Delta 8" jointers: HELP: "Precision" v. "Professional" & "DJ20" v. "DJ-20"

[TheNewGuy]

How many 8" jointers does Delta have!?!?

Just got the latest ToolCrib today, and I'm hoping some of you kind folk can shed light on the differences between these Delta machines:

8" DJ20 Precision Jointer (#37-365X) - $1670 8" DJ-20 Precision Jointer (#37-350A) - $1350 8" Professional Jointer (#37-380) - $1050

All seem to be 1-1/2 hp motors, 115/230 1-phase; 3-blade cutters. The "X" is part of their Xtreme line, 5-yr warranty there.

Other than the marketing brochure highlights, can anyone offer any more practical/operational differences between these 3?

Thanks much, Chris

[B a r r y]

The two DJ-20's are nearly identical, the X-5 has a longer warranty and a free tool or mobile base. DJ-20, as well as the DJ-15 and DJ-30, have tables that move on parallelogram levers. They are nicer to use and easier to adjust than most comparably priced, sliding dovetailed machines.

The 37-380 uses dovetailed ways for the tables to move, like cheaper 8" and most 6" machines.

Shop around, two of us here bought 37-350A's for $1099 last year. AFAIK, the 350A has been discontinued in favor of the 365X.

Barry

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

Free? It looks to me like that "free" tool runs $320.

[GregP]

I'm pretty sure that that expired as of 12/31 anyway.

[B a r r y]

Delta's words, not mine. Don't forget the "EXTREME Savings Book" and extra warranty!

I bought the non-X5 version.

Barry

[biggmutt53]

The 365"X" version is the same machine as the 350"A" but I suspect the A is being phased out. I got my A for about $1200 at a wood show. X may get you some extra goodies like a mobile base if the promotion is still on, but otherwise the only difference is a 5 year warranty and some snazzy decals, which I don't think is worth an additional $300+. My 2 cents is that the 380 is lighter duty and of the older design as someone noted, and the A is in my judgment well worth the extra $300 over the cost of the 380. If the warranty is important to you, get the X, but with either the X or A you will have no regrets and its likely the last jointer you'll ever need.

Mutt.

[TheNewGuy]

Thanks Barry. Where's "here," in "two of us here bought..." ?

Know of any websites that illustrate the difference between the dovetail ways and the parallelogram ways (for those who are New, like me :))

-Chris

B a r r y wrote:

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

I know... I've seen that same sort of crap at work. We used to get an employee's discount in the cafeteria. Then they built a food court and when it opened, dropped the discount. When I complained, they said that was "so everyone could enjoy the same low priced food". As I pointed out, that would have been fine had the food been low priced.

$5 for a meal of high quality hospital cuisine doesn't count as a bargain in my book. Where I currently work I can eat lunch for about $3.25. *That's* a bargain. For jointers, I was looking at the Yorkcraft YC-8J as a possibility. Compared to the Deltas, *it's* a bargain at $625.

[B a r r y]

rec.woodworking.

As far as demonstrations, look at the pictures. All dovetailed machines have that angular shaped center section, the tables slide up and down on them.

Look here:

Parallelogram machines have tables that move within the main body:

Barry

[Mark Howell]

Does the X have a better fence? My 350A fence is a pos...

[Electric Stu]

Seems like Tool Crib (Amazon.com) just ran out of the 350A's two days ago, minutes before I was going to buy one. It's hard to justify laying out the additional $320 for virtually the same machine with an additional three years of warranty. The mobile base is only worth $90. I'm going to look at the Grizzly 8" spiral jointer before I make a final decision.

Stu

[Ba r r y]

The Grizzly machine that's truly comparable to the DJ-20 is the $1800 parallelogram machine.

Barry