# Now I really do have 10 Inches...



## DraftsmanRick

Its alway cool to get a new tool. However, as kickback said there are some things about this machine. Hate to break it to ya.. 
Theres a review of this machine here on LJ's. Check it out. It might help with any unforseen issues that might arise.


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## rbterhune

I'm happy that you're happy, but I'll tell you what, I had no luck with this machine. I order AND RETURNED 2 of these units. Like you, I was really into the capacity and the combo aspects of the machine BUT both of the units I ordered had warped fences, one had a broken rod that holds the jointing infeed in place, and I could not (no matter how many times I tried) get the tables coplanar. They were off by as much as 1/8" EVEN WITH the "adjustment" JET recommended.

I ended up returning both, picking up a dewalt planer and building a sled for jointing.


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## lugnut

Great to hear your review! I just ordered the 8". When it gets here we can compare your 10 to my 8… uh, that didn't come out right…


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## davidmicraig

Nice review and thanks for the video. I have the 8 inch version. It took some monkeying around with it but it works fine for me right now. I will say Jet has great customer service. To save you a little pain, lugnut, right when you open the box, contact Jet support and have them email you the directions on how to set the table co-planar. Mine was not set out of the box and the instructions on it are not included. I spent quite awhile trying to set the knives before I discovered this and after adjustment, it took me about 10 minutes to get it right. I don't care for the thickness of the planar knives and Jet is about the only distributor of the size required. You will have to call in an order as the part, last I looked, was not available on their website.

I noticed in the video that you were not using outfeed support for the long pieces. Not sure if that was just for camera angle or not. When you were on long pieces, I would strongly suggest outfeed rollers of some kind.

David


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## richgreer

I'm glad you are happy with this machine and I hope it continues to serve you well. As you may know, the reviews in general on this machine are not very good.

I considered this machine at one time. I thought - wow a 10" jointer plus a planner for less than most people pay for a 6" jointer. That's to good to be true and, as they say, "if it's too good to be true then it is probably too good to be true." I ended up buying a rock solid 6" jointer and I'm hoping to get a few more years out of my old Dewalt planer.


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## missingname

I bought the same machine back when Woodcraft was having a sale on all Jet and Powermatic tools. But, due to the cold weather, I haven't been able to give it much use yet. I did manage to get the jointer tables and planer outfeed table reasonable flat (as far as I can tell). The weather is starting to warm up, so hopefully I'll be using it soon.

Like someone else said, first thing to do is call Jet and get a diagram on how to adjust the jointer's outfeed table. I don't know why they don't pack that diagram in the box.


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## REK

Nice…I have a jet only 6" 

HAVE FUN WITH YOUR NEW TOY!!!


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## Jeremys

Thanks for your positive review of this tool (I own the same one) and I too see its short comings but appreciate what it does do! I find myself having to stick up for it a lot here so I'm glad to see you are having good luck with it too! One thing about your video! This tool is loud! You should really wear ear protection with this thing!


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## rbterhune

I have to make another comment because I didn't something the first time I watched your video. I'm not wanting to be rude, because as I mentioned before…if you're happy I'm happy but…your stock is rocking all over the place. Are you sure you're not making flat boards curved? A long straight edge will tell you if your tables are really co-planar.


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## Chelios

Kerry

Be careful more than anything. I was watching you in that video and you didn't look real smooth. You could easily get hurt bad. You did 4 things I would never do; 1 of which got me hurt. Fingers over the edge, hands instead of pushers, palm over the board while you stalled through the cut and diving/backing the board into the knives. Scary stuff that brings bad memories.

Try some bees wax on it as well.

I think that a belt jointer may be a bit nicer operation. That one sounds all reved up….well in any case I wish you good luck and remember that its not the size that counts but how you used it. ha : )


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## dbhost

The 10" is nice, heck just to get a 10" jointer for the price these go for is great… Do you ever run into issues with it not being able to offer say 12-13" planing surface? I rarely plane that wide, and can see hand planing if I need to…

Oh and yeah, you REALLY need some push blocks. They are way cheaper than fingers!


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## rroades

Although I have now been setting up a shop for almost 2 years, I've not done that many projects (I have a day job that often becomes a night job, too!), so I still consider myself a newbie. But one thing I am is a student. So I read and learn as much as I can then try to put into practice. So. . .

If the forums are a better place for this, let me know. I bought a floor model from Woodcraft. it's since been in the back of my truck going home and in a moving truck going 600 miles to a new home. Here's where I am now:

I found that tightening my in-feed table lock knobs as tight as I could get them still allowed movement, allowing the table end to drop or rise - albeit about 1/16" to 1/8" at the end of the table, but obviously enough. The movement is at the end of the table, pivoting where it attaches.

Then I found that they are not level across the tables - at the fence, with the depth of cut at 0, a straight edge shows flat across the tables, but by the front cover, the in-feed is high - the straight edge shows a gap on the out-feed by the cutters. Even just a bubble level confirmed that. It's minute, but there.

However, I've loosened screws that appear to hold these tables but can't move them. Think am I missing something? I guess it's time to call Jet? I'd return, but after I bought it, it sat because we learned we were being relocated, and now it's 11 months in and I'm just now getting a chance to try it and have had many unsuccessful attempts.

Thanks.


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## thenickedfinger

Rick,

There IS a trick to moving the tables on this combo machine, but mine was good out of the box. I'm sure I read somewhere (actually a few comments up the list now that I look) that Jet has instructions for this that did not come in the box.

