Any Regrets Over A Grizzly Jointer Purchase?

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CLetts

New User
Carl
I'm upgrading from a 6" benchtop jointer to an 8" floor model :eusa_danc with Helical head and mobility. I'm stuck between the Jet and the Grizzly. I know the Jet to be good but it will require purchasing a mobile base where the Grizzly comes with an integrated mobile base. Does anyone have a Grizzly with a spiral head cutter? If so, would you buy one again :icon_thum or do you wish you'd spent the extra money and gotten a Jet/Powermatic :BangHead:?

Thanks for any feedback and opinions!
 

kooshball

David
Corporate Member
I have the 8" G0490 with a Byrd Shelix head and I can't imagine anything in the 8" category being any better. The machine is quiet, smooth and produces flat, square boards. If I have a complaint (not knowing if the Jet is any different) is that with the fence set to the max width, the dust collection gets poor. The chips from the spiral head are by design thrown down and to the side of the machine and with the fence at max many of them get out.

Other than that it is a great machine.
 

DWSmith

New User
David
I have used an 8" Grizzly with the spiral head for over 18 months now. It still cuts well and I have only had to turn the cutters three times leaving on edge. If I had to buy another one, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Grizzly.

If I have complaints it is the dust/chip collection. The internal chute is open on the top and once I enclosed it with foil tape, the collection was much improved. The plastic hook up on the outside of the base where the hose hooks to is poorly designed. The design on their bigger machines looks better and I am in the process of having one built as a replacement.

Other than that, super jointer!
 

aamak

New User
Andy
I have a Grizzly G0633 12" combination jointer/planer that started out with a 3-knife cutter head, but now has a spiral cutter head. The original cutter head failed after very little use (hobbyist woodworker). I originally thought it was bearings, but when I disassemled it, the bearings both still rotated, but the machined surface on the cutterhead was galled. To me it was clearly a manufacturing problem, but since it was a few months out of warranty, Grizzly charged me for a replacement. I was disappointed that they wouldn't go ahead and cover it, but it was out of the warranty period. Anyway, when the new cutterhead arrived, it was a spiral in a box marked with the part number of a 3-knife head - problem at the factory overseas. Then, they let me know that the head I needed was back-ordered and wouldn't be available for a few weeks. At this point I was pretty grouchy about the whole situation, but I finally got someone on the phone with the authority and willingness to do something reasonable to help me. Since I had already bought a cutter head, they just gave me the set of carbide cutters and screws to go with the spiral head, which I installed without problem in my machine. So, bottom line is that there were issues, but they came through to satisfy their customer. The machine now works great. My only complaint is the extruded aluminum fence, which isn't exactly true down its length. I coped with that by attaching a piece of plywood over it and shimming with aluminum foil tape to get it true. And the spiral head vs the 3-knife head? Pretty great. Would I buy another Grizzly machine? Yes.
 

eyekode

New User
Salem
As far as I can tell all 8" jointers are quite similar. Seems like there are two designs: dovetail ways and parallelogram beds. My guess is the same factory makes all of them and paints them different colors as requested :).
Salem
 

MrAudio815

New User
Matthew
I have the G0490 with the Byrd shelix cutterhead and LOVE IT~!

I also did what David (The BoardSMITH) did and put foil tape on the cracks/openings on the chute inside the cabinet. Then I also heard some people didn't have an actual chute? I got mine last Nov. 2010

As far as noise, it's much much quiter than my Ridgid 6" jointer, had to wear ear plugs. Grizzly 8" jointer, didn't need them jointing side or face up to 6" Nice quite and a whole lot less effort pushing it through.

I had to push down hard with my Ridgid to get a nice flat face, but with the Grizzly, it is butter.....Oh YEAH~!


My only complaint is that it Vibrates a little, it shakes the ON/OFF box and rattles it, I wedged a block above the motor and frame it it helped tremedously. Charlie had the same problem with his Delta 8" Jointer and he paid alot more, but then again they didn't have the G0490 then.

My dust chute with gaps


Dust chute problem fixed~!
 

Marlin

New User
Marlin
I have a 8" shopfox, same as G0490 gizzly, and only problem I had was the motor was not wired correct at the factory. I checked everything but that as it was numbered wires, how could they get that wrong.

After that it has been great. Its my first jointer so hard to comprae to others but have had no other issues and does what I need. I have the regular 4blade head.
 

gazzer

Gazzer
Corporate Member
I bought a used Grizzly GO490X with spiral cutterhead a few years back. The parallelogram setup is a joy compared to shimming a dovetail way jointer. It's quiet and produces a great surface. I don't seem to have much in the way of a vibration problem as described by others - the link belt helps. There is a strange sheet metal rattling sound a second or two after cutting power as the motor spins down. I planned to track it down right after I bought it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Yep, I got a great deal because it was used; however it sold me on the Grizzly brand and I would have no hesitation buying any of their products. Certainly spring for the spiral cutter head.

-G
 

Guy in Paradise

New User
Guy Belleman
Re: Any Regrets Over A Grizzly Jointer Purchase? No

Got the G0490X and it is smooth. I used the spiral head it came with and it does a great job. The machine is almost scary smooth. When I have on my goggles and ear plugs, I can't tell it is on. I do move my around to get all of the shavings near the door, until the DC is connected, and the built in mobile base is great.

Good luck.
 

kooshball

David
Corporate Member
There is a strange sheet metal rattling sound a second or two after cutting power as the motor spins down. I planned to track it down right after I bought it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

-G

I have the same thing and I figured out what it is last week. The link belt has more "stretch" than a high-dollar urethane belt and when you start the machine the motor pulls on one side of the pulley creating slack on the other side. This slack hits the opening in the body just below the cutter head pulley and makes the sound. Mine does it on startup and when the brake kicks in on shut-down. My belt tension is good so I will widen the opening just below the head pulley and I bet it goes away.

Good luck
 
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