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Thread: What am I missing? 12" Jointers

  1. #16
    change over is fast ive never thought about it or it being a bother. You can joint long material on any jointer the combo is 69" total I can do any length you only need support and it does not have to match and be an extension of the tables it only needs to be support for the material.

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phillip Mitchell View Post
    I tend to work with enough long finished lengths - plenty in the 7-8’ range - that having long beds on a jointer is a real blessing and not something I would dismiss as unimportant, but everybody is different, does different work and has different needs. I think these types of discussions are good and are made much more useful when folks talk a little bit about what type and scale of work they do so that their opinions and preferences are qualified beyond blanket statements.
    That's a very important point and it's clear that your work benefits from the longer tool. It's an important reminder that we really have to look at what we do and how we do it when considering what tools are best for our needs. While I believe that many and maybe even most folks can work effectively with more modest capacities, that's not everyone for sure! I'm very attractive to "wide" over "long" in that respect.
    Last edited by Jim Becker; 12-31-2021 at 1:31 PM.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  3. #18
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    I can't imagine jointing a 1X12. My 6" jointer handle my needs. I also have a thickness planer that will joint 1X12.

    A sander also helps.

  4. #19
    I operate on the principal of not crosscutting unless and until I have to. I can glue rips together but once the crosscuts are made, that's it. If I can flatten a full length 8' or 10' board or rip I will do it and leave my options open, so a long bed jointer (mine is about 84" overall) is helpful.

    I do use the jointer for getting the edges free of saw marks and requiring minimal sanding. Facing and thicknessing before jointing gives me the ability to joint with the grain direction, and a combination machine would trip me up there.

    If I did have a combo I would want a powered planer rise and fall to speed up the changeover. The actual elapsed time is one factor, but the annoyance of switching back and forth is at least as significant. I can plan out processing a cutlist, but there are always unexpected tasks that require both functions during the day- jigs, cauls, blocking and whatnot.
    Last edited by Kevin Jenness; 12-31-2021 at 5:58 PM.

  5. #20
    Planning the work is important using a combo. I again have a four function combination machine in my garage and again have to be organised, and to mill a bit of extra stock at least to square and flat if not to final size. Since I am a hobbyist I am willing to sacrifice convenience for a smaller footprint. There are certainly compromises involved, but they are ones that I am happy to make. I found my first combo machine frustrating until I developed the ability to think through every step of the project and plan accordingly. Obviously sometimes the wood has other ideas and you have to backtrack, but not all the time, and not all the wood.

    I probably spend about an hour a year cranking the beds up and down. At the most, 30 seconds at a time.

    If I had a big permanent single-use shop with fixed dust collection I too would choose big seperate machines, and lots of them.

  6. #21
    Definitely in the separates camp however I have no space so combo it is, having powered table with dro makes it less painful and really not a huge deal - if i was actually trying to make any real money then I would make separates work but thankfully I don’t need to do that anymore. I think my tables on my combo are 86” and no real issue processing 8’ - 10’ lumber

  7. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by lowell holmes View Post
    I can't imagine jointing a 1X12. My 6" jointer handle my needs. I also have a thickness planer that will joint 1X12.

    A sander also helps.
    I can. I do it frequently with my glued up 16" panels! Then plane them. A3-41! I had a 6" jointer long ago. Then a 12" J/P. Then a 12" helical head J/P. Now a 16" helical head with carbide knives. I don't see myself going bigger, bit the capacity is amazing. 13" wenge boards? No problem!.

  8. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    It's an important reminder that we really have to look at what we do and how we do it when considering what tools are best for our needs.
    So true. I have (had) a huge old planer and a separate jointer in my standalone garage workshop. It was easy to get them in there and I had plenty of room for them.

    But I am finishing up a 1200 mile move to our 'retirement home' and my shop will be in the basement. I probably needed the extra planer capacity once of twice over 20 years. It's not worth it to move them and try and get them into my basment.

    So, here's my plan.... I have a Hammer A3-31 combo on order. That will live in my basement shop. I also picked up a Dewalt 735 planer that will be in my garage (along with a track saw and maybe a miter saw.) That Dewalt will be part of my 'break it down before bringing it down to the basement shop' strategy.

    Like Jim says....everyone is different and needs change over time.

  9. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph Sorrentino View Post
    Hi all,

    I'm in the market for a jointer and doing all the normal research (and more). What I can't get my head around is that it seems a good 12" combo machine (jointer+planer) is under $5k, whereas all the brands that offer a combo machine also have a 12" standalone jointer that costs more money (almost all are more than $5k).

