tedfmcm Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Jointer has been the next big powet tool on my list and given the Jet/Powermatic sale going on now, I think the time has come. My current thought is to go 'big' for the 8 inch jointer and buy once and done, and after reading some other discussions, the need for a helical cutter head is probably unnecessary, especially given the cost, and better applied in perhaps upgrading my 735 with a byrd head later. As a result, thinking about the Jet JJ-8cs coming in around $1,250 as a good blend between quality and bang-for-the buck. I couldnt find many newer reviewis on this jointer so was wondering if anyone has any insight or concerns I should be aware of before pulling the trigger. I have a Jet table saw and dust collector and so far have liked them so far (minor issue with belt noise on the TS aside). Thanks, Ted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 I think Jet is generally overpriced for what you get, even with the 15% off and free shipping. At that price point I'd probably go for the Grizzly G0490X for a couple hundred more. You'll get a spiral cutterhead, 10 more inches of bed length, one full extra horse of power, parallelogram beds instead of dovetailed ways, and a mobile base. Not even close to a hard choice. But some people can't break the spell of the white paint. The difference in quality will be fairly insignificant IMO. If you want bang for your buck, this is it: http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-Jointer-w-Spiral-Cutterhead/G0490X 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 I agree with Eric that there is probably no difference in Jet vs. Grizzly quality. Eric's recommendation is great but even this machine will gain you 4 knives, longer beds, and mobility for less than the Jet. Plus there is 150 lbs. more mass. http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-x-72-Jointer-with-Mobile-Base/G0656 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Usually grizzly has an option to have a byrd head installed before they ship. The cost for this upgrade is usually less than the cost of a machine pre-configured with Grizzly's spiral cutterhead. Do you need a spiral head on a jointer? I have had both and like the spiral cut more. Anything I can do to reduce sanding and tear out is a win in my book. Yes, freshly sharpened straight HSS knives are sharper than carbide, but what hobbyist gets their knives sharpened as much as they should? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 The Grizzly jointers are pretty nice. I've got a G0593 which is an 8" with 75" bed that has a helical head. Does a great job. Has dovetail ways, however I've never shimmed them and according to my straightedges the beds are nice and straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgreenb Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 I think Jet is generally overpriced for what you get, even with the 15% off and free shipping. At that price point I'd probably go for the Grizzly G0490X for a couple hundred more. You'll get a spiral cutterhead, 10 more inches of bed length, one full extra horse of power, parallelogram beds instead of dovetailed ways, and a mobile base. Not even close to a hard choice. But some people can't break the spell of the white paint. The difference in quality will be fairly insignificant IMO. If you want bang for your buck, this is it: http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-Jointer-w-Spiral-Cutterhead/G0490X +1 on this. This is the jointer I have, and I would highly doubt that the jet jointer is any better at all, let alone better enough to warrant the price difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 I've got another vote for Grizzly. Be prepared for a few headaches and fine tuning along the way to getting it perfect (in your eyes). Can you get a perfectly tuned machine off the pallet? Yup. Can you get a bent fence and crooked tables? Yup. But the customer service will fix that for you with a smile until you are satisfied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vyrolan Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 These Jet sales always make me sit and stare at the 12" jointer/planer combo... Both of the regular and helical version move the thousands digit down 1 with the discount, so the price always looks so much better. =p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 I don't have the Grizzly Jointer that Eric spoke of but I have had my Grizzly jointer since 1992, my model is not in production any more but I would have to say the quality is there. I have only had to replace the power switch in that time and that was just a few years back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim0625 Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 I think Jet is generally overpriced for what you get, even with the 15% off and free shipping. At that price point I'd probably go for the Grizzly G0490X for a couple hundred more. You'll get a spiral cutterhead, 10 more inches of bed length, one full extra horse of power, parallelogram beds instead of dovetailed ways, and a mobile base. Not even close to a hard choice. But some people can't break the spell of the white paint. The difference in quality will be fairly insignificant IMO. If you want bang for your buck, this is it: http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-Jointer-w-Spiral-Cutterhead/G0490X I've been looking at these more lately and can't quite wrap my head around the lever height adjustment vs wheel. It is so smooth and natural to crank the wheel a couple turns and it's done. It seems that the lever could be an up and down, back just a little...there that's it kind of usage. What do you guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Only time I ever touch my jointer wheels is right after changing knives. I think it's more about parallelogram vs dovetail adjustments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 I've been looking at these more lately and can't quite wrap my head around the lever height adjustment vs wheel. It is so smooth and natural to crank the wheel a couple turns and it's done. It seems that the lever could be an up and down, back just a little...there that's it kind of usage. What do you guys think? Why do you need to be exact on a jointer. For jointing I set the board on my bench, eyeball how far it needs to be cut, drop the table about that far and just joint it usually hit it in one pass. The only reason to be accurate is tapering or rabbeting and Ive never had an issue with the lever being difficult to set. