For several years I convinced myself that I didn't need a jointer, so I made
do with hand planes/surface planer for face flattening and the table saw
with a good blade for jointing. I, like you, only do a few projects per year
because of limited time.

Last year I took the plunge and bought the Powermatic 54A 6" jointer, and
have never looked back. I don't know how I got along without one, and the
most important thing is that a well tuned jointer will make quick work of
what could otherwise be hours of drudgery. Even if you like hand planing,
you have to question whether hand planing board after board makes sense if
you don't have much time on your hands.

Good luck

Glenn de Souza
Scottsdale, Arizona


"JVG" wrote in message
om...
I have recently taken up woodworking and I am thinking about buying a
jointer (6" floor model). My question is how useful/essential do you
think a jointer is for a hobbyist? I already have a table saw, router,
drill press, hand tools, and most of the basics.

However, I really only have time for a few projects a year... things
like bookcases, chests, shelves, side tables, etc. All of the wood I
buy is surfaced on four sides (i.e. I don't have the time to buy rough
cut wood and clean it up, plane it down, etc). Is a jointer really
worth the investment in this case?