Buying an 8 in Jointer, need feedback
Wooddust
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
I will soon be upgrading to an 8 inch Jointer. My question for the group is based on recent discussions and experiences, either the DJ-20 by Delta or its equal from Powermatic will lead my list of options. Love to see some discussion of the relative merits of each as well as any discussion on the x-5 offering vs a standard DJ-20. Thanks all
Replies
I have the x-5 from Delta. I can't really compare it with the others, except to say that the price (net of inducements) worked out to being better than the General up here.
Some of the brands like Powermatic and Grizzly are not particularly available here. There are a number of cheapy Taiwanese/Chinese tool importers, but I figured it wasn't worth the risk. That being said the 'King' 8" Jointer appears essentially identical to the Delta X-5 but is much cheaper. Of course the quality may (or may not be) comparable. Important considerations include bed flatness and so on, which I figure Delta probably got right.
I am satisfied with the jointer, but I am not an expert on such things. It is very cool to take a twisted and bowed piece of rough and make it into a fine piece of wood. That being said, you'll need good dust collection (I have a 2HP Dust Gorilla). Read the instruction manual before even attempting assembly - and you'll need help.
Think about going to http://www.sunhillmachinery.com and looking at the new Oliver 4240, 10" jointer. On sale, it sells for $1,895, has a 3hp BALDOR motor, 4-blade cutterhead, 84" long, and weighs about 1,000 pounds....
Bill
I recommend reading FWW #180 on 8-inch jointers. Can you buy Grizzly? They just released a new model (not in FWW #180) which looks better than the competition. I am satisfied with my (almost-Delta) Yorkcraft which includes mobile base feature.
Cadiddlehopper
Ill look at the Oliver...
Re: Grizzley...I can buy Grizzley but I have far to many conserns with their products. The only way they can possibly produce tools in the price ranges they do is to cut corners where they cannot be seen. I see this as a lifetime purchace and It has to be accurate and dependable. I am sure they make a workable machine but precision is pretty critical when wood is worked and such issues as flatness of tables, ability to maintain a setting are key. Cpompound this with motors of unknown origin/quality/specs, low end bearings, belts, and internals....I cannot see buying Grizzley if seriously interested in quality.
i have to agree about grizzly, i had a 36 inch drumsander that was just abig green piece of junk that was grizzly enough for me go with the powermatic thats all i own
It is your money!Cadiddlehopper
I'd say you are right about some of the Grizzly machines, but if you look at them carefully some are indeed good values. For example, my Grizzly 15" Planer has the exact same castings as the Delta, Powermatic, and Jet machines - the only thing different are the bases, the switch, the motors, and the paintjob. Obviously, the core of these machines, and the part that is obviously the most important as far as the operation of the machine goes, are all produced in the same factory in Taiwan. In fact, the Grizzly base is much nicer than the base you get with the Delta or Jet machine. The Grizzly was $650 when I purchased it and the Delta was around $1200. Do you really think that Delta spent $550 more on the motor, base, and switch than Grizzly?? Doubt it. What happened is that Delta, an American Corporation manufacturing their machines overseas is just plain greedy, or worse, inefficient. I'd rather give my hard earned dollars to another American corporation that is less greedy. The folks at Grizzly are always pleasant to deal with and actually answer their phones. Their store is just incredible and a must see for anyone that likes tools. I get my machines within a week of ordering them usually. Now some of the machines Grizzly sells are indeed junk, but hey, go down to Home Depot or Lowes and look at some of the fine woodworking machines that Delta is hawking. I have an old Rockwell Delta Drill press - now that is a quality machine, but I don't get it anymore confused with 2006 Delta as I would my 1960's DeWalt Radial Arm Saw with a 2006 DeWalt aka Black and Decker Industrial machine. Don't get hung up on names, they used to mean something, when I was a kid.
