Every driver is different. My Grizzly milling machine arrived a couple of hours early and caught me at work (I had intended to be there). The driver got that mill all the way into my garage after rolling it on a pallet jack about 75 yards...I called UPS to give my cudos to a wonderful driver I never had the pleasure of meeting.
What an outstanding video! Thank you so much for taking the time. This makes it possible for first time buyers (or prospective buyers) to contemplate all the steps to acquiring such equipment. Very helpful indeed.
I've had three items from Grizzly (table saw, dust collector and jointer) dropped at my house. All three were taken up to my garage. I guess I got lucky..
Hey Matt, I just stumbled onto your channel and love it, will be subscribing, wanted to let you know that I bought the same 8'' Jointer about 1 year ago. The dust collection thing you were talking about might be taken care of by having more suction power which may or may not be possible. I was lucky and saved a really long time to get the 5 HP Oneida Gorilla cyclone dust collector. This thing runs on an 8'' metal pipe for the first 25 feet that feeds into my woodshop and then is reduced down to 7'' for 25 feet and then to 6'' for 25 feet before it's reduced down to a 5'' blast gate then to 6 foot piece of 5'' flex and then right at the unit I dropped down to a 4'' reducer. I am about 75 or more feet from the main cyclone but with Oneida's help on sizing all the pipes to all of my machines I have what I refer to as (SCARY SUCTION POWER, this thing will suck the rings off your fingers). With this arrangement I get no dust that comes from the machine so just wanted to let you know it is possible that if you can get some smooth metal pipe and only use flex at the tail end I bet you can get that thing to eat all the dust. Good luck and looking forward to many more videos.
Just an FYI, got one this week and that crate box... falls apart while looking at it nothing near what you got. Seems the new overseas maker uses much thinner wood, fewer nails, and just generally cheaper crate. Haven't assembled it, which is why I'm here, but thought I would share that update.
Very nice review and jointer. I really appreciate it a review from someone that obviously spent their own hard earned dollar on a tool as opposed to accepting one in exchange for an "honest review".
Hey Matt, great video and review. I took the plunge and purchased. Quick question. I just finished setting up the big pieces and noticed my fence is off slightly. The end on the infeed table is off 1/4" from the end on the outfeed table. So it's not parallel to both tables. Have you faced this when setting up yours?
Question: As the fence is moved in and out, does it lose it's perpendicularity (if that's a word). Someone else reviewing this jointer indicated that they had to re-square the fence every time it was moved. I was suspicious that was just because they might be doing it wrong. It would seem like poor design to require such an adjustment every time the fence is moved.
I'm going to have to check that. I have never moved the fence. They may have had the straight knives in their jointer, and were trying to even out the wear from edge jointing. Since I have the spiral cutter I see no need to do this. If I wear out the cutters closest to the fence then they can be replaced without having to touch the others. I really do strongly recommend the spiral cutter head option. I know it's a chunk of change, but it is night and day the difference it makes in the machine.
