What size, type of Jointer to buy?

[Brian Tax]

I am new to the SMC, but have found there is some very good stuff here.

I am a hobbyist and I currently have a Craftsman 6" bench top Jointer, I get mixed results especially with longer stock. I am looking to by a bigger, better Jointer. First off what size? I am thinking at least 8", but I could probably swing a cheaper 12" from Grizzly or a Jointer/Planer combo machine from Jet or Grizzly. How do people like those combo machines? Also I am concerned that it will be too big and heavy for what I need, but it sure would be nice to have 12". I have a two car garage shop. I live in Seattle so I am fairly close to the Grizzly store here, how do people like the Grizzly brand and their Jointers, they are so much better on price than anyone else. Any other Jointer advice would be appreciated.

Thanks, Brian

[Ben Cadotte]

If you have the room, and cashola for it. I would say pic a 12" from a company you trust and don't look back. I only have had 1 Griz machine and it was their cheap 14" saw. I had issues with the finish of the tool, but it worked fine. This was 20 years ago, and their quality has gone up quite a bit since then. And again it was their least expensive bandsaw.

I currently have a 6", and unless I find a really good deal on a used 8" (really good deal!). I am holding out for a 12".

I am not a fan of the combo machines. I tend to go from one machine to another. With a combo. Need to prioritize a little better, because if you don't. You will be spending alot of time converting the machine back and forth. That doesn't appeal to me. So having to wait to afford 2 seperate machines is worth it to me.

The G0609, and G0609X appeal to me quite a bit. Those would be my choices from Griz.

[Matt Ocel]

Brian -

I asked the same question a couple months ago. Most will say get the biggest you can afford.

I made my decision this way. I am a hobbyist, but I want to buy a tool only once so I buy quality.
For years a 6" was the norm and it seemed to prove the test of time.
6" would work for most of my projects and anything else, well I have to improvise.
A 8" would have been sweet.

I choose the PM 54HH.

I am very satisfied.

[Frank Drew]

Brian

I'm not familiar with any of the combination machines but if I was in the market and space was limited I'd probably give them a look.

Wider is usually better in a jointer, within reason, but accuracy is paramount. I'd much rather have a narrower machine that was dead-on accurate that a sloppy 12" model (I had a very good, older 12" model). If you get a chance to road test a Grizzly, that should give you the information you need, that combined with your confidence in Grizzly's commitment to customer satisfaction and service after the sale.

Maybe give yourself some time to look for a used, high quality machine, though.

[Kevin Davis]

Brian,

I have the GO634 and have been using it for a few weeks. I went with the HTC Custom Heavy Duty mobile base based on the weight of this puppy. I actually got it off the pallet and on to this base by myself which was a feat my wife didn't quite get as excited about as I did. This is my third HTC and I would save my pennies for one.

Overall, I am very happy with it. I love the jointer and the planer is good. I would have liked it to be about 12" longer on each side. The only beef I have is with the pork chop guide. It is a pain to take on and off. If Jet would have had a spiral cutter head, I might have gone that route. I also rewired and moved their on/off box. It is right where you stand when joining so I did some drilling and tapping and moved it just under the planer out feed table. The Grizzly support has been great too.

Kevin

[glenn bradley]

I have the G0490X and really like it. If I could have afforded the G0609X, I would have gotten it.

[Brian Tax]

Thanks I was concerned with the ability to put one of those on a mobile base, I don't think that I am ever really sure where I want to put my machines. Very impressive that you did it yourself. When you say you would like it to be 12" longer, do you mean that you would like the Jointer tables to be longer? That is a concern that I had also.

[Jeff Duncan]

Just finished the rough milling stages of a project using some 6/4 Sapele on my recent aquisition....a 16" EMA Jointer. Some of the Sapele slabs were about 16" wide, well wouldn't you know the maximum capacity of the jointer is 15-1/8" sunova #@*%....could have really used that 20" jointer.

Moral of the story, you probably won't have a jointer big enough to handle every task, so get the biggest that is practical for most of your needs.

good luck,
JeffD

[Pat Germain]

I've been using my 8" jointer for almost a year now and I'm absolutely thrilled with it. It's a Shop Fox, which in this case is just a Grizzly with different paint. It has built-in mobility, which is really nice. I just push on a foot pedal and move wherever I want.

