Tool Test: 8-in. Jointers
We test the Grizzly G0495X, Jet JWJ-8HH, Laguna MJOIN8012-0130, Laguna MJOIN8020-0130, Oliver 4230, Powermatic PJ-882HH, and Rikon 20-108H.
Synopsis: There’s a wide variety of jointers on the market, but for the small shop, the 8-in. jointer with a spiral cutterhead hits the mark in terms of price, footprint, and capability. Because the spiral cutterhead produces a markedly better surface than the traditional straight-knived cutterhead, Ellen Kaspern stuck to models with spiral cutterheads when testing 8-in. jointers. She assessed the models for surface quality, and ease of use, specifically how easy it was to set the fence at 90° to the tables and lock it there, and how easy it was to set the depth of cut. Models tested include the Grizzly G0495X, Jet JWJ-8HH, Laguna MJOIN8012-0130, Laguna MJOIN8020-0130, Oliver 4230, Powermatic PJ-882HH, and Rikon 20-108H.
A jointer might not be your first big tool purchase, but when you do buy one, it will make milling so much smoother. Tuned up right, jointers let you easily get a flat face and a square edge, two critical reference points for nearly every step in a build.
While jointers come in a wide range of sizes, the 8-in. jointer hits the sweet spot for price, footprint, and capability in the small shop. Jointers of this size handle wider boards than smaller models, and their typically longer beds provide more infeed and outfeed support.
Spiral cutterheads
The models I looked at all have spiral cutterheads. While jointers have traditionally had cutterheads with straight knives oriented perpendicular to the feed direction, that approach is being supplanted by spiral cutterheads, which have a series of small, square cutters running in a spiral pattern. This design reduces tearout, leaving smoother surfaces, especially on figured stock. Because the advantage in surface quality is so clear, we left jointers with straight cutterheads out of the test.
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To see how each jointer performed, I assessed the surface quality it left behind. All the models performed well on both pine and curly maple. With these results being so similar, the real test came down to how user-friendly the jointers were. First, and most important, the fence should be easily set and locked at 90° to the tables. Additionally, the fence shouldn’t interfere when feeding a board. And it needs to adjust smoothly, which is why I prefer jointers that use a rack-and-pinion mechanism to move the fence to those that have you just pushing or pulling it. Setting the infeed table, which determines your depth of cut, should also be easy. For these jointers, that means turning a wheel or using a lever. I prefer the wheel for its more precise control. Last, there’s the guard, the spring-loaded cover over the knives. It should push out of the way as you feed a board but snap back in place when the board has passed. If this doesn’t work well, it’s not just a hassle; it’s dangerous.
Beds
There are two types of jointer beds—those that adjust on dovetailed ways, and those with parallelogram adjusters. I checked that all the beds were coplanar. But gravity always wins, so in time a jointer bed may sag. With sliding dovetails, you have to shim the bed to make changes. But with the parallelogram type, you can make adjustments on the jointer itself thanks to a series of built-in cams, no shims necessary. That’s a nice feature. But keep in mind that you’ll likely pay more for a jointer with parallelogram beds.
On/off location
Fences
Best overall: Grizzly G0495X
| Number of cutters: 36
Orientation of cutters: Straight Surface quality: Excellent Total length of beds: 82-1/2 in. Type: Parallelogram Type of bed adjuster: Wheel |
Ease of adjustment: Very good
Guard: Excellent Rack and pinion: Yes Fence quality: Excellent Dust collection: Excellent |
Best Overall and Best Value in an 8-in Jointer
Grizzly G0495X Industrial Helical Cutterhead 8-in. Jointer
Best value: Jet JWJ-8HH
| Number of cutters: 36
Orientation of cutters: Angled Surface quality: Very good Total length of beds: 72 in. Type: Dovetail Type of bed adjuster: Wheel |
Ease of adjustment: Excellent
Guard: Very good Rack and pinion: No Fence quality: Excellent Dust collection: Very good |
Jet 8 in Jointer
Jet JWJ-8HH Helical Head 8-In. Jointer
Powermatic PJ-882HH Parallelogram 8-in. Jointer
Ellen Kaspern is a woodworker and machine instructor at North Bennet Street School in Boston.
