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I got the unit set up and running, and here are my initial impressions after making some test cuts on it.
The good:
The jointer was perfectly set up out of the box, as was the fence once mounted. The cast iron tables are solid, smooth, and as far as I can measure, dead flat. The fence is made from aluminum, and the brackets holding them on appear to be cast aluminum and are sufficiently stiff. Once all the parts are waxed up, the wood slides virtually frictionlessly (is that a word?) both against the table and fence. The joints are crisp and accurate.
I jointed some pine, hard maple, and even some plywood. No ripout or snipe that I can detect at all. The roller extension, which can be positioned on either the infeed or outfeed side of the jointer, works great. The unit is sufficiently heavy that there's very little vibration during operation, and it was quieter than I expected. The switch is a paddle type with key and is very easily accessed. And it comes with 2 decent push blocks, and the case has holders for them build into the back.
All necessary tools, except for a phillips screwdriver, are included with the unit and the manual is sufficient for setup and use, but nothing special.
The not so good:
The blade guard is made from rather thin plastic, and the base is also of plastic. I had the spring pop off the guard while cleaning and waxing the table surface. Fixing it required removing the switch to get to the blade guard bolt. I bent the spring under the base so that this is unlikely to happen again. The base is also of plastic, but this doesn't seem to affect the noise or operation negatively.
Over all, I'm very pleased with the purchase, considering I paid $133 for it. It's probably well worth the regular price of $178 considering the cast iron tables. Everything else even near it's price had aluminum tables.
I find the flimsy plastic guard actually makes me approach each cut more carefully, which I consider a good thing. It certainly doesn't instill a false sense of security
.
So, if you need to have a benchtop jointer, I'd strongly consider taking a look at this unit. The cuts definately exceeded my expectations.
Gary
The good:
The jointer was perfectly set up out of the box, as was the fence once mounted. The cast iron tables are solid, smooth, and as far as I can measure, dead flat. The fence is made from aluminum, and the brackets holding them on appear to be cast aluminum and are sufficiently stiff. Once all the parts are waxed up, the wood slides virtually frictionlessly (is that a word?) both against the table and fence. The joints are crisp and accurate.
I jointed some pine, hard maple, and even some plywood. No ripout or snipe that I can detect at all. The roller extension, which can be positioned on either the infeed or outfeed side of the jointer, works great. The unit is sufficiently heavy that there's very little vibration during operation, and it was quieter than I expected. The switch is a paddle type with key and is very easily accessed. And it comes with 2 decent push blocks, and the case has holders for them build into the back.
All necessary tools, except for a phillips screwdriver, are included with the unit and the manual is sufficient for setup and use, but nothing special.
The not so good:
The blade guard is made from rather thin plastic, and the base is also of plastic. I had the spring pop off the guard while cleaning and waxing the table surface. Fixing it required removing the switch to get to the blade guard bolt. I bent the spring under the base so that this is unlikely to happen again. The base is also of plastic, but this doesn't seem to affect the noise or operation negatively.
Over all, I'm very pleased with the purchase, considering I paid $133 for it. It's probably well worth the regular price of $178 considering the cast iron tables. Everything else even near it's price had aluminum tables.
I find the flimsy plastic guard actually makes me approach each cut more carefully, which I consider a good thing. It certainly doesn't instill a false sense of security
.So, if you need to have a benchtop jointer, I'd strongly consider taking a look at this unit. The cuts definately exceeded my expectations.
Gary
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