Official Luthiers Forum!

what is the best jointer for about 400 or less?
it could be a 10" bench top, it is just for lutherie.

jon

Jon, planer or jointer? A 10" jointer isn't going to be a bench top kind of tool.

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Aoibeann

Hey John,
For your primary woodworking power tools, I really wouldn't settle for inferior quality. The truth is that you aren't going to get a jointer of good quality for under $600. And I personally would spend closer to $2000 on a good jointer. The same thing goes for your table saw (as far as I'm concerned the only option is the SawStop) and bandsaw.

Of course, this depends on how dedicated you think you will be to lutherie or woodworking in general. These power tools can last a lifetime and it really makes the most financial sense to get good quality at the beginning or you will find yourself wanting to upgrade to something better.

However, if you decide that you just can't spend the extra money - then I would recommend Grizzly. They stand behind their products and offer great bang for the buck. With the kind of woods we use, I strongly recommend a spiral cutterhead - they give a better surface and they also allow you to get away with less horsepower.

So I would recommend this 6" jointer:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-X-46- ... ead/G0452Z

However, this 8" will be a much more useful machine in the long run:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-Joint ... ead/G0490X

Plan on inspecting these machines and possibly having to get replacement parts. But once you get them set up correctly that should work very well for you.

Best of luck.

hey jon, i also would recommend grizzly products. i own several and they have performed well for me the last few years. here is alink to their jointer page http://www.grizzly.com/products/category.aspx?key=450000. there are a couple under $400. its just like anything, you can spend as much as you would like and the products get bigger and better the more you spend. if you are just going to be trueing up neck stock and what not, a smaller jointer will probably work just fine. i personally would stay away from the bench top stuff though. theres also used jointers out there, so check your local papers and make sure you know what you are looking for. if you live near a grizzly warehouse, you could save on shipping by picking it up. good luck buddy.

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sweat the small stuff.

I would agree with Simon on all points.
However IME the Grizzly thing is hit or miss. Some products are fairly well designed and built, some others plainly suck, especially the cheaper stuff.
A friend of mine bought the Rigid 6" jointer at HD 2 years ago, it's an excellent, durable and well built machine, the price is right and since you most probably have a HD close to where you live, no shipping charges.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

I have a General 6" jointer with 56" bed - but it was more than $400. It was a bit tricky to set up, but once done, it runs better than expected. I believe you can get a helical cutter head for it now too. Overall, I'd say if you take the time to get your jointer, or any tool for that matter, set up propelry and take care of it, you won't have too many problems.

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Jamie M

I think Shelix will make a helical head for just about anything, probably cheaper than getting the helical upgrade from General or any other OEM.

I'd recommend getting the biggest/most solid jointer you can now (to save money), with a minimum of a decent 6" floor model with some iron in it, and then putting some coffee-money away over time for an insert helical head. I haven't had to rotate the knives in mine yet after a year and a half, and I suspect I'm cutting a lot more wood than your average luthier

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

sorry bout the typo, i meant a 4 or 6 inch bench top model.
guess i got the mathematical side of the brain going and decided to add them up.

Thanks for the advice.
Actually I don't have a ceiling on the cost. I was just wanting to see what the concensus was on the smaller jointers.
I already have a full shop with a good table saw, thickness sander, routers, etc.....
I have just been doing all of my joints by hand.

I have recently been getting better deals on billets and want to go throw down on a jointer as it would save a lot of time. I think Todd's powermatic or jett advice may be the way to go.

Jon

Thanks for the advice.
Actually I don't have a ceiling on the cost. I was just wanting to see what the concensus was on the smaller jointers.
I already have a full shop with a good table saw, thickness sander, routers, etc.....
I have just been doing all of my joints by hand.

I have recently been getting better deals on billets and want to go throw down on a jointer as it would save a lot of time. I think Todd's powermatic or jett advice may be the way to go.

Jon

We bought a Jet Jet JJ-6CSX recently.

The same model was available with the helical head factory installed.

Fine machine by the way.

Bob

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

I have a 6" Jet jointer, enclosed base JJ-6CSX like Bob's, sounds right. I wondered if I could get a shelix cutterhead, as an aftermarket.

Does anyone have info on the retro-fitting?

Look up your model and replacement number on the Byrd website, then buy it on special from Grizzly. The people at Byrd suggested that to me. Great prices till they're gone.
-C

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