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgreenb Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Why do you need to be exact on a jointer. For jointing I set the board on my bench, eyeball how far it needs to be cut, drop the table about that far and just joint it usually hit it in one pass. The only reason to be accurate is tapering or rabbeting and Ive never had an issue with the lever being difficult to set. During initial setup (or after changing knives) it helps to have a wheel vs. lever, since you do need to be exact when setting table height. But otherwise I agree with you. I pretty much keep mine at about 1/32 and leave it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 During initial setup (or after changing knives) it helps to have a wheel vs. lever, since you do need to be exact when setting table height. But otherwise I agree with you. I pretty much keep mine at about 1/32 and leave it. You don't need to move the table when changing knives. The knives are set to the cutter head not the table. Why leave a jointer at 1/32? If the edge of a board is out 1/4" It would take eight passes vs just one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedfmcm Posted March 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 I did look at the Grizzly, but after reading some reviews, particurally around the fence alignment issues/haveing to lock it down and never move it, (as well as all the grease), wondering if the couple hundred 'more' is worth it. Also understanding the customer service is great, and they can resend/exchange, lugging these components and being home to ship/recieve/re-set up, again not sure saving a couple bucks is worth it. Saw the comment about subbing in a byrd head which i would consider if i wanted to go segmented, as it is my undersanding the grizzly head is not truely helical. Finally, seeing that I have a basement shop and the Jet is already heavy...not really sure another couple hundred pounds is a good thing ha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedfmcm Posted March 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Why not use the four square system to straight line the edges and use a sled with shims on your planer to flatten the face. This way you save ALL that money and can't get any better results. Plus there are headaches associated with the setup, changing the knives, etc. Really comes down to time saving...with the time i get in the shop, i really dont want to spend a lot shimming/reshimming pieces when i could just run it over a jointer and get onto the 'fun' stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgreenb Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 You don't need to move the table when changing knives. The knives are set to the cutter head not the table. Why leave a jointer at 1/32? If the edge of a board is out 1/4" It would take eight passes vs just one. I don't have a straight knife jointer so perhaps I was mistaken on that point. To the second point, I've had better success with less tearout using smaller passes and I'm in no hurry. Eight passes vs. one pass probably takes less than a minute. Also taking a 1/4" cut on my jointer seems like a lot, even if it's only the edge. Maybe I'm wrong but I'd rather take lighter passes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Boyett Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Why not use the four square system to straight line the edges and use a sled with shims on your planer to flatten the face. This way you save ALL that money and can't get any better results. Plus there are headaches associated with the setup, changing the knives, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgreenb Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 I did look at the Grizzly, but after reading some reviews, particurally around the fence alignment issues/haveing to lock it down and never move it, (as well as all the grease), wondering if the couple hundred 'more' is worth it Yes the fence system is garbage. You might have even come across my post on that topic in your search. But I never use my fence other than 90 degrees so I just locked it down and it's been fine for me. I check it every time anyway. It's literally my only complaint about the tool. Full disclosure I don't own any recent jet tools but I haven't been impressed with the ones I've seen in woodcraft. I fail to see how they're any measurable amount of higher quality than grizzly. Certainly not hundreds of dollars better for a comparable unit. Just one mans opinion, that and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee, Etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 RB 1951 Because that is introducing a workaround as a common practice out of context. Shimming a wide board for a planer is well and good. For 90% of narrow stock that would be a colossal waste of time. It is a question of time vs money. At some point your time is worth more for a lot of folks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 I don't have a straight knife jointer so perhaps I was mistaken on that point. To the second point, I've had better success with less tearout using smaller passes and I'm in no hurry. Eight passes vs. one pass probably takes less than a minute. Also taking a 1/4" cut on my jointer seems like a lot, even if it's only the edge. Maybe I'm wrong but I'd rather take lighter passes. With a helical you are very limited. They take more HP and have a very shallow max cut depth, thats why I took mine off. They are fine for dressing lumber but are a pain to actually process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Yes the fence system is garbage. You might have even come across my post on that topic in your search. But I never use my fence other than 90 degrees so I just locked it down and it's been fine for me. I check it every time anyway. It's literally my only complaint about the tool. I don't think I would accept a fence that could not be used. I tend to use my tools for all their worth. Cant really justify turning a versatile machine into a one trick pony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 You don't need to move the table when changing knives. The knives are set to the cutter head not the table. Why leave a jointer at 1/32? If the edge of a board is out 1/4" It would take eight passes vs just one. Chip-out is the reason for not taking a hog 1/4" pass. Why not take thicker passes on the table saw and clean up on the jointer, kiss the edge with 1/32 pass slick and nice no risk of chip-out. -Ace- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgreenb Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 I don't think I would accept a fence that could not be used. I tend to use my tools for all their worth. Cant really justify turning a versatile machine into a one trick pony. To me the jointer is a two trick pony. Flatten a face and square an edge. That's why I'm ok with having the fence locked down. I definitely understand what you're saying but for every other jointer operation I would rather use another tool. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 4, 2015 Report Share Posted March 4, 2015 Chip-out is the reason for not taking a hog 1/4" pass. Why not take thicker passes on the table saw and clean up on the jointer, kiss the edge with 1/32 pass slick and nice no risk of chip-out. -Ace- The jointer preps the edge for the tablesaw unless you use some sort of straight line jig. I did not suggest using a jointer to hog off a 1/4" edge. I suggest lowering the table the amount of the bow. This means you may start cutting at 1/4" and by the time you get to the center of the bow your cut is very shallow and it gets deeper again as you exit. Making 1/32 passes does not remove any material the majority of the pass with a 1/4 bow. Chip out is a non issue with this sort of cut unless it's figured grain related. When you set your table like this the vast majority of the cut is well under 1/4 only the very beginning and ends are at a deep depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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