The 7 Best Wood Jointer Machines for Woodworking in 2025

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Building furniture or carrying out any other fine woodworking project requires, the use of lumber with flat, straight edges and square corners. Producing this kind of lumber requires the use of a wood jointer machine.

It lets you flatten and straighten warped or irregular wood surfaces, making it suitable for your projects.

You may wonder why it’s called a jointer, not a flattener or some other name that portrays what it does just like a thickness planer.

Well, to join or glue two or more boards edge-to-edge to form a wider board, you need to flatten the edges of those boards so that they can align perfectly with each other. So, the name of the machine for making the edges of boards flat so that they can be joined or glued together is the jointer.

Just like a thickness planer machine, power jointers come equipped with different types of cutterheads powered with an electric motor. The better the quality of the cutterhead, the better the surface finish left on the wood.

Wood jointers feature 2 coplanar in-feed and out-feed tables, and a fence that guides the workpiece along the tables. The in-feed table can be adjusted below the cutterhead while the outfeed table stays level with the cutterhead.

Depending on the model, the fence can also be adjusted or beveled towards or away from the table to accommodate workpieces with flat beveled edges.

There are two main types of wood jointers. They are:

• Benchtop and
• Floor-standing

Benchtop jointers are portable units suitable for small workshop owners, hobbyists, or DIYers looking for a portable machine for flattening rough boards. Since they’re portable, benchtop units can also be used on a job site because you can quickly put one in the back of your truck and drive to work.

Cabinet or floor standing models are stationary machines meant for workshop use, but they also come in different sizes determined usually by the size or width of their tables.

The wider the table, the wider the board you can joint or flatten on it.

Choosing your first wood jointer can be quite challenging since there are different sizes, models and options to choose from different manufacturers.

That’s why we’ve put together this list of the 7 best wood jointer machines you can use for your woodworking projects.

We’ve also included a guide that outlines what you should look for when choosing a wood jointer machine.

But first, here are our top picks.

Our Top Picks

• BEST OVERALL: Powermatic 54HH
• BEST BENCHTOP UNIT: Cutech 8 Inch Jointer
• BEST FOR JOINTING WIDE STOCK: Grizzly Industrial G0858
• OUR BUDGET PICK: WEN JT833H

The Best Wood Jointers

We took the time to test some of the best wood jointer machines from several tool manufacturers, so that we can put together this list to help you choose the right one for your projects.

To make this list, we considered several factors such as the size in length and width of the jointer table, the build material (whether it’s aluminum or cast iron), the type of cutterhead it has, how much power the motor has, how easy it is to make adjustment, and whether the table and fence aligns properly and stays in alignment during use. We also consider the finish results produced on the woods jointed with each of the machines.

We put all this and more into consideration making sure we listed only the best wood jointer machines for your selection.

The following are the 7 best units we selected.

Powermatic 54HH 6 Inch Wood Jointer

One of the most user-friendly, floor model wood jointers is this Powermatic 54HH. It’s a simple but very effective wood straightening and dimensioning machine you can use right there in your workshop.

It comes equipped with a powerful 1 HP motor which ensures it’s capable of cutting any type of wood, whether hard or soft.

Unlike most conventional wood jointers, the Powermatic 54HH features a helical cutterhead with 40 four-sided inserts, arranged in spiral-shaped rows which allow it to cut more smoothly and quietly.

Because the carbide inserts are four-sided, a nick on one edge can be fixed easily without dismantling the whole cutterhead. Simply lose the screw holding it to the cutterhead and turn it to a new side, and it’s as good as new.

With 66 inches long and 6-1/2 inch-wide infeed and outfeed tables, the Powermatic 54HH boasts one of the longest work surfaces that can accommodate large workpieces without any issue.

The infeed and outfeed tables are made of precision ground cast iron which are securely mounted on dovetail rails. These makes them very sturdy and perfectly aligned no matter how many height adjustments they go through.

Talking about adjustments, fine-tuning the Powermatic tables and fence to suit your desired measurements is easy and straightforward. There are separate levers for adjusting the infeed table, the outfeed table and the fence, with the fence controls mounted directly in the center for easy access.

