Jointer or Planer first?

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I had a 6 inch jointer and found it virtually useless.

Ditto

I consider an 8 inch jointer minimum, and preferably 12 inch.

Double ditto on the 12"
Bigger really is better on the jointer

[Mike Cutler]

Ok if the planer should come first what do I want to look for? I have also been looking at a Jet Planer Moulder JPM-13. Would this do? My limitation is money (as always) and space. But I don't want to buy some thing and then have to rebuy the right one 6 months later. I have learned a lot on this list.

Thanks,
Rob

The JPM 13 is a nice unit. I have the Jet 15" planer.

I wouldn't look at this as "which on comes first", but look at it as how do I optimize my $$$, and still be able to effectively mill material.

The lunchbox planers are a great solution. When they first came out they were a little flaky, but the new ones are very effective machines. According to the things I've read the DeWalt 735 is supposed to give an excellent result.

Look at the planers first, use some additional technique to joint an edge, and purchase a larger jointer down the road.

I agree with Scott, that $400.00 is too much for a used 6" Jet. Brand new out the door mine was less than $100.00 more than that. when I bought it.

Machine choices are always tough. Good luck.

[john whittaker]

Rob, As you can see, opinions vary on this often discussed subject and either way you go you'll want to add the other as money allows. Buying equipment normally involves balancing trade-offs. Here's my opinion:

You have a good cabinet saw and by using a very good sharp blade, you can get a good glue line on the edge of a board. (Owning a very good blade is also safer and all your cuts are improved) For that reason, I would recommend buying a planer first. If you buy surfaced lumber the jointer is not as critical to you at this time. Any good quality lumber is going to be "almost flat" and can easily be flatten out with just a planer. The trade off here is surfaced lumber cost more that buying rough.

As to which planer I recommend...that depends on you. Most 15" floor models are of the same foreign design/manufacture and differ only in cabinet type, motor brand and little options. If you choose a lunchbox model the Delta 580 and Dewalt 735 seem to have many satisfied owners but I'm sure the others are similar. Picking out the size and brand is really your call.

Good luck

[Jim Becker]

I'm a believer in jointer...especially wide ones. But relative to your question, planer first. You'll get more utility out if it by itself than you can with a jointer by itself. You really need both...face joint first to flatten and then plane to thickness. But go with the P as your second leg in the "work triangle" of TS, J and P.

[Art Mulder]

I'm going to be one of the ornery contrary ones here...

Y'know guys, I like and respect so many of you here on the creek. But, you're all very good at getting us to upgrade our tool plans...

I started woodworking in 1995, and bought myself a 2nd hand contractor's TS. I still advocate getting a decent 2nd hand TS as the first major tool. It's not too expensive, and it'll give you some years of good service, and it'll give you a good place to practise and find out what you need in the next saw. Most important, if you don't end up liking ww'ing, then you aren't out that much money, and they keep their value well, so it'll be easy to sell.

I jointed either on the TS or with a hand plane, for several years as I was slowly easing into this hobby.

'round about 99 I picked up a 2nd hand planer - a "huge" 10-inch Ryobi planer. One of the old original portables. I still have it. Yeah, it has lots of limitations, but it fits on a shelf when I don't use it, and does the job when I do. Someday, I'll probably upgrade to a 13", but I doubt I'll go any bigger, unless we move to a larger house.

And that was it for several years. I edge-jointed with an old #7c Stanley jointer that I found at a used-tool dealer.

Finally, last fall, I forked out for a 6" Delta X5 jointer. To the guys in the thread who stated that they found a 6" to be useless... I find those words a bit harsh. Fact is, I work in a basement shop. I just don't have the ROOM to fit an 8" (or bigger) jointer in my space. There are plenty of ww'ers who produce great work with a 6" jointer.

I'm just a hobbiest, and I've been perfectly happy with my 6" jointer over the past 8 months. Does what I need, and does it well.

So Rob. Have fun with your hobby. Don't buy more than you need. If you're in a basement -- watch your space. If you've got a great big shop, well, nothing personal, but I hate you. If you're mostly building small projects, I doubt you'll need anything bigger than a 6" jointer. Ditto for a 13" planer versus a larger 15" If you build big stuff all the time... then your needs may be different. And remember that there's usually more than one way to get something done.

Hmm, was there a point here?
best,
...art

[Al Willits]

I just went though all this, and ended up with a 8" jointer and a 15" planer, both by York.
But whatever you buy ain't always gonna be big enough, but figure what size of wood your gonna deal with 80 or 90% of the time and go for that.
Worst case is you can always cut them to wide boards in half, and plan/jointer them that way, or go find a wood working shop/lumber mill and have them do the occasional to wide a board.

fwiw I stopped at 8 and 15" as the next size units up were quite a bit more expensive and I don't plan on seeing that many boards over 15" anyway, wander around your lumber mill and see how many are over 15", my limited experience would say maybe 10% maybe??

I also thought of going used, but used 12" jointers and 22" planers, are few and far between in my part of the country.

I would stay away from the 6" jointer though, I found the 8" does quite nicely.. imho

Your budget and how long you want to wait to buy are what's probably going to determine what you buy, I know a few wood workers who get by with a 6" jointer and a 12 or 13" cheaper planer and do just fine, they'll tell ya you work with what you have and adapt.

This is all from another newbie, so take it for what its worth...either way, enjoy whatever ya do...

