The Best Jointer for Every Type of Woodworking

Best Jointers Buying Guide

Though you have gone through different jointers to choose from, there are a lot of things to consider before choosing a jointer planer to create a flat surface on your wooden boards. Without consideration of those facts, you may end up buying a jointer planer that is worthless to your purpose. So, before scouring the market for a decent jointer, let’s have a look at some crucial information.

What Are Different Types of Jointers Available in the Market?

There are various types of jointers, aka a thickness planer, on the market. Understanding them will help you select a suitable model that meets your needs. Here is a brief overview of each type of jointer planer:

Closed jointer

The base of this jointer planer is totally closed, and it helps protect the cutter head and motor from accumulating dust. The closed part protects you from injury as well. The benefit of this sort of jointer is that the sturdy and substantial foundation retrofits as a shock absorption unit. It can also shave wood anywhere from 6 inches to 16 inches.

Open stand jointer

The motor of such jointers is exposed to the outside and provides almost no safety measures or shock absorption. They also tend to be noisier than their closed-type siblings.

Tabletop jointer

This jointer planer is normally fastened on a table and does not come with an outfeed table.

The benchtop thickness planer looks similar to a tabletop jointer planer, but it is considerably smaller and comes in a closed version. It’s also preferable for shaving material with a breadth of no more than 6 inches.

Long jointer

This jointer has extremely long arms that are utilized to perform extremely fine trimming. In this sort of jointer, only the infeed is adjustable.

Hand jointer

This is the most versatile jointer planer available, as you may start trimming wood from any point along its length. On the other hand, a traditional wood jointer can only shave from one end.

What Are Some Key Considerations of Buying Woodworking Jointers?

Before purchasing a wood jointer, there are a few things to consider. Often, you will be tempted to choose the one with the most features or the one that is more expensive, believing that it will be superior. When purchasing a wood jointer, keep the following points in mind.

Power

Without power, you can’t straighten anything. As a result, it is at the core of the jointer planer. For a smooth performance, choose one with at least 1 HP power. The faster it shaves material, the more powerful it is. It does, however, grow more expensive. You’ll have to pick one that’s the median of your requirements and usage.

Jointer type

Select a jointer planer based on the layout of your workspace and the amount of space you have. If you’re working in a small, cramped environment, a 72-inch jointer won’t work for you. It is preferable to use a small benchtop jointer and vice versa.

Quality

The jointer’s build quality will provide you a sparse idea of its reliability. In general, a well-built jointer planer will last longer and perform better while also being more user-friendly.

This video from WoodworkersJournal shares some other things to keep in mind when shopping for a jointer:

What Are Some Important Features To Look For in the Best Jointers?

Bed size

The bed size refers to the maximum width that the jointer can shave at one time. For most projects, a 6-inch benchtop jointer planer will be more than enough. It’s the largest breadth of material it can shave, and it’s a popular choice among homeowners and carpenters alike. It’s also less expensive than jointers that can handle more than 6 inches of material at a time. With all characteristics equal, an 8-inch bed size jointer can cost nearly twice as much as a 6-inch jointer.

Cutting depth

The cutting depth determines how many passes are required to achieve a polished finish. The deeper your jointer’s cut, the fewer passes you’ll require. Productivity and efficiency are inextricably connected to cut depth. Thus choose a jointer planer with more cutting depth to be sure of investing in the right product. 

Knife modifications

Take a look at how simple it is to make adjustments to the knives. Jointers with two knives in the cutter head are considered entry-level, while those with four knives are considered premium. 

Dust collection

Dust collection is crucial for keeping your workshop clean. It also helps extend the jointer’s life by preventing dust particles from entering the motor and cutter head of the jointer planer.

Portability

If you want to move around with your jointer planer, a 40-pound jointer is preferable over a 600-pound jointer.

How Have We Chosen the Product To Review?

It’s critical to know that a respected company manufactures the product you’re contemplating. In addition, the manufacturer should provide a 1-5 year warranty to protect you from different problems.

We have taken into account a lot of factors to scour a list of the best jointers.

Band reputation

Our researchers have investigated the overall reputation and credibility of the brand manufacturing the product. We have done thorough research to ensure that the jointers we are suggesting are from credible manufacturers and made of high-quality material.

Genuine customer reviews

We have gone through almost all the reviews related to a product on the different online marketplaces to get an idea about the experiences of the users. The overall review score can assist you in determining which products have received positive feedback from the woodworking community and which you should avoid. Any product you’re considering should have at least four stars rating. And we were mindful of this aspect while choosing the products.