Now you guys have me thinking a bit. Replacing my lunchbox planer was in my 5 year plan anyways and the Grizzly 12" jointer planer is in stock. I do a bit of work with figured maple and am already sold on a spiral head.
Does anyone have expirience with Grizzly's new cutterhead that appear to have an angled cut angle like the Byrd instead of their previous heads with inserts perpendicular to the cut? Good enough finish quality to glue up as is or lightly sand for a reveal?
The only downside of the combo machine is the bed size is significantly smaller at 59". Also upgrading from a lunchbox planer to this combo really isn't getting you much more than what you have because your capacity is the same. So the combo machine really does two things kind da mediocre for such an expensive machine. I say that without ever using it, just assuming based on specs.
I was also considering the 12 inch jointer as well but here was my logic for the 8 inch...
I was looking at a steelex 1013 with spiral cutter head. This is a 12 inch looks like a rebranded Grizzly for 2500 shipped. Where the equivalent Grizzly is 2950 with shipping and out of stock... The only thing is customer support.... But they are in stock right now...
I am getting a chainsaw mill soon and will have a lot of slabs over 12 inches which still won't fit on a 12 inch jointer. So then the question is since I will either have to mill one side flat with a router jig for live edge projects the 12 really does not become beneficial. The only time it would become beneficial is how often I actually integrate a board that is, in its final dimension, for a project, greater than 8", which I really have not run into often... So is double the price justified for the 12“? Or does the money go toward a sawstop?