Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 11, 2004 03:53am | #1

   Mike, I'm wondering why you are starting yet another thread on this topic.  You've had alot of participation in your "Urgent jointer" thread, really quite a bit of advice it seems.

   Not trying to pick on you, really I'm not :-)

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   MikeMD | Nov 11, 2004 07:16am | #2

   not sure of what you mean by another thread, the one and only thread is that of which jointer has the most to offer.  Judging from the replies there is no concensus -which for a nonprofessional woodworker like myself can be very frustrating.  We all have interests with which we are well versed and comfortable making decisions about.  Woodworking for me is relatively new and I'm just trying to make educated decisions (especially when we're talking about thousands of dollars)

1. 
   nikkiwood | Nov 11, 2004 08:31am | #3

   Mike,

   By my count this is the third jointer thread you have started; nothing particularly wrong with that, except the "protocol" around here is to start a thread and then stay through it until the issue is resolved or plays itself out. You are, apparently, hitting the "Post new", rather than "replying" to the last response in the thread you started.

   This is no big deal, so don't worry about it. We just all hope you continue to participate.

   As far as consensus is concerned, it is virtually impossible to find it with jointers, or for that matter, anything else in life.

   Unless you have an acre of space and are running a heavy duty commercial operation, I would say the big three of jointers are Delta, Powermatic, and General. In this class, I think the Delta DJ 20 probably sets the current standard -- against which you can compare others, based on particular features that are important to you.

   There are many around here, for instance, that would question why you should spend $16-1700 for a DJ 20 when you can buy a similarly featured model from Grizzly or Bridgewood for way less money.

   I would argue that unless you have personally tried one of the less expensive models (or have the word of someone you know well and absolutely trust) and found yourself completely satisfied with its performance, you should just go ahead and buy the DJ 20. The worst that can happen is you kick yourself down the line for spending too much money on a jointer. I can't imagine you will ever be disappointed with its performance -- which may not be the case with the cheaper models. All of this is assuming you have money in your tool budget for a DJ 20. If you don't, you can buy a cheaper model and live with whatever inadequacies it may bring to your shop -- at least you'll have a jointer, which is indispensable in woodworking.

   The only consensus you will find in tool buying is the admonition: "always buy the best you can afford."

1. 
   MikeMD | Nov 11, 2004 01:22pm | #4

   Well stated, I applogize about the "thread response" I was interpreting it to mean I was suggesting a whole new thought process, when in fact it meant I was just posting a new question to an old topic.  With that said, your right there will be no universal recommendation - I'm just surprised that there isn't a more unanimous vote for a particular brand/model.  It seems to me usually if you ask a group of individuals whom are well educated/versed in a partcular interest about a particular product that eventually a theme will develop.  But what I've learned is the world market has grown more competitive in all areas, forcing companies to improve quality and reduce cost on whatever product they produce.  Therefore it's harder to determine what is the "best" item to buy.  Years ago if you wanted a good saw there was maybe one or two that were the best, you just needed to look at both and decide which you liked best.  Now you have say ten.  I've rambled long enough I'll look at all of them, hopefully one will jump out at me as being the right one. 

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 11, 2004 05:46pm | #5

   Problem with us woodworkers is, we're all so darned opinionated!  If you browse the Tools section here long enough, you'll find that there's rarely a consensus on any one brand of anything, LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

2. 
   MikeMD | Nov 11, 2004 06:13pm | #6

   interesting followup.  I contacted Delta about the DJ20 asked what the difference between the DJ20 and DJ20 X5 was ... nothing. True the warranty is longer and you get a bunch of coupons towards purchasing more of their products but other than that no motor difference, no cutterhead difference, no frame or material difference.  They did say that some of the knobs may be "coated" differently, come on for 300-400 price difference.  I have to say it left me a little PO'd. 

   contacted a local General dealer, his comment, "I've been selling General machines for 30yrs".   Asked about parallelagram vs dovetail design... no clue - fumbled through a manual determined the Canadian version is dovetail but didn't know about International, my comment was if the more expensive canadian line is dovetail I doubt the cheaper international is parallelagram.

   One guy was geaked about the Powermatic 8in, stated it was new last year, said for the money hard to beat.

   As of now the majority of you seem to lean toward the Delta, I to seem to favor it for the bed design, warranty and middle of the road cost.

   I'll be heading up this weekend to look at them so post me any more comments or suggestions so I can evaluate them appropriately.

   Thanks again to all of you, I've gained a world of knowledge from your input.

3. 
   Crunk | Nov 11, 2004 06:26pm | #7

   While you're shopping around ask the dealers how they joint 10" stock on an 8" jointer.

4. 
   RickL | Nov 11, 2004 06:53pm | #8

   The last guy in the world to ask how to use the machine is a dealer.

5. 
   forestgirl | Nov 12, 2004 01:36am | #9

   Mike, is there any significant difference in the length of the tables between the Delta and the Powermatic?  That would definitely be something to consider.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

6. 
   RandMCapozzi | Nov 12, 2004 09:26pm | #11

   Compare the features of each jointer and use that as a basis for your decision. Some of the more important features are:

   Bed length (longer bed = easier to joint longer boards)

   Fence length/height (same general deal as bed length)

   Fence adjustments (how many positive stops does it have? Can if go do both positive and negative 45deg?)

   Table adjustment (parallel-o-gram vs. dovetail ways)

   Handwheels vs. levers (non issue for parallel-o-gram but many prefer the handwheels over levers for dovetail way jointer beds)

   Knives per head (four vs. three and I'm not sure the pro's/con's on this one)

   There are other "features" that some jointers have that may also come up. For example the DJ-20 has replaceable sections on its tables near the cutter head as well as the ability to preset a minimum cutting depth on the in-feed table.

   All you need to do now is figure out which options are worth the most to you and pick the jointer that's "best" for you.

   BTW: Can anyone tell me what the best pickup truck is?  :-D

   Good luck,

   --Rob

7. 
   JMartinsky | Nov 13, 2004 04:42am | #12

   The best pick up is the Toyota Tundra. :-)

   John

8. 
   SCFrankland | Nov 13, 2004 09:05pm | #13

   I have a Delta 8" that have no issues with. I also have a old General 12" that I am going to be restoring.

   As for trucks it is my opinion that the difference between all trucks is the colour they rust.Scott C. Frankland

   Scott's WOODWORKING Website"He who has the most tools may not win the race of life but he will sure make his wife look like a good catch when she goes to move on."

2. 
   bobJackson | Nov 12, 2004 04:57am | #10

   My 2 cents worth.....I have a jet 8" jointer. It has handwheel adjustments. I have heard that some people prefer handwheels to lever adjustments.  I like what I have.. good luck  bob