Jointers

[Dave Bagwill]

So, are jointers, as a rule, a real PITA to set-up and maintain? It seems to most people that jointers are finicky and a lot of trouble, but perhaps those folks have bad technique or something.
What is your experience, and how much would I have to spend for a 6" model. Is benchtop good for light use?
Thanks

[Rick Milliken]

My perspective is that of an amateur but in general they do take a little tweaking but then are pretty reliable. A lot depends on how they are used and what you are running through them.

Changing/ sharpening blades is the biggest challenge but with practice it can be done.

I have a 6" floor model that I have used for years and only had to change blades a couple of times. You should be able to get a good brand name one (Jet or Grizzly in the US) for $5-600.

I have had some exposure to the smaller bench top models and I'd stay away from them. If budget and/or space are considerations I'd buy the best hand plane I could for the money instead.

[ken cierp]

I'd suggest a machine with at least a 36" bed, leveling adjusters for in feed and out feed table and a magnetic blade alignment tool. These machines are built heavy to reduce vibration and are designed to stay in proper adjustment. The long table eliminates the need to perform a balancing act while feeding the material over the cutting head -- so I would agree that the bench top models are not a good choice. Matter of fact We had one and never got it to work repeatedly with precision.

[john shelton]

I have a high quality American made Powermatic 6" jointer with a long bed that I bought new about 50 years ago. It never worked properly until I had the beds surface ground so that they are perfectly level. After the surface grinding (about 20 years ago) it has worked perfectly. Plate joining is effortless. I have several sets of knives and change them at least a couple times a year.

[Dave Bagwill]

Thanks all.
I bought and picked up a very clean and hardly used Craftsman Pro jointer yesterday, yeah it weighs a tone, 6 1/2" x 48", 1 and 1/2 hp. I'll do some preliminary trials later on. I took a nasty spill off the back of the pu truck so my right side is a little gimpy for probably a few days.

The seller, a very nice lady whose husband had passed on, also had a barely used 16" scroll saw. So I bought both items for $100 - she just wanted the stuff outta there.

[Kevin in California]

Wow nice score Dave. If I had room I'd have a jointer like that. The old craftsmans are around for sale all the time here.

[ken cierp]

Nice! Hope you are feeling OK