Replies

1. 
   bduffin104 | May 24, 2010 08:54pm | #1

   I'd buy the planer

   Tob,

   If the price is right and it has low miles I buy the planer before the joiner. Bear in mind the 12" Delta planer sells for less than $300 new. I own one as well as a 15" Grizzly. I use the  Delta for the final light pass with sharp blades and it produces an excellent surface with very little chip out. Pretty amazing little tool at a very affordable price. The blades are cheap and sharpened on both sides which is like getting two sets. This is not the machine you want for hogging down 1000 bf of rough cut maple, light work only.

   I have a nice joiner but use it only a small fraction as often as the planers.

   Have fun, Bret

2. 
   forestgirl | May 25, 2010 12:35am | #2

   An old standby

   That older model of Delta lunchbox planer is an oldie but goodie.  They still survive in frameshops and such.  the good news is, they're cheap to buy nowadays and quite possibly built better than the new ones.  I think, though, that their design is less sophisticated than the 12.5" that is their current intro planer.  The 12.5's have a headlock to help minimize snipe.  Not sure if the post arrangement on the two is the same or different.

   A planer will save you money in the long run by being able to thickness rough stock.  Kinda hard to get by without a jointer too, but it's possible.   In addition to jointing the edge(s) of boards, the jointer is used to face-plane one side to get a flat surface,  You then place the jointed face down on the planer table and run through the planer to get the top side parallel to the already-flat side and then to thickness to your desired dimension.