As far as your infeed table, I might try adding a washer (or two) to the screws for a little more tightness (that is if I am understanding your problem correctly).


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## TopamaxSurvivor

Kerry Drake, what do you think of it now?? thx for the info.


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## thenickedfinger

Now I would say, IF I had more room in my shop and IF I had twice the money, separate machines would perform better. However, for the amount of milling I do (only two projects in the 6 months sense I got it) it's a fine LIGHT DUTY machine.


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## TopamaxSurvivor

Thanks, I posted a forum to see what the whole world thinks of combos. I'm not sure, teetering. Maybe I can just get by with my hand planes ??


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## rroades

Thanks for the input, folks. Current status - We had to move, so just setting up shop AGAIN. I've made no progress on this, but had temporarily gone back to jointing on my router and planing with a Ryobi 13" planer. As things over-take the garage (patience, honey . . .) and I can, I'll get with Jet and see if this thing can be adjusted to useful, then I won't have to find someone to sell it to saying "I hear there's a way to . . ."

It seemed like a really cool idea, and one more learning experience for a newbie.


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## rroades

TopamaxSurvivor - one quick thought - I've never read anything on the smaller machines to make me believe they are the super-precise smaller brothers to the larger industrial ones. They are compromises for small shops. But I really suck at hand tools for the present, so I'd never get anything made if I relied on them for milling.

The big thing I would say is check anything that moves to see that it locks TIGHT, and know how to adjust the various parts. Stating the obvious - fences or tables that shift only the slightest are no longer accurate. If you read my original post, you'll note that the infeed table on my combo can move a bit when "locked" (it's actually just a couple thin rods that squeeze one end of the table between parts of the frame. Not sure how that constitutes a "lock", but again - it's now a learning experience. When I figure the whole thing out, I'll post a review with all probs and fixes.)


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## PurpLev

nice review. congrats on the milling machine

But!

Please for the love of life - be careful! Don't joint faces with your bare hands - use pushblocks held in the direction of the board. apply force on the OUTfeed table and not over the cutterhead, and not over the infeed table (counterproductive).


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## TopamaxSurvivor

Thanks for the input Rick. I may think along the line of getting things roughed out and close to finish up with hand planes )

PurpLev, thanks for the tip. Shorten my learning curve!


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## ScottTShea

I keep reading horrible reviews on this machine and I'm looking for any and all justification on purchasing it. It almost seems that I would be better off jointing on my router table. The reviews are not exactly split, but large enough of a divide that It causes me concern to purchasing it or not. It seems everyone had to get longer screws to make the jointer table flush. Is it possible that Jet has corrected the problem after a few years and a few hundred complaints?


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## B4B

Kerry,

This review was written in 2010. It's now 2014. How has this tool held up well? With the last 4 years under your belt, would you buy it again? How often do you use it? Have you since sold it for something else? Would you still rate it at 4/5 stars?

I'm reading up on this combination machine, and seeing a lot of mixed reviews. I'm considering it, but only from a retailer that has a favorable return policy and in-store pickup. A favorable return policy in case I get a lemon and in-store pickup since it will likely be shipped freight vs UPS/Fed-ex.

I did notice that there were a lot of reviews right around 2010, but not nearly many newer ones. Either people have not purchased them, or Jet changed design or found the problem and there just have not been anyone writing reviews about it. With the assortment of reviews out there (many less than favorable), I wouldn't be surprised it if not as many people are purchasing these.

At the $450 +/- price point and a 10" capacity it seems like a good value for a causal woodworker, only if it works and is aligned properly.

Thanks!


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## thenickedfinger

As a planer it works great. Still give it a 4 out of 5. As a jointer, it is only average and only if get the tables aligned properly. I have done some 10' long boards on this thing and it did work, but you have to really "work at it" to get good results on big boards.


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## B4B

Thanks for the update.


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## gregjkm

Any further thoughts after owning this machine for a few years?


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## rroades

For a follow up on mine, it sits in a corner. I could never get the tables to lock securely enough to do anything but short boards - 3' or less. Any weight on the back end while feeding just became a never ending battle. I'm looking to unload, but actually had no takers on Craig's List.

I replaced it in 2 ways - first, I ran router rails for a while, setting up a jig to allow me to flatten a board for bed rails. This served any other flattening chores, as well. In concert with this, replaced the Ryobi 13" planer with the Dewalt 735, as the Ryobi was getting tired. But for $200, it served me very well. The Dewalt is a great machine for cost and probably all hobbyists.

Second, I worked with that for a while, but the router rails being so slow, I finally really stepped up - bought the Jet 12" Jointer/Planer combo with segmented cutter. This is an absolute dream machine. I flattened queen-size bed rails with no effort. I'll take this for its single footprint over a longer bed 8" jointer and the Dewalt taking up 2 spots in a garage workshop.

For the first time in my woodworking experience, I almost want to mill boards just because I can!!!

I finally "fully" understand why the table saw, jointer, planer, and bandsaw are the 4 machines to center your shop around.


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## thenickedfinger

I only use this machine as a planer now. I tried to switch over to a Jointer a few weeks ago for something, but could not get the dust shoot to lock into place and disengage the safety. After 30 minutes of messing with I gave up and used my router table to joint my edge….

I would rather have a dedicated Jointer and Planer seperate, but space and cash keep me from doing this.


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