Buying guide for Best jointers
There are many reasons to buy a jointer. Rough-cut lumber is far cheaper than milled, and with a jointer, you can clean it up yourself. Pre-milled stock is rarely accurate to the dimensions stated. Additionally, it may not be flat or square. With a good jointer, you can rectify these problems in minutes.
The question is, which jointer should you purchase?
The good news is, you have plenty of choices. The not-so-good news is that with over two hundred machines to choose from, finding the right one becomes something of a challenge!
Jointers vs. planers
What's the difference between a planer and a jointer? It's a question that comes up often. Given that they do similar jobs, it's no surprise there's confusion.
In the past, the only tool woodworkers had for shaping wood was the hand plane. Whether you wanted to flatten or square a piece of wood or shave the thickness, a hand plane was the tool you used.
It's common to see electrical versions of this tool, and they're fine for general woodworking. However, when it comes to squaring, they have no real advantage over the manual tool. In fact, some feel that electric planers are too aggressive.
Expert tip
The portability and weight of the tabletop models are very important to consider. As a female woodworker, I would struggle with a 78 lb model, but I would find a 38 lb style much easier.
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That's when you turn to a planer (rather than a plane), or a jointer.
Jointer planer combos do exist and might seem like an ideal solution. However, there are drawbacks. First, they're all large, floor-standing machines, requiring plenty of space. Second, the process of changing between the functions is frequently criticized for being too fiddly and time consuming.
The difference is:
A planer (sometimes called a thickness planer) cuts the face of a piece of lumber using a cutterheard that evens out the surface of the wood. The planer is best at cutting a piece of wood to the desired thickness quickly and accurately. What it won't do is flatten a warped board, nor can it square up the edges.
A jointer has one set of cutters, with tables to either side (referred to as the infeed and outfeed). These are adjusted to guide the desired amount of material removal as the stock is run over the cutters. A jointer is best at cleaning up and flattening boards, taking out any twist. It can also square the edges or, in some cases, cut a bevel on the edge. It only cuts one side of the material at a time, so it's not recommended for thicknessing.
Which tool is better? Technically, there is no “better,” because a planer does one job, a jointer does another. Professional woodshops will always have both. So will most enthusiastic amateurs.
If your budget is really tight, it is possible to use a jointer to dimension lumber, but it’s not recommended.
One of the top considerations when choosing a jointer is the table size. We vet each product to ensure that the size of the table works well for a wide variety of situations.
Jointers can sit on a benchtop or as a standalone machine. During our research process, we take note of the size and shape of each product.
A jointer’s rotating cutter head is designed to do all the hard work when in use. During our evaluation, we take into consideration the shape of the cutter head and the number of knives that it utilizes.
Most tables will be made from either cast iron or steel. We weigh the pros and cons of each material to provide durable jointer recommendations.
Fences can be angled anywhere from 45-90 degrees to help provide specific cuts. We look for jointers that provide the widest range of adjustability to allow for maximum precision.
Each jointer has to have a sufficient power supply to fully utilize the cutters provided. We fully assess each option to make sure that it has the proper amount of power to work well.
Most jointers will have guards to provide ample protection for the user. We take deep dives into the safety features of each model we evaluate.
For many hobbyists, portability may be a factor to consider. We investigate each jointer’s weight to make sure that it can be easily moved around if needed.
Higher-powered jointers will create quite a bit of dust. Our research looks at the dust ports on each product to provide a cleaner option for recommendations.
Push blocks are important for holding pieces of wood in place without your hands being in the way. We assess each jointer to see if push blocks are provided with the machine itself.
What size jointer?
There are two main types of jointer: benchtop and floor-standing.
Benchtop jointers invariably offer a width of 6 inches. Many popular floor-standing models are also 6 inches, but there are also 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch options. If you work with wide boards, a benchtop jointer will not give you the capacity you need.
Many woodworkers — professionals included — never use boards wider than 6", but that still leaves a choice of benchtop or floor-standing machines. So what are the other considerations?
Expert TIp
Never make adjustments to the depth settings while it is running. Do so with power off.
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Dimensions and portability
The main dimension of a jointer is obviously the combined length of the tables. When estimating the space the machine will take up, you also need to consider height and depth.
There are variations, of course, but benchtop models are around 12 inches high and 12 inches deep. Floor-standing models vary considerably. Plan for a height of around 40 to 44 inches and a depth of at least 24 inches, though you'll need to check each model individually.
There's also a question of weight. A benchtop jointer will weigh anywhere from 40 to 80 pounds. That's going to be a big consideration for those who are short of space, and need to move it frequently.
Floor-standing jointers start around 250 pounds for a 6-inch model. Wheel kits are available to make them movable, though moving a tool that heavy isn’t something you would want to do often.
High-end jointers can easily exceed 500 pounds, so they need a permanent site.
In summary, there's clearly a big step from benchtop to floor-standing jointer.
If space is a factor, a benchtop jointer may be the only practical solution. That shouldn't be taken as a negative. The 6-inch capacity is as much as many woodworkers ever need. Properly fixed to the bench, these jointers are capable of producing first-class work.