I went and checked out my jointer, and here's what I think is happening to Jay: - First of all he says his only reason for moving the fence is to even out the wear on his blades. Get the spiral cutter head! It solves a whole bunch of problems and this is one of them. Absolutely no reason to move the fence with the individual replaceable cutters. - Having said that, my fence stayed square BUT I can easily see a way that it wouldn't. The fence slides on it's own set of rails that attach to the back of the jointer for about the first 1/2 of it's travel, and then it starts resting on the jointer table itself. If the rail mechanism and the jointer table aren't *exactly* coplaner then there will be a shift in the fence at the point where it transitions onto or off of the table. Fortunately this is something that can be adjusted out if you're having this problem. - Even if you have this problem it's not really a big deal. The tilt adjustment for the fence is readily accessible and works one handed. Throwing an accurate square on the table and truing up the fence takes about 5 seconds. Considering that you'd only do this once in a while to distribute load on your knives, it's just not worth agonizing over. There is only one positive stop, but you can set it for any angle you want. Clearly the thought is that you'll use it for 90, but technically you wouldn't have to. Honestly though I don't think I've ever seen a woodworker joint a bevel. It's a lot harder than you might think to keep the stock from slipping down an angled fence on the jointer. Edge bevels are why your table saw blade tilts :) So here's my $0.02: Setup the jointer for square and leave it there. That's what it's designed to do and the less you fool with it the better it will work. Tilting and sliding fences are, IMHO, marketing gimmicks and frankly I wish you could buy a jointer without them. It would be even more solid and accurate. I don't expect to move my fence, ever. You'll find that the table saw and your router do all of these other things that you could potentially do at the jointer much, much better anyway. Good Luck! Matt
Thanks so much for the thoughtful reply. My current jointer is an old Rockwell and adjusting the fence is a huge pain (if you're going for precision), so I wasn't excited at the thought of a jointer that put me through that every time the fence is moved. Nice to hear that the adjustment on your Grizzly isn't that difficult. Yes, I agree that 99.9% of its use will be at 90 degrees. Thanks again. I might just end up getting that jointer.
Really enjoy your informative videos. Any advice on getting this unit to a basement shop (no walkout access)? I'm really wanting an 8" model, but getting it in the shop is my concern.
+Jason Langston Hmmm. That's going to be tough. Unless you have a very straight shot and some strong friends it's going to be a pretty big hassle. If it were me, I'd be looking at building a planer sled and an edge jointing jig for the table saw 1st. These aren't as fast as an actual jointer, but the have the advantage of being able to deal with wide stock without the need for the enormous iron beds.
I have ordered large woodworking machinery from various woodworking tool supply companies, including Grizzly. Of all them, Grizzly gets the worst freight companies. The woodworking tool supply companies choose the freight companies, so consider that not only are Grizzly tools sometimes suspect, but also the freight companies. What is the point of an apparent cheaper tool when you have to do repair work or deal with extra hassles regarding the freight delivery? If you are working by yourself or getting helpers is not convenient during the delivery times, it is wise to have several freight dollies, an overhead gantry crane, and two electric cable hosts on the gantry crane.
Matt Heere just by looking at your driveway I would have backed up to the concrete long as long as those overhead lines was above my trailer that guy must have been a rookie
I have a particular piece of grizzly equipment that I had to repair 13 separate issues straight out of the box. Didn't get to use the Grizzly product for a month, and it was brand new. They sent me a defective warranty part, parts that didn't even fit, and there was a back ordered part needed. I'll never buy a grizzly product again.
Hey Matt - very informative and good video! I was curious on your thoughts of the jointer after having it some time. This is on the top of my list for an upgraded jointer purchase, and was wondering what you thought of it after having it awhile. Thanks!
I still love it. Very glad I shelled out for the spiral cutter head too. In fact, I'd be willing to go smaller to get that cutter head if I had to. Only thing I would change about it is the depth scale on the in-feed side. It's garbage. No issues at all otherwise.
Just a tip that might help some who purchase from Grizzly, I ordered the 17" bandsaw (the same anniversary edition Matt has in the background of this video) on sale (free shipping) and had it shipped to a friends business that has a forklift. This avoided the additional freight charge for the "lift gate" truck (UPS Freight has two different types of trucks). My friend then loaded it onto his work truck which happened to be a pickup equipped with a lift gate and backed it right into my garage. While not everyone will have such well equipped friends or family members with a little searching and asking around There are ways to work around the inconvenience of the extra charges and lack of "door to door" service. It may cost you a 6-pack of your friend's favorite libation but hey, no one wants to drink alone anyway, right?
Good video but you do realize you put the stand on backwards...not a big deal but the logo and the GO490XW are suppose to go in the front, which I am sure you have realized long ago and most likely do not care.
