Ideal jointer size?

[jteneyck]

I started out with an Inca 10-1/4" J/P.  Loved that machine and had it for more than 25 years.  It's a small little machine but never held me back and I make some pretty large stuff.  Then I moved up to a 14" MiniMax J/P.  Love that machine even more than the Inca.  I would have a gotten a 16" one had one come along before the the 14".  

You can never have a jointer, or planer, that's too wide.  Simple as that.  Buy the widest one you can afford.  And buy used.  Why would you buy new when there are so many good used machines out there for 1/2 the cost of a new one?  I bought my Inca used at half price and sold it for what I paid for it 25 years later.  OK, 25 years later those $'s were worth a lot less, but you get the point.  I paid about 1/3 the price of a new MiniMax for the 25 year old machine I now have.  That's not a lot less than that machine cost new, but it's still 1/3 the cost of a new one today, so the seller and I were both happy. 

Everyone's needs are different, but in my world wider is better.  I would much rather have a wider, used, straight knife jointer than a new, narrower, segmented head one at the same price.  My drum sander takes care of any tearout. 

John

[dg152]

Keep in mind that with a 6" jointer you can go up to 12" in width. Joint your wide board as you would a narrow board then flip it end for end. You may get a bit of a line down the board where the jointer blade ends but you should be able to take care of that at the planer. By the way, to do this little trick you'll need to remove your blade guard. It probably goes without saying but I'll say it anyway - be sure to use the proper push sticks to protect your fingers and hands.

I did this little trick a number of times with my 6-inch jointer and it worked well.

[KingwoodFan1989]

Keep in mind that with a 6" jointer you can go up to 12" in width.  Joint your wide board as you would a narrow board then flip it end for end.  You may get a bit of a line down the board where the jointer blade ends but you should be able to take care of that at the planer.  By the way, to do this little trick you'll need to remove your blade guard.  It probably goes without saying but I'll say it anyway - be sure to use the proper push sticks to protect your fingers and hands.

I did this little trick a number of times with my 6-inch jointer and it worked well.

Eh, I can see how that would work with certain boards, but it would have to be nearly flat already or warped proportionally across its width and length to work consistently. I did see this idea on youtube in the past couple weeks that removes the guard and stuff. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Io_ihuE8Rs Again, though, it's just nicer to be able to use the tools the normal way.

And John, I know what you mean about getting used equipment. I'm a drummer, and I do the same thing for cymbals, as 99% of the time the good ones aren't cheap when bought new. Are there places that buy and sell used stuff or did you just buy your jointer more privately (ebay, Craigslist, etc.)?

[Stwood_]

I've gotten along fine with an 8" Griz that I bought from Griz at the scratch and dent sale and got it in shape.
If....*if*....I need to flatten something wider that 8, I just rip it in half, joint, flatten, then glue it right back together, then surface plane the other side.

[Dave Diaman]

My advice is to buy the biggest machine you can afford. I started out with an 8” jointer thinking it was all I would ever need. In a few years I bought a 12” jointer thinking it was all I will ever need. Now I’m about to sell my 12” jointer and buy a 16” machine. I would be built a 20”- 24” machine but I just can’t fit anything larger through the door to my shop. You will never complain that your jointer or planer are too small.

[jteneyck]

And John, I know what you mean about getting used equipment. I'm a drummer, and I do the same thing for cymbals, as 99% of the time the good ones aren't cheap when bought new. Are there places that buy and sell used stuff or did you just buy your jointer more privately (ebay, Craigslist, etc.)?

When I've looked to upgrade I keep my eye on Craigslist and look on E-Bay.  I'll consider anything within a 300 mile radius if the price is right.  I had to drive nearly 300 miles one way for the MiniMax J/P but it was well worth it to me.  There are places like irsauctions.com, too, that have online auctions of woodworking equipment, too, but I've never bid on anything although there clearly are some great deals to be had.  My preference is to find equipment owned by a hobbiest.  Most of those machines have only ever seen light use.  If you buy used industrial equipment you may be getting a higher class of machine but it might have been run hard for many years without proper maintenance.  You just don't know.  In any case, I want to see and run the equipment if at all possible before closing the deal.  That inspection quickly reveals if it's a keeper or something to pass on.  I did actually pay for the MiniMax before I saw it, but it was contingent upon seeing and running it.  The only machine where we went only on pictures and a phone call was when I helped my friend buy an industrial 16" jointer.  A Zefam.  Talk about an aircraft carrier.  1600 lbs, almost 100 inch beds.  That transaction turned out OK, too, although the motor was bad even though the selller said it was OK.  But we got it for such a good price (and a partial rebate for the motor) that even having to buy a new motor and ship it 500 miles only made it a slightly less than great deal. 

Patience and diligence are the traits required to find good used machines, and then being willing to strike immediately when you finally find one that meets your needs. 

I'll leave you with one last thought.  No one ever says their jointer is just too big.  Of course you can rip down wide boards to joint them and then glue them back together.  But they still won't look as perfect as being able to joint it as one board.  When would that ever be important?  How about for door panels or cabinet sides?  Buy the biggest you can find and afford.  And don't think of it as the last one you'll ever buy.  If you need an even bigger one down the road, or actually decide a smaller one will fit your needs fine, you'll be able to sell the one you have for close to what you paid for it if you bought well, something you'll never be able to do if you buy new.   

John

[WilliamHodge]

I've had a 6 inch Grizzly jointer for almost 9 years now, and while it works well

Buy the jointer you need.

Old jointers work well for cutting boards flat and straight, but will leave a rough finish. A planer and table saw will leave smooth square wood. Parallelogram jointers aren't that hard to true up. Motors can be switched out.

[barryvabeach]

The tables on the Jet are 27 inches each.  I just finished jointing stock that was 2 inches thick by 10 inches wide, nearly 7 foot long, and was able to do it pretty easily, though I set up two roller stands, one on the outfeed, one for the infeed.   For most normal sized stock, I don't need the roller stands.    Combos have some quirks, but for me, well worth it.

[jteneyck]

Buy the jointer you need.

Old jointers work well for cutting boards flat and straight, but will leave a rough finish.

How old are you talking about?  I've seen jointers made in the 40's that leave a beautiful finish.  With good bearings and sharp knives it's hard to beat those old iron monsters with their massive, large diameter cutter heads for smoothness.  

John

[KingwoodFan1989]

How old are you talking about?  I've seen jointers made in the 40's that leave a beautiful finish.  With good bearings and sharp knives it's hard to beat those old iron monsters with their massive, large diameter cutter heads for smoothness.  

John

I did a quick look on craigslist and ebay, and it seems like the older jointers (especially ones like Oliver made) are even MORE expensive than brand new ones would sell for after the same number of years. Did machines used to be more expensive or something? I'm sure tools being made in more efficient facilities (with cheaper labor in some cases) helps bring the price down quite a bit, but I'm interested as to why the older models seem so much more expensive.

Also, I know Grizzly makes 10" combo machine, but the length of the tables is only 40" total, which is actually somewhat SHORTER than the ones on my 6" G0452. Also, call me OCD, but the planer width is listed a quarter inch shorter than that 10" in the title. I like to have like a quarter to a half inch of extra wiggle room with jointing and planing. Even without that little annoyance, doesn't 40" seem INSANELY short, especially for a jointer with a 10" cutterhead? It's too bad, cause it's less than $1500 before shipping and tax.