On Sat, 07 Aug 2004 14:09:16 GMT, "Dave"
wrote:

| It seems to me that a jointer is a once-in-a-lifetime purchase. When I
|look back at tools I have bought before, I often wonder why I didn't buy
|better quality or bigger equipment from the beginning. Therefore, now that I
|am looking at buying a jointer, I feel tempted to go for an 8" machine
|rather than smaller.

I'll join the chorus; buy the bigger one.

I got my 6" Woodtek as a retirement gift from my employer. At the
time (before Walmart) that was the biggest company in the world and
they needed the money for executive bonuses, so my 30 years were only
worth $400. Otherwise, if I had my druthers, I would have at least an
8 incher.

|
| On the other hand, I do wonder if it will be more than I would ever
|use. It seems also that if you make a mistake and hit a nail, those 8"
|knives will be worth a lot more to replace. With this being a small market
|tool, resale value of a bigger device would probably not match up as will
|with purchase price. Certainly you pay lots more for the extra couple of
|inches. I don't yet have any significant hands-on experience and therefore
|would definitely be a newbie to that tool.

Don't plane wood containing nails and it's a non-issue.
|
| Any ideas out there? Can you do almost as much on a 6" machine as an 8"?

Yes...but, when the board is 7" wide, almost doesn't count.