Two happy beavers were just released in the UK for the first time in 400 years! lol The kid's contest decided to name them Hazel and Chompy! Look that up. Thanks for the video. I can tell the fence is not the greatest design but I think I can get used to it! lol. I make massage tools so this small and easy to move unit should work fine for my purposes. I might flatten the fence a bit on a slab of marble. The table base sides are pretty flat - not bad. Only a tiny bit dished. They came aligned nicely front to back, side to side.
I highly, highly recommend buying a digital box level (I have a Gem, about $30.00) for all woodworking and set-up. It's quick and accurate to a tenth of a degree. For example, put it on the table facing away from the fence, hit ZERO, put it on the top of the fence with the readout facing the same direction and adjust to 0.00 so the fence completely parallel to the table. Done. Then put it on the table so that the digital readout is at 90 degrees to the fence. Hit ZERO and put it on the fence facing the same direction as it was on the table and adjust the fence to 90. Box levels are magnetic, so they will typically stick to things like fences. It will change your world...
This is the BEST video of a product I have ever seen! I'm considering purchasing this model for my small shop, and you have helped me make the decision. Thank you for your time and effort in producing this excellent video.
Thank you for the kind words and I'm glad that my video helped. I will be coming out with a follow-up video of this WEN jointer and I am comparing it to my new Grizzly 8 inch jointer. It'll be a review of the good and the bad. If you're interested in owning a large scale jointer at some point, you may want to hold off on buying the WEN until you watch the next video. I promise.....It'll be loading with EVERY detail concerning these purchases and the overall performance. Thanks for watching.
Bro just so you know the handle screws are spring loaded. They did make a great design you didn’t need to unscrew anything. Just lift up on the plastic handle and reposition so they don’t come in contact with one another
Thank you for the kind words. I think that you will really enjoy it. I've been using it a lot lately, and so far so good. The fence has remained at 90 degrees so far. Please stay tuned because I will be posted a video very soon in which I put it to the test with large dimension Douglas Fur beams.
That is very true. I didn't even notice the spring until I had already removed the screw. Thank you for sharing that. I hope that it will help some people out.
Just a heads up, the plastic levers on the fence are adjustable without tools. If you pull "up" on the plastic, it unlocks/disengages the lever allowing you to rotate the lever without tightening/loosening the bolt it is attached to.
I'm sorry. I didn't realize that until after I had already made the video and published it. But thank you for watching and pointing that out to everyone.
This is one of the best reviews I've seen in quite some time....: Clear, concise and informative. Thank you for taking the time to post this. Subscribed. 👍
Thank you for your review. I want to get a jointer but they're a bit pricey for me at the moment. I'm wondering about the WEN 6" jointer. You and 731Woodworks both only reviewed the 8" saying nothing about the 6" but you compared it to 2 6" models. It a bit of a price jump between the WEN 6" & 8" so I'm wondering if the 8" is that much better? Again, thank you for your effort for us. PS: The 6" has a spiral head as well.
I got my Wen about a moth ago.. Everything was level and ready to go out of the box. The only item that is damaged is the plastic handle on the sliding portion of the fence bracket. Works great!!
I'm sorry to hear about the damaged handle. I wonder if they could send you a replacement. I'm glad that you are enjoying your new WEN. I'm gonna be posting a very useful 1 TEAR REVIEW video of the WEN jointer within the next 3 weeks. It'll have a lot of additional info for you. Thanks for watching and sharing
@@angrybeaverwoodworks I have replaced it, so I did not think it was a big deal at all.. I am very happy with it and it is a workhorse in my little shop. I am waiting to hear about your Wen Drill Press review. I am thinking about purchasing the same drill press soon. Thanks!! Rick
@@rickpouley2857 That's great news.... And as for the Drill Press.... I am currently filming that video as we speak. It will be released very soon. Probably within the next 2 weeks at most. It has all of the GOOD, BAD, and ways to improve the process. There will also be an additional video that will piggy back from that and I will be designing and building an upgraded drill press table attachment with internal dust collection, clamping features, and vacuum attachments. Stay tuned
I love the spiral blades. Far more quiet than the straight blades. Far easier to sharpen - and longer lived. Better quality cuts - especially on complex woods with difficult grains.
