Pondering the acquistion of a bigger jointer (presently using a Shopsmith 4″ jointer). From what I have found out so far, most folks recommend going to an 8 inch jointer – kind of ‘if you buy smaller, you will wish you had gotten it bigger’ thing. 

While money (and a very limited shop space) is a consideration, it seems like most of the 8 inch jointers I have seen jump up to a 3 HP motor and are strictly 240 VAC.  Now that certainly makes sense – wider blades means you need more HP.  More HP means you need to bump up your voltage.

So regardless of reality, are there any jointers out there where I could trade feedrate for HP?

And, in general, is the recommendation to go to 8 inch (or bigger, I suppose) still appropriate?

Bob Groh