Jointer - 3 Blade Knife's vs HELICAL HEAD

[sash plane]

What is the diff in performance between the to type of cutters if you have sharp knife's vs HELICAL HEAD knifes.....?

Pro's and con's......????

 

[Jon]

The helical stays sharp longer it is not as loud. Mine leaves an almost ready to be stained finish. Thats all I can add

 

[McRabbet]

Steve,

Straight knife jointers take a full width slice across their full length at each pass of the wood -- three blades cut three times per revolution. The knives are usually High Speed Steel and most can be resharpened, but if you get a nick, the whole blade needs to be resharpened. A helical cutter head has rows of small square carbide cutters set in a helical spiral around the cutter head so that just one small part actually cuts and then is followed closely by it's neighbor and so on. 2 to 3 rows mean dozens of cuts per head revolution. They cut figured woods much more smoothly and are lots quieter. And the carbide inserts can be rotated 90 degrees to put a new edge in the cutting position should you hit a nail. All four sides can be used. The replacement inserts are not expensive. Definitely worth the extra cost.

 

[sash plane]

well.....that was my next question.....
I'm looking at the jet JJ-6CSX 6" for $499.00....
The JJ-6CSDX with QS Knives is 749.00 or 250 more.....

Is it worth the $250 more for your 1st jointer ever...? :icon_scra
or can you just buy the 3 knife 1st then retro it later.....???? I don't have to have the best, but if it is stupid not to get the QS knives for 250:BangHead:...then I can do it.....:icon_thum it will just have to hurt a little more... he he he

 

[mkepke]

Steve - the JJ-6CSDX does not have a heilical head. It has a quick-change straight knife system.

I would not spend $800 on a 6" jointer, be it straight or helical head UNLESS you were committed to doing a high volume of lumber (production).

-Mark

 

[Bas]

There are three kinds of cutterhead:

(1) Basic straight knife. Initial cost is low. Setting the knives is a tedious, time-consuming task that requires the use of dial indicators and/ or jigs. As our regular viewers know, I'm not a big fan of setting jointer knives
(2) Indexed knife system. There are lots of variations with different names, but you basically take a straight knife and plop it in without having to worry about setting it at the right height. Slightly more expensive initial cost, knives usually a little more expensive.
(3) Helical head with carbide inserts. Higher initial cost, long life of the cutters. There are no knives to set, you just screw the cutters in place. An additional advantage is that the shearing action of the carbide helps reduce tearout. Overall, the finish is very good, but you may see very slight ridges you won't see with a straight knife system.

For your first jointer, I think Mark has the right advice. Go with a simpler, cheaper model. Because there is a good chance that after you've used it for a while, you wish you had a bigger jointer (8" or even 12"), or a helical head with carbide inserts. Besides, I wouldn't want you to miss out on the joy of setting knives... :rolf:

 

[lwhughes149]

For what it is worth, I am in the learning stages of setting my first set of knives in my 6" jointer. It's no picnic but I will get there. I must say it is time consuming.

 

[NCGrimbo]

Here's an interesting take on whether the cost differernce is worth it.

http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/Are+Helical+Cutterheads+The+Answer+Part+2.aspx

 

[Travis Porter]

I have had both straight knife set ups and currently have Shelix heads in my jointer and in my planer.

They are DEFINITELY quieter, by a LONG shot. The planer gives super smooth cuts. The jointer does fair IMO. I think my jointer doesn't do as well because the RPM's are too low which means I have to have a much slower feed rate. Shelix type heads are less likely to have ripples, but if your feed rates are too fast you can still have them.

IMO, being that this is your first jointer and it is a 6", I don't know that I would spend the extra money for a shelix head starting out. A 6" jointer is on the small side, and if you really get into this, you are likely to want to upgrade to an 8". Still, even if you don't want to upgrade, you can always get a shelix upgrade for the 6" and they do go on sale, and are not very hard to install.

JMTCW

 

[cubicdissection]

I'm gonna go against what others have said and tell you to buy the helical if you have the money. The inserts last far longer, no messing around with depth setting...sure, all that is true. What has gone unmentioned is the performance difference. By taking many tiny cuts instead of three big cuts, the motor is less stressed. When I dropped my first Byrd head into my old 6" jointer it felt like I had strapped another horsepower on the motor. Also, it's MUCH quieter, and will allow you to joint figured woods without worrying about grain direction. Well worth the extra cost IMO.

 

[sash plane]

:rotflm:
this is so funny..... It's about 50/50 for and not..... to get a shelix... both sides have very good reason's as to do it... or not to get.....

I think it is going to come down to $$$$$$$$$$$$ as to get it with it...or retro it later....
so if i sell my haulmark trailer at asking price....hmmmmmmm maybe i'll get it....he he he

 

[bob vaughan]

Here's another thread from another forum that has some most revealing graphics. Conspicuous in their absence are contradicting photos, just typed words.

 

[G_ville_worker]

I picked up a great deal on a used jet jointer much like the one you mentioned. I later got a steal on a brand new jet helical head on ebay. Love the ease of use on the new head. Got good results with the blades as well though. Either will work just fine. I say save the money upfront and get a better head later if you want.