Jointer Reccomendation???

[rich]

Hi All,

Santa was Veeerrrrrry good this year. So, I'm looking for a jointer.

6" size, 220VAC is available. I read the archives, but nothing recent. I'm convinced Grizzly makes good table saws, but don't know squat about jointers. I will be using it on lighter projects, and will probably continue to buy finished boards rather than rough cut boards. Hey, this is a HOBBY, not a job!

Any brand suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Rich.....

[Jay Pique]

I'll get it out of the way now - get the 8" Grizzly G0586. You'll appreciate the larger size and you won't find a better deal, at $700 to your door.

JP

[Toller]

Whatever you can find used. (of course the switch on my used Delta just broke, but I can afford 10 new switches and be ahead of buying new...)

[Tyke]

I know any excuse to buy tools, but if you are going to continue buying finished boards, I am not sure of the value of a jointer.

I am using my 6in jointer less and less, and I buy rough cut lumber. I use the planer and table saw more and more.

I now prefer to straighten the edge "close enough" with a hand plane, and then use the table saw to get the opposite end straight, then flip the board for actual cutting. This seems to give me a better result in less time.

I am one of many jointer owners who finds it too easy to joint a straight board and result in a curved piece. It is all in the technique - and I have not mastered this one yet.

Dave Paine.

[kkfitzge]

Pssst... Rich - Dave wants you to buy his jointer.

[djazz]

Rich,

I have the Yorkcraft YC-6J 6" Jointer from Wilke Machinery. Thus far no complaints, I have had it for about a year. Bought it based on good review ("best value" award) in FWW. Current price is $339 +shipping. They also have an 8" version. Here is a link

[xstrange]

Hello Rich;

I've had one of the Grizzly 6" jointers for about 10 years, and it's served me well. I don't remember having any significant problems with it. With a little care in setup it cuts straight. I've reground the knives and rechecked the setup a few times over the years. I don't use it a lot (maybe a few times a week), but it's handy for putting a quick straight edge on a 2-4 ft long board. The only modification I made was a better switch mounted on a raised post behind the bed. I don't like having to bend way down to shut a machine off!

The 6" jointer doesn't have a whole lot of horsepower, so you have to be reasonable about the depth of cut. I regularly use mine on 8/4 hard maple, set to take off 1/32" per pass. If you expect to be jointing stacks of long, heavy boards, then the 8" jointer would be more suitable because of the extra power and rigidity.

I have 6 or 7 Grizzly machines in my shop, and overall I'm satisfied with them. They're not perfect out of the box, but with a little tweaking and a few modifications, they've been workhorses.

Bruce Johnson Johnson's Extremely Strange Musical Instrument Co. Burbank, CA

[No]

I second that - I went to their showroom expecting to take one home. I ended up taking the 8" home instead. The 6" just looked sooo puny next to the 8"! Anyway, I am very happy with the unit.

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

There is a lot to be said for buying an 8" jointer to begin with. I doubt seriously you'll need to buy bigger in the future, and I also doubt you'll regret the sheer manliness of the beast. Mine is a pleasure to use (a North State/Sunhill clone).

I can't say that for the 6" Delta that it replaced.

[JJ]

Count me in with the "shoulda just bought the 8 inch" crowd. When folks tell you to forgo the 6" and go directly with the 8" - listen to them. You will spend less in the long run, since you won't take a hit when you sell your 6" in order to buy the 8".

-jj