Griff
(Well crap, my hypometric precursor device is blown…)
1
Since gifting my old jointer to someone that needed it more then me I’ve been researching smaller bench top machines.
Found that Cutech/Wahuda seem good, well reviewed. Particularly now that they include cast iron top.
About to pull the trigger on the 8” version and curious to here any comments from the community.
I bought a Cuttech version 2 years ago and love it. $450 with Carbide Insert option so slightly more affordable for what seems like an identical rebrand.
Of course it can’t take heavy cuts on 8" hard maple- its a benchtop unit- but works really well and fence stays square once adjusted. I’ve jointed pieces up to 48" long to make a table.
Edit: Rebrands include WEN, Rikon, Cutech, Wahuda, etc.
Spiral cutter heads are the way to go. The older steel knives are a pain to change and get aligned again. With the spiral cutter heads it is a snap to change a single cutter or rotate all the cutters for a fresh edge. I would not buy a new jointer without a spiral/heliz type cutter head. For the price this looks good. My Delta x5 6" jointer has worked perfectly for 10= tears but if it ever disappears I will get a spiral/helix type. I could upgrade mine but the cost of the upgrade is more than this little jointer you are looking at.
One thing you need to be sure is to put a base on your jointer and clamp it down. You do not want a high speed spinning cutter shifting around in the shop and possible being pulled off your bench with it running. Portable tools work best when anchored. I once bought a Dremel brand scroll saw. I thought that was the worst machine in the world. Then I put a base on it and bolted it down and it was a pretty descent machine after all.
I am on the email list for the 10" Wahuda jointer. I have no need to joint anything longer than about 24 inches, but I often need / want to joint then plane boards up to ~10" for game boards or cribbage boards.
If any ever get in stock, I’ll let you know how it works out.
It worth mentioning that although these jointers may have a “spiral” layout for inserts, the cutterhead does not have any shearing action or angle where inserts impact the wood.
It will not help with tearout on figured wood like a helical/Shelix cutterhead would. It is just superior to standard steel blades due to the carbide hardness, allowing lower horsepower due to small contact point, and being able to rotate single inserts 4x.