I think you'd be very happy with any Grizzly jointer 8" or larger. Sure, buying a large, used machine is a good option: if you can find one. In a year of looking online in my area, I've seen exactly one used 8" jointer; and certainly nothing larger. It was a Delta and the seller wanted about $10 below full retail. No thanks.

I recently bought a Grizzly 17" bandsaw. I'm also thrilled with that machine. Grizzly machines can't be compared to high-end, European machines. For the serious hobbyist, I think Grizzly machines are more than adequate.

[Frank Drew]

Keep in mind that you can flatten (take out the cup, bow, and wind of) a board just under twice the width of your jointer; it won't be pretty -- there will probably be a ridge of sorts along the center -- but it will be a good enough reference surface to run through the planer.

[Peter Quinn]

In short, GET THE BIGGEST ONE YOU CAN GET THROUGH THE DOOR AND THE WALLET!

I checked out a 16" Rojek J/P combo at a show recently that really caught my eye. 4 knife head, other wise no frills, fairly long bed length on the planer for a combo. Easy change over took less than one minute. Price was around $4500? Seemed to offer a lot of value. Might be worth a look, they make a 12" too a bit cheaper.

I have an 8" and a 6" long bed now. The 8" does most of what I need, and it is a professional quality machine in terms of weight and performance. 6" can do a lot of things but I run into too many parts wider than 6". Can't say which is right for you, but I can say my 6" general is a heck of a lot more machine than any bench top model.

If you were a professional custom furniture maker I'd say 16" is a minimum, 24" jointer is preferable for wide boards. I can make your average set of cabinets on a 6" no problem. For passage doors I need a machine with an 80" bed that weighs at least 500#! I guess I'm saying IMO the jointer is a part of the total package. Think about what you make now, what else you would like to make in the future, and what the quality of your other tools is. No point having a 16" jointer with a 12" lunch box planer and a portable table saw.

MPQ

[Rob Will]

I would get a very wide old iron jointer and avoid the Chinese goods alltogether.

Ideally, your jointer will be the same width as your planer. Once you have used this matching combination you will wonder how you ever got along without it.

Rob

[Pete Kurki]

I found a used G9860, and paid $1500 for it. The machine was in daily use in a professional wood shop for a few years but it was in 100% perfect working order so I felt the price was fair. I know I could have got a brand new G0690 for just $345 more (incl delivery), but felt I was still getting a better deal with an used professional grade unit (plus the seller brought it to me and put it on my shop floor with his forklift - a nice perk with a 1250 lb unit).

I was also first speculating if I will truly need the 12" capacity, but two weeks after I had the machine I was already happily face jointing 12" boards. This is the only full size jointer I have ever owned so I can not really make any statements on how good Grizzly may be vs something else, but I can tell you that I am very happy with my unit and I have a feeling that it will fulfill my expectations and last longer than I will. :D

Good luck with your choice, whatever it may be.

Pete

[Kevin Davis]

No I mean the planer infeed/outfeed tables. The jointer table has been sufficient for my needs.

Kevin

[Brian Tax]

Thanks for all of the info. For anyone who has one of the big machines, around 1000 lbs or more, do you ever need to move it, if so how? Also being fairly new to woodworking, less then 10 real projects, it is hard to tell what I will work on in the future. One think that I know for sure, I am tired of buying junk that I want to replace fairly soon after the purchase. Decisions, Decisions.

[Jacob Reverb]

I like my PM 54. It has longer infeed and outfeed tables than most other 6" jointers. The tables on mine are dead-to-nuts flat and coplanar. And it came with one (or two) spare sets of knives...delivered, all for under $750 IIRC.

[Cary Swoveland]

I have a Grizzly 8" with a cutterhead with carbide inserts. It's one of my favorite tools. It cuts beautifully and the type of cutterhead reduces the noise a lot. I used to have a 12" combo jointer/planer, and haven't missed the greater capacity. Occasionally I need to rip a wide board before face-jointing, but that really hasn't been a problem. If woodworking were my business, I might get a 12" (wait a minute, if it were my business, I'd be heavy into CNC), but as a hobbiest, I might be tempted by a 10", but an 8" is just fine. No matter which, I'd definitely get a spiral cutterhead with carbide inserts. (Grizzly's own spiral cutterheads--which I have on both my jointer and planer--are excellent.)

