I am fairly new to woodworking so I lack some of the long term knowledge that many of you folks have. With that in mind I was hoping to get some opinions on upgrading from my current delta 6″ jointer to a 12″. I’ve been doing research on the internet regarding different brands etc. but of course there is a dearth of information on most machines outside of the well advertised ones. Oliver, there are old and new machines with this same name, Andreou Machinery, Northfield, Grizzly, the fancy imports like Laguna, Knapp, etc. that I can’t afford, General, and a bunch of others that all claim to be the best. It’s hard to sort through it all. Could some of you with experience using different 12″ jointers please offer some suggestions / recommendations? I would be grateful. Oh, I can’t possibly go over 3500, preferably under 3k. I also don’t have the ability nor inclination to rebuild an old jointer.
thanks,
jim w
Replies
http://invicta-usa.com/jointers2.html
The Invicta is a good machine. Buying used doesn't have to mean rebuilding a jointer. A good dealer will back up the machine and you can save some money. A nice Crescent Jointer with a modern head is an excellent machine.
Thanks for your reply RickL. Have you had any experience with the Invicta? Could you share good points and bad?
Invicta was set up by Delta to make their larger machines such as the 16" jointer, 24" planers and larger table saws and a panel saw. Because of the laws in Brazil Delta couldn't really own it and eventually they relinquished control of Invicta. The machines are well made and can't think of any downside. In the 80's I worked as a tech for a dealer and set up quite a number of these machines with no problems.
Hi folks,
I just found a thread in the "general tool discussion" section on this very subject. It seems I am not the only one in need of info for 12" jointers. I guess I'll follow that discussion for awhile and see what I can learn. Thanks everyone for your help.
jim w
A good small-shop machine is the European 12" over-under jointer-planer. You get the 12" jointer width, plus a good planer almost for free. Within your budget, you can get the Hammer A3-31 (http://www.hammerusa.com), Robland (http://www.lagunatools.com/xsd310.htm), or Rojek (http://www.rojekusa.com/PHP/msp310m.php).
Thanks Jamie. I checked the web site. I know this probably sounds dumb but what makes one of these machines better than the others? I noticed the table is much shorter than many of the dedicated jointer tables. Wouldn't this be important when jointing long stock? I'm not too concerned with the conversion time, though that is also a bit of a factor. Why do you recommend this equipment? Thanks for your time.
jim w
The primary advantage of combo jointer/planers is that they require less floor space than two separates with the same capacity. If you are building furniture in a garage-sized shop, floor space is a big issue. You need space for stationary machines, a bench, and assembly space for the furniture. IMHO, the bed lengths of these machines is long enough for making residential furniture.
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