# Opinions of Craftsman Jointer 113.206930



## WoodenUnion (Aug 6, 2012)

Long term lurker, first time poster. Go easy on me!

I've been looking for a decent, cheap jointer for a while now. I was inspired by this refurbishing job and I found something similar here.

I think I can get the guy to take $75 for it. Lots of rust, but all parts seem to be there. Obviously I want to see/hear the motor in action before I hand over the dough, but it doesn't look like a bad deal.

Anyone else have experience with this jointer/anything to look out for?

Thanks!

edit: see the picture below


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

If it runs, it'd be worth $75. I wouldn't pay much more….the rust should come off, but is gonna take some effort.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

Go for it. Long enough table that you can do some decent work with it.


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

Remove the belt while you're at it and check how the cutterhead spins. If it's rough, you'll have to replace the bearings, which should knock the price down. Same thing if the knives will need replacement.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

So you'd offer a twenty dollar bill? Two bearings are $15. Sharpen the knives. Don't insult the seller by offering less than his already rock bottom. The rust will come right off.


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

dhazelton: it's not insulting, it's business. Craftsman jointers are in plentiful supply on Craigslist, most for less than $100. Here in the SF Bay Area you could buy one a day and keep doing it until every square inch of your house and yard is covered with them.

Realistically, if you need to buy new bearings you're dropping $15, and another $20 for new knives if the old ones are too far gone, that's half the price of that particular jointer. If you need a bearing puller to get the bearings off the shaft, well, now you've just doubled the amount of money you've put into it.

The owner isn't selling a Powermatic. It's a Craftsman, and there are a ton of them, and if this one isn't in great shape, another one will come along sooner than you think. Sucks for the owner, but thems the breaks.


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## WoodenUnion (Aug 6, 2012)

thanks for the thoughts fellas…think I'm gonna pull the trigger on this one if I can get him to $75


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

You assume it needs bearings, which it may not. But if it does you don't need a bearing puller, you can drive each one out with a drift from the opposite side. And knives last a long time IF you know how to sharpen them.

You are assuming that a mint condition used jointer is $75. IT'S A USED JOINTER. You don't buy a $2,000 car and dicker down the price because it needs an oil change. At least I wouldn't.


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## Handtooler (Jul 24, 2012)

Both a close friend and I have that jointer purchased in the late 70's. Be aware from the start that the outfeed table is FIXED and does not adjust. So snipe is a common problem until you get use to the correct blade adjustments and feed pressures. My friend's machine just lost the pulleys by cracks and they came apart. He had been having vibration for quite awhile. I have some but a twist belt helped a lot. As to adjusting the blade height beside using the jig I recently found out that if you can advance a straight edge or 6" scale 7/16-1/2" laying across the tables and roller when the blade is rotated by hand. (Machined unpluged), the heights are set correctly (chect both sides, inboard and out board, of each blade) and snipe all but disappears. Its a very useable machine and the fence stays set at 90 degrees or your bevel setting securely. Tthe three blade set was $49.00 about 3 years ago.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

For any vintage machine, I consider new bearings as a given.. you have no idea how much use/abuse the machine has seen over the years or how it has been maintained. Cheap insurance, and the process lets you discover any other 'gotchas' that might be lurking. Bearing pullers are not usually required, but do make things easier in some cases (and can be had at HF for dirt cheap). I also assume that the blades will either need to be replaced or at the very least, sharpened. As for the price, I'd say $75 is at the upper range of what it's worth.

Cheers,
Brad


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

It's a $75 jointer in a sea of other $75 jointers. The buyer can be sort of picky. And the cost of replacing any worn out parts needs to be factored into the total cost. And maybe most importantly, there are better used jointers out there for around the same price as what this one might end up costing.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

http://muncie.craigslist.org/tls/3117511819.html

Here's a decent one for 100.00 in Muncie.

Good luck Adam.


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## yrob (May 26, 2008)

I have one like that. I have since upgraded to a bigger Jet floor model. The craftsman does not have adjustable outfeed and it drove me crazy. It is very hard to tune up without this feature. Basically, you have to perfectly set the knives a hair above that outfeed which is difficult. As they wear out and you resharpen them, they get shorter and you have to keep doing this fine alignment. With a moving outfeed table, it takes minutes to setup instead of 30 minutes..


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## WoodenUnion (Aug 6, 2012)

Got the jointer tonight for $80. A lot of rust, but blades, bearings, and belt are all in great shape, and the motor purrs, so I'm pretty happy with it. Going to start taking this beast apart tomorrow night. A lot of rust to get rid of…


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## Pdub (Sep 10, 2009)

Congrats Adam. I have what I think is the same one. I bought it used for $125 many years ago. It's not top of the line but it works for me and the price was right.


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

I've used a similar one (maybe, the same one) for 30+ years. As long as you keep the beds co planar, well, the only adjustments are on the infeed, and keep the blades sharp and correctly set, that jointer will do a good job for you.
Congratulations.


