I am thinking of adding a new piece of equipment to my shop. Torn between a planer and a jointer. Can't afford both right now. Which would be more beneficial right now with me being a newbie to woodworking. Would also like suggestions as to which model to purchase.

Thanks

Dan

Dan, do you plan on purchasing mostly rough lumber?

 

As far as which one, do you have a budget number you want to be around?

 

Those would help a lot in pointing you in the right direction. I have both and depending on what I am doing, I probably use my planer a lot more than the joiner, but in my shop they both get used on almost every project.

 

I purchased a Delta 12" planer from Lowe's several years ago. I have run a lot of rough lumber through that little guy. You can't take big bites so it requires a lot more passes than a larger planer. If you are in no hurry, you can certainly get by with the smaller, less expensive model. From everything I read, the Dewalt 13" three knife model is the one to have.

 

I am sure you will get lots of advice to help with the decision but those first two questions will help us all point you in the best direction.

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John Moody
John Moody Woodworks

My plans are to use mostly rough cut lumber. As far as a price range I have about 5 to 6 hundred dollars to spend.

Thanks John 

Dan this is one that gets really good reviews.

 

I am looking at a 15" planer, but if I have to back up and not get it this is one I will give a good look at.

 

 

 

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John Moody
John Moody Woodworks

Dan, I'm with John.  I have a 13" Delta planer and I use it 20 times more than the jointer.  I made a 90 degree jig that allows me to send a board through the planer to plane the edge and when I reverse it and do the other edge.  I've used this technique several times on edges to be glued to make a table top and they are always perpendicular to the face.

 

All that to say that my vote would be a planer and the DW735 would be my choice if I were in the market.

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Ron Dudelston
Above and Beyond WoodWorks

Thanks Ron, I don't suppose you would be willing to show a picture of your 90 degree jig.

Dan

I'll dig it out and get it to you.  It looks like a short version of a tenoning jig. 

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Ron Dudelston
Above and Beyond WoodWorks

My vote is for a Planer. 

I have the Delta Model 22-560, which is not made anymore.

One great thing about Delta is that their blades have register holes in them and require no adjustment when changing them.

I gave my Jointer to my kid years ago.
Larry

I know I use my planer a lot more then my jointer. My planer is a Ridgid 13" and I really like it. They run in $300 range and when you register them, you get a lifetime warranty on the parts. I have used the warranty to replace the 6" scale and was treated great. It does a great job for me, but I do notice once in a while i do get a little snipe. But nothing major. I went through this decision before. I bought a small table top Delta jointer and it works great. I think it was around the same price range. I would not recommend this to someone who plans on using it lot. Due to it's size and power doing wide boards takes some extra time and passes. But for occasional usage you can not beat it.

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Wayne
God Bless our Troops and Protect them.

with all due respect i have to disagree with the above.  my vote is for a jointer first.  i believe that it is good practice to joint a board after its run through the table saw, you can always start with surfaced lumber (pine, poplar, oak, etc.) to build skills, and then graduate to a planer later on.  to truly get the benefit of a planer to get "good straight surfaced lumber" the rough cut board should be first run through a jointer on the face to get a "true" surface.  this would apply to lumber with a twist mainly, which is very common in rough cut.  otherwise the planer will just follow the twist and you will end up with a surfaced board that is twisted and not true.  there is a jig you can make for a planer to help with this problem and i use it mainly for lumber that is too wide for my jointer but for smaller pieces that can account for a lot of the wood used it is quicker to run it through a jointer first. there is also other uses for a jointer "think tapered legs" etc. just my input thanks paul

You are certainly entitled to your opines.  I probably buy better lumber so I don't need a Jointer.

Whatever works..
Larry

the only lumber i purchase is kiln dried select and better, fact is wood moves, and i for one is not going to take the time to hand pick each and every board when i get hundreds of feet at a time. just my opin

I know I am always the odd duck, but for what I do, using rough lumber, every piece gets 1 face done on a jointer before going through my planer. Joining edges can be done with a good hand plane. I did that for years. You can make a simple jig to straight line edge a board. But to get a face of a board flat, so you can referance off that to make the other side parallel, you need a jointer. There are some smaller combo units made now a days. Might be worth saving up a bit more and get one of those. I have 2 jointers. Like I said, I am the odd duck.

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Bob Kloes
www.bobkloes.com

Dan, as you certainly see there are lots of opinions on the subject. When I first started, I purchased a joiner first. I got one face flat and the edge square and then saw I needed something to get the other face parallel to.

 

It really doesn't matter which one you buy first, but in most cases you will want both. They do similar jobs, but not the same. Can you find ways to work around not having one of them, for the most part yes but not all of the time.

 

Keep an eye on Craig's List and you might pick up both at a really good price. Or you might find someone that just doesn't use the joiner and take it off their hands. At any rate you know we all like to collect tools so get all you can get.

 

 

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John Moody
John Moody Woodworks

I am of the same opinion as John Moody. Eventually you will have both. Just take it slow and look around on Craigs List, great deals to be had.

 

-Ace-

For a newbie using home depot wood or s4s a jointer is your first tool.  planer next.

 

Those of us who are pro's know how to get around a jointerusing a planer and vise versa.

 

Take a look through craigslist and auctions and chances are you can get a good deal on both.

 

I have a ridgid planer and a old craftsman jointer.

Dan, I wish you were in Indiana.  I know where there is a nice planer with a real nice low price tag

 

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Ron Dudelston
Above and Beyond WoodWorks

I would vote for the jointer. Although I own both, I use my jointer the most. I am a hand tool guy and unless I processing hundereds of feet of  rough lumber, I joint a face and an edge and then plane the rest by hand. I start with a LN #5 1/2 for roughing (or a scrub for heavy removal) then go to a #7 and finish with a #3 or #4. A good hand plane will last a lifetime while an electric planer will eventually need to be replaced/fixed. This is the opinion of a hand tool worker. I think roughing sizes with a plane is almost as fast and alot more fun than running a board through a machine a few times. You could also look into a combination machine. I used to own a Jet 10" jointer/planer that I was given by a friend. New, they are under $500 and work fine for the casual woodworker. 

IMO if you are using rough cut lumber, then you need both a face jointer and a thickness planer.  I am always amazed at the cupping and twists in rough cut lumber.  A trip across the face jointer makes these issues really obvious. Using a thickness planer without face jointing results in a board that may be twisted or wavy. 

 

I elected to go the "used machinery route", so that I could have both. I started with an older Jet 6" jointer and a Delta 12" "lunch box" thickness planer, both for under $300. By watching Craigslist,  I have upgraded to a Yorkcraft 8" jointer ($400) and a Jet 13" planer ($350). I more than recovered the cost of the first machines when I sold them and applied the profit toward the larger machines.  I enjoy restoring machines, so I will eventually replace these machines with older machines (Delta, Powermatic, Parks, Oliver, etc.)  as they come available in my area.  My cabinet saw, drill presses, lathe, radial arm saw, are all machines made in the mid '40s to the '70s in the USA.  These tools have quality that is not affordable to me in today's new tool market.

 

IMO, with a $500 to $600 budget you should be able to find both machines through CL or other classifieds.   I think you will be happier with your finished projects using both.

 

Lamar 

Hi:

I agree  with Bob Kloes that you need both.  But, instead of using the planer I use a thickness Sander and I have a smooth surface with a very little more sanding.  I can end up with a little thicker stock.  Save more money and get what you need.