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CRAFTSMAN CMEW020
- Variable spend up to 22,000 CPM
- Dual-knife cutter head
- Manufacturer warranty
Grizzly Industrial G0725
- Anti-corrosive powder finish
- High cutting speed
- Easy to adjust infeed table
WEN 6559
- Robust engine and high cutting speed
- Lightweight and portable
- Fence bevels up to 135°
Our reviews are unbiased, fact-based, and comprehensively researched to help you make the right buying decisions.
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A jointer is a device that will produce perfectly squared corners on rough boards.
This is essential for any woodworking project that involves assembling boards on top or next to each other without there being any gaps in between workpieces.
You can invest in a full-sized model, but for novice woodworkers or those on a tighter budget, we highly recommend you take a look at benchtop jointers instead.
In this guide, we’ll show you what the best benchtop jointer is out of the 30-plus models we researched and compared.
Best Benchtop Jointer – CRAFTSMAN CMEW020
The best benchtop jointer that blows more than 30 of its peers out of the water has to be the CRAFTSMAN CMEW020.
This is a powerful machine that delivers as much as 22,000 cuts per minute at 1/8 of an inch deep.
There’s also a generous 3-year warranty to further entice you into picking up this benchtop jointer.
Let’s take a look at the CMEW020’s key specifications—
- 10A Motor
- 12-22000 CPM
- 30-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- 3-Year Warranty
The CRAFTSMAN CMEW020 features a powerful 10A motor, or roughly 1.4 HP, that drives the dual-knife cutterhead at speeds of between 12,000 and 22,000 CPM.
Now, variable speed isn’t very common in benchtop models, but with this system, you can get the most use out of the HSS inserts by shaving soft and hardwood without causing excessive strain to the cutterhead.
The infeed and outfeed tables have a combined length of 30 inches, offering a ton of support for long boards and logs of rough lumber.
The tables are cast iron to withstand warping over the entire lifespan of the tool. Still, you should be careful when dropping heavy boards on top of this machine.
Pros
- Dual-knife cutter head
- Variable spend up to 22,000 CPM
- Generous manufacturer warranty
- Easy to adjust and replace knives
Cons
- Could come with a dust/chip collection bag
The CMEW0202 is arguably the best 6-inch benchtop jointer on the market.
It’s a user-friendly model that will help any homeowner or aspiring woodworker gain valuable experience in milling their own lumber.
Top benchtop jointer in the Market Compared
| Product Image | Product Name | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Best Overall -CRAFTSMAN CMEW020 |
| Check Today's Price |
| | Best Premium -Grizzly Industrial G0725 |
| Check Today's Price |
| | Best Budget -WEN 6559 |
| Check Today's Price |
 | PORTER-CABLE PC160JT |
| Check Today's Price |
 | Delta 37-071 |
| Check Today's Price |
 | Shop Fox W1829 |
| Check Today's Price |
 | Cutech 40160H-CT |
| Check Today's Price |
 | RIKON Power Tools 20-600H |
| Check Today's Price |
 | Wahuda Tools 50180CC-WHD |
| Check Today's Price |
 | RIKON 20-800H |
| Check Today's Price |
Reviews of Best benchtop jointer
Best Premium - Grizzly Industrial G0725
Key Specifications
- 1.5-HP Motor
- 20,000 CPM
- 28.5-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- Infeed Adjustment Knob
The Grizzly Industrial G0725 is a one-of-a-kind 6-inch jointer that will work beautifully in hobbyist and professional workshops.
It sports a heavy-duty 1.5-HP motor that drives the dual-knife cutterhead at speeds of up to 10,000 RPM, cutting twice as fast to shave off more of your in uniform fashion.
The infeed adjustment knob will let you fine-tune the cutting depth to up to 1/8 of an inch.
The fence has three stops at 45°, 90°, and 135°, giving you the capacity to square the edges of boards for more complex furniture and fixture designs.
This jointer uses two HSS knives that aren’t as long-lasting as carbide-tipped knives, but still deliver amazing cutting performance for a perfectly flat surface.
Pros
- Heavy-duty cast-iron construction
- High cutting speed
- Easy to adjust infeed table
- Anti-corrosive powder finish
Cons
- Setting up the fence could be easier
To get the fence sitting at the right angle, you’ll have to play with the fasteners quite a bit or prop it up against a wall. However, the performance of the Grizzly Industrial G0725 more than makes up for this inconvenience.
