Replies

1. 
   drwpara | May 18, 2006 06:20pm | #1

   hi phil, i was wondering the same thing. i was also thinking of the spiral head cutter.is it really an improvment?let me know what you fine out. thanks dennis

2. 
   bszydlo | May 18, 2006 06:40pm | #2

   Phil, I was comparing the Grizzly 8" jointers with the Yorkcraft 8". I decided to go with the Yorkcraft. I ordered it yesterday (I was on the waiting list for a month) and so far have been impressed with their customer service. It should arrive next week, I can fill you in on the specifics after that.
   Bill

1. 
   justenglabs | May 18, 2006 07:08pm | #3

   What made you decide on the York over the Grizzly?? Right now York has a special going... Price is $689. Plus it has wheels built in... Price wise that makes about $200 between that and the Grizzly. What were your thoughts on paralellogram beds?Thanks,Phil

1. 
   bszydlo | May 18, 2006 10:08pm | #4

   I compared the new Grizzly, G0490, with the 8" Yorkcraft.
   1. Table mechanism - The Grizzly uses the parallelogram approach while the Yorkcraft uses the older dovetailed ways. When I tried the parallelgram table on a Delta I felt it moved smoother and covered more distance easier then the dovetailed method. That being said, the Grizzly uses a lever for adjustment while the Yorkcraft uses the handwheels. For moving larger distances the lever/parall. works nice but the handwheels provide much better small increment adjustment. In use, I will probably only make small adjustments so the handwheels seemed the better choice. I felt this adjustment was more important than the parallelgram table.
   2. Infeed table size. The Grizzly has a longer infeed table while the Yorkcraft is divided about equally between the infeed and outfeed. While the longer infeed table is a bonus on the Grizzly, I felt it would require more room for actual use. My shop is about 20x20 and having the cutter centered was more appropriate for my placement.
   3. Fence movement. This was a big consideration for me. The Grizzly uses the standard, grab the fence with both hands and move to the fence to the chosen location. The Yorkcraft employees the rack and pinion mechanism which I prefer. The one drawback of this is the space required at the back of the jointer for the rack and pinion. Yorkcraft has redesigned this system to take up less space. I was concerned about stability and was told that the new system is actually stronger than the old. Time will tell.
   4. The G0490 is a new machine, thus the reduced promotional shipping, and after communicating with a number of individuals I have not been impressed with some of the comments. Current users have told me that there is more vibration in this machine and there appears to be some issues with belt location. Grizzly seems to be addressing these but I did not want to be a field tester for their new machine.
   5. Lastly, when I started woodworking 10 years ago, I purchased a number of Grizzly tools and was not impressed with any of them or the customer service. Since then I understand Grizzly has improved greatly in these areas but I am still reluctant to purchase from them again. When I weighed everything the Yorkcraft came out ahead.
   The jointer was shipped yesterday (Wednesday) and the freight company will deliver it (to MN) on Monday. Sorry for the length of this but feel free to email me if you have any questions.
   Bill

3. 
   JMartinsky | May 19, 2006 01:17am | #5

   Dear Just,
   I can't speak about the Grizz, but the I have a Shelix on my PM, very sweet! It is a bit of a pain to swap out, however, but........ you can but the Yorkcraft with the Shelix installed. I would be all over that! Let us know what you do. I love new toys!

   John