JET 10-inch Small Shop Planer/Jointer

Going from a really large and well-outfitted shop to a garage shop has been a big change. I have had to compromise on what power tools do I absolutely need to have; can I get by without a cabinet saw, drill press or a full-size lathe?

After many months of working in the small space I determined that I really needed a planer and a jointer. So, I sold my old jointer and started looking for an appropriate tool for the small space.

Even in my large shop I was partial to planer/jointer combo machines. Why take up the space of two machines, sharpen two sets of blades and why have a jointer with a smaller bed than the planer’s? Even so, I was not really finding anything that I thought would fit the bill. Back in the late 90s I had used a small combo machine (I think it was Hitachi but can’t be sure) that was powered by a universal motor and did a pretty good job. The jointer was narrow but the whole unit took up the space of a 12” planer. But I found nothing.

Then I saw an ad for JET’s 8-and 10” planer joiner combos. The JJP-8BT and JJP-10BTOS respectively. After fretting about the approximately $800 price for a while, I finally ordered one from Acme as provided free shipping.

SETTING IT UP

As with many consumer shop tools, there was a fair bit of assembly required. It took me almost 3 hours to put it together. The manual was very helpful until my dog actually tried to eat it. (See photo) I found some of the tasks frustrating for my rather large fingers and by the need to crouch or lay on my back to see what I was doing. But in the end, I got it all together and it was ready to rock.

The unit came is a single box. I was able to manage the whole process of unboxing and setting it up by myself.

IN USE

I did not know what to expect in terms of the tool’s performance. The adage “you get what you pay for” is always true. And here I got two stationary tools for about the price of the DeWALT DW735 planer, a workhorse found in small shops everywhere.

Assembling the base.

Despite my misgivings, so far, I am actually quite satisfied with its performance. It is a two-knife cutter head, but I knew that in advance. It cuts smoothly, but within the limits of a two-knife system. One thing I am really pleased with is the dust collection. It is achieved with a kind of funky shroud that is moved to convert the machine from jointer to planer. It is the only step to make the change. But when it is in place and connected to a 4” dust hose, I’ve had virtually no chips or dust escape.

The dog ate my homework!

There are disadvantages to the machine. The outfeed table is not adjustable. For that reason, the only way to truly align the knives to the outfeed table it by adjusting the knives … which is a bit of a putzy process. The jointer fence does not move across the width of the 10” jointer bed. It is mounted on the far edge. This will mean that section of the knives will get more use and dull faster. Which will lead to, you guessed it, sharpening and readjusting the knives … see above for my opinion of that. The bed of the planer is not large. So if you will be planning long boards, you’ll need to rig up an outfeed support.

One small detail that probably no one else would comment on, I would have preferred to purchase the machine without the stand as I will be mounting it on a mobile base. (Their 8” version comes sans base.) But it is hard to complain about getting more than you need. And I think the base will fit my tiny pizza oven perfectly … so it will not be wasted!

All in all, after a few hours of use, I am pleased with the value I got with this purchase. For my small shop needs it is almost perfect. It is not a full-sized planer/jointer with a helical head and a 3hp motor, but it is getting the job done and my frustration of being without a planer and a jointer has been cured.

This is not the dog who ate my homework.