Best Budget - WEN 6559
Key Specifications
- 10A Motor
- 20,000 CPM
- 28.5-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- Comes with Dust Filter Bag
The last item on our best benchtop jointers list is the WEN 6559. If you know WEN, you know that this China-based company focuses on high-quality products on a budget, and this jointer is no different.
Despite costing less than half of most of its peers, it features a similar 10A motor that delivers a whopping 20,000 cuts per minute to shave 1/8-inch layers off of boards with every pass.
You’ll find a 2.5-inch dust port on this jointer, which is typical in most benchtop models.
However, what isn’t common is that this 6-inch jointer has its own collection bag.
So, if you don’t have a shop vac at home, you can rely on the ultra-fine collection bag to trap all chips and debris from the cutterhead.
Pros
- Handy dust collection bag
- Robust engine and high cutting speed
- Lightweight and portable
- Fence bevels up to 135°
Cons
- Aluminum fence and tables could be more durable
As is typical of any budget-friendly jointer, the WEN 6559 uses aluminum instead of cast iron to keep costs low. This isn’t a tool you want to take with you to various job sites for its lack of durability.
PORTER-CABLE PC160JT
Key Specifications
- 1.4-HP Motor
- 12-22,000 CPM
- 30-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- Built-in Cutterhead Lock
The PORTER-CABLE PC160JT is another fantastic 6-inch benchtop jointer that will help any aspiring woodworker gain valuable milling experience.
It comes with a 1.4-HP motor that powers the dual-knife cutterhead to cut at a rate of up to 22,000 RPM.
You can bring the cutting speed down to 12,000 CPM when working with more delicate workpieces. The cutterhead lock system lets you adjust the cutting depth to up to 1/8 of an inch.
To adjust the cutting depth, simply loosen the jackscrew and raise or lower the knives as needed.
Although this process is a lot more complicated and adjust the infeed table’s height, you won’t need to do it very often. There’s also a 3-year guarantee that will instill confidence in consumers.
Pros
- Super-beefy motor for its size
- Extra-fast cutter speed
- Decent table lengths
- Generous 3-year warranty
Cons
- Fence could be sturdier
For what you’ll spend on getting this machine, even the “problematic” fence is hardly worth mentioning. The PORTER-CABLE jointer is a must-have for first-time woodworkers.
Delta 37-071
Key Specifications
- 12A Motor
- 20,000 CPM
- 28.5-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- Built-in Dust/Chip Ejector
The Delta 37-071 is a lot smaller than most benchtop jointers in terms of table length.
However, this isn’t that big of a problem since, as a 6-inch jointer, you probably wont pass super-long boards over the jointer anyway.
However, you certainly could do so, and without trouble, since it sports a massive 12A motor that deliver sup to 20,000 CPM for quicker shaving and even results.
Delta Power Tools designed the 37-071 to be as long-lasting as possible. It’s entire table and body is made of cast iron, which will withstand bumps during travel.
A chip and dust ejector ensures that harmful wood particles don’t lodge themselves in between the cutterhead’s blades.
Plus, to further drive the point of longevity, Delta backs every purchase with a super-generous 5-year warranty.
Pros
- Robust, inside and out
- Adjustable fence, 45° and 90° positive stops
- High-precision squaring
- Easy to clean and maintain
Cons
- Replacement components could be easier to find
The Delta 37-071 is a dream 6-inch benchtop jointer for amateurs and semi-professional woodworkers. Though undersized, it’s longer-lasting than most of its peers.
Shop Fox W1829
Key Specifications
- 1.5-HP Motor
- 20,000 CPM
- 28.5-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- Fine-Adjust Infeed Table Knob
The Shop Fox W1829 certainly doesn’t offer much in terms of looks, but as a 6-inch benchtop models, it performs a lot better than most.
This beast is packed with a 1.5-HP motor that drives the two-knife cutterhead to deliver as many as 20,000 cuts per minute.
Even though the worktable is only 28.5 inches in length, that’s still plenty of support to hold most boards that homeowners work with.
Speaking of the tables, they’re constructed out of durable cast iron and have an extra-sleek surface to allow easy passing of boards over the cutterhead.
This jointer can remove up to 1/8 of an inch with every pass, which isn’t uncommon, but it does give you more control over the final product.
Pros
- Easy-to-adjust infeed table height
- High-speed and high-torque cutterhead
- Comes with 2.5-inch dust port
- User-friendly 6-inch jointer
Cons
- Could arrive with missing screw bolt
Assuming your Shop Fox W1829 comes with 100% of its components, you can expect outstanding squaring performance on rough lumber time and time again.
