Quick answer: If you mill your own rough lumber, you need both machines. The jointer flattens one face and squares one edge. The planer then makes the opposite face parallel and brings the board to thickness.
Most serious hobby and small shops do well with an 8 inch jointer and a 15 inch planer. Helical cutterheads cost more and are worth it.
Why one machine is not enough
People often ask if they can skip the jointer. Here is the problem. A planer pushes a board flat against its bed while it cuts, and the board springs back to its original shape afterward. Feed a cupped or twisted board through a planer and you get a thinner cupped or twisted board.
- Jointer: flatten one face, then square one edge to it.
- Planer: run the flat face down to make the top face parallel and set the thickness.
- Table saw: rip the second edge parallel.
That is how rough lumber becomes square, flat stock, and it is why milling your own lumber saves real money on hardwood.
Choosing a jointer
Width
Jointer width limits the widest face you can flatten. A 6 inch jointer is entry level. An 8 inch jointer handles most furniture boards. 12 to 16 inch jointers are for wide hardwood and production shops.
Bed length
A longer bed flattens longer boards more accurately. As a rule of thumb, a jointer handles boards up to about twice its bed length well.
Parallelogram vs dovetail tables
On a parallelogram jointer, such as the Powermatic PJ882, 1285 and PJ1696, the infeed table moves up and down on linkages. It is easier to adjust and stays in alignment. Dovetail-way jointers are simpler and less expensive.
Choosing a planer
Planers are sized by the widest board they take: 15 inch for small shops, 20 to 22 inch for busy shops, and 25 inch for production. Powermatic's planers run from the 15 inch 15BHH with 3 HP up to the 25 inch WP2510 with 15 HP.
Bigger planers need bigger motors and power. Several of the 20 inch and larger models are three-phase, so check the voltage in the product title.
Helical vs straight knife cutterheads
| Straight knife | Helical (HH) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting edges | 2 to 4 long knives | Many small carbide inserts in a spiral |
| Noise | Louder | Much quieter |
| Tear-out on figured wood | More | Much less |
| When an edge chips | Reset or replace the whole knife | Rotate one insert to a fresh edge |
| Price | Lower | Higher |
In Powermatic and JET model names, HH means helical head. If you plane figured hardwood like curly maple, the helical head is the upgrade most owners say they would buy again.
Jointer-planer combo machines
A combination machine like the JET JPJ-12 gives you a 12 inch jointer and a 12 inch planer in one footprint. The jointer tables lift up to expose the planer underneath.
You get a much wider jointer than you could otherwise fit. The trade-off is changeover time when you switch between jointing and planing. They suit small shops very well.
Quick picks
Jointers and planers make more chips than any other machine in the shop, so plan dust collection with them. See our dust collection sizing guide, or chat with us on the site or call (888) 990-8016.