WEN 8” Benchtop Jointer | Review After One Year | Pros and Cons
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- čas přidán 3. 06. 2024
- In this video, I revisit and review the WEN Model JT833H 8 inch Spiral Cutterhead Benchtop Jointer after owning and using it for just over one year.
**CORRECTION** The jointer uses HSS blades, not carbide.
Check out the original unboxing and setup video here: • WEN 8” Benchtop Jointe...
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WEN 8” Benchtop Jointer: amzn.to/3pHI5Qd
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Music used is from Musicbed: www.musicbed.com - Jak na to + styl
I had no idea WEN was a US-based company; I always assumed it was a Chinese knockoff of Ridgid because of the lower price and similar color scheme. Thanks for providing a quality review and educating me!
FYI, they are High Speed Steel inserts, They are not carbide. However you can get carbide ones, if you do be sure to change them all and recheck the depth of cut.
Thanks for the review. Just what I was looking for!
I appreciate these long term reviews.
Great review! Very helpful and entertaining 😊
Nice, honest review. Much appreciated, thank you.
Very comprehensive video thank you for all the information I've been looking for this
Thanks for the update!
Great review. It’s what I needed to pull the trigger.
You've answered my thoughts about the joiner. Glad I ran across your video. I have the Wen spiral planer and love it. So I'm sure this will be no exception. Thanks
Great content. Excellent presentation as well. Being “compelling” is probably the most key thing for a growing channel. You come across as interesting and well informed and best of all honest and straightforward. Keep up the good work.
I truly appreciate the far review. Thank you.
I recently got a second hand planer! Makes me feel good to know someone else has solid feedback on the brand! Thank you very much!
Excellent review man! Very thorough and well edited. Made a subscriber out of me.
Great presentation!
Valuable information, great presentation. Thank you.
I really like your honest opinion
in easy to understand wording.
You did not ramble on.
Looking forward to hearing more from you.
Nice review. I feel like it checks all the boxes of a comprehensive, informative honest opinion of this piece of equipment. Well done.
Thanks for your folllow-up review. These reviews are very important to share the real working experiences with new products.
Hey Daver! I'm glad this came up on my feed. I honestly had no idea Wen was a US based company; with the name I just assumed it was Chinese. It's not the first time I've heard good things about them though, so I'll definitely consider them going forward. I'm happy to find and support smaller woodworking CZcamsrs, so you've got a new subscriber!
i got the same jointer and i agree with everything you said,,and it was a very good reviews...thanks,,
Great informative review from a man who is clearly cultured in the finer things of life like Star Trek II.
Nice concise review! I know WEN has been overlooked for many of its quality tools. I have their drill press and it’s great.
Hubby Loved It!
Thanks for the videos. I also have ALL WEN products in my shop.
Another great video. I have a similar Wahuda. Keep making. I didn't realize Wen was a U.S. company.
Love the Captain Kirk, “Kahn!”.lol
Damn, many of my tools are WEN. Have a 6" Porter Cable jointer. If only this tolol was available at the time. 2 extra inches and a spiral head would be so great.
I wish there was a cutter head aftermarket for this model to upgrade it to a helical head. NOTE: I am new to using a jointer and discovered that you do not put any DOWNWARD force when running wood over the blades. I also did not pay attention to the grain direction. I LOVE my WEN tools.
Same!
Who told you that? Start with pressure. Just not a crazy amount on in feed side. Then when you get half way transfer pressure to out feed side.
Just subbed, I’ve got the same jointer and think it’s great. Really the only issue I have with it , is when I use the extension on the infeed side it sometimes doesn’t feel level with the table. But I’ve always gotten quality results. I have many WEN products and can’t complain about any of them. I love the 14” bandsaw, I just resawed a bunch of walnut on it….. not using the stock blade though. Good video:)
I looked at that one for resawing and passed on it for some reason or other. You remember the width of the stock you ran? I feel like more than 5 or 6 inches of hardwood would just be a bad idea, but you have the experience an I'm just guessing really
I've had one for about a year. To me the biggest issue with all these bench-top units, they are good only for small pieces. Above 3 1/2' it starts becoming a bit useless. The wing extensions are not a replacement for a long table because it has a hole in the middle which causes the work piece to tilt up and down when it is slightly bowed, which is what jointers are supposed to fix. I modified mine to make it more usable by extending the tables a bit but I wish I had gotten a longer cast iron jointer.
