# Thinking about buying a jointer-recommendations?



## Fish30114 (Feb 20, 2018)

I am getting deeper and deeper into woodworking and my friend says I should get a jointer since we want to be building laminated boards and such. So I'm thinking I should go with an 8" jointer, I want to figure out if I should get a parallelogram (sp?) style one or would a Laguna Shear Tech II with the 'wedge bed' be good? I want to keep the budget under 2K if that's reasonable, the Laguna's seem to jump up to 3K if I get their 8" parallelogram models. I think I can get a Grizzly for around 1500 that is similar, just don't know if it's a good tool or not?

Any advice/input is welcome.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Brand really doesn't matter that much, just get one with the longest table you can find. If you didn't mind getting a phase converter you could probably find an old 12" jointer with your budget. There isn't anything wrong with buying used. I think my jointer was made in 1960.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

A jointer is a very simple machine. Don’t be afraid of used machine that test out well. 
Like Steve says above, some of the older equipment was made very solid. My jointer is a about 67 years old. For a home shop, a 6” jointer is sufficient. For a full blown professional operation, a larger jointer might be needed. 
Long bed length, fully adjustable fence for angled cuts and a rabbet table are features to look for.


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## sbrader (Aug 27, 2015)

I have a small-ish 6" jointer and I really wish I had gotten something different. There are so many times that I wish I had gotten an 8" jointer with longer beds. I just find that the 6" limits me sometimes when I have access to wider boards. I'm sure I'd probably want a 12" if I had an 8", but I'll go in baby steps... 

In any case, my recommendation would be to look for an 8" jointer with long beds.

Scott


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## Fish30114 (Feb 20, 2018)

Thanks for the feedback so far folks, I am certainly not past buying a good used machine, there just aren't many I've found close by and being handicapped it's hard enough to recruit (or hire) help to get it down from my driveway to my shop (in the basement) much less going somewhere to pick one up somehow.... so buying a new machine has multiple benefits to me. I am leaning towards a Grizzly right now as I can get a better or comparable one for about half the money going to Grizzly


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## Sawdustmaker99 (Feb 1, 2018)

I’ve got a yellow paint USA made Powermatic 8/72 jointer. It’s single phase and in mint condition. I bought it used for $800 and was one of the most useful tools I’ve bought. It’s leaps and bounds better than the 6/42 grizzly it replaced.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

I feel certain you will enjoy a brand new Grizzly jointer. 
Starting new, it should last your lifetime.


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## tewitt1949 (Nov 26, 2013)

When it comes to jointers, longer the better.


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

If you’re buying new, consider a helical cutterhead if it’s offered.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Owned one of these....*



tewitt1949 said:


> When it comes to jointers, longer the better.





Quickstep said:


> If you’re buying new, consider a helical cutterhead if it’s offered.


I sold it because my plans for a large mill room didn't pan out, not because I didn't love this jointer.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-x-72-Jointer-with-Mobile-Base/G0656
Free Shipping as well!

It the basic 8" model, but there are upgrades if you want them.... a parallelogram bed and a spiral cutter head:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-Jointer-with-Spiral-Cutterhead/G0656X
Some guys love the spiral head, I donno, I've never owned one. They both got 5 star reviews on this page:http://www.grizzly.com/jointers


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## ORBlackFZ1 (Dec 25, 2013)

woodnthings said:


> I sold it because my plans for a large mill room didn't pan out, not because I didn't love this jointer.
> http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-x-72-Jointer-with-Mobile-Base/G0656
> Free Shipping as well!
> 
> ...


I have an "old" (Jet JJ-12 built in the 70's). I bought it used from a retired woodworker that had purchased it new. I paid $1000 for it in 2011. I changed the knife head to a Byrd/Shelix spiral head in 2013 for $800. All my power woodworking tools (table saw, band saw, cyclone, oscillating sander, surface planer) have been upgraded to Grizzly over the years, but the JJ-12 is staying until I die. If I didn't have the Jet JJ-12, I would have purchased a Grizzly jointer or sold my surface planer and bought a Grizzly Jointer/Planer combo to save floor space.

The Jet bed length is 84" with a width of 12".

My criteria for selecting a jointer:
1. Bed length - the longer the better. If you don't work with long boards, then you could go with a shorter bed. I typically joint 10' long boards. As long as the sawyer (that's me) has made a fairly straight cut, then the 84" length works well. Sometimes when the sawyer was having a bad day, I will have to pull out a hand plane and take off some high spots.

