Buying Jointer & Planer

Bruce Niceley

Member
Messages
16
I've made alot of progress in setting up my new shop and now need to make a move on a Jointer & Planner. After reading a large number of reviews it seems that RIGID looks to be the best bang for the buck?

Just got approved for the 6/month Get-it-Now, pay later deal and wanted to get a general consensusfrom the FWW members regarding performance, etc.
The 13" Planner seems to definetly fit me needs as I have a small shop (12x16).

In comparing to the reviews for Bench-top planners, the Rigis 6.5" seems to get excellent reviews as well.

What Say Ye Gang?

Thanks,

Bruce N.
 
planer/jointer

You may want to check out the grizzly line as well , unfortunately the shipping can add to cost, there quality is great and parts are avl. quickly and csr is great ! My brother has there 8" jointer and has never had an issue and was shipped on time and they give you notice of delivery ahead of time, all though now he has had it for a very long time and is an older model , I must say we haven't bought anything from them recently ! So currently as of 2009 you might want to check with others on the forum for updated info, but I can say our experience was good to great with them at that time. It's still ticking like a jewel. Ps I am thinking about a jointer for my shop as well ,I already have a crafstman planer, it has done the job for last 10 years. I believe you can go to www.grizzly.com and cheack all equipment for sale also I heard that if you buy from a certain e-bay site ,can't remember exactly what its called, you maybe able to purchase grizzly items at a discount, I wish I could include that exact site for you but again it's slipped my mind at the moment.
The grizzly 6" base jointer would be in the class or better than the ridgid and would probably have a better stand, I also heard that Ridgid isn't going to offer there lifetime warranty anymore, I have yet to confirm that but I was just at HD and saw price 429.00 for there Ridgid jointer and HD rep was trying to sell me a service plan if I bought and said as of 2009 tool only warranted for 3years, but package still labeled lifetime guarantee with 3years above that on box, I don't know exact warranty for grizzly but you can call and check. Well its really late here and I hope I haven't bored you to much with my rambeling and I'm in the same boat ,which to buy ,like I say hate to pay shipping , I also heard parts take a long time to get from ridgid as well, but since my thought's are buy better quality and there probably won't be a need for parts for a very long time. Hope this helped , Doug :type:
 
I've got Ridgid tools (table saw and sanders) and Grizzly tools (jointer and band saw, although the band saw is a Shop Fox). I've been happy with both brands. At the time I got my 6" Grizzly jointer, it was a little less than the Ridgid. I haven't compared prices recently, but as far as I know they are both on about the same level quality-wise. Decent, serviceable equipment. Not the top of the line, but workable for the needs of a lot of us.
 
You may want to check out the grizzly line as well , unfortunately the shipping can add to cost, there quality is great and parts are avl. quickly and csr is great ! My brother has there 8" jointer and has never had an issue and was shipped on time and they give you notice of delivery ahead of time, all though now he has had it for a very long time and is an older model , I must say we haven't bought anything from them recently ! So currently as of 2009 you might want to check with others on the forum for updated info, but I can say our experience was good to great with them at that time. It's still ticking like a jewel. Ps I am thinking about a jointer for my shop as well ,I already have a crafstman planer, it has done the job for last 10 years. I believe you can go to www.grizzly.com and cheack all equipment for sale also I heard that if you buy from a certain e-bay site ,can't remember exactly what its called, you maybe able to purchase grizzly items at a discount, I wish I could include that exact site for you but again it's slipped my mind at the moment.
The grizzly 6" base jointer would be in the class or better than the ridgid and would probably have a better stand, I also heard that Ridgid isn't going to offer there lifetime warranty anymore, I have yet to confirm that but I was just at HD and saw price 429.00 for there Ridgid jointer and HD rep was trying to sell me a service plan if I bought and said as of 2009 tool only warranted for 3years, but package still labeled lifetime guarantee with 3years above that on box, I don't know exact warranty for grizzly but you can call and check. Well its really late here and I hope I haven't bored you to much with my rambeling and I'm in the same boat ,which to buy ,like I say hate to pay shipping , I also heard parts take a long time to get from ridgid as well, but since my thought's are buy better quality and there probably won't be a need for parts for a very long time. Hope this helped , Doug :type:



The eBay Grizzly vendor sells at the same price as the store and catalog. I have not been able to figure out the advantage, if any, of buying from him. Grizzly warranty is one year. But, you MUST save your receipt. Without, you get nada from them.
 