Al

[Jerry Olexa]

I vote "planer first". I've had my 13" Delta planer about 2 years now. V pleased. Just now starting to look at jointers to go the next level....Just IMHO

[Gary Keedwell]

Knowing what I know now, I would get the planer 1st. You can make a sled and shim under the low spots, then turn it over and the board will be parallel. I saw where a guy used screws for shims so he could take the "rock" out of the board. Personally, I usually just use my lunchbox planer at the beginning of my project and find myself constantly going back and forth from TS to Jointer. I'm very big in having my board edges parallel. Just my 1/50th worth.

Gary K.

[Kenny King]

i had the same question about a year ago. i was advised to get the 8" jointer. I bought a 6" yorkcraft from wilke and traded it in 6 months later for an 8" jointer.... definitely get the 8" if you plan to process anything like 100 bd feet of lumber, otherwise you could get something smaller.

One thing that stopped me from getting the 8" at first was that you'll need 220V to run a 2 Hp+ motor. I'm now wired for 220!

for the planer... alot of folks like the dewalt 13" planer... gotta say it's a nice machine and it's what I ended up getting. I bought a refurbished one, but really didnt' save much since I would've gotten free shipping through amazon for a new one

if i had the room i would've bought the 15" planer from yorkcraft.

What I ended up with: an inexpensive 8" jointer that I could upgrade with a BYRD carbon cutter (almost costs as much as the jointer) and a dewalt 13" planer.

My advice... install some 220 circuits and get an 8" jointer minimum. I think you'll be very happy with the 13" planer 8" jointer combo if you planning on processing rough lumber in the 100 BF+ quantities.

- ken

[Scott Parks]

Which of these should I get first?

I have found a Jet 6CS on Craigs list for a good price. He is asking $400,
Thanks
Rob

I've seen used ones advertised between $150-$250, so no, I don't think $400 is a good price. When buying used things, I shoot for better than half price of new. You know you opened a can of worms here.. Which came first, the chicken or egg? Both have their place in the shop.... Neither one is a bad purchase... But like I said, I don't use a jointer anymore. Do commercial shops rely on jointers? For straight edges there are many options, but for flattening 100 bd/ft of lumber, you're sunk without a planer. The money you save by buying rough lumber vs. BORG planed lumber will pay for your planer on your first big project. Besides, you can likely buy straight line ripped lumber also...

Six to one, half dozen another. I bet you'll get a 50/50 vote on which to buy first, and all are valid reasons.... On your next BIG project, decide which one you'll use the most (jointer or planer) and buy that one first...

Oh yeah, I vote for the planer....

[Alan DuBoff]

Worst case is you can always cut them to wide boards in half, and plan/jointer them that way, or go find a wood working shop/lumber mill and have them do the occasional to wide a board.

Sure, but do folks always want to be cutting stock in half and laminating it back up in some cases? I know that I don't.

In the best world, your jointer and planer are the same width so that problem doesn't exist.

I would stay away from the 6" jointer though, I found the 8" does quite nicely.. imho

Really, you get that much more from your 8" jointer? Those 2" make that much difference? I understand if you buy most stock between 6"-8" wide, but you still can't face plane a 12" piece of stock, and that's common for quality grade material.

For edge jointing, which I use my current 6" jointer for, it works just fine and I can't imagine a need for anything larger.

Face planing is another story, and I'll resort to building a sled to use with my planer until I can get a 12" jointer one day.

Your budget and how long you want to wait to buy are what's probably going to determine what you buy, I know a few wood workers who get by with a 6" jointer and a 12 or 13" cheaper planer and do just fine, they'll tell ya you work with what you have and adapt.

I agree, budget is probably the primary concern, otherwise we'd all have 24" jointers and 24" planers. When you don't have anything, a 6" jointer and 12" planer is a blessing!

[Rick Le Douche]

TL, DR

but there is an article in this month's issue of Workbench magazine on how to get by with just a planer. Good pictures.

[John Kain]

Well, I bought a jointer first. It was because Amazon had a ridiculas deal going on for delta jointers.

That said, I would choose a planer first.........for all the reasons noted previously in other posts.

I would say, though, that a 6" jointer isn't worthless. It really depends on the type of wood you work with. I'm a hobby woodworker, and I don't buy alot of the more expensive wider boards. Most of what I work with is under 6" wide, and so my 6" delta jointer works great. I would love to have a planer soon, but I'm making do with chalk and handplanes; and that's OK with me.

EDIT: $400 clams is way way way too much for a used 6".....

[Al Willits]

I offered cutting in half as a option, along with going to your local lumber yard/wood working shop, gluing can be done, doesn't have to be though.
Never glued boards together to make panels?

And yes I get much more out of my 8" jointer, main feature is table lenght and power, much easier to feed longer boards though and keep them straight, I can also take a bigger cut, for me, that was enough to buy the 8". add a higher and longer fence also.
You looked at the price of a long bed 6" jointer, for a few bucks more I got a heaiver, more powerful, 4 blades cutter even longer bed, with the controls I like.
For me it was a no brainer...key words here is "for me"...

By no means am I saying something else won't work, I am saying at this time what I bought, is working for me at this stage of my learning curve.

Like I said, I have friends that get by just fine with much less.

Al

[Luis Oliveira]

I am sooo new to woodworking is not even funny, however I completely agree with most everyone to say before you buy a 6" jointer. Take a trip to where you buy your wood and notice the average width of the boards. I have found tha,t where I live they are 8" on average. Which means, to work with the boards I need to true the one short side first, cut the board to 6", wasting on average 2" then true the other side, then glue up two 6” boards just to make a 8” drawer front.
In my case I would have benefit more just buying an 8” jointer.

Luis