Jointer planer combo machines
user-2974287
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
I’ve got a 450 sq shop. Not big, not small, but very long and not so wide and hoping to save some space by getting a jointer planer combo machine.
There don’t seem to be very many recent reviews of these machines and not as many manufacturers make these as in the past from what I can tell.
Are they really that impractical and painful to use? Is there just not that big of a market? With 12” beds it seems really attractive compared to buying a 12” jointer that’s 8’ long and a comparably sized planer.
Thanks for looking and hope to hear what you all think.
-Alex
Idaho
Replies
My shop is 40 ft long and 12 ft wide and I can fit a 8 inch jointer and a 20 inch planer along with all the other power tools . I consider combo machines as compromises and in the case of the jointer/planer it compromises on the two most important features of these two machines. For me the main feature for a planer is its useable width, I lived most of my life with 15, 16 inches and now I upgraded to 20 inches. The main feature for a jointer is for me the table length, just this week I have been jointing 100 board ft of 60-80 inches long 6/4 hickory panels and the 76 inches tables made this much easier.
My shop is smaller than yours. When faced with replacing my 6" jointer the step up to 8" was not an option because of the length. I bought a 12" combo with a helical head and could not be happier. That 8" jointer would still not have kept up with my old lunchbox and would have been a short-lived stopgap.
I lost 1/2" of planer and have never missed it. I am filling the hole it used to live in with a thickness sander.
How's the thickness sander working out?
Still waiting for it. Last update was ship date 2/12-17/21.
I had a 3 HP 12” Robland (Belgian) jointer/planer for about 20 years. It was a great machine. About 15 years ago I changed the cutter head to a Byrd Shelix with carbide blades and was happy with the results.
As a hobbyist I think the 12” joiner is unnecessary. I rarely found or used wood over 8” wide. A 12” planer was helpful. The jointer bed was only 55”. Not a problem except for the times I needed to joint long pieces of heavy wood, like quarter sawn white oak.
It took about a minute to change from jointer to planer and visa versa. Some people complain about the time it takes but I found it tolerable. When working a project, you just need to plan your cut sequence carefully to minimize the number of times you change modes from jointer to planer. The machine in jointer mode doesn’t occupy much space and when in planer mode takes up half again as much width because the jointer beds are moved to one side.
That said, I moved recently from a 1200 SF shop to a 600 SF garage and sold the Robland. I did some research on new combination machines by using user reviews on Amazon, You-Tube and manufacturer and sales outlet sites. In the end, I replaced it with an 8” Powermatic Helix jointer and a 15” Powermatic Helix planer (got them 20% off with free shipping). They occupy a little more space, but I have them on wheels so can move them if needed. I like the 88” jointer bed vs 55” on the Robland.
I own a Grizzly G06430XP 12" helical head combo machine and while I will not endorse that particular machine for several reasons, I will wholeheartedly endorse the combo machine concept. Change over time is no more than it would take to roll one machine out and another in place to use, assuming most shops won't have space for both a jointer and planer to have 10+ feet on both infeed and outfeed sides. Given what Gulfstar probably has invested into a 20" planer and 8"jointer you can own a high quality 15" Hammer or Minimax
My separate machines amount to $6500, you get the 12 Inch Hammer for that.
I wouldn't recommend the Hammer. However, the MiniMax 16" FS41C with a Tersa cutter head can be had for about $5200.
That would be 6600 of our dollars and straight knives cutterhead but at 16 inches wide and long 71 in. table is a good bang for the buck, far more than the Hammer and almost equal to two separate machines.
Gulfstar can ask how often you need a 20" planer. Obviously the tools we need depends greatly upon what you build, but for me the times that a 20" planer would be an advantage over a 15-16" planer would be few. Maybe if you made large tables a lot it would save from making a third panel but not much else I can think of.
The wider boards are fewer and fewer of course and the probablity of using the full capacity is low, I've been turning 20 inch cheese platers from oak recently and being from a single board, it was nice to be able to flatten the bottom with a single pass in the planer, also been sending through a slab of figured poplar that came from a large stump harvested locally and just this week building 19 inch wide solid hickory desk for my daughter. I guess I use the full capacity once a month but I have been able to get by with a 16 inch for years and a 15 inch for many years also. The nicest thing about a big planer is the effortless removal of large quantities of wood and the smoothness and quietness of the helical cutter operation. I sometimes just start the machine to hear the sound, reminds me of long ago working in a large woodworking factory.
I bought the Jet JJP12 helical on sale in December and received it about 3 weeks ago. So far it has worked like a dream. Super-fast changeover and leaves a beautiful surface. Based on 3 weeks of use I highly recommend if you can stand the lead time.
Can't be much worse than waiting on my 16" MiniMax. Ordered in July, estimated delivery "maybe" February 2022.
In the same boat. Ordered the jet combo right before the price increase and it’s looking like December.
Over 60 cargo ships are anchored out waiting to get in to the Port of LA and Long Beach. Unload times are forecasted to be months out. Might be where all our orders are and the ports can’t find workers to fill their shifts.
I just last week got a couple of things from Lee Valley, made in Canada, that I ordered last December. It took about 6 months to get a Nova drill press. And Lie Nielsen stopped making a bunch of things because they've got all they can do to keep pace with their core tools.
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