    Why does a standalone 12" jointer cost more than a 12" jointer/planer combo?

    Thanks,
    Joey
    I had researched this a while back when I was looking for more jointing capacity. I looked at combos with no intention of ever using it as a planer. All the combo machines I looked at seemed to be much lighter built then a stand alone machine. The fence on the combos seem to be not as nice imo either. I ended up buying a 16 inch stand alone powermatic. It has about 50 to 60 percent more horsepower and about double the weight. As others mentioned the beds are quite a bit longer too. It seems to me the larger jointers are built for more industrial or daily use then most of the combo machines. There is certainly a place for both machines but if you are looking for just a larger jointer I would recommend getting a stand alone machine. The powermatic is nice however the inserts (if you go helical) are 2 sided vs 4. The powermatic inserts are pretty expensive especially since they one have half the life of a 4 sided style.

  10. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Mitch schiffer View Post
    I had researched this a while back when I was looking for more jointing capacity. I looked at combos with no intention of ever using it as a planer. All the combo machines I looked at seemed to be much lighter built then a stand alone machine. The fence on the combos seem to be not as nice imo either. I ended up buying a 16 inch stand alone powermatic.

    I don’t think you were comparing apples to apples, if it’s the Asian PM 16” jointer that you are talking about. If it is then for example the Felder ad941 would be a closer comparison, about the same dollars about the same hp is available in 3p the tables are longer on the PM (true with any standalone jointer) the ad941 actually is heavier by a few hundred and I would have no reservations the durability and build of the ad941 as a standalone jointer in a busy shop. I haven’t looked at the specs but I am pretty sure the equivalent SCM is in the same ballpark as the Ad941.
    Last edited by Jim Becker; 01-02-2022 at 10:27 AM. Reason: fixed quote tagging

  11. #26
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    I don’t think you were comparing apples to apples, if it’s the Asian PM 16” jointer that you are talking about. If it is then for example the Felder ad941 would be a closer comparison, about the same dollars about the same hp is available in 3p the tables are longer on the PM (true with any standalone jointer) the ad941 actually is heavier by a few hundred and I would have no reservations the durability and build of the ad941 as a standalone jointer in a busy shop. I haven’t looked at the specs but I am pretty sure the equivalent SCM is in the same ballpark as the Ad941.[/QUOTE]

    This could be the case I did research it quite a while ago and most of the machines I looked at were ones I could get from my local supplier which don't cary Felder or scm. I looked at mostly 12" models and compared them to 12" combos. I haven't personally used or seen a Felder or scm combo in person, but i did compare a 12 inch jet combo to a 12 inch grizzly jointer and the grizzly did seem heavier built to me.I was just about to pull the trigger on a new powermatic or laguna 12" when I found a relatively new 16" powermatic some about the same price.

  12. #27
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    Dec 2021
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    I did look up the scm mini max 16 inch combo it is about half the weight and has about 40 percent less hp then the grizzly, laguna, or powermatic stand alone. Scm does look like they make a heavy duty model but that is still 500# less and the hp wasn't listed. I didn't see the specs or price on Felder just a marketing page. Maybe I'm missing something too. I'm not sure.

  13. #28
    Mitch, I’m not a fan of SCM stuff either, but many find them a good value. I like the old stuff. One thing that doesn’t get mentioned much
    is the old machines will take off 3/4 “ in one pass. Some will take off a whole inch. How do you know a good one? It doesn’t look like
    it’s been used as an anvil. I like 2 knife or 3 knife ….4 knife is too slow.

  14. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    Mitch, I’m not a fan of SCM stuff either, but many find them a good value. I like the old stuff. One thing that doesn’t get mentioned much
    is the old machines will take off 3/4 “ in one pass. Some will take off a whole inch. How do you know a good one? It doesn’t look like
    it’s been used as an anvil. I like 2 knife or 3 knife ….4 knife is too slow.
    Mel, what makes a 4 knife slower?
    Thanks
    Ron

  15. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    Mitch, One thing that doesn’t get mentioned much
    is the old machines will take off 3/4 “ in one pass. Some will take off a whole inch.
    I have gotten a few laughs from the decal on my Powermatic 160 that warns against cuts deeper than 1/2". It's nice to have a planer that might be capable but I can't imagine wanting to come close. If I did I would resaw the material.

    I can see where a deep cut on the jointer could be used for a rabbet, but that would be about my last choice of method for rabbeting. For hand-fed facing I would be very wary of deep cuts. For edging, I prefer sawing close to the line.
    Last edited by Kevin Jenness; 01-02-2022 at 12:25 PM.

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