The fence on this also was not perfectly flat when it was delivered to me, they sent me a replacement that had the same factory defect.
Thank you
Hi Dave, great review, looks like I'll add this to my list. Question, I have a small garage. Could you do a short video on your shop layout? Thanks!
Thanks! I have to rearrange my shop to be more efficient after the holidays. I may consider making a video on it then.
@@DaverMade thanks Dave!
Damn considering the adorability and fair quality (and of course it’s name!!!) I always thought WEN is a Chinese company. Have been using their electric planer for a while and it works great. Now considering getting this benchtop jointer…
Dave, I really appreaciate this video. How are the blades holding up and have you had to replace any?
Thanks, I have not changed them out or rotated them yet, but they could use it soon. I will say they have held up extremely well, better than expected.
Nicely done video! Is the motor on this Wen jointer variable speed or one single speed?
It is single speed.
I feel like the 8” Rikon with the cast iron tables is worth saving a bit more to get. That and a spiral cutting wheel upgrade seems about the best you can do for at or under a grand and the jump after that is over 2x the price to move up to pro stuff.
Grizzly makes an 8 inch with spiral Tyler for $500. Best bang for the buck.
@@-11BRAVO- I think it is the same thing as the wen. They both assemble the same, both have aluminum tables, same cutterhead (grizzly says spiral type but isn’t spiral). Just $100 more for a more recognized brand. If you look at all adjustments they look same just different color.
@@handykiddhe4778 No, they are all spiral. What they are not is Helical. Rikon Says Helical which is just flat out wrong based on the pictures. It's the same exact thing as the Wen and the Grizzly.
Will it actually joint a hard maple board?
I feel the same way you on the cons, but for me I have a bigger issue in that I can't seem to get the wood flat when I lay the wide part of the wood down on the cutting edge. I do ok getting the narrow ends flat, but end up cutting a lot of the wood away trying to get it flat on the wide side. I am sure I am not feeding the wood right, but not sure what I am doing wrong. If you could do a video on how you do it, hold it, apply pressure when doing it that would be a good video to watch. Thanks for what you have posted.
You need to adjust your tables to be coplanar I would bet. Or you are getting bad wood that is cupped.
2 edges means you have 2 90deg reference edges that aren't nicked or worn to go against the back stop. It's actually a 'pro' over the 4-edge, which was meant to entice the unwary.
One important note, the cutter inserts are high speed steel, not carbide.
I was surprised that this review did not mention if, during your year of use, you needed to rotate and/or replace any of the cutter heads.
I have not yet, surprisingly.
Subscribed! Looking for a jointer for my small shop....i own 2 WEN planners which work well(2 bc I got both used in a deal from friend)...are these available at home depot or Lowes?
I believe I got mine from Home Depot. Not sure if they still have it online.
I wonder if you could customize or reinforce the fence. I have a table saw that goes out of square and I know how annoying it is to check every time you make a cut
I am thinking about doing this or at least try to in the future.
I bought a used one that looked brand new. Turned on, seemed to cut, etc. No manual. And it only cuts the front edge of the board. I wind up cutting tapers instead of rectangles. I can't find ANYTHING online about truing those up... any help?
I bought one and wasn't very impressed with the quality or accuracy. The fence was warped and I contacted customer service to replace it under warranty and I got ignored. I've spent many hours tuning it trying to get the infeed and outfeed tables properly aligned and it helped a little but didn't fix everything. If it's all you can afford then I understand but keep your expectations low if you plan on buying one.
