Craftsman Joiner - Craig's list

[cwithboat]

I have no experience with join(t)ers. I found this one on CL.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/tls/695995034.html
I inquired as to model number and received this:

hi; 285A, Model # 113.20680, Serial # 199.00072
thank for replying. any more questions please call

I can find no reference on Sears web site or Google search for these numbers. Any Ideas? Comments?

[just started]

Grab it before the seller comes to his senses and raises the price 3x or more to what it's really worth. Check owwm.com for info and maybe a pdf of the owner's manual.

[dkerfoot]

Plus, you can stop off at the fabulous bakery in Poulsbo! (I lived in Suquamish for a few years while in the Navy - before the big casino)

[LinuxRandal]

Grab it before the seller comes to his senses and raises the price 3x or more to what it's really worth. Check owwm.com for info and maybe a pdf of the owner's manual.

First, ALL things are worth ONLY what someone will give you for it, and you will sell it for.

Around my parts, those go for between $75 (low end) and $150 average. People have posted them for $200-250 or more, but you KEEP seeing them reposted, over and over (they don't get that).
A shorter bed then the current models, and try your number and Sears Parts, as well as OWWM, so you can get a breakdown drawing (handy for cleanup/blade replacement, bearing checks, etc).

[just started]

First, ALL things are worth ONLY what someone will give you for it, and you will sell it for.

Around my parts, those go for between $75 (low end) and $150 average. People have posted them for $200-250 or more, but you KEEP seeing them reposted, over and over (they don't get that).
A shorter bed then the current models, and try your number and Sears Parts, as well as OWWM, so you can get a breakdown drawing (handy for cleanup/blade replacement, bearing checks, etc).

Well, in this area when a 6" comes up for $200-250 they are gone in a few hours, and you can't touch an 8" for less than $500.

[jussi]

Well, in this area when a 6" comes up for $200-250 they are gone in a few hours, and you can't touch an 8" for less than $500.

Even a craftsman model? If it was a Ridgid, Grizzly, jet, etc $75 would be a gloat worthy price but I'm not sure about that model. As LinuxRandal said they have awfully short beds compared to other models. I see a bunch of those in my are for low to mid $100 and many of them get re-listed. Then again this is from someone who's never used that model so take it for what it's worth. I'm not sure but I *think* Loring had one of these before.

[eddy merckx]

Hi Charlie

I live in in the Seattle area also (actually pretty close to Poulsbo). I think that's a pretty average price for one of those in our region. There are two issues, as I see it, which make them less than ideal. One, already mentioned, is the bed length. The older Craftsman jointers had around 36" beds. That would limit you to maybe a 6 foot board as the maximum you could joint. Most of the newer jointers have 48" beds, more or less. That will allow around an 8 foot board to be jointed.

The other problem could be whether you could convert one of those to accept a dust collection port. Otherwise you will have a mountain of wood chips on your shop floor.

If you keep watching CL, you'll see lots of Ridgid jointers for sale. They are more expensive but a bunch more versatile.

Eddy

[cwithboat]

Hi Charlie

There are two issues, as I see it, which make them less than ideal. One, already mentioned, is the bed length.
The other problem could be whether you could convert one of those to accept a dust collection port. Otherwise you will have a mountain of wood chips on your shop floor.

If you keep watching CL, you'll see lots of Ridgid jointers for sale. They are more expensive but a bunch more versatile.

Eddy

Thanks Eddy,
The third issue I am considering is parts. Are jointer knives generic or can off the shelf knives be used?
The model was made by Emerson Electric which is/was Ridgid. Other posts indicate some parts may be interchangeable. I have still not found a manual on line for the exact model number, although 20650 looks close.

[LinuxRandal]

Knives are still available off the shelf. Heck their 4" AMT made Jointers that have no other parts available still have knives (AMT was bought out for the manufacturing and they told Sears and it's contract to bugger off, and shut down a decent machine manufacturer).

I don't know what all info you will need if you want to find other brands of knives, but your not the first to consider that.

[cwithboat]

Thanks to all. I did buy it. The knives had been newly sharpened for the first time according to the seller. They look good. Since knives run upward of $90, this was a positive and I spent the asking price ($75). Now 125lbs and I have to get it out of my pickup.

[poolhound]

Thanks to all. I did buy it. The knives had been newly sharpened for the first time according to the seller. They look good. Since knives run upward of $90, this was a positive and I spent the asking price ($75). Now 125lbs and I have to get it out of my pickup.

$90 sounds rather steep for a set of knives. I would hope these are long lasting and can be re-sharpened. If they really are that expensive I would make sure you dont get too eager to run just anything through the jointer. Make sure you check any reclaimed wood for nails or other metal. likewize for painted or previosuly finished wood, run your belt sander over it first to take off the finish as you would be amazed how a hard poly or varnish can dull jointer or planer knives.

[LinuxRandal]

$90 sounds rather steep for a set of knives. I would hope these are long lasting and can be re-sharpened. If they really are that expensive I would make sure you dont get too eager to run just anything through the jointer. Make sure you check any reclaimed wood for nails or other metal. likewize for painted or previosuly finished wood, run your belt sander over it first to take off the finish as you would be amazed how a hard poly or varnish can dull jointer or planer knives.

I agree. I would take one of the knives to Sears on the next trip and compare it to their current ones. My understanding about the little input that they had was they wanted pretty much a universal "Sears" blade, from any of their manufacturers, in either size (4 or 6").

[cwithboat]

$90 is a number I saw for a Craftsman set while cruising through the web. A closer look indicates that was way too high. 30-ish looks more reasonable.

[LCHIEN]

Even a craftsman model? If it was a Ridgid, Grizzly, jet, etc $75 would be a gloat worthy price but I'm not sure about that model. As LinuxRandal said they have awfully short beds compared to other models. I see a bunch of those in my are for low to mid $100 and many of them get re-listed. Then again this is from someone who's never used that model so take it for what it's worth. I'm not sure but I *think* Loring had one of these before.

I never had one, saw a quite a few in various used places (e.g. CL).
Sears must have sold a lot of them, perhaps in the 60's-70's this was the only jointer most people could get for home woodworking.
This is a lightweight jointer, it weighs about half what a typical 6" jointer weighs.