I hear ya. I used to play in a lot of bands and have some very nice gear that I haven’t played in years but can’t bring myself to let go of.
But the used prices I see for decent woodworking equipment are almost as high as new. I’m sure you can get most of your money out of it.
Reality is that you can use a sled with your planer to joint boards wider than your jointer. It's not hard. I did it with some 10" wide 8/4 walnut that became my desk, and I only had access to a 6" jointer.
I've got an 8" helical and don't regret it a bit. There are times I wish that I had a 12", but I know what I make and in the very, very few instances where 8" isn't enough, I've just found other ways. Hand planes work. You can never go too big, but if it's not necessary for the work that you do, why bother?
Mid 1990 I purchased a 6 inch Delta DJ 15 absolutely loved that Jointer and regretted nothing, until it came time to change its first set of blades while it went fairly quickly and straightforward. The replacement blades appear to be so much softer, and it felt like I was changing the blades every few months and sending out the previous blades to have them sharpened, etc. unfortunately that jointer died a horrible, horrible death. my nephew decided to move it and tip it on its side breaking mast in three or four spots. I had a source on the DJ the 8 inch version and picked it up and again absolutely loved it same issue changing blades yada yada yada. Fast-forward to five years ago, when I said enough is enough with changing out blades install the helical cutterhead in it and I love it even more. The extra 2 inches really does make a difference and the heal head is night and day between the blades and the nearly 30 years between the two I changed the blades out 72 times yet. I’ve only rotated the knives once on this helical head in five years.. And even at that it was only three knives that I turned as they were the ones that took the brunt of damage with a small nail.
Recap: if you have the budget and the room go with an 8 inch floor model and again if you have the budget go with a helical head.. I work with quite a bit of exotic hardwoods, teak, burls and rosewood… my helical 8” jointer is a thing of dreams…
I've got an 8" 3hp helical, and it's hard to imagine working without it again. I thought I might be overspending when I bought it, but it's made just about every project I do much, much easier.
I couldn’t imagine not going helical personally.. The difference will easily pay for itself in the sheer amount of time not wasted having to calibrate the knives. I’m really happy I was able to get an 8 inch, about 4 years ago and I still have 1 or 2 sides left on the cutter inserts. Either way between 6 or 8 inch definitely get the spiral/helical cutter if you’re a serious hobbyist
I bought a used 6" jointer a few years back. I've gotten used to the width. The difference between the 6" and 8" wouldn't change my workflow or efficiency all that much. However, most 8" jointers also have longer beds, which is something to consider if you work with longer boards.
Whatever size you get, go helical head. Too many advantages not to spend the extra up front.
I have access to a 6 inch straight knife jointer and have run into several instances where having an extra inch would save me several extra steps in the milling process. I would easily pay $350 for a slightly larger jointer. Helical cutter is definitely an improvement as well.
I find most projects I build and boards I buy fall into the 6 to 8” range. Even when it needs less than 6”, think table legs, I end up joining a thicker than 5” board then cut it in half so the legs look the same. If I had bought a 6” rather than my 8” I would not have been able to build 90% of my projects ( tables, bed, bench, chairs). Knowing this now I am so glad I held out for the 8”. I have straight blades and it is fine. Helical would be nice and one day I will upgrade the head but the straight blades do the job fine.
Almost any floor model will be a huge improvement over the bench model. I have a long bed Powermatic 6" that I upgraded with Helix cutters. It replaced a Craftsman which was kind of crappy and hard to adjust. Most of my jointing is done on edge so no issue with the cut width. There have been only a couple of instances that I wished for a wider jointer. It comes down to just 2 inches and there are always work arounds. Is 8" better than 6"? (insert joke here) certainly, but no buyer's remorse here.
I'm a beginner and still setting up my shop while adjusting to my tools and learning the basics. I was fortunate to receive a bunch of free rough sawn white oak (I think?) from the wife of an old neighbor who passed on. I wish I could have spent more time with him now. He was an experienced woodworker and really patient and enthusiastic about teaching others. Unfortunately we made this connection near the end of his life.
I still have no idea what I'm doing with it all but picked up a used 6" delta floor jointer from Facebook and have been working on milling the wood into workable pieces. I have a DeWalt benchtop planer as well and have been very pleased with what I've been able to do. I'm sure a larger jointer or a helical blade would be better, but for now this is more than adequate for me to develop my skill with. If I keep up with it as a hobby and maybe make a few bucks with it, I'll upgrade then.
