The 9 Best value jointers (2023 reviews)

The latest portercable value jointer is an absolute beast in terms of its features, and rightfully takes the top spot with ease. It does the job well for such a small and inexpensive joiner. It has an excellent design, but one of the knife beds on the cutterhead has a pronounced burr on the end which prevents full, lateral adjustability of the knife. It allows you to adjust the speed of the cutter head to match the type of wood you are working with, ensuring a smooth and accurate cut every time. The blades are sharp and make edge jointing a lot easier.

The depth-of-cut control is great allowing the jointer to shave off as little as 1/128th" for a perfect fit. It is a pretty solid measurement. The 6-inch size is also perfect for smaller woodworking projects, making it ideal for beginners who are still honing their skills.

Why We Like This:

Set up was quick and painless
Good investment for long term

Best For beginner: craftsman value Jointer

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Craftsman line of jointer come in a pretty wide variety of styles, so you can definitely find one that suits your individual preferences and needs. If you are seeking an inexpensive, flexible capability, this jointer does a good job. It provides power for hard and soft woods. The Surface is very flat and cuts very smooth. This joiner does the trick for light duty. It is ideal for edging, flattening, or face jointing.

This tool is made for the home hobbyist and small projects. It is great for removing a bow out of a long piece of lumber. The Jointer works very well, sets up nicely and remains true.

Why We Like This:

Great machine for the budget diy people
Excellent cutters and easy access to replace them when necessary
Easy to assemble and to operate
Acceptable performance for a small project tabletop jointer

Best With Spiral Cutterhead: WEN value Jointer

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The wen value jointer is suitable and reliable and fits well with your daily usage. The table is cast iron while many of the competitors are aluminum. It has steel cutters that have only 2 cutting edges. The extension arms are adjustable so that you can make them level. The fence must be placed above and on the surface of the table as there is a cutout in the fence so the blades will not touch the fence. The blades only have two cutting sides. They are easily scratched. The spiral cutter is nice. The unit is in Styrofoam and double boxed with sturdy corner reinforcement for both boxes.

Why We Like This:

For a light duty diy machine, very impressive
Delivers what they promise

Best For small area: Rikon Power Tools value Jointer

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Next on the list, we've got yet another jointer that manages to win our hearts. It's the rikon power tools value jointer and it's widely considered as one of the best convenient jointer you can buy. The helical style blade is considered an upgrade from the spiral blade. It does have a segmented cutter head, which does work better than a straight knife jointer but not as well as a helical head jointer. The elements on a spiral cutting blade are orient parallel to the direction of the cut and the elements on a helical blade are oriented at an angle to the direction of the cut.

It works well if you take small cuts. It is easy to set up and works very well on cherry and oak. It is easy to pop off the cover and vacuum it out. There are no holes drilled in the ends of the original table sections to accept extensions.

Why We Like This:

Great quality, easy to use, set up and feels well made and accurate
Great operation for small jointing projects
Unbelievably quiet and accurate to a fault

Best For Table saw: Shop Fox value Jointer

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We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate jointer. The shop fox value jointer is exactly that - it's a simple jointer that hits all the right notes. It is a good jointer for small projects, small space. It comes with features like a fully-adjustable aluminum fence and a quick-adjustment knife design, this jointer can handle bevel jointing up to 45°, and does not require a time-consuming and frustrating knife setting jig. It also makes it weigh about 80 lb, but this is a bench-mounted tool and if it needs to be portable the bench should be made mobile.

It is a quality machine, all cast iron including the fence. It's sturdy, solid, and heavy. It is an excellent jointer for small projects, small space. It is an excellent jointer aside from problems with non-flat infeed and outfeed tables. It is designed to provide many years of trouble-free service.

Why We Like This:

Excellent tool right out of the box
Awesome jointer for the small shop or hobbyist
Excellent machine for a small portable unit
Fence and table are real solid

Best For shorter stock: Jet Benchtop Jointer

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Not everyone likes to purchase jointer for their regular usage, but the jet benchtop jointer would be an anomoly. These easy-to-see, stable knobs provide you with maximum control at every stage in your job. The planer includes a scale and pointer that indicate the distance between the planer table and cutter head. This adjustment involves slightly loosening two of the bolts that hold the outfeed table in position and then pivoting the outfeed table slightly until it is coplanar with the infeed table. The springs are located under the knives and they put pressure on them to elevate them.

The jointer tables are near enough to get a good joint. It also features a feed speed of 19.5 feet per minute, so you can complete more cuts in less time. For safe, secure operation, the jjp-8bt gives you easy access to the controls you need while working. It comes with a "jig" for setting the blades.

Why We Like This:

Transition from jointer to planer is relatively painless
Great machine well engineered for space & budget
Knives come sharp, cuts quick and easy
Easy and fast to transform it into either jointer or planer

Best For home workshop: Jet value Jointer

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Not everyone likes to purchase jointer for their daily usage, but the jet value jointer would be an anomoly. It makes lot of sense to have both jointer and planer build into one machine. It is looking for a powerful jointer and planer for the shop or jobsite. It comes with innovative features typically found only on big floor models, this handy tool offers a precision-ground tabletop for a smooth, straight cut every time, precision adjustment knobs, a telescoping blade guard, and a large dust port.

These easy-to-see, stable knobs provide ease of use and maximum control. The set screws in the cutter head allow for very precise adjustment. The oversized, ergonomic knobs are extremely user friendly, helping you avoid errors caused by a slippery grip and preventing you from wasting time hunting for hard-to-see buttons or switches.

Why We Like This:

Easy to assemble and light weight
Diesent small jointer/planer for small jobs
Delivers what they promise

Best For Jet Jointer: Powermatic Infeed Table

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The powermatic infeed table's material feels more premium than its price would suggest. This machine offers performance and value in a machine loaded with features like an extra long. Not only is the cut smoother with little or no tear out on difficult woods, but it really joints a flatter board when compared to the Rockwell. The parallelogram design keeps the table in close proximity to the cutterhead for improved finish and allows for a fast depth of cut adjusent. It does sound like a jet engine.

The 1/8" depth limiter control knob gives you quick adjustment ability and safety. It’s a beautifully simple job on this jointer.

Why We Like This:

Lots of power and very precise
Minimal setup required for the start/stop switch, knife guard, and squaring the fence
Good investment for long term

Best With Helical Cutterhead: Powermatic value Jointer

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The powermatic value jointer is the best convenient jointer on the market today. The Inch Parallelogram jointer offers performance and value in a machine loaded with features. It has a two-horsepower motor housed in the heavy steel stand, providing plenty of power and stability for the most demanding jobs. It has an insert that prevents scratching of the table when it's moved, and the operating mechanism allows precise bevel setting and ultra-stability when locked. As a side note, it is so quiet that you could almost carry on a conversation while you use it.

It provides a solid platform for the pj. The tables are flat and the fence is square and easily set to any angle that you want. It has this design also insures the table remains perfectly parallel, even after years of heavy use.

Why We Like This:

Built from heavy-duty iron castings for long-term durability, the pj
Provides smoother, quieter cutting and a superior finer finish
Good brand reputation

The 9 Best value jointers (2023 reviews)

Our Top Picks:

Best Overall: Portercable value Jointer

Best For beginner: craftsman value Jointer

Best With Spiral Cutterhead: WEN value Jointer

Best For small area: Rikon Power Tools value Jointer

Best For Table saw: Shop Fox value Jointer

Best For shorter stock: Jet Benchtop Jointer

Best For home workshop: Jet value Jointer

Best For Jet Jointer: Powermatic Infeed Table

Best With Helical Cutterhead: Powermatic value Jointer

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