The fence is 38 inches long, and can be beveled in both directions, away from and towards the table, and there’re positive stops at 90 degrees vertical and 45 degree angle for easy set-up.

Housing the motor and cutterhead assembly is a 21×13 inch heavy-duty all-steel base cabinet, that helps elevate the table surface to a comfortable working height of 32 inches, protects the machine components and keeps it working quietly.

Related: 42 Modern Tools for Woodworking and Carpentry

Grizzly Industrial G0858 8 Inch Parallelogram Wood Jointer

The 8 inch Grizzly Industrial G0858 parallelogram wood jointer offers a precise workhorse for flattening boards to highest degree of precision in the workshop.

It’s a heavy duty piece of machinery with all the necessary components and features needed to dimension and flatten rough lumber for fine woodworking purposes.

Powering it is a 3 HP, 230V single-phase motor, which ensures it cuts through any type of wood easily no matter its hardness.

Apart from the heavy duty motor, the helical style cutterhead also helps cut through materials easily without bugging down the motor, producing a much smoother cut in the process and also produces less noise compared to similar cutterheads with straight knives.

The helical cutterhead has 4 rows of 36 four-sided inserts that are indexable. Which means it’s more economical in the long run because each insert can easily be switched to a new side if one side gets nicked by a knot in the wood.

8 inch by 76 inch extra long precision-ground cast iron table provides adequate support for large workpieces.

The parallelogram setup of the tables ensures each table is easy to adjust for perfect alignment and overall precision of the machine and resulting work done with it.

Also featured is a cast iron fence with beveling capability and positive stops at 45, 90 and 135 degree angles. This is a cabinet machine which means it’s very heavy. That’s why it comes equipped with a built-in mobile base with non-directional casters mounted on the inside of the base to make it easy to move it around the shop.

Related: 7 Best Biscuit Joiners for Your Woodworking Projects

Cutech 8 Inch Benchtop Jointer Machine

There are 3 main models of this Cutech benchtop jointer. There’s an 8 inch model, a 10 inch model and a 12 inch model. There is also a 12 inch model with a cast iron table instead of aluminum, which is usually used to make the tables on these benchtop jointers.

This particular unit above is the 8 inch unit, and it’s got everything you need to shun out perfectly flat wood pieces for your projects, every single time.

Of course you can go for any of the other models, depending on what you want. They’re all made by Cutech and they’ve go the same features. Apart from the 12 inch model with the cast iron table, the only difference between all of them is the size of the table.

They all come with a spiral cutterhead with 2 sided inserts designed to help you produce the finest finish on the boards you joint with it.

The table on this 8 inch model together with the extension arms have a total length of 54 inches, and it’s made out of cast aluminum.

If you want one with a cast iron table, you’d have to get the 12 inch model which comes with the cast iron table.

As for the fence, it’s 24 inch long and made out of extruded aluminum on all models.
Overall, I really like and recommend this Cutech benchtop jointer. You can choose whatever table size you want, and you even get the option to get one with a cast iron table.

Related: The Best Wood Planer Machines for Dimensioning Rough Lumber

Rikon 20-800HSP Benchtop Wood Jointer Machine

Although it’s a benchtop jointer, this Rikon 20-800HSP boasts an 8 inch wide table for jointing large boards.

The total dimensions of the table are 30-1/2 inch by 8-3/16 inches. And there are extensions at both ends so you can extend the length by an additional 20 inches suitable for longer boards.

The table is made of aluminum instead of cast iron, but it’s coated with a synthetic polymer compound which helps reduce friction and scratches on it.

It comes with a very good helical cutterhead with 16 two sided inserts, which apart from the large table, is my other favorite feature of this Rikon 20-800HSP.

One thing I’ve noticed with most new benchtop jointer manufacturers is that they’re all switching their cutterheads from straight knife cutterheads to spiral or helical cutterheads like this one with HSS inserts, which to me is a very good thing.

