Steel city jointer

Westpacx3

Jim
Corporate Member
I am in the market for a 6 or 8 inch used jointer. I see a lot of the Deltas but some would be hard to get parts for. Now a I have come across 2 by steel city who is no longer in business, from what I can find. Both jointers seem newish but I have not seen a lot on line about them of if they hold up and who supports them now etc. The 6 inch is 400 and the 8 inch is 1500.

Jointer seem to be a basic cut and dry machine with little that can go wrong with them as long as they are flat, not warped etc.

I'm interested in the collective opinion on these if anybody has any or any experience with them. I'm not in a hurry to buy one but also don't want to miss an opportunity if it exists. .

Thanks
 

Canuck

Wayne
Corporate Member
No experience with the Steel City jointer(s), but I do have their 16" floor drill press. It has been a fine piece of machinery for my shop. Never have had any issues involving parts replacement with exception of a ornery chuck that replaced without question shortly before they went out of business. It is my understanding that upon declaring bankruptcy they sold their entire parts inventory to a company in Quebec, Canada. They have a website at WWW.Normand.ca.

$400 for that 6" younger sounds reasonable assuming it is in good running condition.
 

marinosr

Richard
Corporate Member
Delta is far and away the easiest manufacturer to find old parts for. They made soooooo many machines and people are always parting them out. I would recommend going with the old 'arn.
 

Westpacx3

Jim
Corporate Member
Makes sense. They do seem to be all over the place. I guess pricing is just based on what I can afford and what's available at the time. With new it seems to easy to just climbing up the list and adding length, size, blades designs etc plus shipping.

Thanks
 

wndopdlr

wally
Senior User
I have had an 8" Steel City jointer for ten years or so and never needed parts or service. I didn't even know they were out of business, so I guess that says something. It has been a great machine.
 

Echd

C
User
I believe Steel City mostly just sold rebadged "generic" machines, although I could be mistaken. I am guessing they are probably the same as the other pattern of jointers made in that time frame, and likely interchangeable for the most part with the grizzly / ridgid / deltas / shop foxes/ etc of that vintage.

That said, even if not, you're right that there isn't a lot to go wrong. A v belt, a new motor at the worst.
 

Westpacx3

Jim
Corporate Member
Thanks, that seems to be where I head is going. The next issue is space allocation. The shops are never large enough it seems.
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
The shops are never large enough it seems.
Twenty five years ago I heard a man say, "A man needs 12 a year on his shop space".
Of course he was right. What happens is that what should occupy that 12 feet per year gets crammed into the original space.
The nice thing about jointer use is that all that's needed is front and back clearance for board travel. The processing hole for a 5' board is the same whether its over an 8" jointer or a 4" jointer.
 

riggsp

Phil
Corporate Member
I have a 6" Steel City longbed joiner...I've had it for about 10 years and have had zero issues with it, and it works perfectly...since they are no longer in business, I searched ereplacementparts.com for parts years ago, and it had at the time, a good listing...I haven't looked in awhile but any wear parts (cutters, and bearings) are available as they are basic generic parts...I just picked up a set of new cutters at a local sharpening service, and bearings can be gotten at any industrial supplier...same with switches, belts, pulleys, etc...major componants such as any cast or machined part probably would be a problem, same as it would be for any other 10 year old machine...just my opinion.
 

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