your insights and advice, most everything is what I expected. Bigger is better, get it if you can.
If I planned to buy new, I think the preponderance of the advice would suggest saving longer and getting an 8". Given that there is a reasonably robust market of pre-owned 6"ers, I may be able to "buy in low" and test my needs with a machine I have limited investment in and could recoup most of my investment in upon a future upgrade. This would not be possible on a new purchase.
Regarding my needs, that is an open issue. My hobby seems to be more my shop than actual wood working (to date). Mostly I am making jigs, building toys for the 3 YO twin boys, cabinets for the shop, home projects, etc. My next big project will be upper and lower cabinets in our walk in pantry, not much risk as its behind closed doors and will be replacing industrial metal shelving.
I haven't really settled on a particular style of woodworking, so I don't know if an 8" or greater is going to be a need or not. I must admit to leaning toward a used 6", shopped patiently, that I can learn on and get out of for most of my investment. I would be far more reluctant to consider this strategy if buying new...
I thank everyone for your comments, please feel free to add more.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I own a couple of 6" Grizzly's, but I don't let that stop me from jointing boards up to 9" wide. First, you have to have the end of knives lined with the rabbeting ledge. You have to replace the stock guard with one that attaches to the fence. Mine is just an "L" made from plywood. On the in feed table, lined up with the rabbeting ledge, I stick down a piece of 1/4" MDF, of hardboard. Lower the in feed table to compensate for MDF / hard board. Joint board till face is flat. This will leave you an area that isn't jointed. Take piece to planer, place a sled of 1/4" MDF, or hard board under area of face that is jointed. Run through planer till second face is parallel to first. Turn piece over, remove sled and run that face through planer. It is harder to explain / visualize than to do.

[J. Z. Guest]

This is a pretty frequent question here. Seems to me it was asked just last week. (did you search on it?)

The folks who've upgraded to larger jointers were unhappy with 6" ones, and those of us with 6" ones are generally happy with them. Wider boards are more apt to cup and twist anyhow...

I like my 6-1/8" Ridgid jointer. It's just big enough to face joint a 6" wide board.

[glenn bradley]

I am among those that wish I had something larger than a 6" and also among those that don't really think that an 8" would give me "that much" more than the 6". If I can ever afford to upgrade, I will go with a 12". I have found that better than 80-85% of the stock I end up working with is 8-10" wide thus the 8' would give me practically nothing.

George

Good point George. Doug, here is a perfect example of that whole "depends what you do" syndrome. A 12" would be great for George, an 8" will work for me (although I would like a 12", hmmmm) and maybe a 6" is fine for someone else. Consider the board widths you usually work with and try to judge from there.

I tend to have the same opinion on Jointers that I do on band saws; the biggest you can stand just before it gets ridiculous ;-)

[Carl Fox]

IMHO 8" is the 'sweet spot' for jointers. It's big enough to do 99.9% of what I plan on doing. They are big, heavy and stable. Yet, they can be moved without major difficultly. If I need to joint a wide board I can either rip it or have a shop do it.

That being said. If I ever get our dream house and my dream workshop I would love to have a massive ancient aircraft carrier. In addition to my 8". YMMV.

[Nancy Laird]

My question to those of you who have or had a 6 inch jointer, do you regret the width? Doug Donnell

Simple answer: no. We do not face-joint our lumber and a 6" jointer is really more than we need -

[Alan Lilly]

For me ... the 8" inch jointer is the sweet spot for those using rough sawn lumber. My 6" jointer worked fine, but I prefer the longer bed and 8" capabilities of the 8" jointer.

The most important thing is to get moving forward... the shop is always undergoing evolution.

[Chris Allen]

I am(was) in the same boat as you. My first jointer, and I couldn't decide between 6" and 8". Normally, I try to buy once, avoid buyers remorse, and avoid upgrades. But given the size and price difference between the 6" and 8", I decided to test the waters with 6". I found a used 6" Jet on craigslist a week ago, and brought it home for $225. I figured at that price, I don't have much to lose. If worse comes to worse, I sell it and upgrade.

[Narayan Nayar]

I'm not of the belief that anyone contemplating a 6" jointer should really start out with an 8" jointer (which is what most woodworking forums would lead one to believe). A 6" jointer is better than a 0" jointer and for many, many people, completely adequate. As Alan Lilly says, the important thing is to have a jointer or some other means to flatten faces and square edges. And you can always upgrade.

Best thing--you can take advantage of the fact that people always upgrade by getting a great used 6" jointer. I just sold my like-new condition 6" long bed Powermatic to some lucky guy in the SF Bay Area and as Chris Allen testifies, these deals are not uncommon.

