Replies

1. 
   BossHog | Sep 11, 2002 09:45pm | #1

   You might get more responses over in Knots. Those guys plane/joint wood every day.

   We're just wood butcherers over here...................(-:

   A terrible thing happened to me last night again.
   Nothing. [Phyllis Diller]

2. 
   joeh | Sep 12, 2002 12:36am | #2

   I used to have a Rockwell jointer that was one sweet tool. Damn thing was so big & heavy I sold it to a friend & bought a little 6" Powermatic. That 6' bed was beautiful, wish I had it back. Find an old one, I can't imagine that thing ever wearing out. No input on planer, I've got a Parks 12" works fine. Joe H

1. 
   jimblodgett | Sep 12, 2002 06:11am | #3

   I don't know if they still make it but Makita used to sell a real sweet 15" planer/6"jointer combo tool.  I think both tools ran off the same motor.  The table on the jointer wasn't what you'd call "longbed", maybe 48", but that was a sweet tool.  The most particular carpenter I ever met (he was also the best man at my wedding) had one in the early 80's, and he loved it.

   Some guys scoff at Makita, but this particular tool was a keeper.  I have only seen a couple of them, I think they maybe were too expensive for people to take a flier on, and pretty heavy to be considered "portable".

   Anybody else seen one of these things lately?Brinkmann for president in '04

1. 
   jc21 | Sep 12, 2002 07:46am | #4

   Not lately ............. friend I worked for had one- nice machine (think it was the 2030). Still kickin' myself for selling my 2040 planer and 2015(?) jointer. Makita doesn't have much anymore for stationary power equip. or am I looking in the wrong place? 

2. 
   drewwing7 | Sep 21, 2002 03:19pm | #8

   I have seen the machine you are talking about at a store in Portland Maine.  It has been sitting there a long time. I will check it out.

   Thanks

   Chickenlegs

3. 
   archyII | Sep 13, 2002 01:37am | #5

   8" delta.  Great jointer.  When I first bought it I thought it was alittle over kill but I just finshed jointing 20- 5/4 birch 8"-10" wide 8' -10' long planks.  Worked like a charm. 

4. 
   RW | Sep 21, 2002 05:46am | #6

   My pick of the litter on a jointer is go find a tool trader that has the old style Powermatic. Mmmmmm, sweet, baby.

1. 
   drewwing7 | Sep 21, 2002 03:15pm | #7

   What has changed with powermatic? I see they are now being sold at woodworkers warehouse. 

   Thanks for the reply

5. 
   goldhiller | Sep 22, 2002 05:51am | #9

   Hard to say what the best bang for your buck is unless you define your expectations and applications.

   If I’m guessing right tho, I’d say , have a look at the Grizzly 15” planer.

   I wouldn’t advise you to buy one of their jointers tho for one reason……..the lever control on the infeed and outfeed tables. I frequently need to change the depth of cut on my jointer and the lever with the tin depth indicator is just not reliable enough; way too much of a guessing game. I’d be certain that whatever jointer I bought came equipped with a threaded wheel adjustment for depth on both the infeed and outfeed table.

   It’s a hard game these days buying a jointer that joints accurately because the tables aren’t allowed to season properly before milling. The standard years ago was six months to season. The metal is hardly cool enough to handle these days before it’s milled. This frequently results in tables that move after they’ve been machined and consequently, an inaccurate machine. I’ve seen bad Grizzlys, bad Deltas, bad Powermatics, bad Suns, bad you name its…in the last ten years. Not all of this is caused by premature milling. Some of it is attributable to just plain shoddy machining on the bed weighs. Quality is falling off sharply…and that’s a fact. I’d be adjusting and trying out that new jointer as soon as it hits the floor because these companies won’t stand behind these machines for that long and when the replacement period is up….it’s up.

   I’m running on a 1923 Yates-American jointer that I wouldn’t trade or sell…..period…..and a 1978 Powermatic planer. I don’t have any problems with either machine and don’t intend to trade or sell my way into any either.

   Upgrading doesn’t always mean buying something newer.

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.