Jointer Thoughts - How Big?

[Chet]

Submitted on the old forum by Kev

So, the old adage of "buy once cry once" is valid (to me) when it comes to jointers. Buy the biggest baddest you can afford and you'll never regret it!

Not, reality is that many of us bought entry level 6" jointers to get in the game. Frankly, that's fair and it is what it is.

Now you're in a little better position and able to upgrade that original jointer. Are you really going to spend all that cash for 2 extra inches and buy an 8" jointer?

For me, the answer is easy. Hell no! I've done a lot of cool projects with a 6" jointer although, I do have a drum sander. I can seriously count on one hand in the last year where I've said "gee, I sure wish I had an 8" jointer". So, for me, an upgrade will be just that, an upgrade! I have no interest in an 8" jointer! I'll go big or stay with what I have.

Additionally, there's the conversations around the helical head or the straight knives. Mine has the straight knives and I'll admit that I just don't understand the craze around the helical head. Yes, I understand that it's helpful for those doing a bunch of work with highly figured stock but, lets face it, the average hobbyist is using stock lumber from their local hardwood dealer and getting no real benefit from a helical head.

So, my 2 cents worth, if you're in a similar boat to me, don't waste your money on 2 extra inches and a head that you get no real benefit from! Save your money!

Ok, rant over on jointers.. Go ahead and beat me up and prove me wrong now!

Follow up posts

1) I'll bite.

8 inches is too small... 

A friend bought an 8" PM jointer and is over my house at least once a month jointing wide boards. Also, my planer is wider and smoother too...

He makes alot of tabletops so the width is required. Simply takes too much time or mess with other workarounds.

Same as anything really. It depends. I buy big wide boards, so I have a big ass jointer

2) Kind of my point in general Mel. If you're going to upgrade from a 6" jointer, why would someone spend the money and only go to an 8" jointer? Is 2" worth the money? I don't think it is.

Now, if you don't have a jointer then, the 8" is a great place to start. With that said, I've never regretted my 6" jointer especially since it has the long beds.

3) I was in your camp Kev but the end of last year when I was shopping to replace my 20 year old iddy biddy Grizzly jointer PM was having a 15% off sale which made it just a touch more then the 6 inch.  So I got the 8 inch.  No helical head and that is fine.  On the dinning table and the top for the sideboard I was pretty happy to have the 8 inch.  And sometimes on the first pass of a piece that is a little wonky it helps to be able to run the piece at a slight angle on the first pass, yea you can do that on a 6 inch but...

4) I bought a 6" because with a small shop that is all I could dedicate when I got started. If I was to build a new shop where I had room, I would probably go 16" combo machine. 12" combo is great for jointing, but really as a planer offers little upgrade from lunchbox. As for knives or heads, I don't do a lot of figured wood, and not being a pro would probably stick to knives, unless cost was marginal.

5) When I bought my jointer my thought was I will think about helical when it comes time to change the blades, Soooo I will probably never get the helical.  Last jointer I had for 20 years and never replaced the blade.

6) When I bought my jointer my thought was I will think about helical when it comes time to change the blades, Soooo I will probably never get the helical.  Last jointer I had for 20 years and never replaced the blade.

7) I started with 6 inch and mostly got a eight because I wanted a longer bed. I wouldn't think build doors using 8 inch wide boards on a job.

8 I brought one of these last year has a 200mm width capacity which I'm guessing is that 8inch thing you guys are bleating about. Now I brought a smaller unit back in 2006, it was tiny, bed to bed it was smaller than the length of the smallest bed on the above unit. The thing I hated most about it was the chip extraction. The exhaust port was at the base of a wedge shaped chute and every time I used it it would clog up right back to the blade and jam it up. Didn't matter how much suck the vac unit had it always clogged up, I eventually fixed the machine with a 5.5kg sledge. 

 

The new machine as pictured above, is massive in comparison, weighs many times what the smaller heap of crap did and is in my opinion a stellar bit of kit. When i put this together i had to use my gantry crane to lift the table setup. 

 

I can drop a 6ft length of 2in x 6in botryoides on it and the thing doesn't move. This MOFO weights a ton and its solid. It came with straight blades (which i nicked with a bit of hidden nail) so i just pushed the fence across to hide it. The fence stands tall and which lets me run really tall bit of WOOD along it. There is an option for a helical head which I have been humming and haring about. It would make short work of the Botryoides I usually put through it and they would last longer before I'd need to rotate the blades. 100% of the wood I have so far been using on it is not commercially brought wood. So I guess in that regards I'm not your average user. I use it to get a flat edge and a 90degree edge to the main wood so that when I run it through my sliding panel saw I get parallel cuts. 

AND

The best thing is the chip chute is at the end and bottom of a rectangular drop. I have never had a single issue with extraction on this baby.  

PS. The longer beds are a much needed as well. 

BIG IS BEAUTIFUL

9) Nice!  

Long beds are super important!  

Maybe Mel will post a picture of his beast?

10) I think the biggest thing that makes an 8 inch jointer the final option for most hobbyist is shop space and the other tools that you have. These days it seems like a lot of people are going in the direction of doing away with the table saw and just using a band saw. I think Mel has even talked about this recently. A nice band saw and a Felder beast like Mel's and you could almost set up shop in a 12 X 12 shed and be happy. I have been using a table saw for a long time so even though I have been using the bandsaw more the table saw and for that matter everything else stays.  So the 8 inch is about as big as I have space for. Even if I had Kev's space I think I would still have dedicated jointer and planer, again it is just the rut I am stuck in.

11) All my gear that sits on the floor sits on mobile bases. I can shift anything out of the way if I need the space. If i'm not using something then it sits in the corner out of the way with my Gun Safe.

I use my jointer more than I use the bandsaw. Used my bandsaw for the first time this last weekend in like maybe a year. Sometimes I wonder why I even have it.  I don't have it in the work shop anymore because of this and have it sitting in the Garage attached to the house beside the wood lathe.

12) You're going to have to come for another visit but..  We need to get your woodworking priorities straightened out... 

13) I am working on a project that involves 10” boards and I have a 6” jointer. Kev reminded me of a sled that can be used on my DW735 planer and I’m there. Am I missing something?