I'm in the anti-combo camp. I don't like switching between functions, thinking a lot about organizing my activities, the shorter jointer table length and the fact that the combo's tables are a little too high for jointing and a little too low for planing. Also, since a jointer and planer can be placed side-by-side, a combo J/P does not save much space.

Cary

[Jeff Duncan]

I don't move my machines often but they do get moved on occasion and I have a pallet jack that does the trick. As far as weight the biggest machine I've seen personally on a mobile base was a Buss 30" planer. Don't know the weight but well over 1000 lbs. and was easily moved with one hand. HTC will make any size you need....for a price.
good luck,
JeffD

[Bartee Lamar]

I love my Grizzly G0593.

There are excellent price points in 8" jointers. Grizz has good deals with the sprial cutter heads included.

So here is mine (http://picasaweb.google.com/bartee/200709JointerGrizzlyG0593)

[Rob Will]

Hi Brian,

I have a 24" American jointer that weighs 2500 lbs. It rarely gets moved but when it does, a pallet jack makes the job easy.

I have about $1000 invested in my jointer. If you look around, you can find a very nice old iron jointer at a reasonable price.

Rob

[Dick Sylvan]

Brian
I'd much rather have a narrower machine that was dead-on accurate that a sloppy 12" model (I had a very good, older 12" model).

Not sure that I have ever heard of a "sloppy 12 model". I would go with a Euro combo myself. Oh, I already did. A pretty damn good machine and not sloppy, at all.

[Jim Becker]

Brian, I'm a big fan of the jointer/planer combos, especially for the one-person shop that can benefit from the increased jointer capacity as well as the space savings. They also generally provide more tool for the money compared to buying equivalent separates.

Of course, if you have the space and can find a vintage wide jointer, those can be wonderful to have in the shop! I almost scored one before I bought my J/P, but it was not to be. In retrospect, that was probably fine for me due to space concerns, but that old iron was still very compelling!

[Frank Drew]

Not sure that I have ever heard of a "sloppy 12 model". I would go with a Euro combo myself. Oh, I already did. A pretty damn good machine and not sloppy, at all.

When some of the Asian imports began arriving in this country, back when, there were often issues with machining, accuracy, adjustability, etc.

My point was that wide is nice in a jointer, but accuracy is the be-all, end-all.

A 16" or wider jointer perhaps isn't a realistic suggestion for a hobbyist, and I don't agree that that's a minimum size for a professional shop.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

In short, GET THE BIGGEST ONE YOU CAN GET THROUGH THE DOOR AND THE WALLET!


What he said. But, be sure you don't skimp on beef and bearings. The mass of the frame into which all the components are mounted is tremendously important. So too are the bearings.

All the Euro style JP machines absolutely require a DC of some sort because their is no provision for chip ejection. For reasons I don't understand Euro Engineers can't picture a wood shop where you use a broom.
At any rate, a decent Shop Vac makes my run fine.

[glenn bradley]

Thanks for all of the info. For anyone who has one of the big machines, around 1000 lbs or more, do you ever need to move it, if so how? Also being fairly new to woodworking, less then 10 real projects, it is hard to tell what I will work on in the future. One think that I know for sure, I am tired of buying junk that I want to replace fairly soon after the purchase. Decisions, Decisions.

The G0490X is shy of 400lbs-and-change and moves surprisingly easy on the built in mobile base. I don't know that 1000lb machine is intended to be moved about. Pick your spot ;-)

[Mike Null]

years ago I bought the little 6" Ryobi bench top jointer. My wood working is of the hobbiest variety though I've managed a few pretty nice pieces of furniture.

Working with long boards is difficult and less than accurate so I rigged infeed and outfeed extensions which are adjustable and dead on accurate.

Though there were times when an 8" jointer would have been handy I'll stick with my trusty 6".

[Doug Donnell]

I am going through the same thought process, and the advice you have been given about getting the largest you can afford or install is sound. It doesn't sound like you have a pressing budget issue as you are considering some fairly expensive options, so you will have more to choose from.