Thank you for sharing this. I researched them all and for my needs and the price I chose this and their 13” planer with the same cutting head. I’m just a hobbyist so I chose these two after initially purchasing the Dewalt 735x planer with the stand, side tables and extra blades which worked out to about the same price as me purchasing the wen planer and 8” jointer. Made more sense for my needs. Great job on the video, thanks again.
i got mind today and set it up,,fence was square from the get go,,now i did have trouble with the 4 screws,,but i actually think alot of it was me,,,,,after set up i was getting snipe at the end of the board,,and on you tube they show you what to do,,,,,,run about 3 inches across the cutter head,,cut the machine off,,,unplug it ,,and now remove the first 2 screws closet to cutterhead,,,,with the board you just ran 3 inches into the cutterhead,,,raise your outfeed table till it is in line with the bottom of the wood,,,,,that took care of the problem,,,(you might have to raise it just a little higher to allow for the tighten of the allen screws,,,)
@Rosetta Stoned Mine has been doing okay so far. I have done some light work and some heavy duty work with it. I wouldn't say that I have TRULY put it to the test yet. It's still pretty new. A few people have asked for an updated video review of this model, so I will be doing that in the near future. I've knocked the fence out of square twice so far. Let's see what happens.
just ordered this yesterday from Lowes they were having a promotion 20% off your first purchase on a Lowes card so after my cash down my 2 gift cards the 20% off it came down to 177.40 not to bad, thanks for the video
So far, So good. I haven't had any issues yet, but the latest projects have been small scale. I will REALLY find out on January 2nd. I will be using it on 14 long Douglas Fur 4x4 beams for an upcoming video and we'll see if it truly remains square. Thanks for the comment.
i bet i have watched this video a half a dozen times,,mine is supposed to be here from home depot tomorrow,,,,even if you buy another a floor model ,,a 6 inch,,i would think it would be worth it to have this one for the 8 inch size,,actually my main concern is the fence,,lol,,i noticed that grizzly has the same machine for a 100 dollars more,,,and you can get the carbide cutters from them also,,they are 14x14x2mm
The fence CAN be an issue if you put TOO much pressure up against it. But I have heard that this is common with alot of brands and models. I was large douglas fur beams and I was pushing to hard. I ended up knocking the fence out of alignment by a small amount. I didn't get a 90 degree angle. So I had to adjust the fence and start over.......MY FAULT
You are absolutely correct. I wanted to do the fine tuning in a different video because I thought that it would drag out this video. I just never got around to it. I need to do a follow-up video one day because I've been having issues with keeping the WEN aligned properly.
He's talking about a $400 benchtop jointer and you throw your hat into the ring with a $30,000 state of the art piece of industrial machinery that only a business would purchase. I think you commented on the wrong video lol...
does your jointer have swirl marks on the beds,,i bought the same one and mine has swirl marks all over both beds,,and i have allready cut into the outfeed table
No. Both of the beds were very clean when I purchased this unit. There wasn't any swirl marks. As for cutting into your outfeed table. I'm pretty sure that you have some serious alignment issues. Please look down below in the comments. You will find a comment left by Robert McNally. He has done a great job describing how he fixed his table alignment. I hope that this helps.
you actually should make another video about this,,,you are one more great teacher,,i returned mine but am thinking about ordering another one,,,but in all honestly,,i believe reguardless of what brand anyone orders all of them are cheaply made,,,,,and all of them have the 4 screw adjustments on the bed,,,other than the 6 in jet but needless to say ,,thats a 1000 dollars for a 6 inch benchtop jointer,,but i thought i would give wen one more chance,,lol,,,
I will be making a review video of this jointer very soon. A few people have had some adjustment issues and others have been asking about the durability. I have used it for light work and some heavy work. I'm planning to do a complete REVIEW / DEEP DIVE video within the next few weeks to discuss issues and solutions.
I was using a 14 gallon shop vac with the 2 1/2" adapter. It was working fine, but if you're doing alot of work, the shop vac will fill up pretty fast. I've upgraded to a dust collection system now. Hope that helps
My Wen came where the infeed table is not parallel with the outfeed table. You didn't seems to have this problem, so I didn't get to see a solution! :(
You are NOT the only person that has told me about that problem. I am very sorry to hear that. I have had a few people mention the same issue and I am currently researching it for the WEN 1 Year Review video that I am currently working on. I am hoping to find a solution to this problem. The video will be finished in a few weeks. I know that you probably can not wait for that, and I understand. Have you attempted to send the unit back and get a replacement? Please keep me updated.
