# Maybe it's just me but I don't like this one



## mot (May 8, 2007)

I've heard mixed reviews. The taper often comes with the outfeed table not being properly aligned with the blade. If having the outfeed table and blades perfectly aligned produces the problem, then try and put a straight edge across the outfeed and the blades and lower the outfeed until the blade JUST grabs the straight edge, in a sense putting them just a few thousandths higher than the outfeed table. Then run a board again. This little trick is not mine, but did fix a similar taper problem I had on another jointer.


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## ToddE (Aug 18, 2007)

Hey Bill.
I don't like bashing tools. But here is my experience with Delta. I had a new Delta 12" planer, well, probably two days out of warranty. I just exploded. I bought another one, and the gears jammed. The one way wedged pin was jammed into the gear, causing it to wobble. I tried tightening as much as I could, but I couldn't get the pin out of the gear. First of all, I shouldn't have had to worry about it, second of all, I can't understand the idea of the pin, other than forcing me to take it to the "authorized factory repair center" to have it totally disassembled and probably wind up paying two times what it would cost to buy a new one. I would be willing to put the big "piece of junk" stamp on Delta's low line. I got a RIDGID planer and now I am working on wood instead of a junk of a planer.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Bill, it is useless. I'll drop by and take it off your hands. <g>

Seriously, I'm glad I read your review. I have been debating with myself about getting that exact machine. Like you, I thought it might suffice for my small projects. Now I'm going to hold off unless you report back that you've managed to get it working properly.


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## Russel (Aug 13, 2007)

Bill, I have that jointer and have had the same experience as you. It cuts nice and smooth, but no matter what I do, I end up with a tapered board. Currently mine is sitting off to the side until I get the ambition to break it down and see if I can put it right. It has been disappointing.


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## RyanShervill (Dec 18, 2007)

It's an outfeed table issue for sure. It's too low, or not sitting coplaner with the infeed table.

Remove the guard, take a metal straight edge, and sit it on the outfeed table overhanging the cutterhead. Slowly turn the cutterhead by hand…..I'll bet ya that when the blade hits the straght edge it will pick it up and drag it back  Next thing to check is for coplane: raise the infeed table up to it's highest point, and rest a straightedge across both tables, from end to end. If the end of the outfeed table is too high, this will show up then. Both tables need to be on the same plane. You may have to shim the mounting bolts to get it perfect (Pieces of pop-cans work well for this)

A properly aligned outfeed table will be so close to exactly even with the top edge of the knives that they won't move the straight edge, but make a tiny "tick" noise.

Adjust the table and try again. Even cheap/small tools can do a great job, but they have to be tuned properly…even more so than big machines, as they are less forgiving.

Ryan


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

Sounds like you are putting pressure on the back end of the board. Once the leading end of the board 
reaches the end of the outfeed table only put pressure on the outfeed table side. It's more likely to happen 
with longer boards.

Also a jointer isn't supposed to make board edges parallel, just flat. 
That's the job of your planer or tablesaw.

Try that and let me know if it works.


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## Betsy (Sep 25, 2007)

Bill - just my 2 cents here - even with inflation it may not be worth much. I have a floor model jointer that I used a lot when I was doing the big stuff. Now that I've been doing mostly little stuff, boxes, etc. I've found that I get better results using my table saw to straighten edges and then a small sled for the planer to get a flat face. A few simple jigs and you are good to go without the jointer. This works especially well with small boards since you really should not use a big jointer with the smaller stuff - it's not safe. I'm not sure how small you can go board size wise with a table top model.

Now that I'm starting to use more hand tools, I'm hoping that I can skip the planer on the small stuff and use hand planes. But that's still a dream not close to reality.

Hope this helps a bit.


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## mot (May 8, 2007)

Or maybe it's just a piece of crap. LOL Lots of things to try though. Let us know.


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## gizmodyne (Mar 15, 2007)

Can you clarify as to what Gary said. What are you trying to do with it?


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## rikkor (Oct 17, 2007)

Mine was goofy too, until a read about a tune up in a magazine article about a year ago. After following the instructions carefully the jointer (Craftsman) now works well.


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## cajunpen (Apr 9, 2007)

One of the problems with this particular jointer is that there are absolutely NO adjustments that can be made to the outfeed table. There are some hex bolts in it, but according to the techs at the Factory Service Center, there are no adjustments that the user is able to make. I have checked the outfeed/blade alignment with a straightedge and they appear to be aligned properly. I think I have a nice boat anchor here, but I'll just keep using my router table to joint until I have more time this Spring to work with it some more.

Gary's comments (Also a jointer isn't supposed to make board edges parallel, just flat.
That's the job of your planer or tablesaw.) make plenty of sense to me - maybe I was trying to get it to do more than I needed to? It does put a smooth edge on the wood.


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## RyanShervill (Dec 18, 2007)

If it is aligned properly, then the problem HAS to be technique…..theres no other variable. If the tables are copplaner and the outfeed table is at the correct height, well….thats all thats needed (from the machine) to make a straight edge. Feed the board with pressure on the infeed side of the board until 1/3 or 6" (whatever is smaller) of the board is on the outfeed table, then apply down-force to the face thats on the outfeed ONLY. Best advice I can come up with 

Ryan


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## SPalm (Oct 9, 2007)

I have seen this problem with the two tables not being coplaner (as has been previously described). That is, the two tables are not level with each other. Place a long straight edge across the entire jointer and use feeler gauges underneath to see if there are any gaps.

Gary's comment is so true, that is why you need some kind of thicknesser to mate with a jointer.

