HL850 or Full Size Jointer?

[JuliMor]

My old jointer can't joint a straight edge anymore.  I've taken it apart, reset the beds, had everything working great and within a week the beds were out of parallel again.  It's getting old.

I now have the lumber store joint one edge but there are still times when I need a jointer.  The thickest wood I work with has been 16/4 but mostly it's 12/4 - 4/4.

I was looking at buying a new jointer but the weight and size would mean it would have to go in the garage or I'd have to get something small like I had and I rarely used it to flatten board faces.  I've also been looking at buying a sailboat and there's no way it won't need work, including woodwork.  So buying stationery tools only acts as a land anchor for me.

I was looking at the HL850 and saw it had a spiral cutterhead and a table option.  Today, when I joint an edge, I use a hand planer, a L-N #62 jack plane.  It does a decent enough job but it's a lot of work, especially in difficult woods, and getting it 90 degrees to the face is a challenge.  L-N's full size jointer is $475 and weighs about 10 pounds.  Wheaties aren't working for me anymore.  [laughing] So I was wondering how others who own the HL850 feel about it as a jointer.  How easy, or difficult, is it to get a straight edge on a board?  How clean is the cut?  How does it perform on figured woods?  Coupled with a CT vac, does it catch most of the dust & chips?

Last question would be, overall, which method will give you a straighter edge, considering the amount of work necessary to get there?

Thanks,
Julie

 

[Uffe Kaagaard]

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/from-rough-sawn-to-workable-ts75-and-850-power-plane/

 

[TurnagainD]

I have the HL 850 and use it as a joiner and have had mostly good luck but if I had room for a joiner I'd have one.  The dust collection is excellent but the bed is too short.  I made a simple infeed and out feed table that helps a bunch.  My work takes me from job to job so that system works for me.  The spiral cutter makes very clean cuts too.

Kevin

 

[peter halle]

Juli,

In case you haven't done the YouTube search, here is a video.  Gotta love the Santa hats!



Also notice that you end up feeding the material in the opposite direction versus a stand alone jointer.

Peter

 

[Jalvis]

If the HL850 was going to be my only jointer then I would build an out-feed and in-feed table system....and naturally have a 3 foot machined strait edge to check the tables before use.

 

[Alan m]

its a pity that jointer attachment doesnt have some profiles on the front and back so that the kapex ug wings would creat an infeed and outfeed.

 

[john ferri]

The video is quite instructive. If your intent is to use the HL850 as a dedicated jointer, the size of wood shown is about the right size. For longer pieces, such as edge-joining boards for a glue up, I would take tool to wood. Per Swensons thread is really great, but those high spots could be taken down with a sharp hand plane then run through a power planer.

I find setting up the tool as a jointer to be a bit tricky and I would not want to do it on a daily basis. Once up I would leave it up. Fun tool though, very quiet, cut is very clean, blade change and maintenance is simple compared to the old style jointers.

JF

 

[peter halle]

This might be a dumb question, but would someone who has the HL-850 on the stand check to see if a combination of different size systainers match up to the bed height?  

For some reason I suspect that they do.

Peter

 

[jmbfestool]

.... Not sure if its just me but this in feed - out feed support using ug arms or systainers wouldn't swork.  As you would have to adjust the height of the infeed all the time when u adjust the amount of material u remove.

Jmb

 

[Jalvis]

.... Not sure if its just me but this in feed - out feed support using ug arms or systainers wouldn't swork.  As you would have to adjust the height of the infeed all the time when u adjust the amount of material u remove.

Jmb

I agree...not going to work.  Jointers are a pain.....certainly the most underrated tool to learn.  "Accuracy" is required.....this is when you need machinist tools to set up.

 

[john ferri]

It would work for the out feed--if there is a systainer combination that works, perhaps we could determine a maximum capacity for this setup. If Juli works with 12/4 stock, how long a piece can she safely expect to joint. Maybe this will give me something to do this weekend.

JF

 

[peter halle]

I was more interested in the outfeed versus the infeed. 

Sorry.

Peter

 

[semenza]

The HL850 can be tricky with stock longer than about 3'. Some infeed outfeed supports would certainly help a lot. The dust and chip collection is almost 100%.  The spiral cut is very smooth and clean, and the planer runs very smoothly.

Seth

 

[jmbfestool]

I was more interested in the outfeed versus the infeed. 

Sorry.

Peter

Ill have look 2moro when I get time

 

[peter halle]

Thanks JMB!

Peter

 

[Alan m]

why would you need to change the depth
i never change the depth on my proper planer .
it is set at just enough to take a good shaving and not for taking off large amounts of material.
i wouldnt want to be taking loads off with this anyway.

also im sure festool could put some kind of height adjustment into the get so that it would be easy to drop it the same amount as the planer

 

[Nick C]

I have an HL850, and I don't think it will help you very much.  If you prefer a hand tool, I recommend the Lee Valley "bevel up" jointer plane. It weighs 8-1/2 lbs, and costs $279. There is a squaring fence available for it ($38), that supposedly makes it easier to square the edge to the face, but I find the standard blade adjustment adequate for this purpose. I also have a stationary jointer with a 5-foot bed, but the hand plane makes a much cleaner cut. Also, bear in mind that to get a square edge with a stationary jointer, you need a flat face for reference.

 

[sancho57]

This might be a dumb question, but would someone who has the HL-850 on the stand check to see if a combination of different size systainers match up to the bed height?  

For some reason I suspect that they do.

Peter

I was thinking the same thing. I have the 850 but not the bench jointer attachment…yet

I picked mines up used to use in the field / on-site for cab/ and interior/exterior door installs. I have a jet 6" jointer in the shop but really dontuse it a lot.

 

[Sparktrician]

If jointing of longer lumber is the issue, why not consider using the CMS with the OF 1400?  OK, it's more bucks, but you get more bang for the buck.  It would be far easier than using the HL 850 on a very short stand.  Dust collection is far superior.

 

[Kodi Crescent]

I'm in the same boat.  Using a handheld 1400 with a bearing riding on a MDF edge for my jointing.  It works, but not well.  I had considered getting the HL 850 and the jointer-related accessories.  The cost of that is over $700.

I'm also considering hand planes, but I'd need all the flattening and sharpening accessories.  Not cheap for decent stuff.

Also considering building a router table.

What would allow me to joint edges and give me the most utility and value for the cost?