Hi all. I’m looking at purchasing a jointer. My space and finances cause me to lean toward a bench top model. I’m considering the grizzly bench top jointer. Does anyone have experience with this particular machine? I’m also open to alternative suggestions. Thanks in advance for your help.
Kyle
Replies
The amount of space you need for a jointer doesn't have much to do with the actual size of the machine. When you are using a jointer you will need an area that is twice as long, and a bit more, than the length of the boards you are jointing. While the base of the jointer won't be longer than the tables of the machine, the bases are always quite a bit wider for stability. On many jointers the fence support assembly can extend a considerable distance behind the machine and will prevent storing the machine compactly against a wall.
While the Grizzly machine is called a benchtop tool it weighs almost 100 pounds so it will probably need a permanent base, one with wheels if you want to be able to move it around, so you should factor this into the true cost of the purchase.
The tables on the Grizzly are very short, so the practical capacity of the machine will be quite limited, boards longer than three feet will be very difficult work with. The Grizzly machine also has a universal motor in it which means it will probably be very loud in use and will be much more likely to wear out than the induction motors that are used in the floor standing machines.
John's comments are excellent. From my personal experience, I bought a jointer early on partly because it was on sale--a substantial 8" General--and I quickly realized that it would have been a deal without the discount!
You don't say what kind of work you're going to be doing. I soon found myself doing a huge variety of stuff--I was putting through 2 x 8 x 8 ft cedar planks, delicate pieces of cherry for fancy boxes, and so on.
In a sense, I don't have room for it in the garage, but I've got it on a General mobile base and the long protusion out the back of the machine (which John mentions) fits in between shelves of my lumber rack. How do I get the room to put an 8 ft plank through the jointer--open the garage door.
Just my experience, for what it's worth.
jimbell
Kyle:
I have a Sears 6"
Kyle:
I have a Sears 6" wide by 30" long all cast iron bench top jointer that has appearently been discontinued. It is similiar to the Grizzle model you are considering, though slightly longer. My Sears unit has plenty of power, makes clean cuts, and has an accurate cast iron fence. The thing weighs around 100 lbs so I made a cabinet with heavy duty casters for it. While this jointer meets my limited needs (I prefer to use hand planes for dressing stock) if I had it to do over again I'd spend the extra couple hundred bucks and get a floor model. They don't take that much more space but as John White stated they are better suited to truing longer stock. I am able to feed six foot long boards through mine with acceptable results, but it isn't easy. Do yourself a favor and get a floor model.
gdblake
On 110v, the 2hp motor will pull about 20 amps. On 220v, that drops to about 10 amps.
In my view, a 2hp motor falls is the gray area between 110v and 220v. Personally, I'd lean toward feeding it 220v from a circuit installed by a licensed electrician.
Also check out Craig's list and the like. There are often a fairly good number of 6" jointers that are only being sold because the owner is moving up to 8", When you buy used, you can generally get most all of your money out if your circumstances allow you to move up, or require you to sell.
I have the Grizzly 586 8"
I have the Grizzly 586 8" jointer, and have had excellent luck with it. It was an replacement for a 6" model. Having the extra width capacity has helped me when buying rough lumber from my local supplier. Much of the wood seems to be right around 8" wide, so am able to maximize board use. The length of the beds seems just right also. Highly recommended.
I wired a new 20 amp 220 volt circuit for it. That circuit has been handy as I added 220 volt Grizzly bandsaw and then a tablesaw. I just extended the circuit to positions for each of the new tools. I have no problem running two tools at once (not frequently), and all of them are 2 HP.
John
I appreciate the input everyone. After reevaluating my budget, and the wiring that already exists in the house I rent, it doesn't appear that I will be able to get the jointer at this time.
So....anyone live in the Waco, TX area that has a jointer that would be willing to rent me time on it? :)
Again thanks for the input, I appreciate the help I get on these forums.
110/220 motors actually all run on 110 volts internally so as long as your 110 volt circuit can handle the power demands of a 2 horse motor you won't have a problem. However in many shops the wiring is too small and there are too many power users on one circuit. To run a two horse motor on 110 it will have to have its own 20 amp circuit as a minimum, with nothing else on the circuit and you still might find that the motor pops the circuit breaker on start up.
Actually a 2 horse motor is oversized for an 8 inch jointer but manufacturers try to out compete each other on motor size and it hardly costs Grizzly anymore to put a 2 hp motor on instead of a 1 or 1 1/2.
110/220 motors actually all run on 110 volts internally so as long as your 110 volt circuit can handle the power demands of a 2 horse motor you won't have a problem. However in many shops the wiring is too small and there are too many power users on one circuit. To run a two horse motor on 110 it will have to have its own 20 amp circuit as a minimum, with nothing else on the circuit and you still might find that the motor pops the circuit breaker on start up.
Actually a 2 horse motor is oversized for an 8 inch jointer but manufacturers try to out compete each other on motor size and it hardly costs Grizzly anymore to put a 2 hp motor on instead of a 1 or 1 1/2.
Keep an eye on craigs list. Something will pop up sooner or later. Anything made by Walker Turner, Powermatic, Delta or even old Craftsman brand will be servicable and easy to find parts for. I belong to the camp that believes with many of these machines, the older the better. I bought a 1940's walker turner 6" jointer for $20 that was in pieces. I had to put in new bearings and find a fence for it but it was well worth the effort. About $200 and 5 hours of work all in and I have a great machine. The older machines are much more heavy duty than new stuff, so for the critical parts, they will generally take more abuse. Look on old wood working machines web site for more info about older brands and models, http://www.owwm.com they are very knowlegable. Not to say that everything made these days is junk, but for the money I believe you can get a lot more bang for your buck by buying an older used machine.
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