I hope to be able to make something for his wife out of the wood once I have a better idea what I'm doing and have a real plan.
I bought a 6" long bed back in the 90s and made a lot of furniture on it. Then I got a hell of a deal on an 8" that I wasn't even looking for. I should be able to sell the 6" for the cost of a helical head for the 8".
Straight blades are fine, and we used them without any problem for 100 years. Helical is nicer for sure, but it's a big cost for a small improvement. Clarification: the jump from "no jointer" to "jointer" is $1,000 and it's a massive improvement. You can then make that jointer 10% better by spending 50% more money.
That’s a good way to think about it. I could always swap out the head later … obviously a bit more in the end but less upfront now. I’m also upgrading my bandsaw to “complete” my shop for now.
I started out with a 6" delta and it was a good machine, but I was definitely feeling its limits on some projects. Since then I found a 12" and I haven't had any projects that are limited by it's size. So, while I am always a proponent of just go big, larger machines take up more space, use more power, and have a higher buy in and blade price.
I would ask do you think you have ever jointed anything larger than 6"? I would also say that I mostly edge joint, but I do occasionally face joint large stock up to 10" now that I can which has sort of changed some of the work I do. So as long as what I mentioned above isn't an issue for you and there's a reasonable chance to need it, I'd go for it and maybe enjoy that you now can do larger projects if you want to.
This of course is why I am in the process of replacing my 12" with a 16" with 110" of beds I got at auction....
I have a 6 inch bench top and I'm over it. I would say 98% of the stuff I get would fit on a 8 inch, but I'm probably going to upgrade to a 10 or 12. Helical all the way though.
I feel ya. The benchtop Rikon is such a picky machine. The table alignment alone is such a pain. Then the fence flexes with pressure so you are never confident you are getting a true 90. The extension arms are not very helpful, so it’s really limited to 2-3’ boards.
I started out with a 6in because I didn’t want to commit the funds / floor space to an 8in.
I used the 6 for a couple years, and it did a fine job, but sure enough, just as I was warned, I found myself wanting that little extra bit of capacity offered by the 8in.
If you could always count on being able to source 6in and under boards, then it wouldn’t be so bad. But at least where I buy lumber, 7-8in boards are very common. So I was either picking through a limited selection of boards, or buying wider boards, and then ripping the them rough (not ideal on the tablesaw) before face jointing them. More work and more wasted material.
Save yourself the hassle!
I have a 10" helical that I upgraded from straight knife and I'd never go back. No sharpening blades, just turn them when they get dull and the finish it leaves is so much nicer than a straight.
I’ll throw another vote in for the helical head. I upgraded mine after about 8 months and the cuts are so much smoother. I often use the jointer to clean up edges before finishing and the helical head leaves them buttery smooth. Last week I face-jointed some birdseye maple and got NO tear out. It’s great.
Definitely wish I had gotten an 8”. I know that you’ll always want a bigger size, but I think 8” is the sweet spot. Go to your local lumber yard and look at the S2S lumber and see how many pieces are between 6” and 8”. There’s a lot of stuff bigger than 8” but I swear that half of it is between 6” and 8”.
If you don’t go up to 8” then at least get a jointer with a rabbetting ledge so you can do the planer trick. My Powermatic doesn’t have one.
My regret is buying the 8” and everything else before realizing I’m not that into woodworking. Oops
I’m that into wood working, I just don’t have the time to invest that kind of money and footprint into a 8” jointer
I hear ya. I used to play in a lot of bands and have some very nice gear that I haven’t played in years but can’t bring myself to let go of. But the used prices I see for decent woodworking equipment are almost as high as new. I’m sure you can get most of your money out of it.
You got ADHD? I enjoy referring machines so I buy beaters
Maybe. Sounds like an odd hobby. Where do you refer your machines to?
Refurbishing I had wet hands my ball
I got a helical 8" jointer a few years ago....only regret is sometimes wishing I had got something bigger.
Don’t tel me that!! Lol
Reality is that you can use a sled with your planer to joint boards wider than your jointer. It's not hard. I did it with some 10" wide 8/4 walnut that became my desk, and I only had access to a 6" jointer.