I work for XPO Logistics and it is true that our responsibility is to get it to the back of a trailer it's your responsibility to get it off the trailer and if they order liftgate service I do everything in my power to get it in their garage for them even though we're not supposed to but I do it as a courtesy
That's very nice of you T N. I expect a lot of people are surprised at what's included in lift gate service, and what's not, and your way of handling it is certainly appreciated by your customers I have no doubt.
+ewijntuin You can find them at www.grizzly.com and you can request a free catalog (it's HUGE!). All of the pricing and shipping information is there, or can be found with little effort. They often have sales where the shipping on certain items is free, I purchased my 17" Anniversary Edition (the same seen in the background of this video) with free shipping and had it shipped to a friends workplace that has a forklift, no additional "lift gate" charges. Hope this helps, I own an older model 10" cabinet style table saw and the aforementioned bandsaw and helped a friend set up nearly an entire woodshop with Grizzly equipment. They're great machines and the prices can't be beat, especially considering that most every other brand is manufactured in the same country.
Nice aircraft carrier! You should be very happy with that. Here is an article I was shown when I was looking to check a jointer setup. Includes instructions to make your own "straightedges" to check the beds. woodworkerszone.com/wiki/index.php?title=Setting_jointer_tables_coplaner
Buyer beware I previously purchased a table saw and jointer from this company with no problems however, I bought a band saw from grizzly and when assembled it did not power on and had 3 other defects. Reading the troubleshooting guide on page 44 of the manual I realized that I was not qualified to work on the electrical system. Contacting Grizzly I was treated less than poorly. Grizzly finds it acceptable to sell a new machine with corroded wires, incorrectly installed the wiring harness for the motor, defective start ON/OFF switch, Centrifugal and capacitor inoperative etc.… I am not an electrician but Grizzly squarely puts the responsibility on the customer. Under their warranty, Grizzly requires that you will affect repairs on a brand new machine that is defective upon arrival. The only option, disassemble and ship the machine back at your own costs for their evaluation, at which time they will decide to repair/replace or refund and credit your shipping costs. I believe a warranty is an insurance to repair or replace an item that BECOMES defective in time not to ship you a machine that is inoperative on day 1. I have been woodworking for 35 years and bought many tools, I never experienced this lack of quality control and customer support. Lastly upon searching the internet there is strong possibility that I was shipped a refurbished saw. Do read their warranty and return policy carefully. Unfortunately I am not the only one with defective equipment, the below links show that it is common. www.bbb.org/us/wa/bellingham/profile/machine-tools/grizzly-industrial-inc-1296-515707/complaints www.resellerratings.com/store/Grizzly_Industrial www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Grizzly-Industrial-Inc-Reviews-E193090.htm grizzly-industrial.pissedconsumer.com/review.html Good luck
Hey Matt, great video and review. I took the plunge and purchased. Quick question. I just finished setting up the big pieces and noticed my fence is off slightly. The end on the infeed table is off 1/4" from the end on the outfeed table. So it's not parallel to both tables. Have you faced this when setting up yours?
Every driver is different. My Grizzly milling machine arrived a couple of hours early and caught me at work (I had intended to be there). The driver got that mill all the way into my garage after rolling it on a pallet jack about 75 yards...I called UPS to give my cudos to a wonderful driver I never had the pleasure of meeting.
What an outstanding video! Thank you so much for taking the time. This makes it possible for first time buyers (or prospective buyers) to contemplate all the steps to acquiring such equipment. Very helpful indeed.
I've had three items from Grizzly (table saw, dust collector and jointer) dropped at my house. All three were taken up to my garage. I guess I got lucky..
Check torque on all the cutter bolts. Do it now. Again in 7 days and after 30 days. I always find a couple bolts that need a little more torque.
I have the 6" and wish I had the 8", but I just didn't have the money to jump up to that one. I love the spiral cutterhead though!
