Woodworker's Journal 2008-32-5, страница 84

Shop

Quick Conversion

It took me less than a minute to switch the machines from their jointer configuration to the planing setup. (And about the same to switch them back — I did not time that procedure.) One tip I have for anyone considering these machines is to have a sufficiently long dust collection hose on the tool. When you switch over from one task to the other, you need to take the hose off and move it from one end of the machine to the other. If the hose is too short, something has to move, either the machine or the dust collector. And one other obvious point: you absolutely need dust collection with these tools.

Conclusion

So what are the answers to the questions that spurred this article? Do these combination machines perform as well as the concept would dictate? In my experience, the answer is yes. Both of the machines I used performed at a superior quality level and met or exceeded my expectations. The only caveat I have, and it is very slight, is that you need sufficient infeed and outfeed space for the tool. That is true of a dedicated jointer as well, but it is a consideration.

Are there negatives to these machines? Well, you do need to flip the tops up and the dust collection over before you can move from jointing to planing. But I did not find that to be an onerous task at all. Both of these machines, and I believe it to be true across the category, require a 220-volt circuit,

but that is also true of my 8" jointer. These tools are not cheap, but when I combine the price of my 8" Delta jointer and my 13" RIDGID planer, it comes to around $2,200. And 12" dedicated jointers generally come in right at the two-grand mark. So in my mind, the cost is at worst a push, or actually leaning towards being in favor of the combo machines.

After all the pros and cons are considered, I feel completely comfortable recommending these machines to my fellow shop rats. Would I have one in my shop? In a heartbeat.

As in any other tool purchase, personal preference is an important factor. Before I had the opportunity to put these tools through their paces, I would have had reservations about them. They were outside of my experience. With this comparison under my belt, they will be in serious contention should I find myself in the market for either a planer or a jointer. It's just

common sense.

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Rob Johnstone is editor in chief of Woodworker's Journal.