Jointer/Planer Combo Machines

I am not an expert but I do have a Jointer/Planer combo and I love it. I can switch mine from a jointer to planer mode in less then 30 seconds.. All I have to do with mine is release two table lock down bars, flip the two tables up and hook up the DC hose.. Thats all… Its not as time consuming as some people would think.

-- Dan - "Collector of Hand Planes"

Hi Seawitch,

I wrestled with this a few years ago when I went to upgrade from my 6” Delta jointer. I don’t know your space so I can’t speak to that, but there some advantages to both regardless of space. For instance, I true up longer pieces quite often and wanted a jointer with some length. The short beds (60” OR LESS) on the combo is a disadvantage despite what some may tell you. They don’t make jointers 6’ to 7’ and longer just for fun. The longer bed not only supports the stock it allows for the removal of longer crook and accurate truing. The end supports they sell for jointers merely pick up the weight of longer stock, but are not truly in plane with the beds and so don’t provide the same accuracy. In short, the longer the bed (especially the infeed table) the longer the stock that can be accurately trued. On the other hand, the combos are commonly 12” wide. This is a real advantage for the obvious reason. So you get shorter tables, but they are 12” wide. Plus you get space savings. That’s two advantages vs. one gain (Obviously you can get a long 12” jointer, but they are huge). To balance these advantages is the disadvantage of having to crank the planer bed up and down every time you want to plane something. Not a deal breaker, but can be a pain. Its also nice on a stand-alone planer to be able to leave a thickness setting and come back to it. With the combo every time you use one feature you lose the setting on the other. SO, Advantages – 1. space saving, 2. wide tables. Disadvantages – 1. short tables 2. having to crank up and down and 3. loss of settings. Having said all of this I should mention cost. After all, money matters too. There are a couple of 12” combos in the $2000.00 or less range – Jet and Grizzly. By all means avoid the Jet. Research the complaints on the Jet combo machines and you will understand why. I don’t know what the Grizzly combo machine is like, though I have one of their jointers and love it. After Jet and Grizzly you jump up to around $4000.

I got the Hammer 12” AD 31 They have a newer model with more refinements.
I can’t say enough good things about it.

I would say far away from the Chinese made models though. Crappy bearings crappy fit and finish, inability to hold the necessary tight tolerances, and crappy castings

I have run 10 foot boards through my machine in both modes with no problem

-- When the moderator chooses sides, his site sucks.

Thank you Dan, mcase and cr1 for educating me. cr1, can you give me an idea of how much a Hammer costs? I have a rough idea of the Grizzly and Mini Max…..

-- When you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, 'Certainly I can!' Then get busy and find out how to do it.”   Theodore Roosevelt

http://www.finewoodworking.com/ToolGuide/ToolGuideProduct.aspx?id=28321
It’s funny the author is a MM fan and let his bias show. Nearly the equal~!! HA HA HA HA HA
He complains about the feed screw for the Planer table being fine.
When one is trying to skiff mere thousandths of an inch from a board (which I do frequently) a fine lead screw is mandatory. The A3 31 is about $3 Gees
Worth every penny.

This guy one used one that looked like it’d been in a flood and left for dead
http://lumberjocks.com/djwong/blog/series/1851
It’ll give you a good look around in one

Felder maintains a whole shop in Delaware where they let you go and test drive their equipment

Here is THE MOVIE
http://www.hammerusa.com/us-us/video/hammer-a3-series.html

-- When the moderator chooses sides, his site sucks.

If money is no object, then you won’t be disappointed by anything made by Felder. Buy the best you can afford and from a manufacturer with a good reputation. I made the mistake of buying a far eastern model for my first planer. I couldn’t even assemble it because the castings were off and twisted. Took it back and came home with the machine I should have got in the first place – Elektra Beckum HC260, which has handled everything I’ve thrown at it brilliantly.

-- Do or do not, there is no try