I have been haunting CraigsList in my area and there are numerous 6 inch machines that cycle through, but few larger machines. I am in a bit more of a budget crunch than I suspect you are and I am considering a used 6 inch when I see an opportunity crop up, for several reasons. One, there is a more robust used market as many people decide to upgrade and they take a bath on their 6 inch machine. Prices (and condition) appears to vary widely from showroom new to abused antique rust buckets (which could be the best possible choice). Prices for the big name floor models seem to vary from $200-600, Craftsman a bit less, benchtops even less. With some patience and the investment in a 24-36 inch straight edge, I think I can get a decent machine locally for less than $300. When or if I too decide to upgrade, I will be able to get most of my money out of it, unlike a new machine. I might also donate it to my folk's church for the tax deduction, as they maintain a woodshop and do their own renovations to the church building they bought a few years ago.

My thing is that not having a jointer is holding me back right now. If I wait until I can afford a larger machine I may never get one. I have 3YO twins and we just learned we have another on the way, so I don't expect any windfalls to come my way soon (money I mean, I am blessed with riches elsewhere).

Good luck with your search. I actually enjoy this process of research and planning, followed by the hunt and the bargaining. Make sure you let us know how you go!

Doug

[Narayan Nayar]

Fact is that you can get by with any size jointer. It's pretty simple--the larger the size, the more options you have in relation to the stock you use.

I started with a 6" and I would have been fine keeping it. I would rip boards to 6" and run them through, then glue them up again. Or I'd use a #8 handplane.

But after about 2 years I realized that most of the stock I bought was actually around 7.5-10". Some of that comes down to stock selection, of course, but for whatever reason, price, species, availability, pieces I was making, etc, boards I ended up with were wider than 6".

Anyway, I ended up with a Hammer 12" J/P Combo. Again, I think this is more machine than I might need, but it sure does make stock prep a lot easier and efficient.

With a handplane and practice you don't need a jointer at all, and you can do plenty with a 6". Things just get simpler as you move upwards from there, and it's up to you whether or not the convenience and money is worth it to you.

For the record, this is also how I decided what camera lenses to buy. Just as I looked at the boards I purchased for pieces I made, I looked at all the photos I took with the zoom lenses I had, then went with fixed-length equivalents for the focal lengths I used most often.

[Mikail Khan]

I should be buying a new jointer within a few days. I already have two grizzly machines and have been happy with their performance. Unless I get a steal on amazon for a Delta 12" jointer I will be buying the Grizzly 609X which has a carbide cutterhead.

My planer is about 800lbs and I move it around on a homemade mobile base. I will also make a base for the new jointer because my garage floor is too uneven to use an off the shelf base.

MK

[Phil Harding]

I started out with a Jet 6" open stand jointer. After a few years of ripping boards down to six inches I upgraded to a 8 inch Grizzly with a four knife head. Later I swapped the head out for a Shellix spiral cutter head - loved it. Two weeks ago I took delivery of a Grizzly 0609X 12 incher. I doubt that I'll be upgrading beyond this Grizzly as it was a real bear (pun intended) getting this half ton monster down to my basement.

I love the 0609X, the tables and fence are dead flat across their full length. There is almost no vibration and while I think the Shellix head is better I'm happy with the quality of cut I get from the Grizzly spiral head.

-- Phil

[Jeff Duncan]

"For reasons I don't understand Euro Engineers can't picture a wood shop where you use a broom."
It's b/c in Europe they don't allow you to use a broom!
OK not exactly, but their machinery, (unlike ours), is designed to be used with dust collection. The regulations concerning workers health in many European countries are much stricter than anything OSHA has, and it shows in how their modern equipment is designed. In actuality we are behind the curve and it shows in the poorly designed retrofits manufacturers are adding to machines to facilitated dust collection.
If you really want to see something neat take a look at their some of the Euro dust collectors. Felder sells 2 or 3 models in the US and IIRC the filtered air is close to if not HEPA standards. Of course it will cost you if you want to breathe that nice clean air:)
JeffD

[Dave Avery]

I started out with a Jet 6" open stand jointer. After a few years of ripping boards down to six inches I upgraded to a 8 inch Grizzly with a four knife head. Later I swapped the head out for a Shellix spiral cutter head - loved it. Two weeks ago I took delivery of a Grizzly 0609X 12 incher. I doubt that I'll be upgrading beyond this Grizzly as it was a real bear (pun intended) getting this half ton monster down to my basement.

