TLDR: Here’re the Jointer Planer Combos I’ll be diving into in this article
- JET JJP-12 12-Inch – Best Jointer Planer Combo with Helical Head
- JET 708476 JJP-12HH 12-Inch – Best Jointer Planer For Performance
- RIKON Power Tools 25-210H – Best Jointer Planer For A Hobbyist
- Grizzly G0675 – Budget Jointer Planer Combo 2020
- Rikon 25-010 – Portable Lightweight Jointer Planer Combo 2020
If you’re reading this article you’re probably looking for a good jointer-planer combo be it for your workplace or personal use a Jointer Planer Combo is more of an investment rather than a product you would simply buy off the shelf like at Walmart. It isn’t cheap either making it evident that the one-time investment you make in a good Jointer Planer Combo be the best possible one.
However, the internet is filled with marketers trying to sell you shit for sky-high prices. It’s difficult to pick through the multiple options which is why we have researched well to put together an unbiased article on the Best Jointer Planer Combo available on the market in 2020.
Best Jointer Planer Combo 2020
Our top choices for ‘Best Jointer Planer Combo 2020” were based on what we considered the most important factors whilst looking for the machine. What’s key is to focus on what is right for you as what is our top pick may not be the top pick for you hence it is better to consider all the factors we discussed before to help you pick the right join/planner combo.
1. JET JJP-12 12-Inch – Best Jointer Planer Combo with Helical Head
Who is this for: You are an extreme hobbyist or are running a workshop that simply means business who wants a value for money option.
Buy it for: Powerful performance capability that gets the job done with easy functionality making the whole process hassle-free. The reason we chose this jointer planer as the best is because of the ease of using it and the high performance you simply get what you pay for.
In Planer mode: The maximum depth for a whole width piece is ⅛ inches. The planer is 21.25 inches with a feed rate of 20 fpm which is enough for the planing stock up to 3.5-feet long. The jointer is 55 inches long for jointing stock up to 8-feet long.
Features that stand out:
- Parallelogram design makes the finish precise and allows for in-depth adjustments
- Cutter: 3x 5500 RPM high-speed steel knife cutter heads
- Motor: 3 horsepower induction motor to handle the toughest jointing and planing tasks
Quick Changeover between jointer and planer - Dust collection shroud: Keep your workplace clean with a premium rotating dust collection that makes the clean-up super easy.
- JET: This isn’t a feature but the brand of the joint/planer combo which is honestly the best in the market with top customer support and good consultation visits for maintenance in the future
Drawbacks but not dealbreakers
- Fence engineering is a hassle: You may struggle with the fence is perpendicular to the table. However, you can consult jet to find the most efficient way to use this.
The mobile base attachment needs to be modified (cut and drilled) to properly fit into the machine.
2. JET 708476 JJP-12HH 12-Inch – Best Jointer Planer For Performance
Who is this for: You are an extreme hobbyist or are running a workshop that simply means business who isn’t really on a budget and want all the features.
Buy it for: A robustly made machine with a fine helical cutter head that performs all its required functions well. What it lacks is: design engineering sophistication and high quality fit and finish.
Features that stand out:
- Maximum accuracy adjustable: The oversized hand wheel and knobs with centered controls fit comfortably in your hand, allowing for extremely fine-tuned adjustments.
The wide-spaced handles make it easy to stabilize stock to the heavy-duty, 43-inch-by-6-inch fence. Particularly handy for complex projects, the fence stays in place between function changes and sets easily for bevel cuts up to 45 degrees.
- Maximum Performance: The Jet JJP-12HH runs on a 12.5 amp motor with 3 horsepower giving you the power you need for a variety of cutting applications.
- Dust Chute: 4-inch dust port
- JET: This isn’t a feature but the brand of the joint planer combo which is honestly the best in the market with top customer support and good consultation visits for maintenance in the future
3. RIKON Power Tools 25-210H – Best Jointer Planer For A Hobbyist
Who is this for: You are a hobbyist or are running a workshop that is looking for a budget Jointer planer.
Buy it for: You simply want something that gets the job done and don’t care about efficiency or high performance. Still, a very durable option that costs a little less.
Features that stand out:
- Fastest feed Rate: With a Feed rate speed of 23 feet per minute the Rikon beast is easily the fastest operating machine on the market.
- Powerful 220V 3 HP, 3400 RPM Motor can easily cut through anything at full capacity.
- Ultra-smooth finish: 4-row helical cutter
Drawbacks but not dealbreakers
- Bad RIKON Customer support: Compared to JET RIKON doesn’t offer good customer support they’ll take a while to reach out and fix an issue as reported from other customers.
- Low-performance cutter-head: The 3400 RPM motor slows the cuts per minute increasing labor time and decreasing efficiency.
- Bad calibration: The jointer tables do not stay calibrated so you will have to always watch out for adjustment.
4. Grizzly G0675 – Budget Jointer Planer Combo 2020
Who is this for: You are an on the budget woodwork, hobbyist or handyman, looking for a bang for his buck but still want some functionality.
Buy it for: Decent functionality with Smooth and level finish almost as good as a premium machine with decent functionality and ease of use.
Features that stand out:
- Reasonable price: For around $1500 You get a reasonably cheap jointer planer combo with decent functionally.