2. Bed width - depending on what board width you are using, go with the widest you can afford and fit into your shop. I also have a 20" wide surface planer. In order to get >12" boards jointed, I will rip (using a ripping blade, not a combo blade) them down the middle, joint one face of each board (make sure it is the same face of the original board) and then glue them back together on the rip line. Now the >12" board is ready to be run through the surface planer. If the rip line is placed correctly, it is hard to tell the board was ever ripped and then glued back together.

3. Easy cutter height change - Most of my wood starts with logs in my backyard. I usually take off 1/32" at a time for the face jointing. There are times when the "sawyer" (that's me) wasn't as accurate as he should have been cutting a straight line. I find that some edges, will need 1/8" removed for a couple of passes to get closer to a straight edge. After the edge is straight, I will change the cutter height to 1/16" for a pass and then 1/32" for the final pass. So, I may change the cutter height 3 or 4 times per board.

4. Cutterhead - This really depends on straight grain or non straight grain woods that you work with. Knives work great for straight grain woods. I work with a lot of non-straight grained woods, so spending the extra money for the carbide spiral head was easily justified.

I upgraded to a spiral head because:
1. the long curls from the knives were constantly clogging my pre-seperator (Thien Top Hat).

2. I had 600+bdft of big leaf maple that was constantly being torn up by the knives, even after being sharpened by hand.

3. No knife sharpening 

4. No knife setup

Here are the additional benefits I have found after switching to the spiral head:
1. The spiral head noise level is far lower head than the knife head. I have to be careful and remember to hit the jointer off button when I am done using it. 

2. The spiral head produces a smooth surface. It is so smooth that on some woods I can just use 220 grit sandpaper for the finish sanding. With knives, I would have to start with 100 or 120 and work my way up through 150 and 180 before using the 220.

3. Changing a broken or dull carbide cutter is so easy. I have only had to change one since I installed the spiral head. I do recommend that you purchase a special torque handle to install the cutters. I found one on Amazon for under $50.

Eric


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## Fish30114 (Feb 20, 2018)

Thanks for all the input, and ORBlackFZ1, I currently have a couple serious Belt Sanders (I make knives) and also have a brand new Rikon 12" helical head planer, a Rikon 10-326 14" bandsaw, and a Grizzly 10" table saw, The big dog Powermatic 2800 B drill press, and a Rikon spindle sander and Rikon 6x48" belt sander- horizontal machine, and a 19" wide SuperMax drum sander---so that's why I am thinking jointer.
Sorry for any confusement I may have caused, I appreciate all ya'lls input.
I checked on Grizzly's 490X, a parallelogram helical cutter jointer and it's not available til April 1. I spoke to a very knowledgeable sales gal at Southern Tool and she recommended a Jet that is also a parallelogram helical cutter model 8" jointer and it is about $400 more than the Grizzly but it's available immediately--so I'm not in a huge hurry but that sounds like a good alternative to me?? Input Opinions on that??


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## Fish30114 (Feb 20, 2018)

Well I think I've found the only 8 inch helical cutter parallelogram bed jointer in stock anywhere--it's and Oliver 0008 and they seem to have a rep for good quality well built machines--what say you folks?: http://www.olivermachinery.net/machines/jointers/0008


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## ORBlackFZ1 (Dec 25, 2013)

Fish30114 said:


> Well I think I've found the only 8 inch helical cutter parallelogram bed jointer in stock anywhere--it's and Oliver 0008 and they seem to have a rep for good quality well built machines--what say you folks?: http://www.olivermachinery.net/machines/jointers/0008


Nice looking jointer! Has some good specifications! The big questions is what does it cost delivered to your door?

Eric


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## hawkeye10 (Feb 18, 2015)

I have a 6" Jet jointer that I bought used for $300 and it works well for me. I make small things so a bigger jointer isn't worth the extra money. I mostly use it to joint edges. At the lumber yard, I buy straight run lumber which is 13/16" thick and one straight edge. You can do the same thing on a table saw. Just put the straight edge against your fence cut the uneven side off then flip it around and cut the other edge. Of course, at times you need to square the edges and you really need a jointer. You can also joint small pieces on a router table. What I am really trying to say is don't put all your money in a jointer there are a lot of other tools where you need high-quality tools rather than a jointer. How about a really nice table saw or a router table.

