HF 6" Jointer

I would pass. HF has some reasonable items. Their DC for instance. I’d have to say their jointer is not up to par, at any price. A lightly used Ridgid at $200-$250 would be a good deal. Delta, Jet, Powermatic would run $350 or more (usually). Buy something that will last and cry once. Depending on the market you live in, plan on spending $200 minimum, and I mean minimum, which is peanuts for quality WWing equipment. Just my .02.

-- david roberts, spinning Tales from Topographic Oceans, no, really.

I have the 6” HF jointer. I got it for $199 I think about a year ago. This is my first jointer, so I can’t compare it to others. The beds are coplaner and the fence can be set at 90 degrees. That’s all I need it for. I’ve been able to get my lumber flat with it. The blades are a little soft. In my opinion, they should stay sharp a little longer, but I made a sharpening jig that keeps me going.

In retrospect, seeing the price of the rigid jointer I may have went that route, but at the time they were not on sale. My only issue with the HF tool is the base is poorly made and it did take me a little while to put it together. The instructions are awful to follow.

See if the guys will take $75 for it. I think the motor along is worth that much.

The HF floor model jointers are fine. Basically Chinese copies of old Rockwell designs.. Be fore warned though, the instruction sheets are badly translated into Engrish… You will need some mechanical smarts to figure out which direction things go…

Just avoid the bench top unit.s

-- Manufacturer of fine quality sawdust since 1984. Comments and advice on my shop welcome. Check it out at http://lumberjocks.com/dbhost/workshop. Gladly accepting shop build donations!

I’ve had the 6” model (G0452) for 3 years and it’s served me well. The only thing I wish I’d have done differently was to buy a wider joiner, at least a 12” Grizzly model.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

Thanks for all of your input everyone – I have a line on a nearly new Rigid jointer for $200 and hopefully will pick it up in the morning if it looks OK.

-- cut it twice and it's still too short...

I have a 6” Harbor freight jointer that is used on a Shopsmith it works great.

If I were shopping for a stand alone I would look for a Ridgid.

-- "The state is the great fiction by which everybody seeks to live at the expense of everybody else." ---Frederic Bastiat

If we’re talking about the Ridgid JP0610, I have one, and I love it.

Pretty sure it’s reviewed on this site, too, and that others who own them tend to agree.

If you can get a decent deal on one—new OR used—I’m not sure I’d change the HF.

Just my $0.02. YMMV ;-)

-- -- Neil