After a couple of years looking at jointers, I have had a bit of a windfall and so I am going to pull the trigger. I have never found a decent used one on Craigslist, and I am always a little wary on used tools anyway, so I am going with a new one. For space reasons and economic reasons, I am going with a 6". I could probably afford an 8", but I am not certain I could stomach sending out that much money for my hobby, and my shop wouldn't fit one of those beasts.

I have been searching through old threads, reading what people have to say, and I have it narrowed down to the following:

Grizzly G0654

Grizzly G0452 (possibly the variant with the spiral cutter head)

Ridgid JP0610 (the one that has recently been clearancing at Home Depot's around the country except at the ones near me)

Craftsman 21705 (Professional series, assumedly made by Orion who makes their zipcode saws)

The Grizzlys are clearly the best bang for your buck. I am just a little wary of ordering from Grizzly. I know plenty of people have had great experiences with them, but I've read enough stories of people having to get replacement parts due to shipping damage or the like that it just makes me hesitate a little. That being said, the G0452 with the spiral cutterhead makes my mouth water, even if my wallet squirms.

The other two I can pick up locally, which is a benefit.

So, any recommendations would be appreciated. Also, I've never had a jointer before, so if there are any accessories that I should get at the same time (besides push blocks), please let me know.

Cheers,

Chris