Jointer and Planer Purchase

[Dave Novak]

Ever have the itch to buy something that's so bad you can't work or sleep for thinking about and researching it? I've got it bad for a jointer and planer. The combo machines got me itching real hard, and i almost pulled the trigger on the Mimimax FS30, but researching these boards and my gut feeling tells me I might be happier in the long run with separate machines. Even though I've never owned a Grizzly product, I'm leaning right now in the direction of the G1033X and G0609x. I've read everything I can find and have found little to be concerned with (is 3hp enough for a 12" jointer?). I'm really no more than a weekend warrior when it comes to woodworking, but I really enjoy working with high quality, accurate machines. It's hard to beat Grizzly's prices, and I'm counting on general impressions I get from studying creeker comments that at this level I'll be happy with the Griz's. Am I missing something obvious?

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0609X

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G1033X

[Paul B. Cresti]

Dave,
I use to care but not anymore... but do note that most if not all of the European J/P's do offer a mortising attachment, for a slight fee of course. So you do have three machines in a very small footprint. I also am extremely happy with the Tersa knives...best thing since sliced bread. That being said grizzly does offer great value in their machines. I am sure you would be happy with their machines as well

[Jack Camillo]

Dave,
I'm in the same boat: looking real hard at the MiniMax and the Hammer j/p combos... and everything else separate. It's a tough call, an agonizing decision. I had a little help backing off, though. My wife hates it when I get that obsessed, and she basically nixed the whole idea. But it's creeping back, and I'll be watching your thread!
ps: I really like the idea of those tersa knives and I know that's all it's going to take is to rub my hands over a board coming out of the tersa knife planer...

[Bill Wyko]

Have you seen the jet 12" combo machine? it's a jointer on top and a planer underneath when you lift the top up. Plus it's only around 2k. great price for the features. I think the model is JJP-12 It's on jets website in the Jointers Top left corner.

[Jim Becker]

Dave, don't completely throw out the idea of a combo J/P until the final decision is at hand. If you are a single woodworker in the shop, in all honesty, you'll rarely want for separates, especially when they are "big" separates and space is dear. My work pattern tends to have the J/P setup as a jointer most of the time...I'll use that function most frequently and bounce between the saw and the jointer a lot. Thickness planing tends to be a "batch" process for me. But even when I forget something on occasion and have to switch the machine around, it takes all of a minute and a half to do so, including cranking the planer table up or down. And the space I save means more room to work for assembly and to accommodate my other tools. I certainly wouldn't complain about having separates with the same capacities, but I'm not sure where I'd put them!

[Dave Novak]

space is really valuable to me too. I guess I'm concerned about the short bed on the combo's, but I've read enough people say it really isn't an issue that maybe I should let go. Another factor is that a cabinet I'm currently drawing pictures of would really benefit from a 13" planer. I could design around that need though, and the 250 days I'm not woodworking I'd really appreciate the added garage space. What to do. Maybe I should reevaluate the Griz vs. MM combo. It would be a lot easier if I could lay hands on these things.

[Rob Will]

Dave,
I vote for old iron..... If possible, get a jointer the same width as your planer.....and maybe even an aftermarket spiral cutterhead or two.

A few brands that come to mind:
Powermatic, Porter, Yates American, Oliver, Northfield

If not old iron, I still like stand-alone machines. If you are looking for new, check out the Powermatic 209HH factory equipped with a Byrd head.

Rob

[Seth Poorman]

Im sure the quality of the minimax is superior to Grizz !!!!!

[Allen Grimes]

Dave,
I use to care but not anymore...

Haha, those were the days, but I feel the same way.

Dave, you do realize that those machines are monstrous right? As long as you have the place to put them though, I'd go with them considering you get more planer space, which can some in handy for planing large panels.

Its funny that a long time ago, this topic would have started a big fight, but fortunately times change.

EDIT: To add, both Jet and Grizzly have more affordable J/P combo packages that you might want to check out as well.

[Eddie Darby]

One thing to consider is that if you buy a J/P with a spiral head, then you will have a huge saving, over having to buy two separate machines with spiral heads. Then there is the space saving issue to consider also.

[Joe Mioux]

Dave,

I went through this same decision process earlier this year. MM had a sale and Griz wasn't available yet.

I went with the MM mostly because of the tersa knives. I was familiar with disposably knives from my Delta Lunch box 22-580 planer and I really liked that feature.

If you look close to the Griz version, you will see holes where I suspect a future mortising attachment may go. Looks like the same hole pattern as is on the FS30.

You are welcome to look at mine if you want to drive 100 miles south.

From pics posted here at smc, it appears the Griz fence and adjustment mechanism is much more substantial than mm.

Ironically, the short jointer table actually came in handy this past couple months. I was jointing some 10' plus 2 inch planks that were bowed. they were concave and all i did was run the end back and forth across knives until i started jointing more and more down the lenght of the board.

I don't know if this violates the physics of wood, but it worked really well.

hth
joe

btw, are you any relation to Allison?

p.s. Paul what are you using for equipment now?

[Jim Becker]

I guess I'm concerned about the short bed on the combo's, but I've read enough people say it really isn't an issue that maybe I should let go.

I was once concerned with that, too. But the reality is that a lot of the time, I'm not jointing long boards. I'll start with a skim plane so I can see what is in the wood, lay out components oversize with chalk, cut things down to manageable pieces and then flatten and dimension them.

In the rare case that I do (like last weekend when I needed some 93" long material for a very tall cabinet face frame) I just work carefully and use an auxiliary support to insure I don't "drop" the board near the end of the pass. It doesn't need to be perfect at height since I'm using pressure on the outfeed side at that point.

But if space isn't a problem, I'm with Rob...look for old iron first and then look at the new stuff.

[Dave Novak]

Thanks guys, it's really wonderful how so many knowledgable folks will chime in with usefull thoughts and opinions. Late last night I got out of bed and used rope to lay out the footprint including the bed on my garage floor. Unless LOML decides she doesn't need to park in the garage anymore, I simply have to get a combo. Just for kicks I investigated the 16" offerings from hammer and minimax and wow, the price just about doubles from the 12" version.

[Dan Lautner]

Dave, Minimax has recently replaced all three J/P with new models. These new machines all carry the Tecnomax name and have 78" length. Minimax USA has not updated their site but you can see all the machines on the scmi site. These are VERY NICE machines with a center mounted fence and long tables. I will be buying one very soon. Below is the new Tecnomax 12" with 78" tables.

Dan

[Jim Becker]

Just for kicks I investigated the 16" offerings from hammer and minimax and wow, the price just about doubles from the 12" version.

Yes, that's very true across the board...