Jointer vs planer: what each machine does, per the makers
A thickness planer brings a board to a uniform thickness with two parallel faces, but WEN says it will not fix a warped, bowed or cupped board. DEWALT's DW735 manual says a board should ideally have at least one level face before planing, and Felder describes planing the facing, unprocessed surface to thickness in the thicknesser.
What does a jointer do?
WEN says a jointer fixes up warped boards and gets them square and flat, ready for joining or for further work on a thickness planer or table saw. (WEN Products)
WEN describes the usual order as face jointing first, to get a flat reference face, then edge jointing. (WEN Products)
Felder says surface planing gives one flat, smooth face and a flat, smooth edge at 90 degrees to it. (Felder Group)
What does a thickness planer do?
WEN says thickness planers take rough stock down to a set thickness over several passes, leaving two parallel faces. (WEN Products)
Felder says that after surface planing, the opposite face is planed to the desired thickness on the thicknesser. (Felder Group)
Do you need both a jointer and a planer?
Makers describe the two machines as doing different halves of the same job. Here is what they say.
WEN says a planer will not fix a warped, bowed or cupped board. (WEN Products)
DEWALT's DW735 manual says a board should ideally have at least one level face before planing, and recommends running it through a jointer to produce that flat surface.
Capacities differ as well: WEN's 6-inch JT630H jointer has a 30-by-6-inch table, while WEN's 6552T planer takes boards up to 13 inches wide. (WEN Products; WEN Products)
Can a planer be used as a jointer?
WEN says you can build a planer sled jig from plywood or MDF to fix warped boards. (WEN Products)
DEWALT's DW735 manual gives separate methods for boards without a flat face: plane a slightly twisted board on alternating sides, and rip a cupped board down the middle and plane it as two pieces.
Setup and operating instructions are in each maker's manual.
Is there one machine that does both?
WEN describes jointer-planers as machines, usually floor-standing, that combine a planer and jointer and use the same cutterhead for each function. (WEN Products)
RIKON says the 25-212H's one-piece jointer tables lift up and out of the way for planer use. (Rikon Power Tools, Inc.)
The jointer-width guide compares combination machines from RIKON and Felder.
Taikra doesn't rank or test tools; every figure here is from the maker's own page or manual, linked.
Jointer vs planer: questions answered from the sources
Can a planer flatten a warped board?
WEN says a planer gives uniform thickness with two parallel faces but will not fix a warped, bowed or cupped board.
Can a planer be used as a jointer?
WEN says you can build a planer sled jig from plywood or MDF to fix warped boards.
Which comes first, the jointer or the planer?
Felder describes surface planing first, then planing the opposite face to thickness; DEWALT's DW735 manual says a board should ideally have one level face before it is planed.
Sources: Jointer Planer & Thickness Planer; DW735 13" (325 mm) Heavy-Duty Portable Thickness Planer Instruction Manual
Is there a machine that does both?
Yes. WEN describes jointer-planers that share one cutterhead, and RIKON's 25-212H lifts its jointer tables for planer use.
Sources: An Introduction to Planers and Jointers; 25-212H: 12" Planer/Jointer with Helical Cutter Head
Sources
- An Introduction to Planers and Jointers — WEN Products
- Jointer Planer & Thickness Planer — Felder Group
- DW735 13" (325 mm) Heavy-Duty Portable Thickness Planer Instruction Manual — DEWALT
- WEN JT630H 10-Amp 6-Inch Spiral Benchtop Jointer — WEN Products
- WEN 6552T 13-Inch 3-Blade Benchtop Thickness Planer — WEN Products
- 25-212H: 12" Planer/Jointer with Helical Cutter Head — Rikon Power Tools, Inc.