Helical head for 8" jointer?

[Mel Fulks]

I had heard the carbide was not as sharp. When I finally used some I was surprised at how sharp they were. I think it
that what they really meant is that the grind angle for carbide is less acute. I prefer steel but for those who think that
occasionally plywood and such must be planed ,the carbide is a must have.

[Andrew Hughes]

If carbide was on same level as Tool steel I would like to have a carbide chisel or hand plane blade. I don’t think any of us would ever try shaving with a piece of carbide.
Why is it dismissed the skill to sharpen and set jointer knives. Or read grain direction in a board. These skills come with great rewards. It takes time and practice.
It almost like someone who says they enjoy the outdoors the trees and woods but only if they can ride a motorcycle threw them. Slow down take a walk you’ll might come into contact with much more.

[Cary Falk]

It almost like someone who says they enjoy the outdoors the trees and woods but only if they can ride a motorcycle threw them. Slow down take a walk you’ll might come into contact with much more.

It's not wrong if somebody's journey is different.

To the OP,

The carbide head has many advantages that are list listed in many of the above posts and very few(if any) disadvantages.

[glenn bradley]

To the "jointer or planer" part of the question. I was getting more tearout than planing to final thickness would eliminate in highly figured material so the helical head in the jointer made sense for me. I enjoy the long life of the cutters so when I upgraded the planer I went helical there too. A nice side benefit is that the carbide head pays for itself in a fairly short time and then starts making you money.

[Rob Damon]

Would love to see someone sharpen a straight HSS jointer blade to "scary" sharp mirrored finish and put in a jointer and run some leopard wood across it.... I would imagine the SS would disappear after about a 1" of the board going across those blades ..,......you will use a SS HSS chisel to pare end grain but not in a jointer.

Talking about different tools for different jobs.

Yes you have to be worried about grain direction with straight knives like I have done for 4 decades. And reading grain is not rocket science and does not take more than few minutes to learn/understand. It is not one of high level skills in this field.

[Brad Chenoweth]

I haven't considered how the physics of cutting wood versus metal are different either, which might make a big difference. And as Mel mentioned below, we can achieve greater rake angles with HSS, which could make a big difference in wood as well. For what it's worth, I have always used HSS jointer knives and don't see a reason to change. Good conversation, it's given me some things to ponder. Be well.

[Robert Hazelwood]

I agree with the general advice that if you put a spiral cutterhead in only one tool it should be the planer. But you can't always count on being able to run the jointed face through the planer. Seems like I am often working with boards that are just barely thick enough to get the finished thickness I want. In these cases after jointing I run the other side through the planer until it is cleaned up, and by that point I don't want to remove any more material. So the jointed face is still there, and you don't want it to have any major tearout.

That said, I have straight knives in both my jointer and planer, and I've not had any problems with tearout that would make me want to upgrade. Dealing with random chips on the knives is a bigger incentive.

[Randall J Cox]

I have been using a PM60 8" jointer for years, straight blades seem to be working just fine for me. But, whatever fits your budget. Randy

[Michael A. Tyree]

My 8" Sprunger jointer is likely about the same age as me, they are long out of business. The motor is a huge old 1hp behemoth that spins up fast and once that hug armature is going there's no stopping it! I inherited it from my grandfathers stash who was the maintenance supervisor for what was then the largest chicken processor in the world. It also has straight blades which are actually cheaper to buy new than pay to sharpen, thank you ebay! After owning it for about 40+ yrs why on earth would I change cutter heads? Like said early on , only for noise based on shop location. As for machine sound levels, like most here I'm a one man show and sound wise you better be using ear protection or you'll end up like me! I try to hold onto every bit of hearing I have left! I have ear muffs everywhere I go, hang on farm tractor, sawmill, riding mower, push mower, table saw fence and more. I never ride my MC's or scooter without earplugs either, even though I'm a helmet wearer, hearing rant now over...

[Michael A. Tyree]

Save the money for the planer, if anything. How often do you really change knives? And if you have some mechanical ability and understand how the machine works, knife changes really don’t take that long.

Wasted money in the jointer if you ask me, unless you have enough money sitting around that you’re not worried about wasting it.

This IS the right answer IMO too.

[Allan Speers]

.....As for machine sound levels, like most here I'm a one man show and sound wise you better be using ear protection or you'll end up like me! I try to hold onto every bit of hearing I have left! I have ear muffs everywhere I go, hang on farm tractor, sawmill, riding mower, push mower, table saw fence and more. I never ride my MC's or scooter without earplugs either, even though I'm a helmet wearer, hearing rant now over...

Well said !!!!

[Rob Damon]

For me it is not the sound level for my ears because I always wear ear protection. It is the sound level for the neighbors at 10pm or midnight or later.