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Thread: Upgrade table saw or get a jointer

  1. #1

    Upgrade table saw or get a jointer

    I have been a member here for awhile but have never posted. So, hello.

    My wife has finally given me the go ahead to spend some money. But I can only get one new tool right now. It will likely be until Christmas until I can get the next one. I started woodworking about 18 months ago and got the Ridgid R4512 saw shortly after I started. It's fine but not the best. Should I upgrade my table saw now and purchase a jointer later (I don't have one at all), or get the jointer now and wait on the table saw?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
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    Sean, I'm not familiar with the Ridgid, so had a look on line. It looks a fairly decent saw, good enough to get you by for a while, too good to upgrade for the sake of upgrading when you can add to the equipment with something equally important.

    Now I do not know how much your budget it, but I would consider a jointer-planer/thicknesser if you can extend to this. Ideally 12" but even 10" would be an advance on any 8" jointer you could purchase. Consider used machines, if necessary. That would give you a set of foundation machines to prepare boards from rough.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Cohen View Post
    Sean, I'm not familiar with the Ridgid, so had a look on line. It looks a fairly decent saw, good enough to get you by for a while, too good to upgrade for the sake of upgrading when you can add to the equipment with something equally important.

    Now I do not know how much your budget it, but I would consider a jointer-planer/thicknesser if you can extend to this. Ideally 12" but even 10" would be an advance on any 8" jointer you could purchase. Consider used machines, if necessary. That would give you a set of foundation machines to prepare boards from rough.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Derek

    Thanks for the reply. I currently have a stand alone planer. My budget right now is about $2000-$3000.
    Last edited by Sean Bice; 05-30-2018 at 10:11 AM.

  4. #4
    I see you have a planer already (that would have been my vote).

    I'd get a jointer next and then a bandsaw. Then I'd consider upgrading the table saw if you think you need to.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    I see you have a planer already (that would have been my vote).

    I'd get a jointer next and then a bandsaw. Then I'd consider upgrading the table saw if you think you need to.
    Thanks. I have a bandsaw, drill press, dust collector, etc. The biggest thing I am missing is a jointer. So far suggestions seem to be for a jointer over the table saw upgrade. I would probably only be able to get a 8" jointer.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    black river falls wisconsin
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    Not all shops have/need a jointed but I do and with your budget would get 12 helical jointed
    If not already have good blades for tablesaw buy some. I really like the freud lately.

  7. #7
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    +1 on the jointer. One thing we're good at is spending other people's money ;-)

    I rarely need more than an 8" jointer but, frequently found a 6" too narrow. This will vary with how you prep your stock. I don't mill large boards and then cut parts out of them. I select material and breakdown stock into over-sized blanks that are large enough to be milled safely but, not so large that I have to overcome defects that will just get removed later anyway.

    The larger than 8" and insert-head versus knife debates can wage on and on but, you are asking for our opinions. Mine is an 8" insert head, primarily for the figured materials I use but, almost as important is the cost savings over time. My insert heads paid for themselves years ago based on my previous knife sharpening/replacing schedule. I picked up a full replacement set for one machine during an introductory offer along the way so I've saved even more. You can do this too if you know what you are looking for and react when the opportunity comes along.
    Last edited by glenn bradley; 05-30-2018 at 10:57 AM.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sean Bice View Post
    Derek

    Thanks for the reply. I currently have a stand alone planer. My budget right now is about $2000-$3000.
    Sean, sell the planer and get a combo 12" jointer-planer. You will not look back with a 12" jointer! Amazon has the Jet for $2200.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Cohen View Post
    Sean, sell the planer and get a combo 12" jointer-planer. You will not look back with a 12" jointer! Amazon has the Jet for $2200.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Is the 55" long bed good enough? I see a lot of jointers have 76" beds.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
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    859
    Jointer gets my vote too.

    You have a pretty decent table saw plus some of the other things a shop needs. I would get a jointer (how big depends on the types of work you plan to do) and maybe a better saw blade for the table saw.

    I only have a 6.25" Rigid jointer but it was given to me. I'm happy with my jointer and planer that I have. If an when I start doing lots of projects that require wider lumber then I'll upgrade.
    Marshall
    ---------------------------
    A Stickley fan boy.

  11. #11
    Join Date
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    Perth, Australia
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    Sean, 55" is ample for the furniture I build. I have never felt that the beds are short. I was aware that the bed was too narrow when I had an 8" jointer.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  12. #12
    Join Date
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    Toronto Ontario
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    I suggest the 12" J/P combo, as others have said................Regards, Rod.

  13. #13
    Join Date
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    For me, more important than a jointer would be a good track saw, like the Festool.
    "Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're doing."

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by andy bessette View Post
    For me, more important than a jointer would be a good track saw, like the Festool.
    Thanks for the input. I have a track saw, it's a great tool.

  15. I took a look at the table saw online too and it looks perfectly serviceable to me too.
    spend time and adjust it so the blade is perfectly square to the table top and the miter slots.
    Then get the fence adjusted parallel to the blade and square to the table top.
    Finally spend the money and buy a Woodworker II 40 tooth blade. The one that lives on my saw has the flat top tooth profile and I like it a lot.

    Now how how would I spend your $2000-$3000 budget ??
    Not knowing what electricity you have installed I will stick to 120v tools.
    Only knowing that you have the tablesaw and a planer you can add a lot more very serviceable tools to your shop with $3000.
    Many here have good luck with used tools and I am not opposed to that route, but I am not going to do refurb to get one going...so I am a new tool kinda guy.
    6" jointer the hobbyist standard issue, $600 for the Ridgid jointer at Home Depot every day. I have one and love it, would 8" be better...sure, but it's a lot bigger, needs 220v, and costs a lot more.
    14" bandsaw another hobbyist standard around $1000-$1500. Laguna and Rikon are the popular ones now and they are nice saws the 14-12 or the 10-326 would be very nice. I sill think the cast iron Delta clones made by Jet are very viable options too. I have the Jet entry level 14" saw, I like it a lot. I have spent money upgrading it and would like the Deluxe Pro at $1030 better. Depending on how you feel about Grizzly you may find good value there.
    Wow I still have almost half of your budget left.
    I would spend a good chunk of it on a dust collector and I wouldn't mess around with the Harbor Freight solution. I would get a 1 1/2hp Jet or Laguna cyclone. No they aren't in the same class as Oneida or Clearview but they are quieter, very compact, run on 120V, and will do a good job.
    There's still enough money to buy an ambient air cleaner if you want one too.

    Good luck, have fun, anytime you want me to spend you money let me know.

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