Jointer or Planer first?

[Rob Calkins]

Which of these should I get first? I have a General 50-220 table saw and I am now looking for the next tool.

I have found a Jet 6CS on Craigs list for a good price. Any thing to watch out for? He is asking $400, but they are on Amazon for $500, so I think I could get him down a little.

Thanks
Rob

[Tim Johnson]

Get the jointer first, without getting a flat surface on one side, which requires a jointer, not a planer, you'll never get sqqare stock from rough stock. Others may have work arounds, but a good jointer, in the widest format you can afford, is the foundation to a long, enjoyable woodworking hobby.

[Mike Cutler]

Rob.

It depends, although I agree with Tim to get the jointer first, on your work habits and what you can and cannot deal with.

A board can be edge joined on a router table, or with any of the guided circular saw systems on the market. Heck, a long straight piece of aluminium flat stock will work too. This would eliminate the jointer, eh.

A planer, can act as a jointer to joint a face with a special sled, and then plane both sides parallel. Again it looks like you don't need the jointer.

You do need the jointer though. It is the beginning of material preperation. it performs both of the above mentioned work arounds easier, and better.

I only mentioned them because the Jet 6" will become limiting very quickly. I have one. It's just too small, and lightweight for the long haul. I need a much bigger jointer. I'm looking at used 12" + jointers.

The problem with jointers is $$$. Big ones are very expensive. Put your money towards a much bigger jointer if you can,and use the workarounds I mentioned until you can get a bigger jointer.

Personal opinion.

I have that same General tablesaw. How do you like it so far?

[Charlie Plesums]

I had a 6 inch jointer and found it virtually useless. Good lumber (FAS grade) must be at least 6 inches wide when finished, so starts 6 1/2 or more inches wide... thus the 6 inch jointer can't be used on the faces of your good wood. It is fine for edge jointing, but with my saw well adjusted, I rarely have to edge joint.

I consider an 8 inch jointer minimum, and preferably 12 inch. In fact, I now have a 16 inch jointer which opens additional opportunities (but is beyond the "essential" level).

As noted, with a lot of effort (shimming the boards on a sled), you can use the planer to flatten the first side, then do the second side as normal in the planer. I would say both jointer and planer are essential, but if you can only have one, it has to be the planer... you can't make the opposite faces of a board parallel (even thickness) with the jointer.

[Don Baer]

If I were to win the lottery I'd buy a joiner that is at least 12" wide. That said I do my edge joining on the table saw and then plane on my 13" planer. When I do buy a joiner it will be at least a 12".

[John Michaels]

I think using the planer sled method works better than a jointer IMHO. You can buy a 12 inch lunch box planer fairly cheap. Buying a 12 inch jointer to face joint a board would be big bucks. In addition you can use board straighteners on your table saw to straighten the edges of crooked boards.

[Rob Calkins]

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

[Scott Parks]

I'll tell ya... My planer gets used a lot. My jointer was always in the way in my small garage, so I sold it.... It takes up too much room for only getting used a couple times per year. There's other ways to get a straight edge, but not many ways to get rough lumber flat, especially on a 6" jointer...

FWIW, I saw Hitachi 13" planers are on clearance right now at Lowe's for $269. I know nothing about them, other than 13" planers retail for $359-$425. Do your research on 13" planers. Once you have one, you'll love it....

[Don Baer]

I have the DeWalt 735 bench top. It has recieved best in it's class reviews in several reviews. I love mine.

[John Michaels]

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

I bought the Grizzly 12 inch lunch box planer. It's work's pretty good, but nothing to brag about. At Home Depot I saw the Ridgid lunch box planer and liked it alot. For more money you could go with the Makita. Given the choice again I would buy the Makita first.

[Ian Abraham]

If you are getting these tools so you can start working with rough sawn timber then get the planer first. Yes you still have to joint the boards somehow to get them straight, but with a bit of ingenuity you can do that with the planer / router / table saw / handplane method of your choice. If you just have a jointer, you wont be able to prep rough wood properly.

If you want a jointer to properly square up your already surfaced wood, then thats fine, get that first.

Ideally of course you want both

Cheers

Ian

[glenn bradley]

I got by "jointing" my material on the TS for awhile and love my planer. However this caused me to rely on the face presented on the material as a reference surface for planing (no 'real' lumber). Now that I have both, I'm pretty happy. You can get either one first because the other will be close behind. ;-)

[Alan DuBoff]

I have the DeWalt 735 bench top. It has recieved best in it's class reviews in several reviews. I love mine.

Don, just curious. Do you find yours loud at all?

I also have one and I find the results are pretty good, but the blades are only 1/16" thick and seem to wear out quickly. I got some HSS blades for it not long ago, but flipped the previous set and haven't put them on yet.

I picked up an old Parks 12" planer recentely, and I'm looking forward to getting rid of my DeWalt, as soon as I get a motor and get the Parks running.

[Tom Hintz]

I get this question all the time so for nearly a hyear, kept track of how often I used my jointer and planer. the jointer wins hands-down. That is mainly because of it's use for jointing edges for glue-ups.
The point made by othes about having to prep stock on the jointer before going to the planer is important as well. You can make wood look great on a planer but if you want it right, it has to be jointed first.
Of course, the ideal situation is to get both......

[scott spencer]

I'd go planer first. Nothing works better than a jointer and planer in tandem for flattening a face, creating a straight edge 90 degrees adjacent to the face, and then making the two faces parallel to each other at a consistent thickness. A jointer can't make two faces parallel to each other consistently, but with the help of a sled a planer can flatten a face. You can straighten edges on a TS or router fairly easily until you can get a jointer.

$400 for that Jet is not a good deal right now.....they've got the new ones on sale for that, plus it's essentially the same machine as the Bridgewood, Sunhill, Woodtek, etc., all of which sell new for ~ $400.