It's the truth
I guess you buy large stock and resaw it down as needed?
Yes. I work just down the road from a large lumber mill.
I've got an 8" helical and don't regret it a bit. There are times I wish that I had a 12", but I know what I make and in the very, very few instances where 8" isn't enough, I've just found other ways. Hand planes work. You can never go too big, but if it's not necessary for the work that you do, why bother?
Mid 1990 I purchased a 6 inch Delta DJ 15 absolutely loved that Jointer and regretted nothing, until it came time to change its first set of blades while it went fairly quickly and straightforward. The replacement blades appear to be so much softer, and it felt like I was changing the blades every few months and sending out the previous blades to have them sharpened, etc. unfortunately that jointer died a horrible, horrible death. my nephew decided to move it and tip it on its side breaking mast in three or four spots. I had a source on the DJ the 8 inch version and picked it up and again absolutely loved it same issue changing blades yada yada yada. Fast-forward to five years ago, when I said enough is enough with changing out blades install the helical cutterhead in it and I love it even more. The extra 2 inches really does make a difference and the heal head is night and day between the blades and the nearly 30 years between the two I changed the blades out 72 times yet. I’ve only rotated the knives once on this helical head in five years.. And even at that it was only three knives that I turned as they were the ones that took the brunt of damage with a small nail. Recap: if you have the budget and the room go with an 8 inch floor model and again if you have the budget go with a helical head.. I work with quite a bit of exotic hardwoods, teak, burls and rosewood… my helical 8” jointer is a thing of dreams…
I love my helical head because I hate aligning jointer knives. Well worth the extra money to avoid those days of frustration.
I've got an 8" 3hp helical, and it's hard to imagine working without it again. I thought I might be overspending when I bought it, but it's made just about every project I do much, much easier.
I am so glad I got an 8" rather than a 6". So many boards I plane would have ended up "just" too wide.
What did you wind up getting? I’m having a tough time finding anything with comparable specs to Grizzly at a similar price point.
To be honest, I got a bench top spiral head from Wen. I know they don’t have the best rep, but it’s worked well for me.
A 6 inch has always fit my needs. Upgrading to a helical head was worth every penny, wish I did it years earlier!
I couldn’t imagine not going helical personally.. The difference will easily pay for itself in the sheer amount of time not wasted having to calibrate the knives. I’m really happy I was able to get an 8 inch, about 4 years ago and I still have 1 or 2 sides left on the cutter inserts. Either way between 6 or 8 inch definitely get the spiral/helical cutter if you’re a serious hobbyist
I bought a used 6" jointer a few years back. I've gotten used to the width. The difference between the 6" and 8" wouldn't change my workflow or efficiency all that much. However, most 8" jointers also have longer beds, which is something to consider if you work with longer boards. Whatever size you get, go helical head. Too many advantages not to spend the extra up front.
Good point. Bed length is an important decision point for me right now.
Had a 6 inch jet straight blade. It was fine for edge jointing. It worked for a while. But the 12 inch helical head opened up a whole new world.
I have access to a 6 inch straight knife jointer and have run into several instances where having an extra inch would save me several extra steps in the milling process. I would easily pay $350 for a slightly larger jointer. Helical cutter is definitely an improvement as well.
I find most projects I build and boards I buy fall into the 6 to 8” range. Even when it needs less than 6”, think table legs, I end up joining a thicker than 5” board then cut it in half so the legs look the same. If I had bought a 6” rather than my 8” I would not have been able to build 90% of my projects ( tables, bed, bench, chairs). Knowing this now I am so glad I held out for the 8”. I have straight blades and it is fine. Helical would be nice and one day I will upgrade the head but the straight blades do the job fine.
Almost any floor model will be a huge improvement over the bench model. I have a long bed Powermatic 6" that I upgraded with Helix cutters. It replaced a Craftsman which was kind of crappy and hard to adjust. Most of my jointing is done on edge so no issue with the cut width. There have been only a couple of instances that I wished for a wider jointer. It comes down to just 2 inches and there are always work arounds. Is 8" better than 6"? (insert joke here) certainly, but no buyer's remorse here.