I'd advise you not to fall into the trap of thinking bigger is always better. You can always get bigger later, but don't underestimate how far you can go with high-quality smaller tools. Some people never outgrow them and produce absolutely stellar professional work.

[Luis Oliveira]

Things to consider.
I currently have a 6" jointer(ridgid).
- Space in your shop - I have to say don't worry so much about space as long as you have space to store it, you can always move it temporarily to a side of your shop and "get the space"
- Can you really afford an 8" if yes go for it, if not wait longer.
- AC do you have 220-240 if yes again go for it, if not wait until you have the money to install 220
-Size of your projects, I think if you are always do projects that are less than 48" long, then 6" is good enough. In my case I build a few cabinets Entertaiment center that were 98x112 and 6" jointer was very frustating and almost un-usable.
- Power do you use hard woods mostly if so 6" jointers are usually 1hp which is OK but you will struggle to joint those boards, and for the price of a 1.5 hp you can by a 8" jointer.
good luck

[Rod Sheridan]

I purchased a 6 inch jointer and have now replaced it with a Hammer A3 31 jointer/planer.

The 12 inch jointer/planer is compact, precise, and well made. It fits well in my townhouse basement shop...Rod.

[JayStPeter]

I don't regret having bought a 6" jointer. What I do regret is having spent too much on a 6" jointer. I should've gone as cheap as possible so I had little investment when I bought the 8". As it was, I mistakenly thought I'd be fine with a 6" and bought old iron and spent considerable time and money replacing parts and upgrading the motor/switch etc.
I only used it for a couple years, then got an 8" and couldn't recover as much of the cash as I could've if I had just gotten it working well. I recommend as inexpensive a used 6" jointer as you can get. Don't bother with the long bed versions or anything else. Just be concerned about getting your money back out of it when you upgrade. If you decide that you're happy with a 6" (doubtful), you can still sell the other one and buy a nicer model later.
IMO, jointers are one place where inexpensive models are pretty darn good. I'm usually for getting the best you can, but in the case of both 6 and 8" jointers the inexpensive ones are darn good. I've used other 8" jointers that cost 3x what my old Grizzly cost. While there are things that are nice about them, I never desire any feature/improvement other than additional width.

Jay

[Doug Donnell]

Thanks for all the advice. When I think I am ready I am going to haunt the usual sites for a used piece of equipment in the Atlanta area. It looks like at any one time there are several 6" in Craig's and the occasional 8". Bargains (or at least significant discounts off retail) are common in the 6" class and if I go that route I will look for a deal on a name machine in decent shape that I will have a chance to recoup some of the investment in if I upgrade. If I happen to find an 8" within my pain tolerance I will probably go that route, but the poster who suggested that a 6" is better than a 0" hit the nail on the head.
Thanks again all!
Doug

[Paul Johnstone]

And any advice on bed length? Some 6 inchers have substantially longer beds, but come with a higher price tag... does the longer length improve the functionality of the narrower bed?


My first joiner was the basic Jet 6" joiner. Nice machine, but the short beds made the practical length for joining to be about 6' for 4/4 stock.
That was kind of pushing it. Since I make bookshelves and other things which are often 7' high, this was annoying.

If I had bought a 6" longbed joiner, I might've never upgraded to a 8".
IMO, bed length is more important than width, but that's just for the stuff I make.

I attempted to join some 7' long 8/4 oak for a table top and that 6" joiner could not handle it at all.

So think about what you plan to make. Also think about your finances.
If it would take you years to save up the extra money for an 8" joiner, than buy a 6". But if you can swing it, get the 8" joiner with longer beds now.

People bring up space issues, but if you have it on a mobile base, that is not an issue. I don't have a huge shop. My smaller 6" joiner also got in the way at times.. I mean, regardless of the size you get, you will be pushing it around to have space to use other tools, so go ahead and get the bigger one.

[Bob Genovesi]

Doug,

I replaced an old jointer with Jet's 6 inch jointer 10 years ago and have no regrets at all. To your question whether I would prefer an 8 inch jointer the answer is no.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s225/BobbyG53/Shop-08.jpg

The 6 inch Jet I have will allow me to surface boards 6 inches wide as the cutter knives are 6 1/8 inches long. I try to work within the constraints of my equipment which makes life much easier. When I venture outside these for specific reasons I have to be innovative and resourceful.

One of the reasons I prefer the 6 inch is that when I try to use boards wider than 6 inches the chance of them being more cupped or twisted becomes much greater. Many times I have ripped a board because of warpage, jointing and plaining it flat, then gluing them back together. I think narrower boards have a tendency to warp less as well.

These are my reasons and I hope they help answer and guide your decisions.