There is a good chance I will be buying a new house this year and I’m working on figuring out the cost of building a 20x24 workshop in the backyard. So far it looks affordable and if it’s not too much I might be able to squeeze in the purchase of a jointer, and justify it by building a dining room table with it.
I hear a lot of talk online about people getting 6" ones and wishing they got an 8"
What are your recommendations? I really dont think I would be able to spend more than $1200-$1500 CDN.( $900-$1150 USD).
That is over the target price you were looking at due to spiral cutter head, but they also have the same model with normal blades which does hit your target:
Given my space restriction though, I suspect if I ever get a jointer I will actually build my own based on the parts from a cheap planer as per Matthais’ instructions:
Hmm, in that price range, I think Powermatic would be worth a look. It’s more attractive to me since it could plug into a 110V outlet, but then again a 20A circuit is recommended. For something like this, if you’ve got to run an outlet, does 110V vs. 220V really matter? Or rather, 115V or 230V, as mentioned in the specs.
110V vs 220V makes no difference to me. Will be building the workshop from ground up so I plan to put in a couple 220V outlets. Just in case
I really like the idea of a Powermatic. They seem to make awesome tools, but their prices are a bit premium.
The grizzly looks really good as well. About the same price after shipping, but it’s an 8".
I live a few minutes from the US border so getting them here probably wouldn’t be a big deal if I couldn’t find them in Canada for a reasonable price.
I really don’t know a lot about jointers, but from what I read a really long table will be very helpful when jointing long boards for something like a table. And then I hear about people buying 6 inch and wishing they got an 8 inch.
So I think I really want an 8 inch provided I can afford it.
So what I’m wondering is, what difference am I going to see in quality and performance between a Grizzly 8 inch vs a Powermatic 8 inch?
Keep in mind, this is for hobby use, not a business, although maybe someday make a bit of money on the side would be nice.
Jay Bates (YouTube woodworker) owns the Grizzly jointer and did a review of it recently https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucvcOllxOFs, he seems happy enough with it, but I don’t have direct experience of any brand.
The Craftex brand is essentially the Canadian version of Grizzly, in fact many of their products are identical and made in the same factory, with only a paint job separating them. I believe Shop Fox and King are the same as well. Incidentally Grizzly do ship to Canada now, including these larger machines.
Powermatic is certainly a more premium brand, reflected by the fact that you are paying the same for a 6" with them as an 8" with Grizzly. That being said, for hobby use I’m not sure I would ever justify a premium brand unless it was a tool I was going to use a lot. For example I am lusting after a SawStop but the table saw is my most used tool, if I were to buy (rather than build) a jointer, I would find it really hard to justify a premium brand because I know it would be used less frequently.
Also, I believe Powermatic and Jet are essentially the same now. They are owner and manufactured by the same company is my understanding. As far as powermatic, the wood whisperer Mark Spagnuolo (sp?) uses them almost exclusively. My experience in production shops is with Powermatic jointers and planers, and I always liked them.
I think no matter how wide you go, there will always be a time when you will wish you had a wider machine, same with planers. It mostly comes into play when jointing the face of boards. Also for edges, wider can allow you to move the fence to different spots on the cutter to use the whole width of the knives and go longer in between sharpening.
Thanks for the advice! I’m leaning towards the graftex or grizzly. We’ll see what happens when that time comes. Just hope I can convince myself to spend the money!
My own experience with an old Rockwell-Delta 8 inch and bigger Oliver machines - doesn’t really apply here. But the Powermatic PJ882 has gotten some pretty good reviews. My take n the subject is that its worth spending the money for an 8 inch machine. The typical bed length on a 6 inch machine would make it a real struggle in jointing an 8 foot piece, and could obviously not handle the task of cleaning up 8 inch wide rough cut lumber.
I found a 6" Powermatic Model 50 (the older green color) on Craigslist about a year ago. I am going to attempt to attach a photo of a similar one. He was a doctor that was moving and outgrew his shop. If I remember correctly, I think I paid him $250 for it (He was asking over $300). It needed a lot of clean up. I had to disassemble the entire thing, soak the parts in White Vinegar (works wonders on rust by the way) and then treat all the parts and re-assemble. I added new blades for about $30. So far, after having it about a year, I have not had a need for an 8" and been very happy with it. I would keep an eye on Craigslist in your local area(s) for sure.
Go for an 8". You should be able to find a used General (Canadian made), Powermatic (US made) or Delta (US made) for about 2/3 the price of a new Asian (non-Powermatic) import, if you want to go that route. Or, you can squirrel some cash away, and wait until a European jointer/planer (12") comes up in your local market.
I’m a huge fan of used equipment, especially the higher quality big machines. Bought an 8" Delta jointer off Craigslist a few years ago - incredible quality machine for $700 (with a Byrd head). I’ve outfitted my entire shop with used high end equipment for less than half the cost of new.
I’ve used the 8" width quite a few times, so i’m happy I got it over the 6". For me, the longer infeed/outfeed tables and larger fence on an 8" model are bigger advantages than the extra 2" of width capacity. I highly recommend the 8" over the 6".
If you’re not in a hurry, you can score used Powermatic, Delta, and Jet high end equipment for way less than even Grizzly stuff. IMHO, it’s a world better. One of the key differences I see in the high end stuff is how well it holds settings (“tune”). You spend the time to get it tuned up once, and it holds, which saves a ton of time in day to day use. Many years ago when my shop was primarily mid-range equipment, I spent way too much time adjusting and re-adjusting settings.
Good luck! Post pics of your shop once you’re all set up.
If it’s in good shape and complete, that’s a good deal. There were various models of DJ20, with the earlier ones made in the US or Brazil preferred, but they’re all good. I’ve seen some online complaints about the machines made in China, but I’ve had zero issues with my China built Delta pieces (14" bandsaw and floor standing drill press).