I bought a 12inch about 15years ago came fully assembled dead accurate to this day
Hey Matt, I just stumbled onto your channel and love it, will be subscribing, wanted to let you know that I bought the same 8'' Jointer about 1 year ago. The dust collection thing you were talking about might be taken care of by having more suction power which may or may not be possible. I was lucky and saved a really long time to get the 5 HP Oneida Gorilla cyclone dust collector. This thing runs on an 8'' metal pipe for the first 25 feet that feeds into my woodshop and then is reduced down to 7'' for 25 feet and then to 6'' for 25 feet before it's reduced down to a 5'' blast gate then to 6 foot piece of 5'' flex and then right at the unit I dropped down to a 4'' reducer. I am about 75 or more feet from the main cyclone but with Oneida's help on sizing all the pipes to all of my machines I have what I refer to as (SCARY SUCTION POWER, this thing will suck the rings off your fingers). With this arrangement I get no dust that comes from the machine so just wanted to let you know it is possible that if you can get some smooth metal pipe and only use flex at the tail end I bet you can get that thing to eat all the dust. Good luck and looking forward to many more videos.
Just an FYI, got one this week and that crate box... falls apart while looking at it nothing near what you got. Seems the new overseas maker uses much thinner wood, fewer nails, and just generally cheaper crate. Haven't assembled it, which is why I'm here, but thought I would share that update.
Great review! and when you opened your garage door..... wow that front yard view!!!!!!! so awesome
Good choice Matt! The carbide upgrade kit is well worth the few hundred in expense. Looking forward to hear your review in a few months. Thumbs up!
Matt, you're the man for putting this together. Thank you.
Nice upgrade to the shop Matt. It looks like you had the right tools to handle that heavy jointer.
Thanks for the video! It made the assembly of my jointer very easy, I only needed to look at the manual a time or two.
Well done Matt. Looking forward to your review.
Very nice review and jointer. I really appreciate it a review from someone that obviously spent their own hard earned dollar on a tool as opposed to accepting one in exchange for an "honest review".
that is on my list to purchase before the end of the year. thanks for the vid.
Hey Matt, great video and review. I took the plunge and purchased. Quick question. I just finished setting up the big pieces and noticed my fence is off slightly. The end on the infeed table is off 1/4" from the end on the outfeed table. So it's not parallel to both tables. Have you faced this when setting up yours?
Question: As the fence is moved in and out, does it lose it's perpendicularity (if that's a word). Someone else reviewing this jointer indicated that they had to re-square the fence every time it was moved. I was suspicious that was just because they might be doing it wrong. It would seem like poor design to require such an adjustment every time the fence is moved.
I'm going to have to check that. I have never moved the fence. They may have had the straight knives in their jointer, and were trying to even out the wear from edge jointing. Since I have the spiral cutter I see no need to do this. If I wear out the cutters closest to the fence then they can be replaced without having to touch the others.
I really do strongly recommend the spiral cutter head option. I know it's a chunk of change, but it is night and day the difference it makes in the machine.
I went and checked out my jointer, and here's what I think is happening to Jay:
- First of all he says his only reason for moving the fence is to even out the wear on his blades. Get the spiral cutter head! It solves a whole bunch of problems and this is one of them. Absolutely no reason to move the fence with the individual replaceable cutters.
- Having said that, my fence stayed square BUT I can easily see a way that it wouldn't. The fence slides on it's own set of rails that attach to the back of the jointer for about the first 1/2 of it's travel, and then it starts resting on the jointer table itself. If the rail mechanism and the jointer table aren't *exactly* coplaner then there will be a shift in the fence at the point where it transitions onto or off of the table. Fortunately this is something that can be adjusted out if you're having this problem.
- Even if you have this problem it's not really a big deal. The tilt adjustment for the fence is readily accessible and works one handed. Throwing an accurate square on the table and truing up the fence takes about 5 seconds. Considering that you'd only do this once in a while to distribute load on your knives, it's just not worth agonizing over.
