I'm a hobbyist with a good set of tools including a thickness planer, but I'm torn on whether to invest in an 8" helical head Grizzly jointer. It's pricey and takes up space, whereas I could buy a quality scrub plane and a No. 7 for much less. Since woodworking is just a hobby for me, I'm wondering if anyone else is in a similar situation and what their thoughts are on choosing hand planes instead of a jointer.
3 Answers
I use a jointer for prepping rough stock but rely on my hand planes to fine-tune everything. I’m not experienced enough with hand planes to get a board perfectly flat just yet, so the jointer saves me a lot of hassle. You can often find good jointers on local marketplaces too, which might be worth checking out!
I’ve tried both and I would recommend getting the Grizzly jointer, or at least keeping an eye out for a used one. I have an 8" model and I consider it one of my most essential tools, even if I do tend to overspend on equipment!
For me, it all depends on how much material I need to work with. If I'm only planing a couple of boards, hand planes are fine, but when I have a large project—like 50 board feet of lumber—it's power jointer all the way. Hand planes can be a workout!