On 7 Dec 2006 19:21:11 -0800, "
wrote:

wrote:
Which would you buy first if you could only buy one. Either of these
would be in the $400 range not the high end pro models, at least not
yet. Thanks!

I bought a planer because it's possible to use it as a jointer

Wrong. It is *never* possible to use a planer as a jointer.

The two machines serve completely different functions. The two
machines have a kind of symbiotic relationship. A jointer makes one
surface of a board flat. The fence on the jointer is used to make one
of the edges adjacent to that flat face perpendicular to it. Various
adjustments to the tables and fence on a jointer can vary the results
from flat and perpendicular.

The reason a planer cannot joint is that the pressure of the feed
rollers can temporarily flatten the board so that it gets planed, but
the board returns to it's formerly cupped/twisted/warped original
shape after that pressure is relieved. Of course, if you're board is
"flat enough" or you otherwise use any clever jigs or other
contraptions to hold your board as it goes through the planer, you
*might* get away with making the surfaces flat and reasonably parallel
to each other.