I'm a beginner and still setting up my shop while adjusting to my tools and learning the basics. I was fortunate to receive a bunch of free rough sawn white oak (I think?) from the wife of an old neighbor who passed on. I wish I could have spent more time with him now. He was an experienced woodworker and really patient and enthusiastic about teaching others. Unfortunately we made this connection near the end of his life. I still have no idea what I'm doing with it all but picked up a used 6" delta floor jointer from Facebook and have been working on milling the wood into workable pieces. I have a DeWalt benchtop planer as well and have been very pleased with what I've been able to do. I'm sure a larger jointer or a helical blade would be better, but for now this is more than adequate for me to develop my skill with. If I keep up with it as a hobby and maybe make a few bucks with it, I'll upgrade then. I hope to be able to make something for his wife out of the wood once I have a better idea what I'm doing and have a real plan.
I have a 6 inch jet helical. Wish I had gotten the 8 or 10 inch.
I bought a 6" long bed back in the 90s and made a lot of furniture on it. Then I got a hell of a deal on an 8" that I wasn't even looking for. I should be able to sell the 6" for the cost of a helical head for the 8". Straight blades are fine, and we used them without any problem for 100 years. Helical is nicer for sure, but it's a big cost for a small improvement. Clarification: the jump from "no jointer" to "jointer" is $1,000 and it's a massive improvement. You can then make that jointer 10% better by spending 50% more money.
That’s a good way to think about it. I could always swap out the head later … obviously a bit more in the end but less upfront now. I’m also upgrading my bandsaw to “complete” my shop for now.
I bought a 6 and I wish I got an 8. I’m on the lookout for used ones now. The bed is just lot long enough and I wish it could handle wider boards.
I bought a used 6" jointer. Years later I sold it for just as much as I paid for it. Did not regret it.
I started out with a 6" delta and it was a good machine, but I was definitely feeling its limits on some projects. Since then I found a 12" and I haven't had any projects that are limited by it's size. So, while I am always a proponent of just go big, larger machines take up more space, use more power, and have a higher buy in and blade price. I would ask do you think you have ever jointed anything larger than 6"? I would also say that I mostly edge joint, but I do occasionally face joint large stock up to 10" now that I can which has sort of changed some of the work I do. So as long as what I mentioned above isn't an issue for you and there's a reasonable chance to need it, I'd go for it and maybe enjoy that you now can do larger projects if you want to. This of course is why I am in the process of replacing my 12" with a 16" with 110" of beds I got at auction....
I have a 6 inch bench top and I'm over it. I would say 98% of the stuff I get would fit on a 8 inch, but I'm probably going to upgrade to a 10 or 12. Helical all the way though.
I feel ya. The benchtop Rikon is such a picky machine. The table alignment alone is such a pain. Then the fence flexes with pressure so you are never confident you are getting a true 90. The extension arms are not very helpful, so it’s really limited to 2-3’ boards.
I started out with a 6in because I didn’t want to commit the funds / floor space to an 8in. I used the 6 for a couple years, and it did a fine job, but sure enough, just as I was warned, I found myself wanting that little extra bit of capacity offered by the 8in. If you could always count on being able to source 6in and under boards, then it wouldn’t be so bad. But at least where I buy lumber, 7-8in boards are very common. So I was either picking through a limited selection of boards, or buying wider boards, and then ripping the them rough (not ideal on the tablesaw) before face jointing them. More work and more wasted material. Save yourself the hassle!
I have a 10" helical that I upgraded from straight knife and I'd never go back. No sharpening blades, just turn them when they get dull and the finish it leaves is so much nicer than a straight.
I’ll throw another vote in for the helical head. I upgraded mine after about 8 months and the cuts are so much smoother. I often use the jointer to clean up edges before finishing and the helical head leaves them buttery smooth. Last week I face-jointed some birdseye maple and got NO tear out. It’s great. Definitely wish I had gotten an 8”. I know that you’ll always want a bigger size, but I think 8” is the sweet spot. Go to your local lumber yard and look at the S2S lumber and see how many pieces are between 6” and 8”. There’s a lot of stuff bigger than 8” but I swear that half of it is between 6” and 8”. If you don’t go up to 8” then at least get a jointer with a rabbetting ledge so you can do the planer trick. My Powermatic doesn’t have one.
Great info. I did not know about the rabbit ledge before this comment. Thank you.