I see lots of comments from people that they'd like to have a longer jointer, but don't necessarily need a wider one. So why don't manufacturers make 6" jointers with the same bed length as today's 8" jointers?
- Owen -
manufacturers
They do, but it multiplies problems with the iron castings, takes up space, and gains relatively little over the shorter, given effort by the operator.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
manufacturers
My 6" Powermatic 54A's bed length is only 10" shorter overall than the DJ-20
8", and the outfeed tables are the same length on both machines, 32".That is not to say that the extra width and length does not make the DJ-20 a more useful machine, but the 54A is a pretty fair compromise when it comes to utility and the amount of storage space the machine takes up in a small shop.
I used to think of my shop as "small" ... I now realize, at least for how much I do in it, it is actually "tiny". Still count it as a blessing, tho.
manufacturers
Powermatic 54a exists in answer to your question. For those who buy it as their first jointer, it may be the last jointer they purchase.
Bob
Now THAT's exactly the kind of answer I was hoping for. Looks like at about two years' worth of tool budget for me, so it's good to know I won't have to buy it twice.
- Owen -
Wouldn't selling a product that fills a market void increase both?
Look what the minivan did for Chrysler in the 80's.
Barry
The Powermatic is well made, by the accounts I have seen. But I find it interesting that there are 8" jointers on the market that can be had for a similar cost.
FWIW, some people swear by the 8" over the 6" width (Tage Frid, for example). I suppose it does depend a lot on what kind of woodworking projects you do, whether you will miss the extra 2".
I've got the 6" PM and today I could have used the 8. AAMOF, I could have used an 8 yesterday too... Anyway, with 4/4 material about 8" wide, I can run it through the planer (18" piece of oak is sufficiently stiff that it isn't about to bend under pressure from the rollers) without ending up with non parallel faces. I took light cuts and miked it when done--perfect. If the raw stock wasn't of reasonably even thickness, of course I'd have been out of luck.
Dave
Jim Weisgram wrote:
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