Newer Ridgid jointer or older Craftsman jointer

[RobW]

My plan has been to buy a used (70's or so vintage) Craftsman 6" jointer for my home shop. Just some small pieces of furniture, etc., nothing production. I had seen them sell on Ebay for $100-$125, just waiting for one to show up locally (Chicago area).

A few days ago I met a guy who will sell me a newer Ridgid jointer for $180. Apparently his father bought it, used it for a short time, then passed away. I do have a dust collector that I'll be using, and the Ridgid appears to be set up better for the 4" hose, but other than that, is the Ridgid worth the extra $$$?

Being the cheap-skate, I would rather spend the extra $$$ on wood, unless there is a compelling reason why the newer machine is worth it.

What do you think?

Rob

[Sbtypesetter]

Used the Craftsman. Yuck. Have been in a number of shops over the years. My favorite was a big 12" The Porter or the 10" Delta. Look for cast iron. Older (so far) has always been better. Have used a very well tuned 4" Delta and it was wonderful. Just be sure the jointer has gibs, and two, not one adjustable beds. The rest is easy to fix.

Hey, when I walk down the street all the cheap people bow down...they think I'm their king. I hate to spend money, but I've always paid whatever it took to get a top quality tool and have never regretted it. The high price of a good tool is paid only once. The high cost of using a poor tool is paid every time you use it and again when you try to sell it. -Rick

[RonB]

I am a tight Irishman myself. My philosophy in being a cheap-skate is to buy as much quality as I can afford, so I don't have to buy twice. I am not familiar with the Rigid so I cannot speak to it. However the mid-70's is the era when Craftsman started moving away from the all-iron machines they sold previously. I just sold a 50 year old Craftsman 4" jointer and it was a solid as a fire plug, just not big enough. I also sold my mid-70's version of the Craftsman table saw and it was no where near the same quality. It did ok for several years but still, less machine.

If you want to save money in the long run, raise you sights a little - Delta, Jet, Grizzly to name a few. Frankly, I just put out extra $$$ on a Powermatic 54A 6" jointer knowing I'll never have to buy another.

[patriarch]

[e-mail] (RobW) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

The Ridgid jointer at $180 is a pretty good deal. It got decent reviews as a small shop machine in one or two of the more prominent woodworking magazines.

You won't mistake it for a Powermatic 54A. You will have $500 to $600 less invested, however.

There is always a more sophisticated, more powerful, more expensive tool available. It won't always fit you shop or your budget, however.

You may also want to Google the archives for Craftsman jointers. A recent thread told of a challenge one of our regulars had with his...

Patriarch

[Greg O]

If it is the Craftsman jointers I am familiar with, they are junk! I looked at a few over the years that were for sale in the local rag. Everyone the tables were loose as a goose. No way you could getr any accuracy with one. I would not give ten cents for one, let alone $100! The Ridgid jointer is ten times the jointer of the Craftsman. Greg

[Ian Dodd]

I recently bought a new Ridgid 6" from somebody in the same situation. Pad $250 for mine. The machine got good reviews in FWW. Took me about 2 hours to assemble. So far, I have been extremely pleased with it (can only compare to the giant Delta 12" at the local college). I would say for $180 you'd be satisfied with the savings and the lumber you ould buy with the left over money.

Ian

[RobW]

Well, I spent the money and got the Ridgid. It's the model ---6101. Basically the same as the new one in the stores with a semi-enclosed base. It looks like it's barely been used. The guy was even nice enough to load it in his truck and drive it to my house.

After many, many years living in Los Angeles, I forgot how nice people can be in the midwest. I haven't even been flipped off in the car in months.

Rob