Which 6" jointer to buy?

[Grev]

Looking to purchase a new 6" jointer and bandsaw in the near future.  Pretty much certain I'm going with the Laguna 14/12 or BX bandsaw, but not so sure about which jointer.  Since I've been on the Laguna website so often I've checked out their jointers, but haven't been able to find any reviews for them online.  Just curious if anyone has a Laguna jointer and, if so, what do you think about it?  I would like an 8", however, table length and budget looks like a 6" will have to work for me.  I do want helical head cutters, and max. table length of 66" (will fit perfectly in the space I have reserved for it) ..  So far, Laguna and Oliver are on my radar.  Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[DrD]

[member=63307]Grev[/member]

Jointers seem to me to be a necessity in a wood shop.  I am sure the Laguna jointers are quite good; only Laguna in my shop is their Air Circulator, which I really like.  For reasons I don't fully understand, folks tend to dismiss Jet jointers.  I've had a Jet JJ-6CSX since they first came out and LOVE it.  Only thing I would change is putting helical cutters on, but that'll have to wait.  The Jet is way less expensive than many of the other guy's, but works like a mule.

 

[Grev]

Thanks for the input DrD.  Jet is still a possibility .. I actually looked at Powermatic & Jet first. Have had equip. in both brands in the past.  Powermatic table too long and more money, Jet 6" jointer has a 1 hp motor and 27 cutters on their helical head, vs. Laguna and Oliver have 1.5 hp motor and 40 or 42 individual cutters. Not sure what, if any, difference the hp and more cutters would do, but stands to reason might be a bit better for a hundred bucks more?

 

[antss]

Why not this one ?

8" jointer

for the same , or less than the Laguna - you can have an 8" model.

And, you won't get Laguna's legendary after sales service.

 

[kevinculle]

I would second the Jet JJ6-CSX as a solid machine...I've had mine for about 12 years.  You should seriously consider a Byrd Shelix head with carbide inserts as it greastly improves capability while eliminating fussy setup of knives.

 

[Stephen B]

Not familiar with what is available to you model wise, but I would get an 8 inch model and with the longest bed/table possible.

I note your concerns re 8" but remind you that the table length affects quality and the wider blade size not only allows you to process a wider range of timber sizes, but by moving the fence for narrow stock you can extend time between sharpening/replacement.

 

[DrD]

You are the best judge of what you need.  As a hobby-type who isn't too concerned about "production" I have found I don't need a lot of hp, or really large surfaces, that's just me.  I will add that I have/have had older, made-in-the-USA Delta tools, older Craftsman, Ridgid, and a bunch of others, and the Jet jointer has consistently performed better than the others.

Whatever you get will be right for you.

 

[ear3]

Not to hijack the thread, but just wanted to speak up for those of us who operate jointer-less.  For me it's about capacity.  I run my shop out of one half of a two car garage, and so have had to get quite creative with storage and machine configuration to make everything fit.  The only conceivable place I could put a jointer is in an approximately 6 ft. space along one of the walls that is currently taken up by a lathe + stand.  I use a lunchbox planer, tracksaw, the HL850 bench unit and more recently the jointer plane to cover perhaps 80-90% of the situations where I might use a jointer.  Even though I don't use the lathe as often as I would use the jointer if I had one, there is really no way to replicate what the lathe does with other tools outside of dowel making.  That's why the lathe gets to stay.     

[member=63307]Grev[/member]

Jointers seem to me to be a necessity in a wood shop.  I am sure the Laguna jointers are quite good; only Laguna in my shop is their Air Circulator, which I really like.  For reasons I don't fully understand, folks tend to dismiss Jet jointers.  I've had a Jet JJ-6CSX since they first came out and LOVE it.  Only thing I would change is putting helical cutters on, but that'll have to wait.  The Jet is way less expensive than many of the other guy's, but works like a mule.

