Monte from Virginia asked about what kind of jointer I used and what I thought of it. I tried to email him back with an answer but the email service was rejecting the address, so I thought that I would just post the answer publicly.
G0543My jointer is a Grizzly G0543. It is an 8" jointer with a 75" long bed and it has the Grizzly Spiral Head cutter. The motor is a 2hp 110/220v single phase motor. I have it wired as 220v.
My experience with the jointer has been a very positive one. The carbide cutters have 4 edges and they give a high quality cut that seems to last forever on a single edge. Because the spiral head provides a shearing angle cut compared to the straight knife cut, I am able to joint highly figured woods more easily and with little to no tear-out.
G0593
In short - I love this jointer and have no regrets purchasing it. This particular model is no longer sold at Grizzly, but I took a look to see what may have replaced it. What I found was the Grizzly G0593. The G0593 Jointer has the same specs and price point as my G0543.
The only feature difference I see is that the On/Off switch is placed up high on a post for easy access. This seems like it would be a desirable feature in my mind. The On/Off switch on my jointer is down on the base, under the infeed table. It doesn't kill me but it would be more convenient to have it located up higher.
Other than the location of the switch, the color scheme is a bit different.
The 2hp motor is substantial and never seems to be burdened with the work of material removal, even when face jointing large stock. Remember, the jointer only should be removing small amounts at a time anyway. I have never felt that I needed a 3hp motor for a jointer of this size, but if that is what they come with, that is fine too. The point here is that a 2hp motor is, without a doubt, quite sufficient on an 8" jointer.
A taller fence would be helpful here.If there is anything that I would recommend an improvement on, since they already raised the power switch, is that it should have a slightly taller fence. Usually the taller fences are found on jointers above the 8" class. One notable exception to this is that Delta had a tall fence on a jointer in this size (not sure of the model) and I have to say that I had a bit of fence envy when I saw it.
I have the need to move my jointer once in a while, so I have placed it on a ShopFox mobile base. This has proved to work out well and fulfills my "flexibility through mobility" mindset.
I hope that this information helps with your decision Monte. Sorry, I did not get the email back to you, the system just rejected your address.
Your friend in the shop, Todd A. Clippinger.
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