There is only one positive stop, but you can set it for any angle you want. Clearly the thought is that you'll use it for 90, but technically you wouldn't have to. Honestly though I don't think I've ever seen a woodworker joint a bevel. It's a lot harder than you might think to keep the stock from slipping down an angled fence on the jointer. Edge bevels are why your table saw blade tilts :)
So here's my $0.02: Setup the jointer for square and leave it there. That's what it's designed to do and the less you fool with it the better it will work. Tilting and sliding fences are, IMHO, marketing gimmicks and frankly I wish you could buy a jointer without them. It would be even more solid and accurate. I don't expect to move my fence, ever. You'll find that the table saw and your router do all of these other things that you could potentially do at the jointer much, much better anyway.
Good Luck!
Matt
Thanks so much for the thoughtful reply.
My current jointer is an old Rockwell and adjusting the fence is a huge pain (if you're going for precision), so I wasn't excited at the thought of a jointer that put me through that every time the fence is moved. Nice to hear that the adjustment on your Grizzly isn't that difficult. Yes, I agree that 99.9% of its use will be at 90 degrees. Thanks again. I might just end up getting that jointer.
Really enjoy your informative videos.
Any advice on getting this unit to a basement shop (no walkout access)? I'm really wanting an 8" model, but getting it in the shop is my concern.
+Jason Langston Hmmm. That's going to be tough. Unless you have a very straight shot and some strong friends it's going to be a pretty big hassle. If it were me, I'd be looking at building a planer sled and an edge jointing jig for the table saw 1st. These aren't as fast as an actual jointer, but the have the advantage of being able to deal with wide stock without the need for the enormous iron beds.
Thanks Matt. Great informative video. I’ve been looking at jointers and this helps me make my decision.
I have ordered large woodworking machinery from various woodworking tool supply companies, including Grizzly. Of all them, Grizzly gets the worst freight companies. The woodworking tool supply companies choose the freight companies, so consider that not only are Grizzly tools sometimes suspect, but also the freight companies. What is the point of an apparent cheaper tool when you have to do repair work or deal with extra hassles regarding the freight delivery? If you are working by yourself or getting helpers is not convenient during the delivery times, it is wise to have several freight dollies, an overhead gantry crane, and two electric cable hosts on the gantry crane.
A $10 tip... Wheeled right to my garage every time.
I'm guessing your driveway isn't 200 yards of gravel and hills
Matt Heere just by looking at your driveway I would have backed up to the concrete long as long as those overhead lines was above my trailer that guy must have been a rookie
Thanks for the informative and hands on review. Oh, nice video production btw...good audio and res.
I have a particular piece of grizzly equipment that I had to repair 13 separate issues straight out of the box. Didn't get to use the Grizzly product for a month, and it was brand new. They sent me a defective warranty part, parts that didn't even fit, and there was a back ordered part needed. I'll never buy a grizzly product again.
when are you going to make the review?
that's a sweet jointer!
Hey Matt - very informative and good video! I was curious on your thoughts of the jointer after having it some time. This is on the top of my list for an upgraded jointer purchase, and was wondering what you thought of it after having it awhile. Thanks!
I still love it. Very glad I shelled out for the spiral cutter head too. In fact, I'd be willing to go smaller to get that cutter head if I had to. Only thing I would change about it is the depth scale on the in-feed side. It's garbage. No issues at all otherwise.
Matt Heere awesome! Thank you for the information! I really dig your channel!!
any follow up videos of the pro / cons?
A new Grizzly 20 inch is only 28 dollars and with free shipping he hee it got to be a good one rite?
Just a tip that might help some who purchase from Grizzly, I ordered the 17" bandsaw (the same anniversary edition Matt has in the background of this video) on sale (free shipping) and had it shipped to a friends business that has a forklift. This avoided the additional freight charge for the "lift gate" truck (UPS Freight has two different types of trucks). My friend then loaded it onto his work truck which happened to be a pickup equipped with a lift gate and backed it right into my garage.
While not everyone will have such well equipped friends or family members with a little searching and asking around There are ways to work around the inconvenience of the extra charges and lack of "door to door" service. It may cost you a 6-pack of your friend's favorite libation but hey, no one wants to drink alone anyway, right?