As for the fence of this particular unit, it’s about 20 inch long and it’s made up of extruded aluminum. Trust me, you won’t find a better fence on any other benchtop jointer. They’re all made out of this same extruded aluminum, and adjusting them is not as easy and straightforward as those you’ll find on heavy-duty floor models. But they do stay accurate though, once they’re adjusted.

Overall, I do like and recommend this Rikon 20-800HSP. The price is very good for an 8 inch wide benchtop unit, it produces very fine finishes on any wood you throw at it, and it’s got great build quality.

Related: Should You Get A Jointer Combo Machine?

Wahuda 8 inch Benchtop Wood Jointer

Even though it’s a benchtop unit, you get a 10 inch wide table capacity when you get this Wahuda wood jointer.

I don’t know of many benchtop jointers with this kind of large table, but that’s what you get when you go with this particular unit. The table length is 33-1/2 inches but it’s got extendable arms, so you can extend it up to 51 inches long, giving you a really large area to work on really long work pieces.

I’m not even going to hide it, I’m not really familiar with this Wahuda tool brand It’s pretty new to me, so I can’t really tell you how authentic their tools are in general, but I’d tell you, they didn’t disappoint me with this benchtop jointer.

The cutterhead in it is also very good. It’s a spiral cutterhead with 4 sided carbide inserts. I love these kind of cutterheads because these inserts are really easy to replace, and it takes a long time before you need to replace them, because you have 4 sides to work through.

The fence is made of extruded aluminum and it comes factory adjusted and accurate right out of the box. If you want to adjust it by yourself, you can do that as well. You can set the angle and alignment with the table as you wish.

Both the infeed and outfeed tables may need adjustment, and it’s not really easy to get them adjusted and coplanar, but once adjusted, they’re rock-solid.

WEN JT833H 8 Inch Benchtop Jointer

The WEN JT833H features an 8 inch extendable table just like most of the other benchtop jointers we listed here.

Almost everything on this WEN is similar to most of the other benchtop models we have here.

But one thing I really love about WEN is the build quality of their products. And it really shows on the WEN JT833H benchtop jointer.

Both infeed and outfeed tables fit perfectly, and they’re easy to adjust. The fence is made out of extruded aluminum, but it’s strong and feels solid. It also stays square with the table once adjusted.

The total length of the table is 33 inches but it’s got extension arms for longer stocks that allows you to extend it up to 51 inches.

As for the cutterhead, it’s a spiral cutterhead with 16 high speed steel blade inserts that leaves a very smooth finish on your work pieces.

Performance is great, not too loud, and it leaves very smooth and accurate finishes on materials that are jointed with it.

Overall, we really do recommend this WEN JT833H benchtop jointer. The price is great, it’s got great build quality, and it gets the job done.

Shop Fox W1876 Benchtop Wood Jointer Machine

The Shop Fox W1876 benchtop jointer will serve you well if you’re looking for a portable machine to plane the surface or face-joint your boards and get them square.

With a fully adjustable aluminum fence which you can adjust up to 45 degrees inwards, 90 degrees and 45 degrees outwards, you get a suitable jointing machine you can use in your small shop or jobsite comfortably.

It comes equipped with a 1-1/2 HP, 12 amp motor which spins the cutterhead at a speed of 10,000 RPM and produces up to 20,000 cuts per minute on your board.

The table is large enough and provides a wide space to support your work piece. Dust collection is very easy with the Shop Fox W1876 as it comes with a built-in dust collection fan and bag for collecting the dust produced as you work with it.

With the spring loaded blade guard always covering the cutterhead, you can work with peace of mind and safety as you use the machine.

This Shop Fox also comes with a pair of safety push blocks which you can easily use to handle workpieces to ensure safety while using the Shop Fox W1876 benchtop jointer.

In terms of negatives, changing the blades of the Shop Fox poses a little problem, but with a little time tinkering with it, you can easily get them out and replace them.

The Aluminum fence that comes with it is not the best of jointer fences, but as long as you’re not always changing the position of the fence, you’ll get it to work just fine. One positive is that, setting it up is very easy. Just follow the manual or watch a few YouTube videos if you can, and you’ll be on your way to jointing boards with it in no time.

