I think it's a gloat.

[Lowell Holmes]

I decided it's time to give up on holding out for an 8" jointer and since the flier from Woodcraft had the Jet 6" jointer prices at $499, I said why not.

First I looked at Lowes and checked out the $350 Delta jointer.

They didn't have a roll around base to go under it and it is 3/4 hp, and the fence mechanism is not what I like.

If you look at Amazon, they had it all, but the Delta base was about $150. Your back up to $500 plus shipping, Oh well.

I really wanted the Jet with the base and it was going to cost me $600 and I would have to drive to a store 30 miles away, but there would be no shipping charges. Sixty miles round trip at 42 cents a mile is over $25.

Then Texas Tool Traders come into the picture. There is a store less than 10 minutes from my house. They had the jointer I wanted ( the Jet), but their price was $549 plus $89 for the base. I decided I would not drive 60 miles to save the $50 difference, but the total price is now pushing $700. :-(

I told them to ring it up and behold, the jointer had been marked down $100, but the salesman didn't know it until it was rung up. So I bought the jointer for less than $600 (with the base and tax included), also the jointer was put together. I brought it home, put the roll around base behind the tail gate , and slid the jointer over the tailgate, slipping it into the roll around base (by myself), rolled it into the garage-shop, checked it out, fired it up, prepared some 4/4 red maple I'm using for a project. I'm pleased. :-)

I've bought a lot of tools from The Texas Tool Traders, you might want to check them out.

[Toller]

I'm not even sure its a good buy; it certainly isn't a gloat. But, I am glad you are happy with it; that is more important than having a gloat.

[Lee Michaels]

Having The Texas Tool Traders located ten minutes from your house certainly qualifies as a gloat.

[James "Cubby" Culbertson]

Just for the future, you may consider a Shop Fox base if you want store bought (from Grizzly). I've got one under my cabinet saw and another under my 8" jointer and they work well. Of course the other option is to build your own which is simple enough. I usually don't let a deal pass me by due to the mobile base price. Cheers, cc

[purduephotog]

*grin*

I was incredibly fortunate- I have been watching Craigslist *every* day at 5am and 5pm for used jointers. An individual there was selling the JET 6" for 225$- retail 499$- AND he threw in a pair of spare blades- AND he gave me two glass carboys for my winemaking AND, a week later when I offered to buy out all of his wood stock, he gave it to me for free.

To top it off? My neighbors are woodworkers and the one gave me a moble roller platform to slip under the base for the JET so that he could use it whenever he needed (I didn't need the encouragement- I love my neighbors).

So... may I add on to your gloat? :)

[Lowell Holmes]

The reason I was pleased is that the Jet jointer is the one I wanted, but I thought it was outside the price I was willing to spend. I had set a $500 target, and looked at cheaper, inferior (IMO) machines. I knew that every time I used the cheaper machines, I would regret not getting the machine I wanted. When I was able to get the set-up I really desired, I was elated. I'm still pleased, however, in the category of gloats, you bring me to my knees. I yield! :-)

I do have a tiny gloat however, I won a door prize at a recent saw mill open house. The prize was 25 board feet of 4/4 red maple. I just finished preparing it for a project and it now is sitting on my bench, perfectly flat, and 3/4" thick. I flattened about 12 board feet with my hand planes, but did the rest on the new jointer. I thickness planed the on my venerable Delta 12 1/2" planer. That rascal just keeps on going. It is about 6 years old. I certainly got my money's worth out of it.