Those two machines will really increase the capabilities of your shop. Accuracy will increase, and you'll be able to work from rough cut stock instead of burning money on the S4S stuff.
I'm always an advocate of shopping used equipment. In your case, i'd really think about checking out local used jointers. I see 6" jointers in good condition going in the $125 range pretty regularly. Jointers are really simple machines - two adjustable tables, a cutter head with a pair of ball bearings, a fence, a spring loaded guard, and a motor. Just make sure the tables are flat. Assuming the bearings are good and it's a complete machine, the only adjustments you'll need to do are the same ones you'll be doing on a new machine when you set it up. Even if the bearings are shot, $15 and an afternoon and you're back in business.
If you're not mechanically inclined, i wouldn't let a used jointer scare you off. In that case, though, you may want to stick to your plans for a new planer. They're a bit more complex and difficult to work on, but anyone who maintains their own car or bicycle should be able to tune an old one up properly.
It's always exciting to buy a shiney new machine, but the old ones are usually available and are just as serviceable. Less expensive too.
One other reason i shop used is that it lets me afford much higher quality machines than i could if i were shopping new. Not that that's necessary - "good enough" is definitely in my vocabulary, but higher quality stuff holds its value better. It's also nice to have the extra accuracy, horsepower, capacity, etc. on those occassions when you could use it.
About the Rigid, i've heard good things about them. I would think you'd get many years of good service from them.
Have fun with the new toys.
Paul Hubbman
 
The eBay Grizzly vendor sells at the same price as the store and catalog. I have not been able to figure out the advantage, if any, of buying from him...
I suspect the new Grizzly tools your seeing sold on eBay are being sold by Grizzly, not a separate entity. I also believe they were participating in the Microsoft Live Cashback program, so if you bought one of the listed items (and jumped through a series of hoops) you could get a refund of part of the purchase price.
 
I'll throw in my vote for Grizzly tools. All my major machines except lathe and scrollsaw are Grizzly, and I'm pleased with them all. I won't say I've loved every Grizzly tool I ever bought, but their customer service is unsurpassed. If you take the time while the machine is under warranty to determine whether or not it's a keeper and then decide it isn't, they will make it right by you. Exchange or money back. My experience is that once it's a keeper, it stays a keeper. I don't know about shipping in the case of returns because even though their Williamsport location is a fair amount farther than a stone's throw from me, for a major machine it's usually cost effective for me to drive over there and pick it up. Plus their showrooms are loverly, and I welcome opportunities to walk around and drool on the tools.

Vaughn, you're right about their ebay presence. It's Grizzly Industrial, and they state so in the tool description...with a request to notify them of imposters. I'm guessing they're just trying to reach more customers. I used the Live Cashback Search to try to find some Grizzly machines and couldn't turn anything up, but being a bear of very little brain I wouldn't be surprised if it's just pilot error.

Bruce, the thing I would suggest you verify about any jointer you're interested in is the ability to get the tables coplaner. Few things are more frustrating than trying to get a board flat or an edge ready for glue-up than a jointer that is out of adjustment...and everything goes out of adjustment. Planers don't have that particular problem. The main issues there are being able to get the table parallel to the cutting circle, side-to-side, and ease of setting the knives after sharpening. If access to the knives is clumsy this can be a frustrating exercise.

Good luck. Your first jointer and your first planer will probably not be your last.

Cheers.
 
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