Does this sound workable?

[Cliff Polubinsky]

I've got funds set aside to replace my Ridgid 6" jointer and Dewalt 735 planer with the Grizzly parallelogram 8" jointer and the 15" planer, both with helical heads.

Noticed last night the air conditioner for the house might be on it's last legs. If so I'll be replacing it with a high efficiency heat pump.

I can take a good chunk out of the cost if I defer one of the 2 replacement machines. What I'm considering is replacing the planer and hold off on the jointer for the moment. The 6" jointer will work for narrower boards and edge jointing. For wider boards I can do the initial face flattening with hand planes enough to run it through the planer to flatten and dimension both sides. Then I can replace the jointer later when funds get replenished.

Is my reasoning sound? Anything I should look at differently?

Cliff

[Erik Christensen]

Cliff

that is what I would do but it is driven by what I typically build and what my material options are. here in socal there is no such thing as rough hardwood that I can find - everything is S3S because after you ship it 1,000 miles + there is not that much to be saved by buying rough - 99% of my jointer use is edge jointing so other than the tearout issue there is not difference to me between the 2 jointers but pretty much every board goes through the planer so to me that is the best tool to upgrade

YMMV

[Rod Sheridan]

Cliff, I would look at a combination machine before replacing separates.

Less floor space used, better match between equipment ( can joint a piece as wide as your planer), cost savings.

I purchased a Hammer A3-31 to replace an 8 inch jointer and a 13 inch planer, sold the old machines for more than the Hammer cost.............Rod.

[Jim Riseborough]

If the airconditioner goes out, find a dealer that offers 0% financing. ( Home depot does, I just replaced mine with a Trane, and got 2 years 0 %)

[Yonak Hawkins]

Cliff, you're replacing two machines, each for 2" of increased capacity and for significantly more robust machines. Additionally you'll be getting more length in your jointer. It seems like a wash as far as increased utility. If there is another factor, such as soundness of the existing machines, I believe that would be the decider. I, myself, based only on what you posted, would go for the jointer, but that's strictly a personal perspective. I'm sure you have factored in the income from the old machines when you sell them in your decision-making.

[Jim Riseborough]

I have the grizzly 15" jointer with the Shelix head. It inspired me to buy a shelix head for the 6" ridgid jointer I have. Now, since I am also moving, I am inspired to sell my 6" jointer and look at a 8 or 10 inch jointer. Go with the biggest you can afford, and also the best.

And, I was still able to repalce my air conditioner!

[Cliff Polubinsky]

Rod,

I seriously looked at the Hammer and Jet combinations. Even called Hammer and got a quote. I was pretty sold until I watched a youtube video of someone using one and realized that it unfortunately wouldn't fit into the way I like to work. The switching back and forth wouldn't be too much of an issue but having to loose all me settings with each switch was a drawback.

Cliff

Cliff, I would look at a combination machine before replacing separates.

Less floor space used, better match between equipment ( can joint a piece as wide as your planer), cost savings.

I purchased a Hammer A3-31 to replace an 8 inch jointer and a 13 inch planer, sold the old machines for more than the Hammer cost.............Rod.

[Andrew Hughes]

I vote for a jointer not because I think you need one I just like jointers.Its like having a big upside down hand plane fantastic.Good luck with your decision. Andrew

[Bill Adamsen]

A wide long jointer would be my first choice likely. Flattening - a critical operation - as you suggest on a planer just doesn't work. But the planer you have should work fine right and replacement blades are very inexpensive at $20 (compared to a Grizzly indexed cutter set at $250).

Not to recommend a JP combination, but most come standard or have an option of the analog or digital counting devices for height adjustment. This pretty much eliminates the setup issues mentioned (though not other objections not mentioned here). I have a 16" combo and use the indexer all the time. My machine is covered with little pieces of masking tape with repeat settings, and I record those settings in my design book in case I have to go back and recreate something for an installed job. The increments are 1/100th of an inch, but you can easily replicate to about five times that accuracy (1/500th). I suspect that's better than I can do with a vernier and test blocks - certainly faster. People's passion's reach religious fervor on the topic of combo machines and I don't mean to inflame those. But I do recommend the repeatability benefits these counting devices offer for whatever planer you buy.

AnalogCounter.jpg

[Matt Meiser]

Yep, some kind of DRO negates the switchover setting loss. The precision of even the cheap iGaging units is enough that you can do one more board a day later and not have any noticable thickness difference. I don't know about the others, but the Jet could change over in maybe 20s. I hate doing stuff like that and even I didn't mind.

Or, there are plans out there for building a sled to flatten boards in your planer. Basically a big sled, a way to hold down the work, and wedges to allow you to keep the board from rocking on the sled.

[Evan Patton]

+1 on the Jet 12" jointer/planer. Change over is about 20s. I do not switch a lot, but it's painless when I do. Plus Jet is having a 15% off sale going on now. Oh, and the helical head is QUIET. I'm sure the Hammer is a great unit as well--it was out of my price range and Jet had free lift gate delivery so I stopped looking when I found that out.

[Victor Robinson]

I replaced those same tools with the same two Grizzly tools. In order to defer some of the cost, I ordered the non-spiral versions of the machines, and bought the Byrd heads separately.

[Jim Andrew]

I have the 15" grizzly planer, with the grizzly helical head, works great, and a GO 609 jointer with Byrd head. I'd hate to have to back up to an 8" jointer. I replaced my furnace and AC a couple years ago, with the highest efficiency they had, has been a great thing. The AC is colder than the old 15 year old unit, and it costs less to operate. I had the installer put the old AC in the shop, so didn't waste any money replacing a good running unit.

[Jim Matthews]

If the airconditioner goes out, find a dealer that offers 0% financing. ( Home depot does, I just replaced mine with a Trane, and got 2 years 0 %)

Ooh. That's clever.
Thinking inside the big Orange box.

Kudos

[George Bokros]

I will chime in on the heat pump part. I lived in Kentucky in the late 70's and had a heat pump. Now in general the winters in KY are milder that here in NE Ohio and even in KY I would never have a heat pump again. The warm air supply is cold to the skin surface and the house felt drafty. I do not believe the small, if any savings at all, justify my house to feel drafty.

Just my two cents.

George