Cutech 40160H-CT
Key Specifications
- 10A Motor
- 22,000 CPM
- 30-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- 12-Knife Spiral Cutterhead
The Cutech 40160H-CT is like most 6 x 30-inch jointers, except that its stand hardly takes up any space.
Best of all, this compact machine sports a 10A motor that gives it an amazing power-to-size ratio while also delivering up to 22,000 cuts per minute on your workpieces.
Weighing slightly under 40 pounds, transporting this jointer from site to site is a cinch.
Putting this unit together and taking it apart is a mere 15-minute project.
The guard helps at ensuring your boards sit flush against the fence to ensure perfect squaring every time. Adjusting the cutting depth can be a pain, but thankfully, you’ll hardly ever have to do it.
Pros
- Easy to transport
- Powerful motor
- User-friendly
- Accurate cuts, thanks to spiral cutterhead
Cons
- Could be easier to adjust the table height
The lightweight, user-friendly Cutech 40160H-CT is a fantastic jointer that will help newbie woodworkers gain a ton of valuable milling experience.
RIKON Power Tools 20-600H
Key Specifications
- 10A Motor
- 22,000 CPM
- 30-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- Front On/Off Switch
The RIKON Power Tools 20-600H is another benchtop jointer that doesn’t have much in terms of looks, but it’s what’s under the hood that matters the most.
Inside, you’ll find a beefy 10A motor that drives the 12-HSS-insert cutterhead that shaves up to 1/8 of an inch off wooden boards with every pass.
The cutterhead delivers 22,000 cuts per minute, guaranteeing perfect squareness on the face and sides of 6-inch-wide boards.
This jointer is made of steel and aluminum instead of cast iron, which helps keep its price down.
In exchange, the table is more prone to becoming warped and damaged, so make sure you don’t drop heavy boards on the worktable.
A handy front-facing on/off paddle increases the jointer’s overall safety among newbies.
Pros
- Lightweight 6-inch jointer
- High-speed cuttgin performance
- Safe front-facing on/off paddle switch
- Long worktablesPro 1
Cons
- Steel tables and aluminum fence could be more durable
Despite the glaring durability issues associated with steel and aluminum worktables, you should have a problem if you leave it in one spot in your workshop.
Wahuda Tools 50180CC-WHD
Key Specifications
- 10A Motor
- 12,000 RPM
- 34-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- Built-In Table Extensions
The Wahuda Tools 50180CC-WHD is the only 8-inch benchtop jointer that you’ll find on this list. 8-inch models don’t typically come in a compact body, so you’re getting a unique product that can square wider materials in fewer passes.
With a 12,000-RPM cutterhead, this machine can deliver more than 22,000 CPM, thanks to the 4-sided, 16-insert cutterhead.
The jointer’s infeed and outfeed tables measure in at 34 inches, but you can pull them out and extend your worksurface to up to 51 inches if the need arises.
The inserts have four sides, so when one becomes dulled, simply flip it over and watch is the cutterhead shaves off thin layers like new.
Pros
- Compact 8-inch jointer
- Uses carbide-tipped inserts
- Decently quiet for a benchtop jointer
- Lightweight and portable
Cons
- The worktable extensions could be flatter
The Wahuda 8-inch jointer is a must-have for those who are looking for a wider jointer on a slimmer budget.
RIKON 20-800H
Key Specifications
- 10A Motor
- 20,000 CPM
- 30.5-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- Helical Cutterhead
The RIKON 20-800H is a lot its littler-brother model, the 20-600H.
In fact, both benchtop jointers sport a 10A motor, though this one’s cutting speed is limited to “just” 20,000 cuts per minute.
It features a helical cutterhead that uses 16 two-sided HSS inserts (four more inserts than the previous RIKON), which can deliver twice as many cuts throughout the knives’ lifetime.
This jointer also has an easy-to-access on/off paddle switch located at the front of the tool to stop operations when things go awry.
A knob on the right-hand side will allow you to adjust the height of the infeed table to as low as 1/8 of an inch. Fully assembled, the 20-800H weighs a mere 49 pounds.
Pros
- Lightweight, portable
- High-speed cutting with 16 HSS insertsPro 2
- Comes with a spring-loaded guard
- User-friendly
Cons
- Aluminum worktables and fences could be more durable
The 20-800H uses aluminum instead of cast iron, which can leave some doubts as to whether this machine is durable or not. Don’t move it around too much and you shouldn’t have any problems.