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## ALankford (Apr 2, 2012)

I recently bought this same jointer and it works well. I've never owned a jointer so it took me a few weeks to get my technique down and adjust the blades to where they needed to be. If the jointer runs well, I would say that $75 is a great buy.


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

Glad it worked out for you. Barkeepers Friend and a Scotch Brite pad will take off the rust. If it's really thick, you can start with a couple of razor blades to scrape it off. Cheers!


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## WoodenUnion (Aug 6, 2012)

I'm thinking about building a custom stand for this with storage and dust collection.

In an ideal world, I'd like to change the position of the motor and use a shorter belt. I realize that either of those things could be monumentally stupid, but I don't have a lot of experience messing with motors or belt driven power tools in general.

Will I cause any problems by doing either of those things?


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

No problem at all.. that jointer could be purchased without the motor and stand (model 113.20680) and it was up to the purchaser to figure out how and where to mount the motor. Just as long as you don't go too extreme. Read the manual for more information.

Cheers,
Brad


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## WoodenUnion (Aug 6, 2012)

Beautiful! Thanks Brad.


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

I currently have 2 of these jointers. I have had one since about 1977 or 78. Got it new. the other was gifted to me by an uncle a couple of years ago. You have read all the negative things above. I personally wouldn't modify the machine (move the motor for a shorter belt). It works well like it is. The knives should be set slight above the outfeed table (about .003"). This is easily adjusted by using a big whetstone with a sheet of paper under it. I found this method outlined in a manula for tuning shop tools. Works great for me. A small angle doesn't hurt the knife at all. enjoy. contact me if you have any problems.


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## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

I'm in the market for a new jointer myself. Of course "new" in my world means it was manufactured sometime between the Eisenhower and Carter administrations. 
My current jointer is a King Seely/Craftsman 4". Not the world's greatest restore, but I wasn't going to put more than 8 hrs and $40 into a jointer I bought for $25. Still turned out ok though. Definitely looking forward to snagging a 6". I'll probably end up with the same model you bought. The old Craftsman jointers are solid.


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## WoodenUnion (Aug 6, 2012)

You are way too modest my friend! That looks great. I'd be terrified without a blade guard, but for $25 you can't be too picky I suppose.

Looks like you swapped out the belt. What kind of belt is that and where did you get it?


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## WoodenUnion (Aug 6, 2012)

Grandpa,

I've got a tiny shop. I can use all the storage I can get! Any particular reason not to move the motor other than the jointer working well as is?


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## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

Ha. That missing blade guard causes plenty of anxiety. It's the main reason I can justify a new jointer. A replacement guard will cost $30-40. I can get a 6" jointer for $50-75. 
The belt on my jointer is a Harbor Freight link belt. Link belts get lots of praise, but they are kinda pricey…..for a belt. A good quality automotive v-belt is under $10 and works as well or better than a $25 link belt.

You can position the motor anywhere you want, as long as the motor pulley is Coplaner with machine's pulley. Just take into consideration any possible issues with safety. You obviously wouldn't want your hand or a foreign object to interface with the moving belt or pulley. Mounting the motor under the machine is probably the safest option.


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## WoodenUnion (Aug 6, 2012)

I was actually thinking of placing it on top of the table to the left of the jointer and encasing it to create a sort of outfeed extension. Obviously I plan on encasing the belt and pulleys.


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## Upnorth55 (Jan 12, 2015)

Andy I just got the same one. Motor, bearings run smooth as butter. Wedges giving me a hard time getting out. Anyone have any suggestions?


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## canadianchips (Mar 12, 2010)

I have that same jointer. Bought mine new in 1976. Used it to build approximately 30+ kitchens and other home remodelling jobs. I always bought solid stock then cut it on table saw, final operation jointer. I would be lost without one. Once you learn to set the blades properly you wont have any issues with snipe. I use flat stock along back table , roll the blades backwards, if the stock is touching the blade, the stock will move backward maybe 1/8". (Not sure if I explained it well, I just do it) 
I still have brand new set of extra blades in tool box.
I built my own stand. One that catches all dust in bottom in a drawer.
You got this for a decent price. I would never sell mine that low.


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## Bill7255 (Feb 23, 2012)

I had one similar. I guess I don't have the patients. The one I had only had a 1/2hp motor, IMO is too small. The outfeed table is fixed making setup more difficult. The fence is not the greatest. I sold it after three months and bought an older Delta 1 hp. The Delta was by far a much better jointer. The 1/2hp motor was the weakest link in the jointer I had.


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## SirIrb (Jan 12, 2015)

you get what you pay for. I would pass on craftsman anything. If you save up 2 or 300 you can get one that will be a pleasure to work and make you want to brag about to your friends and people you see in the grocery store you dont even know. Keep an eye on CL. Patients is the key.


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