If you regularly mill wide boards, or long pieces of lumber, a floor-standing jointer will give you the required capacity and, potentially, much higher levels of productivity.
Table sizes
The longer the length of the infeed and outfeed tables, the more stability you have for your workpiece.
This is particularly important with long boards. If it rocks, you'll get inaccuracies and an uneven surface finish.
Benchtop jointers have combined table length in the 26- to 35-inch range. Floor-standing jointers start around 70 inches, but professional woodshop machines can exceed 80 inches.
Expert Tip
As with all power tools, do not wear dangling clothes or have long hair down while using such a tool. Always use guards and pusher pads to keep hands out of the cutting area.
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Jointer features
Size and capacity are important elements when choosing a jointer, but there are other considerations that will have an equal impact.
Cutterhead
Actual material removal is done by a rotating cutterhead (also called a cutter block), fitted with a number of knives. The more knives you have, the more cuts are made each time the block rotates — in theory, giving you a smoother finish.
Benchtop jointers tend to have two or three knives. Floor-standing models generally have three or four.
Knife blades can be high-speed steel (HSS) or carbide-tipped. Both take a good edge, but the latter is superior and lasts up to ten times as long. They are also considerably more expensive.
Knives are mounted in the cutterhead in one of two ways, either straight or helically.
A straight blade is usually the same length as the cutterhead. The whole length of the blade contacts the material at the same time. Then there's a momentary pause (a fraction of a second) until the next blade cuts.
In a helical cutter block, a number of smaller blades are set in a curved row. The shearing motion is more or less constant. If the knives are sharp and properly set, this gives a smoother finish and is also quieter.
Expert Tip
Practice on scraps before tackling your first real project. That way you'll have a good feel for your machine, and you can reduce the likelihood of making mistakes on your real project.
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Helical cutter blocks are more expensive. It's also more expensive to change the knife sets. For this reason, budget jointers usually have straight knives. Higher-quality machines may offer one or the other at the time of purchase. There are also several companies that offer helical cutterheads, if you want to upgrade later.
The final part of this equation is cutterhead speed. If you have a two-knife cutterhead rotating at 10,000 rpm, you get 20,000 cuts per minute, but high speed isn't everything. A four-knife cutterhead rotating at 7,500 rpm gives you 30,000 cuts per minute, and therefore, a smoother finish. It also puts less stress on the motor and will likely be quieter — though that's somewhat relative. No jointer could really be described as "quiet."
Construction
The best tables are cast iron, giving high levels of flatness and long-term durability. However, benchtop jointers, where weight is a factor, often used machined aluminum. It's perfectly adequate, given the smaller material sizes being used.
The same is true with fences. Cast iron is preferred, but alloy has sufficient rigidity for modest demands.
Dovetail ways (the joint between table and base) are preferred by many. They give greater precision and rigidity.
Stands are usually steel, of varying thickness. You need as much stability as possible, so a heavy stand is a definite benefit.
Adjustability
Fences can usually be angled at 45° for cutting bevels, sometimes outwards as well as inwards (thus providing a range of 135°). Stops at 45° and 90° make setting a quick process.
The maximum depth of cut is seldom quoted because it's not really important. Some machines will take ¼" off in a single pass, though it's usually recommended to take several thin cuts rather than one large one.
What is important is being able to adjust tables quickly and accurately — particularly the infeed table, as this is how you set depth of cut. Good machines offer fine-feed for additional precision.
Power
Manufacturers make much of the power available from their jointer motors, and it is vital that the motor can drive the cutterhead at the appropriate speed.
In practice, however, cheap bench models frequently have a 1 horsepower motor, and that's more than enough for a 6-inch, floor-standing jointer. Bigger machines will probably have 1½ or 2 hp motors.
The biggest machine we looked at, a monster 12-inch jointer, had a 3 hp motor.
Expert Tip
Be mindful of wood with knots. Jointer blades can hit a knot and create a dangerous projectile with kickback.
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Safety
Jointers are noisy, so you should wear ear protection. You will also need protective eyewear.
There is a guard over the cutterhead, usually spring-loaded. It's pushed out of the way as you advance the workpiece, then springs back after. Never operate the machine without it in place.
One or more push blocks should also be supplied. Use them. They keep your hands well clear of any danger.
Dust and chip extraction
Jointers can create a lot of waste, very quickly. Dust extraction ports are a must. There are two standard sizes, 2½" and 4". Some benchtop jointers also come with a collection bag, but these can fill very quickly. A good workshop vacuum is highly recommended.
What does a good jointer cost?
This is one of those occasions when you pretty much get what you pay for. These are robust, powerful machines, and none are cheap.
Inexpensive
Entry-level benchtop models will cost $300 or more. The best of these jointers cost around $450.
Mid-range
A good, 6-inch, floor-standing jointer will be priced around $1,000. It's a lot more than the same width benchtop model, but you'll get much longer tables, and a far more rigid machine. It's a big step up in productivity.
Expert
The price of an 8-inch jointer will certainly exceed $2,000, and prices rise rapidly depending on table length, cutterhead type, and other features. It's a serious amount of money, but you're buying a lifetime of high performance, so it's almost certainly a one-off investment.
