Gloat / Review - Jet 6" Jointer

[Jeremy Gibson]

I took half of a lucky jackpot from a nearby casino to my local Woodcraft and picked up a Jet JJ-6CSX 6" Jointer. Of course I wanted an 8" aircraft carrier, but realized I just don't have the space right now. It started with loading two boxes into my truck - one with the stand & motor, and the other with the jointer head.

When I got home I used a dolly (hand truck) to get the jointer head box into my garage. It was easily managed by my wife and myself. Inside the stand box you can see how three sides have foam padding. I removed the two foam panels from the ends and pulled the stand out of the box. Jet has the third foam panel on the front of the stand with a cutout for the switch. This seems to have protected it very nicely.

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With the foam and plastic wrapping off of the stand you can see how there is a noticable lack of damage - just what I like to see in a tool. In the back is a cardboard box with the access cover and 4" dust chute. The motor was already mounted inside the stand.

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For assembly, the instructions are in the box with the jointer head and are for the most part well written. If you have a mobile stand, this is the time to assemble it and put the stand on it without the jointer head. It's not exactly light weight anyway, but easy enough to lift alone. I used the mobile stand with four casters on the corners of some 3/4" plywood.

[Jeremy Gibson]

Inside the jointer head box you can see the foam around all sides. The top foam panel comes out to reveal the jointer head, hand wheels, guard, knobs, and packages of screws and bolts. Everything was well protected and in order. The jointer head is in the box upside down, so you see here the bottom. Again, with the help of my wife we lifted the jointer head up and on the stand. It was in a thick plastic bag and inside of that wrapped in what looked like Saran Wrap over the protective oil.

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As for that protective oil, it was nice and fluid and a thin coating - not like the thick and sticky cosmoline I had on my Grizzly table saw. Some light work with mineral spirits and it was clean and shiny. I added two coats of Johnson's paste was on all the machined surfaces.

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Fully assembled and on the mobile stand it looks very nice in my half of the garage. The outfeed table was aligned with all three blades out of the box. I had to raise the infeed table to set it for a 1/32” cut and adjust the fence to 90” –both easily done. When I checked the belt tension it seemed too loose, so I slid the motor down to create more tension. I may have put too much tension on it since it vibrates or I just need to get a link belt. A little more work there and it should be good to go. There is also some paint overspray on the threads that adjust the outfeed table so I will likely clean them and wax with paraffin.

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This is my first jointer so I know I have a learning curve ahead of me, but now I can mill my own rough lumber and save $$ over the pre-milled (and warpped) lumber from the box stores.

Thanks for looking! Coming up next week will be my gloat / review of the Jet 14” bandsaw that arrived today.

[Ted Shrader]

Jeremy -

Very Cool! Congratulations on your new winning, ummm I mean purchase.

Please write up some more observations after you have used it for a little while. I'm sure you will enjoy it. Not only will you save money, but it helps to have the ability to make your own stock the exact dimension you want.

Regards,
Ted

[Brian Clevenger]

Very nice! I have a 2001 model that has given me nothing but excellent results. I need to replace the knives again, as they've been sharpened pretty much away.... so it sure sees its share of use.

I didn't know how much I would use a jointer until I bought one. Since that time, the quality of my projects has not only increased; I've been able to try projects I would have never considered before.

[Jim Becker]

Good machine...the one I used to own was great to use. Congrats on both your winnings and your new jointer!

[Bailey John]

I have the same jointer, a bit older. You will enjoy it. Adjustments to the bed height is very simple with the handwheels (imho). I was getting a bit snipe on ends and found the outfeed was below the knife a bit. Just a couple of fine cranks and voila, perfect flat! Duct collection is very good. I've been able to face joint wider boards by removing the splitter. Of course do this with your own conscious guiding you (ymmv). It can be tippy though on boards 6' long so be careful on that too.

[Mike Cutler]

Nice Jeremy, very nice gloat.
I have the same jointer, it's been a tough little workhorse for me.

One word of caution. There is a spring loaded pin on the infeed table that automatically engages if you set the table to greater that 1/8" cut. If you don't realize that it engaged, and go to readjust your table, it is extremely easy to snap off one of the forks on the ballcrank mechanism. DAMHIKT

Other than that, it's a sweet jointer.
Nice gloat.

[Jim Becker]

One word of caution. There is a spring loaded pin on the infeed table that automatically engages if you set the table to greater that 1/8" cut. If you don't realize that it engaged, and go to readjust your table, it is extremely easy to snap off one of the forks on the ballcrank mechanism. DAMHIKT

Thanks for that, Mike...I meant to mention it in my original post, but forgot. I have an article on my site detailing pictures of what I had to do to fix it.

[lou sansone]

congrats on the nice jointer. they are sweet machines
lou

[Don Bullock]

Jeremy, congratulations on your new jointer. It should serve you well.

[Jeremy Gibson]

Nice Jeremy, very nice gloat.
I have the same jointer, it's been a tough little workhorse for me.

One word of caution. There is a spring loaded pin on the infeed table that automatically engages if you set the table to greater that 1/8" cut. If you don't realize that it engaged, and go to readjust your table, it is extremely easy to snap off one of the forks on the ballcrank mechanism. DAMHIKT

Other than that, it's a sweet jointer.
Nice gloat.

Thanks Mike, I actually read a previous post of yours mentioning this very thing even before I bought the jointer. When I set it up I saw the pin and had an "Ah Ha" moment

Only here could I get help and advice on a machine before I purchased it!

[Mike Jobe]

Congrats on your purchase/winnings, I have that model as well, it is a fine machine and will give you many years of great service.. enjoy.