Thread: 12" spiral vs 16" straight knife jointer

Have decided to pass on the SCM. For anyone interested it is being sold by JC Walsh airport west. A spiral head can be supplied by Robert Gregory in Queensland for about $2400. Ultimately it was going to be too big and I think it would be very rare for me to use all 16"

I saw it pop up on machines4u today, suspected that was the one you were looking at.

Found these as well in NSW: https://www.machines4u.com.au/view/a...ointer/404252/ and https://www.machines4u.com.au/view/a...Planer/399313/

I would avoid both and get one with the carbide cutters (Byrd type but not necessarily the brand). The little square cutters that can be rotated 90° when dull. That's what I have on my Grizzly JP. Being an old propeller head, the spiral knives look like a nightmare in both manufacturing and sharpening to me. ($$$$) I did avoid the spiral and chose the Byrd style.

BTW - Just a bit of perspective here. Unless that you're doing production work and have the thicknesser running for hours every day I would consider a lunch box style. I had a DeWalt 733 (Two knives but 734 knives are identical ) before the Grizzly. With a simple jig made on the table saw I was able to sharpen the knives perhaps a half dozen times. I've used the DeWalt 735 but it was nothing to fall in love with.

Originally Posted by rrich

I would avoid both and get one with the carbide cutters

Pretty sure the Leda has carbide

BTW - Just a bit of perspective here. Unless that you're doing production work and have the thicknesser running for hours every day I would consider a lunch box style.

As per the title of the thread, he's looking for a jointer, not a thicknesser.