To view the entire article, please click the View PDF button below.
From Fine Woodworking #273
Comments
I own the Oliver 4230 and have been using it for 3 years. I really liked that it was dead on out of the box. No adjustments were needed. Unlike this review, I find the dust collection to be just fine. Adjusting the fence to 90 degrees was a bit finicky but not horrible and it stays at 90 degrees. The 90 degree stop is also reliable. There is no play in the fence. I do not know why the reviewer had so much trouble with the fence.
I did have to replace the motor with a Leeson after two years and customer service was not helpful. FYI for anyone interested in this machine. Wish it were still made in the USA!
I wish this comparison had included the Cutech 40180HCB-CT (https://www.cutechtool.com/product-p/40180hcb-ct.htm). It's an 8" jointer with what Cutech calls a "Spiral Style Cutterhead with 16 carbide Inserts", so I believe it very clearly fits the stated test criteria of "an 8 inch jointer with a spiral cutterhead". Yes, it would have been the only benchtop model in the test, but the article suggests it had "the small shop" in mind. So, for those of us whose shop is too small for a full-sized 8" jointer, it would have been very helpful to see what can be achieved by a jointer with much shorter beds, but that still has 8" capability and a spiral cutterhead. (Actually, I don't know whether there ARE any other 8" benchtop jointers with spiral cutterheads.)
And, because the price ($470) of this Cutech 8" jointer is less than 1/4 of the listed price of the least expensive jointer in the test, seeing how it performs in comparison to those full sized models could be very important (either way) for budget-conscious woodworkers who just can't justify paying $2,000 or more for a full-sized 8" jointer.
If at all possible, I'd appreciate it if the author will similarly review the Cutech 40180HCB-CT and then add her findings about it to an updated version of the chart in this article.
Paul Dalton
Grapevine, TX
I agree that Cutech should be included. Do not be confused with Wahuda. I just talked with a representative from Cutech and they are still in business. However, their web address has been changed and is now https://cutechtools.us.
Currently the 8" Spiral Cutterhead Benchtop Jointer (Black Table) - CUTECH 40180HB, with tungsten carbide blades, is $444.99. They also have 6" and 10" jointers as well as planers.
Thanks for some useful comparisons, I guess each shop has it's own limitations, and trade-offs so your comments helped me pick the best one for me. In my small shop many of the power tools have to be on rollers, and size/footprint is a concern. Since the shop is in the back of the property with no drive-up access, weight is a big factor. So a jointer that is big enough but not too big, and heavy enough but not too heavy. Since the article said early on that all the machines made very good and very similar surfaces, it seemed that picking based on these other criteria was key. Like you said, it is all about finding the sweet spot. Your article got me started on that search.
I'm confused with the rating you gave the Grizzly 495x for fence quality. If it won't keep 90 deg upon moving the fence (as you stated in the article) then I'm not sure how you can give it an "Excellent" rating. Maybe I missed something in the article or miss read the comment. I'm asking because I'm in the market for a jointer but the last thing I'd want is a fence that won't hold 90 degrees when you move the fence. That would be a very undesirable trait IMHO and would not deserve a "Excellent" rating.
Also it would be helpful to know if over time these units lost their co-planer and to what degree and or how easy was it to setup.
I was as well. That being said, I think i can see why she did it. Over all It is the only one that hit the points she was talking about. (Parallelogram, Wheel Adjuster, Excellent dust collection and rack and pinion fence)
That being said,I feel like a quality fence is more important to me that the Parallelogram bed that I would need to adjust once every 3 years. I currently have a Jet 6 inch, and use the Powermatic featured here, in my buddy's shop. I agree with the guard issue, it is absolutely annoying. Also, she is right, I do get thin stock caught in the little recessed plastic piece on the fence.
The grizzly has gotten my eye more then once as an upgrade but I havent been happy with their latest parts from china, and the service has been horrible. I'm currently over 10 months out on a tool rest for a grinder I ordered. Also the fencing issue has me a bit worried
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