Individual Jointer and Planer or a Jointer/Planer Combo Machine?

Yes, it becomes a PITA to do the change over if you are only doing one or two pieces, so you have to plan your jointing and planning carefully. On the other hand they are great space savers, for a 20×20 shop I would not hesitate into getting one. Most of them are 220V so make sure you are wired for that.

-- Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly stupid.

I can’t speak for a grizzly machine but I have a Hammer A3 31, being able to joint and plane the same thickness is great .. and the space savings allowed me to squeeze in a drum sander (which I use for panel glueups and cutting boards) ..

Change over time isn’t a big deal if you plan ahead, joint everything you need change over to planer mode and plane everything down. the change over when I take my time .. takes about a minute or two .. I’m sure if I rushed or needed to go faster I could the change over is pretty trivial.

If you switched back and forth each board that would get annoying fast, also instead of a massive flex hose for dust collection, I recommend using a quick release system like rockler’s dust right (or other type even home made would work) .. and have a blast gate on each side of the machine .. that way you disconnect from the dust collection, flip the hood and connect to the other side. You don’t have a massive flex house in the way that does make change over bothersome (kept getting caught up on the fence for me).

I had a Jet 10’’ jointer/planer combo and honestly they are ok but they would not be an upgrade from what you currently have, it’s a benchtop jointer and bench top planer combined.

-jeremy

-- Easy to use end grain cutting board designer: http://www.1024studios.com/cuttingboard.html

Switchover is not a big deal with hinged combo units. You’ll
get used to the process pretty quick. Changing blades on
a table saw is more of a hassle.

Ok that’s what I wanted to hear. I was planning on saving up and getting the combo unit instead of the portable planer and jointer combo. I do like the craftsman jointer. It’s just old american iron, but it has no dust collection as it’s an open stand design and it doesn’t have very long tables. I was leaning towards a combo machine because they allow you to get a wider jointer out of the deal too. I was not interested in the table tob version, but the heavy machine types with maybe a spiral cutter head. Is it worth the extra for a spiral cutter head?

-- Greg, Owner, Quality Carpet One, www.qualitycarpetonecrofton.com

I was looking particularly at this one:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Planer-Jointer-with-Spiral-Cutterhead-Replaces-G0634-/G0634Z

It’s about $2500 but it seems like it would do absolutely anything I could need.

-- Greg, Owner, Quality Carpet One, www.qualitycarpetonecrofton.com

Or this one
http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Parallelogram-Jointer-w-4-Knife-Cutterhead/G0609

or to save a little bit:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Parallelogram-Jointer-w-4-Knife-Cutterhead/G0609

But ^^^ only comes with a 41” long table, which works 90% of the time, until you need to mill 8’ long boards, and then it’s more of a challenge.

-- Greg, Owner, Quality Carpet One, www.qualitycarpetonecrofton.com

If you are buying new I recommend getting the type where the
tables lift up together. Avoid the type where they swing up
individually on butterfly hinges.

It’s an alignment issue.

I’m not bad mouthing grizzly by any means I have no experience with them personally. Have you purchased tools from grizzly before and are you happy with your previous experiences? There are several who are happy, and several who are not.

If you’ve never purchased from grizzly before I’d take some time to research the company in general and make your own decision, but I wouldn’t want you to make such a major purchase without researching the company.

-jeremy

-- Easy to use end grain cutting board designer: http://www.1024studios.com/cuttingboard.html

Oh I’m def not just jumping in the water. It’s going to be several months before I make the purchase, I was just doing my research now and saving up so I can afford a decent machine. Any recommendations on combo units that people are happy with?

-- Greg, Owner, Quality Carpet One, www.qualitycarpetonecrofton.com

I saw a good review on the Jet JJP12 Jointer planer combo where the table lifts in one piece. looks very easy. Looks to be about the same price as the grizzly machine.

http://www.amazon.com/JET-JJP-12-12-Inch-Jointer-Planer/dp/B0011TKF8G

-- Greg, Owner, Quality Carpet One, www.qualitycarpetonecrofton.com

i have the Hammer A3-31. It is built like a tank compared to Grizzly and Jet. It does cost a lot more though.

Any unit with a fixed cutter head has no ‘switch-over’ issues.. Not new, but the Makita 2030 was an ideal solution for me, however the jointer side may be a bit small for you at 6”. With the fixed head and movable tables, each side is independently set and feed in opposite directions, so you make a pass on the jointer, turn it around and feed it into the planer all in one motion. I keep the jointer side set at around 1mm (about 1/32”) and never touch it, so the only adjustments I need to make is for the planer. Super easy and fast regardless of how many pieces I need to work at a time. My ‘shop’ is a bunch of machines crammed into a garage shared with lots of other stuff, so the space saving is invaluable to me as well.

Cheers,
Brad

-- Brad in FL - To be old and wise, you must first be young and stupid

Greg,
That is the same one (Grizzly 12” with spiral) i mentioned in one of your previous posts :)

The P series, is cheaper and has the spiral cutter head. I’m still saving my pennies and will likely get it at the next tent event in September :)

crashn
takoma park, md

-- Crashn - the only thing I make more of than sawdust is mistakes

I have a grizzly G715p hybrid table saw and am very happy with it. X I also have a 1983 18” bandsaw that runs good, need a new blade and likely a new bearing (in the motor). But for a 29 year old bandsaw, she does what I need at this point in my limited experience.

Additionally, one of my good friends aunts works at grizzly in PA

-- Crashn - the only thing I make more of than sawdust is mistakes

How does a unit like that save space in a small shop. That beast is larger than a large table saw 3 1/2 feet by 5 feet.

-- Nils, So. Central MI. Wood is honest.Take the effort to understand what it has to tell you before you try to change it.