I love the 0609X, the tables and fence are dead flat across their full length. There is almost no vibration and while I think the Shellix head is better I'm happy with the quality of cut I get from the Grizzly spiral head.

-- Phil

Phil,

Do you mind explaining how you tamed the bear into your basement? Thanks and best regards. dave.

[Jim Becker]

Jeff is correct, but also consider that with a J/P combo, you don't have the option for a "dust chute" under the cutter head like you do with a typical jointer-only design. The planer table function is in that particular place. Further, the dust hoods on these wider machines spread out in such a way to cover the width that without the air movement that a DC brings, chips can easily get impacted in the hood entry. Remember, that space has to be calculated to be about the same area as the typical 120mm port carries and for that reason, it gets pretty narrow right at the mouth. If you make a little cut with the jointer, you're not really going to get in trouble, but any meaningful use of the machine really does require dust extraction.

[Phil Harding]

Phil,

Do you mind explaining how you tamed the bear into your basement? Thanks and best regards. Dave.

I took the easy stuff off - the fence, the sheet metal parts, and the stand. I was a little apprehensive about taking the stand off because this is a parallelogram jointer and I wasn't sure how the everything was bolted together. Turns out it wasn't a big deal to take it apart or put it back together.

I should mention that I have a Harbor Freight 2-ton shop crane (a great deal at $120) in my garage. I used the crane to lift the jointer onto a refrigerator dolly. It took four of us to push the jointer/dolly through the kitchen and to the head of the stairway.

I laid two layers of 3/4" plywood to form a ramp on the stairs. I used two layers because I wasn't sure a single layer would hold the weight. At the head of the stairway I have a coat closet. I bolted a 1200# capacity electric wench (another Harbor Freight buy) to the closet floor using lag bolts into the floor joist. We strapped the jointer to an appliance dolly and rolled it to the head of the stairway. I used two 2-ton lifting straps to connect the jointer/dolly to the wench.

The scariest part was pushing the jointer over the top stair onto the ramp. But by using the wench to lower the jointer down slowly and a couple of us on either side to keep it on the ramp it all worked out with no problems. I don't think I could have accomplished this without the shop crane or the wench as this thing was way too difficult for even four guys to lift unassisted.

Take care.

-- Phil

[Jim Andrew]

I bought the Grizzly G0609, wanted the 16" jointer, but settled for the 12". Price was about 1/3 so that was it for me. It weighs about 1000, and I used my skidsteer to set it in the shop. Also ordered the Byrd head for it, anybody need a 4 blade cutterhead? The Griz is as good a jointer as any other import, no issues with me. Jim

[Dave Avery]

I took the easy stuff off - the fence, the sheet metal parts, and the stand. I was a little apprehensive about taking the stand off because this is a parallelogram jointer and I wasn't sure how the everything was bolted together. Turns out it wasn't a big deal to take it apart or put it back together.

I should mention that I have a Harbor Freight 2-ton shop crane (a great deal at $120) in my garage. I used the crane to lift the jointer onto a refrigerator dolly. It took four of us to push the jointer/dolly through the kitchen and to the head of the stairway.

I laid two layers of 3/4" plywood to form a ramp on the stairs. I used two layers because I wasn't sure a single layer would hold the weight. At the head of the stairway I have a coat closet. I bolted a 1200# capacity electric wench (another Harbor Freight buy) to the closet floor using lag bolts into the floor joist. We strapped the jointer to an appliance dolly and rolled it to the head of the stairway. I used two 2-ton lifting straps to connect the jointer/dolly to the wench.

The scariest part was pushing the jointer over the top stair onto the ramp. But by using the wench to lower the jointer down slowly and a couple of us on either side to keep it on the ramp it all worked out with no problems. I don't think I could have accomplished this without the shop crane or the wench as this thing was way too difficult for even four guys to lift unassisted.

Take care.

-- Phil

Phil,

Yikes! Sounds like a well thought-out plan. Thanks for taking the time to reply. Best. Dave.