Best Benchtop Jointer Buying Guide
In this guide, we’ll quickly go over what a jointer is and what you can use it for, as well as how to determine which of the models listed above is the right benchtop jointer for your workshop.
What is a jointer?
A jointer is a tool that you use to square the corners of rectangular workpieces.
This is a crucial step in the lumber-milling process, and retailer that sells pre-processed lumber would have passed their boards multiple times over a jointer.
By ensuring that the corners of a wooden board are perfectly squared, you won’t have to worry about pieces not fitting next to each other when assembling furniture or other wooden-based crafts.
This is the first crucial step that takes place right before planning.
Benefits of a benchtop jointer
In general, you have two options: a full-sized or freestanding jointer and a benchtop jointer. Here’s a quick rundown of a benchtop jointer’s benefits opposed to a full-sized model.
Compact Size
First and foremost, the main reason why people opt for a benchtop jointer is for its space efficiency. They have smaller footprints and don’t take up any floor space.
Instead, you simply plop the tool down on a flat surface, mount it down with fasteners, and you’re all done.
Unless you have tons of empty floor space in your workshop for a freestanding jointer, we highly recommend you stick to a benchtop model instead.
Portability
Because they’re so small and lightweight, moving a benchtop jointer to and from different job sites isn’t going to be any trouble at all.
A single person can lift a benchtop jointer and assemble it on their own.
Price Factor
Another reason why you might consider picking up a benchtop jointer is that they’re a lot cheaper than their freestanding counterparts.
This is simply because of their smaller designs and the smaller quantities of heavy-duty materials that go into every model.
On average a benchtop jointer can cost 75% cheaper than a full-sized jointer.
Suitable squaring width and length
If we’re being honest, most homeowners wouldn’t need to get a full-sized jointer in the first place.
Benchtop jointers come in 6 and 8-inch-wide variants, which is plenty of room to square the edges of most of your workpieces.
Also, the infeed-outfeed tables are long enough to accommodate nearly any workpiece you have in your shop.
Important Features and Specs
Motor and cutting speed
Motor size and cutting speed typically go hand in hand.
A higher motor rating will indicate faster or more flexible cutting speeds, which will then ensure smoother face panels and edges, as well as squarer corners.
The cutterhead’s design and knife/blade count will also affect cutting speed and overall performance.
Worktable size
The size of the worktables will indicate how much support the jointer can provide at holding onto workpieces of different lengths.
It’s generally a good idea to find a jointer that has longer tables, though 30-inch infeed + outfeed table lengths should prove to be more than sufficient for most DIY projects.
Extension tables are nice, but the extensions don’t sit flush with the main tables.
Footprint
Take a good look at how much tabletop space the jointer takes. After all, that’s the main reason why you’re considering choosing a benchtop jointer (other than its low, low cost).
Measure how much tabletop space on your workbench you have to determine which benchtop model is will fit in your environment.
FAQ’s
That’s entirely your decision, and we won’t force you to go either way. However, a benchtop jointer is cheaper and can prove to be nearly as reliable as a freestanding model. If you can swing for a costlier freestanding jointer, we invite you to take a look at our guide on the best 8-inch jointer.
Once again, only you can determine which is the better option. That said, we’d recommend going with an 8-inch jointer since you’ll definitely feel the difference that two inches can make (that’s what she said!). A 6-inch jointer can also prove to be useful in the workshop, especially if you plan on ripping your boards to 6-inch-wide boards or narrower for certain projects.
All jointers are dangerous in the wrong hands. Make sure you read the instruction manual carefully from cover to cover. DON’T JUST SKIM THE MANUAL since they can teach you how to use the jointer safely. Make sure you’re wearing the proper PPE while handing your tool. Also, never, ever push boards across the cutter head without using a push stick or a push block.
If your ultimate goal is to sell wood-based art on commission, you might want to know that even pros can rely on the performance of benchtop tools on occasion. In fact, benchtop jointers are one of the more reliable benchtop power tools that any woodworker can own. You don’t need a tremendously large unit to square the corners of your boards, but it can help improve productivity.
Summary
In this guide, we showed you what the best benchtop jointer is out of over 30 models we analyzed and pitted in head-to-head combat/comparison.
We’ve included benchtop jointers from multiple brands that offer astounding squaring performance on a budget.
If you don’t know which benchtop jointer to get, we’d be happy to assist you in the comments section.