What to Consider When Buying A Wood Jointer

If you plan to buy one of these machines soon, there are 5 crucial factors to keep in mind before making your choice.

Width capacity

The first thing you should consider before choosing any wood jointer is the width of the table or the length of the cutterhead. How wide is the table?

This width will determine the size of boards you can flatten with the machine. There are 6-inch, 8-inch, 10, 12, 14, and even 16-inch jointers.

These numbers refer to the width of the jointer table. The wider the table, the wider the stock you can flatten with the machine.

Of course, it will be fantastic to have a unit with a 16-inch table. But it will also mean you have to pay a premium for it because the wider the table, the bigger the cutterhead, and the more powerful its motor will be. All that equates to a more expensive machine overall.

For most people, an 8-inch jointer should be enough because if you’re carrying out simple projects in your home workshop, you’ll really work with rough lumber wider than 8 inches.

On the other hand, if you’re a professional woodworker and your projects require you to work with wider lumber pieces, you can consider upgrading to one with a wider table.

You can also rip down very wide lumber with a table saw to a size that can fit the jointer you have, joint them separately, and glue them back together when you’re done.

Length of the table

Another factor you must consider before choosing a power jointer is the combined length of the infeed and outfeed table.

The longer the table is, the longer the stock you can flatten with it comfortably. If a table is not long enough, you have to crosscut the lumber pieces down-to-size, so they can fit the table.

This also revolves around the capacity of the machine you choose. For example, the table of an 8-inch jointer is longer than that of 6-inch jointer, and that of a 10-inch unit is longer than that of an 8-inch machine.

So, consider the length of the infeed and outfeed table when choosing because that will determine the size of the stock it can accomodate.

Type of cutterhead

The style of cutterhead in the wood jointer is another important factor to consider. Cutterhead affects a lot of things in jointers and planers.

It affects the smoothness of the surface produced on the stock, the noise of the machine, and the ease of changing and adjusting knives in the cutterhead.

Considering this, there are two types of cutterheads you can choose from: a straight knife cutterhead and a spiral or helical-style cutterhead.

Spiral or helical-style cutterheads usually consist of several square-shaped carbide inserts arranged in spiral-shaped rows around the cutterhead. Each sharp carbide insert has four sharp edges and is fastened to the cutterhead with a screw.

During operation, only one edge of the insert comes in contact with the workpiece. So, if that edge gets nicked or gets blunt, you can simply rotate the insert to expose a new fresh edge by loosening the nut holding it to the cutterhead and retightening it after rotating the insert.

Spiral or helical cutterheads are easier to adjust, the blades or inserts are easier to change, they produce a much better finish on the stock, and they’re usually less noisy during operation than a straight knife cutterhead.

A straight knife cutterhead usually consists of 3 or 4 straight knives arranged around the cutterhead. If one gets dull or nicked, you have to loosen several nuts to remove it from the cutterhead, resharpen it, and then fasten it again to the cutterhead. You also have to adjust it properly so that it’s parallel to the table and raised to the same height as the other knives so that they match and work correctly.

You wouldn’t go through this whole process if it were a helical-style cutterhead. So the only advantage of having a straight knife cutterhead is that it’s cheaper.

Fence casting

The fence on a wood jointer machine is one of the essential part of the machine. It performs two important functions. First, it helps guide the workpiece, and second, it’s used for squaring the edges of boards to their faces.

It’s essential that the fence is tall and that it’s square to the jointer table. A tall fence will support a wider workpiece and be much more effective when squaring edges to faces.

You should also ensure that the fence is straight along the length and flat along its width. If the fence is not straight or warped in any way, it will affect the squareness of the boards you joint with it.

So, check for the squareness and flatness of the fence before buying the machine, and even after that, always use a square to check that the fence is precisely at 90 degrees to the table before using it.

Motor Access

To change or tension the drive belt of the jointer, you’ll need access to the motor. For some jointers, this is a very easy process that simply involves loosening a nut.

For some other jointers however, you’d have to loosen the whole motor just to tension the drive belt or change it to a new one.