- Cast iron table
- Easy conversion to jointer planer mode
Drawbacks but not dealbreakers
- Bulky machine: This model weighs almost 400 pounds making it hard to move and shift however a simple castor wheel can solve this.
5. Rikon 25-010 – Portable Lightweight Jointer Planer Combo 2020
Who is this for: You are simply a hobbyist and are looking for something that won’t take up a lot of space in your home and don’t really need the functionality of a JET or power matic machine. Also, you want to shift sites regularly.
Buy it for: Extremely cheap price and extreme portability.
Features that stand out:
- Saves space: Apart from the combo unit saving space by doing both the job of a planer and jointer this Rikon machine does both jobs utilizing very minimal space with good portability.
Drawbacks but not dealbreakers:
- Low-quality pot metal: The pot metal is what you use to adjust the fence which is reported to snap easily.
- Bad RIKON Customer support: Compared to JET RIKON doesn’t offer good customer support they’ll take a while to reach out and fix an issue as reported from other customers. They may even ignore you on time.
- Not the best engineering: The fencing is difficult to set at a 90 degree, the handles can be big and interfere with one another.
Best Jointer Planer Combo 2020 Buyers Guide
TL;DR A jointer planer combo is exactly what its name tells you It’s a jointer at the top and planer at the bottom with one motor and one cutter head.
Many people think they need both a planer and a separate jointer in a workshop but now with the help of a Jointer Planer Combo, you can do both. Simply put a jointer planer combo is a combination of a wood jointer and a wood planer all in one machine. Limited workshop/garage space being a problem gave rise to this machine. Jointer planers also offer you a good wide jointing capacity and because the wide planer cutter head is also acting as the jointer cutter head. This will give you the ability to make joint boards that are wider with it.
So basically with a Jointer planer combo, you would be making a much more refined and consistently even wooden boards as compared to the expensive stock pre-surfaced standard boards.
Why you should get a Jointer Planer Combo
For most projects the conventional method of sourcing a pre-surfaced stock. This is where jointers and planers come in as surfacing tools. A jointer simply flattens a surface and a planer makes the two opposite surfaces parallel. A jointer planer makes sure a board is consistently flat and parallel.
But they’re expensive! What most people don’t see is the future cost savings when investing in tools like these.
Below is why we think it is expensive to NOT buy a Jointer Planer Combo
You are in the woodwork business and are constantly dealing with multiple projects unless you have a jointer planer combo you would be buying a pre-flattened stock board or a common-grade pine board.
Now if you’re consistently buying in bulk think about the markup you’re paying to the source. Instead, you now switch over to a jointer planer combo and do it yourself. You may spend some time making the boards yourself but over the long run, the $3000 would pay for itself a few multiple times.
We summarized all the pros and cons of going forward with a jointer planer combo below:
PROS:
- Wide jointing capacity to build furniture that is much bigger especially with a heavy-duty planner which is huge if you are in the business of making bigger furniture.
- Think about all the tools you’ll be saving by having a multi-purpose machine.
- Whether you are in the business or just a hobbyist space is important.
- The traditional jointer and planer machine is huge but a combo jointer planer machine being a combo it saves space rather than having a separate Jointer and Planer.
CONS:
- Since there’s just one cutter head it would wear down faster however the easily replaceable screws make it easy to switch through blades.
- Every time you want to joint or plan you will have to switch through modes however a good jointer planer would have an easily switchable lever option.
What makes a good Jointer Planer Combo?
Helical cutter head: performs better but draws more power making it expensive. It is also less noisy. The other option is the straight knife cutter head but what you’re looking for is a more efficient option rather than something that will save you a few bucks.
Cuts per minute: This is dependent on the number of knifes a higher RPM with more knives means more cuts per minute. The higher the cuts per minute the better the finishing.
P.S the higher the cuts the lower the life of your knife
Mode Adjustment: You don’t just want performance you want a machine that works smart. An easily adjustable mode that switches to jointer planer will save a lot of time in the long run and increase efficiency.
Warranty: This is an often-overlooked option that you need to consider. The machine being heavy-duty is vulnerable to breakdowns and faults. You better have a good warranty plan in place or else you’ll see your maintenance costs skyrocket to the roof.
P.S you’re looking for a warranty of at least 4 years
Motor: A good voltage and current rating for the motor will tell you how much watts you will consume.
Found Your Next Jointer Planer?
The JJP-12-Inch Jointer Planer Helical Head is the most extensive Jointer Planer Combo for it offers the most versatile helical cutter that makes you make multiple adjustments to cutting your surface without even removing the fencing. Although the price may seem high which is we have explained in the article as to why it makes sense to get one.
Like we mentioned before a jointer planer isn’t something you buy off the shelf it is more of an investment. Considering how important and but it is and the hefty price we urge you to take a well-researched decision. If you’ve read our guide thoroughly you will now know what suits your needs.
If you have the money please do not simply but the highest performing machine it could be an overkill same goes for buying something cheap that could be dysfunctional if it doesn’t suit your needs. A top machine like the JET can cost upwards or 2000$ and some even 3000$ but are well worth the money if you plan to use it for commercial purposes, in fact, spending more now WILL save you a fortune in the future.
It all comes down to what the jointer planer combo is right for you.
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