I also noticed that when I lock down the fence it puts pressure on the infeed and outfeed tables and can make them flex a little which is another reason why this thing is nearly impossible to properly calibrate. Also when I put a straight edge on the infeed side extension wing it's too low and there's no way to adjust or align the extension arms.
Don’t feel bad for asking us for support. It’s what has to be done and everyone does it. I have a porter cable 6” jointer and believe it or not, with some in feed and out feed support it works well. I don’t like the blades because one little nick and you are replacing them. Only 10$ but to get them out without stripping bolt heads is a completely different story. Wish I had bought this one but not sure if it was out and am sure I didn’t know enough about them to recognize the 100$ more would give me and the value of that. 8” covers the majority of what we do.
I see the potential in this jointer but ive spent literally half a day trying to adjust the in and out feed tables, plus the fence is a little bent. Was hoping you'd show how to adjust the tables.
I have this jointer and hate it. I spent more time adjusting it then working with it. It always goes back to cutting the board with an arch. It does not stay leveled.
I take it you can't buy 4 sided cutters? And do you have to only use their cutters? Legit question, I'm thinking about buying this, hope you see this lol ..thanx .
How have the cutters held up? Have you rotated or replaced any?
I am about to rotate them, just have not gotten to it yet. However, they have lasted longer than I thought they would. Now my WEN Planer knives on the other hand did not last long.
What are high speed steel carbide cutters?
It is usually one or the other, with either 2 or 4 sharpened surfaces.
You are correct. I misspoke and addressed it in another video. These are HSS with 2 sharpened edges.
You said it has ‘carbide’ blades but the description I find online says they are HSS, are carbide blades available?
That’s my bad. They are HSS, not carbide. Thanks for pointing that out.
These are NOT Carbide blades. They are HSS. Wen does not offer carbide options. There is a huge difference between the two. Edit: I think that my comment may infer trollish. My apologies Daver, not at all my intent. I am currently losing my hair trying to decide between this model and the aforementioned competitor model that has the 4 sided carbide blades for a couple hundred more. I am just frustrated with me and that may have came across with my comment. I can already tell from this one video you are a great guy, would def drink a beer and kick it with you anytime. And I appreciate your reviews.
Hi Todd, no worries and thank you for the apology. I did acknowledge my mistake in another video and felt embarrassed noticing the error after publishing the video. I think I said it without realizing it when filming and still in editing because subliminally, I may have had regretted getting the WEN instead of the Wahuda... However, that said, even with the HSS blades the WEN has served me well to this day. I appreciate your comment and hope you make the best choice for your needs. Cheers!
@@DaverMade well, that solves my conundrum then. I'm going to hold out for the more expensive solution. I own alot of WEN products and I try to stay loyal when possible because I hate everything having different colors. Lol. Isn't that stupid. But my last purchase was kinda a flop. I got that 1hp dust collector and one of the stator blades was out of balance and WEN wouldn't replace the unit. I did however figure out how to fix it and then a SECO UFO-101 fell into my lap on a lawnmower trade. I Digress, I feel that the Wahuda will be a good solution that will keep me from having to worry about upgrading down the line due to the carbide component. I deal with hard maple primarily due to the fact I work on basketball courts and that is rough on HSS as I have spent hundreds of dollars on blades over the last year and half. I hope this works out for me in the long run. Okay. I'm done flapping my gums. Keep the videos coming. Talk to you later. ✌
Is there any fix for the fence? Im strongly considering this unit for the 8" capacity in a really small shop... But the fence issues sound frustrating!
At this point I got numb to dealing with it. I just accept it and carry on. However other viewers have suggested making your own fence rather than using this one. I haven’t gotten around to that yet, but will consider it… or upgrade to another jointer before then.
It's aluminum said the American way per the inventor and name sake maker of aluminum himself for a heads up. Lol good review!!
Have you had to change the inserts yet? Apologies if you covered that. Thx.
Not yet, but I am going to soon. I will say they have held up better than I expected.
Is this the same jointer as the craftsman?