Let me add that men always want bigger and better and I am included.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*You need an 8" jointer....?*

Why do you need a jointer? You can straighten edges on a table saw with a jig, BUT you can not flatten a surface that way. Why do you need a flat surface? 
The primary reason, and not all that obvious, is safety for use on the table saw because a twisted board will rock or shift, causing the blade to bind and kick back the workpiece. 
The second and most obvious reason, is to flatten and smooth the surface on one side in preparation for use in the thickness planer. Jointers only flatten and straighten one side at a time, they do NOT make opposites sides parallel, like the thickness planer.
The third reason is to create two surfaces that are square to each other, another operation that can also be done on the table saw.

If you are using rough sawn lumber, a jointer is a must have machine. That's because the wood may be twisted, cupped and curved and the jointer is the only machine that can fix that. So, how wide a jointer do you need? How wide are your boards, typically? Boards that are more than 6" wide are not only more expensive, but may have a tendency to cup, if not properly dried. Further, most woodworking applications for wider boards are making table tops or cabinet sides, large panel glue ups. If that's not in your project category, you can probably just use a 6" jointer. If your projects include farm style or harvest tables, then a 8" or even a 12" jointer will be your best choice.

I got by with a 6" jointer for 30 years and still use it for my primary surfacing operations. I have made a planer sled to surface boards up to 12" wide for my thickness planer, an operation I rarely need.
I also have a 13" Min Max jointer/planer, but again, it is rarely used for boards that wide. The last time I made a shop door from 2"X 10" planks and glued them up, I planed them down using a power planer and hand plane to flatten the whole surface, much like a table top.
If you can make a 40" wide glue up and keep all the boards perfectly flat, you are doing really well!


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## tewitt1949 (Nov 26, 2013)

Nice looking Oliver jointer. Although I've never had an Oliver product, they do have a good reputation from what I've heard. I'd bet it is pricey though, but I'm sure you would be happy with it. I have a used/well used/abused 12" (old american brand)that I've rebuilt and readjusted everything so it works good enough for me. I bought it with out a motor and it had been in a fire. I'm sure it got hot but didn't burn the paint off, just black and nasty looking. Clean up and repaint, looks brand new now. At one point I had buyers remorse, but glad I stuck with it now. I might have $400 into it.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Nov 25, 2008)

The new Oliver has nothing to do with the old Oliver. Nothing more than someone buying the name and sticking it on a line of Asian machinery. 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## Fish30114 (Feb 20, 2018)

Warner constInc, I am becoming aware that you are right, is there a particular jointer you recommend? Also do you think a parallelogram bed is a must have?
That question is to all of course!


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## WarnerConstInc. (Nov 25, 2008)

Fish30114 said:


> Warner constInc, I am becoming aware that you are right, is there a particular jointer you recommend? Also do you think a parallelogram bed is a must have?
> That question is to all of course!


My favorites are the old 3 toe style, porter, American, Yates American, Northfield, moak, Sidney, etc. I rarely mess with anything under 12" wide. Right now I have 3 12" machines (3toe style), a 16" Yates getting a hermance head, a 16" griggio, a 25" German machine and a 30" American. 

All those bought for well under your budget, but all needed some work. 

All will be sold for well over your budget. 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Not many here have the parallogram beds.... apparently.*



Fish30114 said:


> Warner constInc, I am becoming aware that you are right, is there a particular jointer you recommend? Also do you think a parallelogram bed is a must have?
> That question is to all of course!


Here's a pro and con discussion on that feature:
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...y/wedge-vs-parallelogram-jointer-beds-255346/

The primary and theoretical advantage is that they can be adjust to close down the gap between the cutterhead and the lip of the table. What that offers is vague to me other than a slight safety advantage. The older 3 leg jointers are wedge beds if I'm understanding the research I've done. But really older ones have a square shaped cutter head, now ruled "illegal" by OSHA. for use in production shops. My buddy has an old Porter with that style cutterhead with no issues. :|


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## Fish30114 (Feb 20, 2018)

Thanks for that feedback, I am still trying to decide which one I need to buy if I do in fact need one--which I'm thinking I do.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The difference adjusting the bed down on a wedge jointer is so slight I can't see it making a difference unless you are jointing material that is so short you shouldn't be doing that anyway.


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