I agree. I think the object is to buy the best machine for the money, whether it is made in the U.S. (LN), Canada (General, LV), or Asia...I bought the Grizzly G0593 jointer with the spiral head cutter 3 months ago and I think that it is well made- dead flat table, good cutter head and motor. Some have criticized the belts, but I think that is a minor upgrade. You would be hard put to find a better 8" machine for under $1,000 US.My sense is that Grizzly's quality has improved in a number of their product lines over the past 5 years. Reviews and replies on this forum tend to note that satisfaction has increased over the last few years. I don't think everything that they make is up to snuff, and there are some good alternatives (General TS, Laguna BS, etc.) but I would not dismiss Grizzly out of hand because of an experience in the past. Unfortunately, some American manufacturers (Delta, DeWalt, etc) are resting on their past laurels... they want to use a brand name that was developed as a quality supplier, but outsource their work, customer service, etc. to maximize their profits. Companies that will do best over the long term will be those who sweat the details of their manufacturing, shipping and service. B&D is not that type of company.Glaucon
If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...
Yes, totally agree. In fact I was looking at the Powermatic Parallelogram Jointer this weeked that someone mentioned earlier in this thread. The castings look suspiciously similar to the new Grizzly 8" parallelogram jointer - maybe I'm wrong about this - don't have really good pics to compare them side by side. If some of you remember, FW reviewed 15" planers a few years ago and talked about how the manufacturers were all using the same factory. If one of my Grizzly machines craps out on me in the middle of a big project, maybe I'll be on here bad mouthing them, but until then I'm satisfied with my purchases.
I see way to many posts with major Griz issues...motors miswired, poor quality finish, table flatness issues, hidden shortcuts....it may look good on the outside but I dont need a tool to go south on me when I really need it. Its sort of like buying a John Deere...you know you have the best and it will do as planned every time. Maybe a Belarus would have same horse power...but it isnt the same.
Maybe, I had a John Deer Tractor back in the late 1980's wasn't impressed with it at all. In fact I sold it and had my old Simplicity rebuilt. Again, I'd say it has to do with the age of the tool, I don't have 100% confidence in any current tools, be it Delta, Powermatic, Oliver, et al, they all are equally lazy in quality control.
After several months of research, I purchased the Powermatic 8" parallelogram jointer. I originally had concerns about the fact that it was built overseas, but I'm very pleased with the fit and finish. I purchased a Starrett machinist straight edge and feeler gauges to check the table for flatness -- it was dead on. The motor is strong enough to handle hard maple and oak without flinching. If I could change anything, I would like to be able to raise and lower the table with a crank instead of a lever. Not a big deal. I'm a happy customer.
What made the difference when you made the choice?
My decision was ultimately based on the bed length. The powermatic looks like an aircraft carrier. I also liked the fit and finish of the powermatic. I did a side by side comparison of the powermatic and delta equivalent at a local woodworking store. Granted, I did not actually use the Delta (just did a visual inspection), but it seemed a little rough around the edges. I have read favorable posts about it though. You probably can't go wrong with either machine.
A few weeks ago I purchased the Powermatic long bed 8" jointer, which I think is the same as the "parallelogram" 8" jointer mentioned earlier. I purchased this one because of the length of the bed. Pleased as punch with its performance. One caveat - it comes fully assembled. The dealer said a couple customers had to step down to the "normal length" 8" Powermatic because they couldn't get the 84" length into their shop (don't know why, just relaying the story).
Personally I do not like a parrallelogram style jointer. I think they are more difficult to adjust a small amount.
I own a General and am quite satisfied with it. The newer General has a longer bed than the older one. The one I have weighs over 500 pounds. The Delta weighs almost 400. Slightly over one hundreed pounds difference is a lot of difference.
If I had a little extra money I would probably go for the 10" Oliver.
Edited 3/22/2006 9:11 pm by gb93433
Maybe I misunderstood your post, but I thought the difference between a paralellogram and a non-paralellogram is that the parallelogram can be adjusted and the other cannot. Or maybe you just meant raising or lowering the bed elevation. If so, I'm not sure how a paralellogram design makes that more or less easy.
My experience has been if you want to move the bed up or down very very little a paralellogram style is rather difficult. The one I used was not very able to hold the position as well as the typical style. It has to be locked all the time when I used it.
I just got the Powermatic "PJ 882" (I think) a couple weeks ago. I think I am going to like it but after running a couple boards through it one thing became very clear. It has to have a dust collector connected to it. The old Sears jointer was open below and just dropped the saw dust on the floor. The Powermatic has a little compartment that fills up and very soon the shavings come up on top. I have some other work to do before I get the dust collector.
Edited 3/25/2006 12:05 am ET by tinkerer2
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