Does the extension table come off I have a pre built rotating stand that 33 1/2 and was wondering if the bars are removable so they won’t hit the sides when rotating.
I am having hell trying to get my in-feed and out-feed level. I’ve taken the bolts off to access the set screws under but it seems that the cutter head is not level across the table from the fence to the outside edge. Can you offer some suggestions on where to start leveling? Do I make sure the in-feed table is level with the cutter head first?!
I never removed any bolts to access underneath the infeed and outfeed table. I simply loosened the main locking knob, leveled the tops, tightened the main knob back down, and reset the marker arrow. I never did any other adjustments to the tables and I didn't even touch the cutter head. BUT...... I will take a better look at mine tomorrow and see if I can help you find a solution.
@@angrybeaverwoodworks Got my 8" WEN just a few days ago 3/09/22. Both my tables were low across the cutter by a full 1/64th". After a few hours of adjustment frustration I took a different approach. I lowered the infeed table out of the way and then removed all four bolts from the out feed. Those four bolts are the only thing holding the table to the machine and the table will slide around and no longer be in line with the bolt holes. So be careful not to bang the chippers. I set up a stack of blocks and used a long tapered shim under the outfeed extension bar to keep the table from tipping down on the left. I then leveled the outfeed to where it should be coming off the cutters. Once I was happy with that I raised up the infeed table until I had a perfect straight line. Back, center, and front. I had to raise the infeed table levelers near the cutter a tweak to get my straight line. Tightened it all down and rechecked. I then reset the depth marker back to zero. I tested with an old bowed and twisted piece of 2x4. Using minimal cuts, the bow was gone in 5 passings. The joint edge took 2. The cut was amazing. Dead on 90 degrees and the nicest surface I ever got from any planer especially on a piece of pine with knots. Good luck.
@@bobmc1242 I'm sorry to hear that you had to go through so much work and frustration. That is some pretty intense fine tuning that you described. I'm very glad that you got it dialed in. I didn't have to deal with that issue, but thank you for sharing your solution. @Ken Awtry was having a hard time with his as well. Maybe your method will help him out.
I own several WEN tools. They are all functional and mostly do what they were meant to do, but let's not kid ourselves. WEN is the choice of people that don't have the money or the justification to buy anything better. They are a great brand to start with for newbies and hobbyists, but if you're planning on making a business out of woodworking, save up for better tools. WEN tools won't hold up for long under the heavy use that they would see in a commercial production shop.
I apologize. I originally posted a reply but RU-vid was only showing half of your comment. It is true that there are several brands on the market that offer HUGE price differences. It's like comparing the big names to Ryobi. This is actually my 1st jointer. One day I'm sure that I will upgrade to another brand when I have a larger shop, but this will work... for now. I just wanted to point out some of the features for those people that are looking for entry level equipment.
I have only used an 8ft section myself, but you could try. I was successful with my piece of lumber but it took a very steady hand to do it. I had to do several passes before it was straight.....good luck
They aren't supposed to be. Your out feed side should be slightly higher than the in feed side. This is so the wood remains level after cutting away thin layers of wood. If they were level you could run a board through until it's paper thin and it still wouldn't be square since it would just follow the twists and warps of the board.
@@JamesSmullinsNo, no manual, but online seems to talk about adjusting height with regard to the blades, but not in leveling them to each other. If both infeed and outfeed are aligned at the top of the blade, the infeed slopes down away from the blade, so the straightedge teeter-totters at the middle. I think I am just screwed. Thanks for the reply.
It's been working pretty good so far. I knocked it out of square twice but I was working with hardwood lumber and pressing down hard. Probably my own fault. I'm doing a follow-up review video soon
I don't know $400.00 bucks is kind of pricey for an aluminum bench top jointer, I would save my money and go for a full size 8 inch grizzy. Sure at $1300.00 it is more then 3 times the price but it is more than 10 times the tool. As the saying goes, buy once, cry once.
It's funny that you mention that. I just bought a Grizzly 8 inch planer last week. It's being delivered on Monday. I will be addressing your exact statement in one of my next videos because I agree with you. It's best to just save the $400 and wait until you can afford a better planer. That'll be the main topic. Thank you for commenting.
I'm sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your jointer. But I understand...... I keep knocking mine out of alignment. I don't think the fence design is good.
That's true regarding AL but the OP is not off...the paste wax does help to both keep a smooth surface and also makes the table easier to clean after use. Lastly, applying a wax or polish also decreases surface wear.