 

[waho6o9]

Oliver

 

[DrD]

[member=37411]Edward A Reno III[/member]

Good Morning Edward,

I do agree with you regarding shop space and tool prioritization.  I have a little more space for my shop - I enclosed a 2 car garage, and made it my shop.  Even so, every tool in my shop is on casters or is otherwise mobile except for my MFTs.  You have the advantage of the HL 850 and the base.  Were I able to find, for a reasonable price, a comparable base for my EHL 650, I would consider ridding myself of the Jet - purely for the space.  I would also love to sell my Steel City cabinet saw for the same reason - space, but there is not much movement of higher $ tools down in these parts.

 

[Poindexter]

I agonized over this recently and ended up with the Powermatic 54HH (helical head).  I did it for 2 reasons:

1) my driveway is 1/4 mile long that starts at the top of a blind hill in Vermont.  I can get a truck to deliver to the end of the driveway, but it is DANGEROUS.  I did this one time and nearly every car coming up the hill almost had an accident.  I mention Vermont because winters are pretty difficult to get any kind of delivery.  UPS holds everything for me at the warehouse.  So, my needs sent me to my local dealer who can load things into my truck pretty easily.  He sells Jet and Powermatic....and of course Festool

2) Resale value.  I fully anticipate I'm going to want more capacity.  The Hammer A3 is probably in my future.  However, that's a long wait and I can easily get by for a few months or longer with a 6" jointer.  Most of my current projects are structural (green house, solar kiln, etc) outdoor things that I'm cutting my own trees down and milling myself for.  No boards wider than 6" in these projects.  When I get back to doing more indoor furniture I'll be messing with larger slabs.  At that time, I'm counting on the Powermatic name to attract second-hand buyers.

When it comes to a jointer they're all fairly simple.  The precision is mostly in the beds.  You're already into a range where the manufacturers are all decent, so my only advice is to get a helical head over the triple knives.  It is worth the extra investment.

 

[Huxleywood]

What 6" jointer to buy?  The one that is actually an 8" jointer. 

 

[jeh]

If at all possible get an 8" joiner (or larger). I'd also recommend a helical head. They have a cleaner cut and the cutters have 4 cutting edges. When one dulls you loosen a screw and rotate 90 degrees and you have a sharp cutter at no cost. For casual use it could be years before you need to replace them or even have them sharpened.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Insert heads are not necessary on a jointer, it is not a finished surface.

My 30" jointer is a 2 knife head, works perfect for all jointer tasks.

 

[Huxleywood]

Insert heads are not necessary on a jointer, it is not a finished surface.

While what you say is true, even if a person is not worried about finish (even though a large diameter cutting head with jointed straight knives will actually produce a better finish than small diameter heads with inserts) I have deduced the major draw for carbide bits is the preference not to deal with setting knives, whether or not people admit it. 

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Insert heads are not necessary on a jointer, it is not a finished surface.

While what you say is true, even if a person is not worried about finish (even though a large diameter cutting head with jointed straight knives will actually produce a better finish than small diameter heads with inserts) I have deduced the major draw for carbide bits is the preference not to deal with setting knives, whether or not people admit it.

I have a couple insert heads for my shaper and moulder, it takes longer to pull, clean, turn and retorque those little cutters.  I can swap knives in my 30" jointer in about 20 minutes. 

I am not a big fan of these perched carbide cutter helical heads.

 

[Poindexter]

Helical heads = noise reduction too.  Every person has his preferences and reasons.  Wish they had something to silence air compressors....I guess they call those closets

 

[deepcreek]

I originally had a Jet 6" and eventually upgraded to the Powermatic 54HH.

The Powermatic is nicer but they are both good machines.

 

[jyarbrou]

Why not this one ?

8" jointer

for the same , or less than the Laguna - you can have an 8" model.

And, you won't get Laguna's legendary after sales service.

I have the similar G0490X and like it. Seems like Grizzly quality is hit or miss. The first one I got had a giant hump in the infeed bed and fence, but they fixed it and it's good to go now.

I also recommend going to an 8". I had a 6" and the smaller footprint was nice, but just too many limitations with the shorter bed and narrower width.