If your dust collector were a bit closer to the jointer I'm sure there would be less dust.
Good video but you do realize you put the stand on backwards...not a big deal but the logo and the GO490XW are suppose to go in the front, which I am sure you have realized long ago and most likely do not care.
I work for XPO Logistics and it is true that our responsibility is to get it to the back of a trailer it's your responsibility to get it off the trailer and if they order liftgate service I do everything in my power to get it in their garage for them even though we're not supposed to but I do it as a courtesy
That's very nice of you T N. I expect a lot of people are surprised at what's included in lift gate service, and what's not, and your way of handling it is certainly appreciated by your customers I have no doubt.
how much did you pay for the jointer and freight?
Yes and where did you buy it?
+ewijntuin You can find them at www.grizzly.com and you can request a free catalog (it's HUGE!). All of the pricing and shipping information is there, or can be found with little effort. They often have sales where the shipping on certain items is free, I purchased my 17" Anniversary Edition (the same seen in the background of this video) with free shipping and had it shipped to a friends workplace that has a forklift, no additional "lift gate" charges. Hope this helps, I own an older model 10" cabinet style table saw and the aforementioned bandsaw and helped a friend set up nearly an entire woodshop with Grizzly equipment. They're great machines and the prices can't be beat, especially considering that most every other brand is manufactured in the same country.
Excellent video
Thanks for this, my 490x is on the way.
very informative video. Thanks.
Good info!
That board looked like oak
That is a man-machine! Thanks.
Nice aircraft carrier! You should be very happy with that.
Here is an article I was shown when I was looking to check a jointer setup. Includes instructions to make your own "straightedges" to check the beds.
woodworkerszone.com/wiki/index.php?title=Setting_jointer_tables_coplaner
Matt, great review. Thanks for the information. As always I enjoy your videos. Paul / paulsmessyworkshop
Buyer beware
I previously purchased a table saw and jointer from this
company with no problems however, I
bought a band saw from grizzly and when assembled it did not power on and had 3
other defects.
Reading the troubleshooting guide on page 44 of the manual I
realized that I was not qualified to work on the electrical system. Contacting
Grizzly I was treated less than poorly. Grizzly finds it acceptable to sell a
new machine with corroded wires, incorrectly installed the wiring harness for
the motor, defective start ON/OFF switch, Centrifugal and capacitor inoperative
etc.… I am not an electrician but Grizzly squarely puts the responsibility on the customer.
Under their warranty, Grizzly requires that you will affect
repairs on a brand new machine that is defective upon arrival. The only option, disassemble and ship the machine back
at your own costs for their evaluation, at which time they will decide to
repair/replace or refund and credit your shipping costs. I believe a warranty
is an insurance to repair or replace an item that BECOMES defective in time not
to ship you a machine that is inoperative on day 1.
I have been woodworking for 35 years and bought many tools,
I never experienced this lack of quality control and customer support.
Lastly upon searching the internet there is strong
possibility that I was shipped a refurbished saw.
Do read their warranty and return policy carefully.
Unfortunately I am not the only one with defective
equipment, the below links show that it is common.
www.bbb.org/us/wa/bellingham/profile/machine-tools/grizzly-industrial-inc-1296-515707/complaints
www.resellerratings.com/store/Grizzly_Industrial
www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Grizzly-Industrial-Inc-Reviews-E193090.htm
grizzly-industrial.pissedconsumer.com/review.html
Good luck
Tell Chumlee I said "hi."
Tax refund well spent!!!!
Great review! and when you opened your garage door..... wow that front yard view!!!!!!! so awesome
Hey Matt, great video and review. I took the plunge and purchased. Quick question. I just finished setting up the big pieces and noticed my fence is off slightly. The end on the infeed table is off 1/4" from the end on the outfeed table. So it's not parallel to both tables. Have you faced this when setting up yours?