Probably made in the same factory tbh. I looked into all the benchtop jointers to compare what was actually different and there’s really not besides branding. I want to eventually do a video comparing them all based on specs and also figure out which factory they were made it, my theory is it is the same one.
so torn between the 6 inch wen and buying an old used cast iron craftsman.
What maximum length board can be jointed with this model? Thanks
51 inches.
So are you glad your bought it or not? Is there something else you would have rather bought?
I am, but I’m a growing out of it and need to upgrade. But as a newer woodworker on a budget it has served me well.
Watching this again..."This jointer has a 10amp motor which rotates the spiral cutter head up to 12,000 times per minute. And that is a lot of finger removing power if you ask me, so NO touching" 😂😂😂☠
Is this the same as the 8" wahuda?
It’s very similar. I have a theory they are likely made in the same factory among other brands of benchtop jointer.
I have the same jointer and I'm not real happy with it. It just seems that it's not very accurate. The infeed table is not quite level length wise and I took the bolts out and shimmed the end away from the blade with some pieces of 220 sand paper and that seemed to help a little. But I wish I had not bought it. When I get time to tinker with some maybe I can make it better. When I edge joint it makes the board into a banana. Maybe I'm not holding my mouth right🤔
The little knives have four sides, not two. You only turn those little square blades 1/3 turn when they get dull.
If you could go back, would you buy a Wahuda?
Very likely. Doing research on these types of benchtop jointers, I found they are very similar and I have a suspicion many are made in the same factory just rebranded.
You said "has a spiral cutter head and uses staggered high speed steel carbide inserts rather than straight cutting knives". I'm pretty sure that they are high speed steel and not carbide. That is, they are not carbide inserts, they are HSS inserts. You can however buy aftermarket carbide inserts if you prefer their toughness, but they add expense.
Yes, you are correct. Not sure why I didn’t catch that in editing.
@@DaverMade There are a few other references to carbide inserts too.
The wonky fence pretty much sealed the deal on me NOT getting this brand. The main purpose of jointing a board is for glue ups and those need to be pretty exact.
Id Love to get together & meet up sometime & talk shop...im in the suburbs 10 mins south of Cleveland...
This unit does not have carbide inserts, they are hss. Wen does not make carbide inserts but there are aftermarket options.
This does not have carbide blades. You can get after market carbide blades. It comes with SK5 steel blades
It looks exactly like the grizzly and the wahan.
Doing some research that I didn’t include in the video, it appears that a few are pretty much made in the same factory and given their respective branding. Nothing else is too different.
Looks exactly like a grizzly
High Speed Steel Carbide Inserts????????????? What the heck are those?
Still can't justify spending any money to square up boards. Table saw an long straight edge do just fine and I already own that tool. For me a jointer is way down the list. I'd put band saw an drill press above it personally. Appreciate the rundown though as I'll prolly get one of these eventually. Hopefully by then I'll have earned enough with the tools I already own to buy something better. Imo all aluminum fences that come with a tool suck balls. Bet someone makes a nice after market upgrade for it, but that seems like good money after bad to me. If thats the best you can afford an you need it now, go for it. The only tool you can't make money with are the ones you don't have yet 😄
Helical means spiral. This is not a spiral cutter head, its segmented, these companies just decided to change the meaning of the word spiral, taking advantage of people who should know better.
HSS cutters, not carbide.
Great video, but the continued ringing or alarm in the background is super annoying...
Not sure what that is honestly. There is background music, so maybe that?
Wahuda, sorry.
the Wen cast iron 6in jointer is only $50 more
In retrospect I may have been okay with a 6inch jointer. However, I thought I’d need the 8 inch one instead when I got this one.
@@DaverMade Good to know, was debating between the 6in and 8in Wahuda.. for the spiral head
It’s not really based in America…account you said based out of Chicago…so yes in location (within U.S.)but by its tyrannical leadership says different..But that is for the sharing of the video
@stonemountain64 doing woodworking now?!?! #falldamage