Steve


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## KDL (Feb 1, 2008)

I bought the same jointer, and yes, it has all the same problems. It was fine coming out of the box - the fence isn't much to brag about - but the whole machine was flat, square, coplanar, etc. Initially, it worked great. However, after just a little use, I started getting concave cuts and then tapering cuts. I checked, I shimmed, I tightened, I adjusted, and the problem kept coming back. So I really checked closely, and here's what I found - there's too much play in the infeed table's height adjustment, especially the main screw. The whole infeed table pitches down and then up as I push the wood across. It's not technique, it's a wobbly machine. The only way to get the infeed table rigid is to lock the table and then torque the height adjustment. Unfortunately, that pitches the table out of square with the other table permanently. I also found that the tables had developed a little sag and twist, and I have not been using it at all hard. There's just too much aluminum and thin steel. It's a very expensive toy.


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## AdMarkGuy (Jan 1, 2008)

I looked at the this model first - but decided against it and purchased the compatible size in a Grizzly- #GO612-

The Grizzly was a just a few dollars more but it was well worth the extra expense. I also like the guard on the Girizzly compared to the Delta, seems much more like a tool than a toy - the only issue the Grizzly is HEAVY--and not as portable as the Delta, but I bolted it to a small cart I made and it is is truly portable.


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## alindobra (Oct 3, 2007)

cajunpen,

If you cannot adjust the outfeed table you probably can adjust the knives height. What you describe is a classical "knives lower than the outfeed table" scenario. I had it also on my G0590 (spent 900$) and I was very frustrated. I set up the knives height to the outfeed table and everything works now perfectly. It is enough to have 1/128" difference between the knives and the outfeed table to get a noticeable taper. Ryan's advice is right on.

This being said, a tabletop jonter is too light for good work. The larger jointers do not only joint larger pieces but are much better build and are heavier thus vibrate less.

Alin


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## dalec (Oct 3, 2007)

Great topic and advice. I don't have a jointer as yet, but it is information that will into my favorites for future reference. Thanks

Dalec


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## JLYoung (Jan 18, 2008)

Hi Guys,

I went through the whole "what do I buy first, the jointer or planer?" scenario and my wife solved my problem by telling me to buy them both at once. Great gal she is. Anyway, I ended up buying the Dewalt lunchbox planer and the Delta Benchtop jointer. So far I'm very pleased with the jointer. My stuff always comes out flat / square. My only quibble is the size of the thing. I don't feel that the infeed and outfeed tables are long enough for furniture making. It's not bad for doing smaller parts but If you have to joint a bed rail forget it. Time to break out the #7 jointer plane. My experience is that I used it to get me into surfacing my own lumber but it's one of the first tools I'll replace with something bigger as soon as I get the chance.


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## rroselavy (Apr 14, 2009)

I fiddled with a borrowed JT160 for the past two days. The fence assembly had a tremendous amount of slop, and shifts when you lock it down. I also cut my finger on a burr on the inside end of the extruded aluminum fence. Arrggh. Some quick file work took care of those burrs. It took me a while to get it into square; I had to carefully hold the fence firmly to keep it from slipping when tightened. Now it is at 90 degrees, I don't want to touch it…

I also was getting tapered board at first. I thought it was my technique. After all, it has been over 20 years since I last used a jointer. After further tries and some measurements, I determined that the infeed and outfeed tables were not parallel in both directions. Lifting the outfeed plate reveals the raised (and tapped) holes that are ground flat on top but not level. Luckily, shimming the back two bolts of the outfeed is very simple. A very thin (1/64th ") washer (two thin washers were needed for the bolt next to the fence) under the aluminum outfeed plate was all I needed to correct the tapering problem. Pretty easy fix.

It is great to have the jointer working, and it will serve my limited purpose just fine, but shuffling hands on a 12" outfeed table seems very difficult if not unsafe. Board support rollers are a must.

IMHO, this unit will be serviceable, but money may better be spent on a used (48+" long) 6" jointer.


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

Thanks for the honest review and all the great follow up comments. This is a great site.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Hey Bill 
I bought one at a garage sale it had the same problem .


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

Ryan nailed it -
Tapered boards are because the infeed and outfeed tables are not flat with respect to eachother - if you set it to take no cut they would be coplaner. But what you have is if you would lay a straight edge across the infeed and outfeed you will find it is high in the middle.

Though the outfeed is not designed adjustable in a 'floor standing model' sense. I would take out one knife so that I could lay a straight edge across both the infeed and outfeed.

Use some brass shim stock - which you can get at a hobby shop that sells trains and such and make yourself some ultrathin washers and get the system flat by unbolting the outfeed table and shim it to get it where it needs to be.


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## tenontim (Feb 24, 2008)

I had one of these once. I made the infeed and outfeed extensions that Shop Notes featured once upon a time. I was able to adjust them to help level out the table, but it still wasn't the greatest jointer I ever used.
Off loaded it for a Powermatic within the first 6 months that I had it.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

I just can't believe that they are still making these virtually useless pieces of ** . 
I bought mine nearly ten years ago and had nothing but problems with it…Actually I got three total units (two replacements) back then and they all were crap. None of the tables were flat in either direction and the fence was virtually impossible to set and keep at 90 degrees and don't get me started about setting the knives !
If I had the space back then I would have trashed this one and purchased a real jointer for not much more money……I picked up a well used Rockwell Delta 6" jointer from an old gent that was retiring and haven't even looked at the little guy since……God bless anyone that buys one !


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