If you have not figured it out yet, Shop Fox and Grizzly are related...SHopFox being the retail side and Grizzly the mail order. Steelex is also in that same family, and supposedly the more budget oriented side of the business.
I'm looking for an 8 inch jointer. I'm considering a few used options, but if I go new, it will be Grizzly for sure. FYI, Most of their 8" jointers are out of stock until May 17th per the sales lady I talked to yesterday. And supposedly their spring sale starts April 10th.
Happy tool hunting
Many of these tools come out of the same factories just with different paint schemes and brand names on them.
Tony, I have a shop full of Grizzly equipment, which complements other equipment from Delta, Oliver, Laguna, Festool, Mattison, etc. I too find that Grizzly offers the "best bang for the buck" in terms of woodworking equipment.
In particular, their "Z series" and "Extreme" series of equipment is very well made. I'm not as impressed with their lowest cost equipment, but their mid and higher end stuff is well worth the investment IMO.
If you can spring for a jointer with an insert cutterhead, you won't be disappointed.