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Decent benchtop jointer

19K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  dbhost  
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Geetech - 6" Bench Jointer (Rating: 4)

I've been needed a jointer but I work out of my garage and don't have anymore room for bigger tools. I read good reviews about other bench top jointers and read that Geetech actually manufactured most of them. I was unable to find any of the others (Craftsman, Sunhill, etc) and found that Woodworkers supply has these Geetech jointers in stock. I think I paid around $150 after shipping. It was delivered quickly and packaged very nicely in thick foam.

It is a little heavy to get out of the box as the tables are cast iron. I've never used a jointer before but found this one very easy to assemble and set up. The instructions were printed clearly with nice pictures and in real English. The machine was built much better than I was expecting. Precise and sturdy. I really didn't have to do much other than bolt on the fence mechanism and fence and square it up. The fence is aluminum but thick and seems sturdy enough. There is a lot of adjustability with the fence mechanism. The blades were set correctly and the tables co-planer right out of the box. I was not expecting this.

So far I've only jointed some mahogany, walnut, and maple for a guitar I'm building and this thing pulled it off very nicely. Leaves a very smooth surface, like when I use my hand planer. I got a flat and perfect 90 deg which I needed to make the mahogany body blank.

The only "issue" I've had is that the blades might not be that strong. I noticed a little ridge formed about halfway through my jointing meaning there is a tiny nick in the blades already. Not a huge deal yet as I can just move the fence over past the nick. Luckily it is only 1/2" or so from the back side of the blade so I still have over 5" of usable blade surface.

Don't know how long it will last but it does seem of a higher quality than I'm used to seeing from Asian made power tools like this at this price.
 

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#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
i have the same jointer but it's from sunhill machines and it works great the replacement blades are cheap. i had it for about four years now and i was gonna sell it but changed my mind cuz it works real good even better with a planer, these tools work good together anyway. This is a very good jointer for a cheap price i paid about $100 for mine on sale.
 
#11 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have the one sold by Sunhill. Same exact unit with Sunhill's sticker. They quit selling them in 2009. I think Woodworkers Supply has them now. I got mine on clearance from Sunhill for $99.00 and would have gladly paid what the little Delta Benchtop goes for. MUCH better tables, fence etc…

I have (carefully) edge jointed stock up to 8' long (cedar 4×4s) with no problem, using a 48" aluminum straight edge to verify, it was dead straight the whole way…. That was NOT a comfortable feeling though. I used additional infeed / outfeed support in the way of adjustable support stands to get those results. I am not likely to do that too often though. For the overwhelming majority of my project stock though, a 48" face / edge joint is not unreasonable with this machine. Most folks say to keep it under 36", I have not found that to be a problem though… Again, additional support is the key…

The cuts coming off the knifes are baby bottom smooth and clean, the machine removes more material in one pass than a bench top jointer has any right to…

These jointers are few and far between (bad) which is a shame. They are such a good jointer, especially for those with a small shop, that they are often overlooked for floor model jointers. I have been tempted to upgrade, but I just can't justify the floor space a floor model would take up…

Yes I too looked at the HF bench top jointer. And while I am no tool snob, and own quite a bit of HF equipment, the bench top jointers they sell are, well they didn't earn a spot in my shop…

If you can find one, and are debating between this and say the Grizzly, Delta, or Craftsman benchtop jointers, I can say from personal experience that the Geetech is a great jointer, and much more solid machine than the other models I have seen…

My only complaint, and it is to be expected with a bench top model, is that it is loud… The motor and cutter head are in a plastic housing, doesn't do much to absorb noise…
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
I found the jointer on Woodworkers Supply website.

NOTE: I have never used this company, and I do NOT endorse them, nor do I suggest avoiding them. I do not know anything about them beyond what I see on their web site! Do your due dilligence!

I DID pull up the BBB report on the website, and company, and they are BBB accredited with an A+ rating.

If any other LJs have used this company, please chime in and tell us about your experiences!
 
#13 · (Edited by Moderator)
db: I have used woodworkers supply on numerous occasions…......they have knowledgeable people and good products…......and they stand behind their products….........never had a problem with them. Also….fortunate to have one of their stores within an 80 miles.
 
#17 · (Edited by Moderator)
Bryan,

Are you hooking yours up to a dust collector, or a shop vac? Mine screams over the shop vac, but when hooked to a dust collector, it actually quiets down, a LOT… Sort of a loud whirr….

Mind you, even pulling with a shop vac, the jointer, AND shop vac combined still aren't as loud as my Ryobi planer….
 
#18 · (Edited by Moderator)
I hook mine up to a 1hp dust collector I have mounted to the wall. I did the shop vac thing for a couple of weeks but that piercing whine was way too loud for my ears. You are right, its like a loud whir. Like when one of those old hand cranked police sirens are slowed way down. I have the Ridgid planer which is a bit louder than this jointer. I don't need hearing protection with either like I did with the shopvac.
 
#21 · (Edited by Moderator)
I work for Woodworkers Supply. We have acquired a lot of these Geetech machines.The best of them all is the contractors saw its belt drive and has a 1 1/2 hp motor and you can get it for under 400.00 delivered anywhere in the country if you happen to live close to one of our locations it can be had for 289.00. These are all decent machines. I wouldn't outfit a commercial shop with them but for the garage Wood shop they will fit the bill better than any craftsman machine.