10 Best Benchtop Jointers in 2022

A benchtop jointer is a vital tool for anyone involved in woodwork. Whether it’s a hobby or a profession, you need the best benchtop jointer to make your wood attractive and durable. By flattening your warped or twisted wood, a benchtop jointer is the start of any carpentry process. It’s a must-have tool when it comes to planing lumber.

Benchtop jointers are small and useful, so if you plan on working on a small project with short pieces of wood, this device is the way to go. Fortunately, there’s a wide range available in stores and online. This article will take you through ten of the best available, with a guide on what to look out for.

These benchtop jointer reviews will show you ten of the best models available online, so you can find the right one to suit your needs.

View the Best Benchtop Jointer, Below.

• PORTER-CABLE PC160JT Jointer
• JET 707410 Jointer/Planer with Stand
• WEN JT630H Spiral Benchtop Jointer
• Shop Fox W1876 Benchtop Jointer with Spiral-Style Cutterhead
• CRAFTSMAN CMEW020 10 Amp Benchtop Jointer
• Wahuda Tools 50110CC-WHD Cutterhead Jointer
• Delta 37-071 6″ Bench Top Jointer
• WEN JT6561 Corded Benchtop Jointer
• RIKON Power Tools 20-600H Benchtop Jointer
• WEN JT833H Benchtop Jointer with Extendable Table

1. PORTER-CABLE PC160JT Jointer

Best Bench Jointer on a Budget (With Variable Speed)

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This Porter-Cable PC160JT jointer is a great option for woodworking on a budget. It offers fantastic value for money. It's one of the more affordable options yet still does the job with excellent precision. The Porter-Cable jointer is simple. The cutter head and jackscrew make easy adjustments. You can replace blades without any hassle if you need to.

Not only this, but the extra-large table gives further support while you level out your wood, with additional help from the fence in the center of the table. The best part of this budget jointer is the control it gives you while you work, as you can adjust the blade speed to the level you want. The blades feature variable speed.

In terms of value for money, this is one of the best benchtop jointers available. The adjustable speed gives you greater control. If you're looking for a reliable machine, you can't go wrong with a Porter-Cable benchtop jointer.

2. JET 707410 Jointer/Planer with Stand

Best Benchtop Jointer Two-in-One Model

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The JET 707410 Jointer Planer combo features precise adjustment knobs, a large dust port, and a telescoping guard. All of these features are must-haves! This two-in-one machine comes with a heavy-duty 13 amp motor and two high-speed steel straight knives to create smooth cuts. You'll also find a cord wrap, making this portable machine easy to transport from place to place. That makes it a perfect bench jointer if you're always on the go.

The large dust port helps keep your shop clean, and the telescoping blade guard improves safety. (Tip - if you like the look of this jointer but aren't entirely sold, why not check out the JET JJP 8bBT 8 instead?)

3. WEN JT630H Spiral Benchtop Jointer

One of the Best Benchtop Jointers

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Flatten boards effortlessly with the WEN 6-Inch Benchtop Jointer. This machine relies on 12 staggered HSS blades to cut through both soft and hardwoods. The 10 am motor rotates the cutting head at a speed of 12,000 per minute to power through thick boards. You can create angled cuts using the bevel fence.

We liked the added safety feature of the spring-loaded guard. This is an excellent spiral cutterhead jointer.

4. Shop Fox W1876 Benchtop Jointer with Spiral-Style Cutterhead

Best Spiral Cut with Carbide Indexable Inserts

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The Shop Fox W1876 Benchtop Jointer boasts a spiral-style cutterhead with carbide indexable inserts. The knob adjustable infeed table has a lock for safety and ultra-precision cutting adjustments. It comes with a full two-year warranty that includes parts.

We like the fact that this model has both an inch and a metric cut depth indicator. Tip - if you're looking for an equally good Shop Fox model, check out the Shop Fox W1829 benchtop jointer too!

5. CRAFTSMAN CMEW020 10 Amp Benchtop Jointer

Best Benchtop Jointer for Durability While you Work

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This brand have made the CRAFTSMAN CMEW020 benchtop jointer for efficiency. It comes with a useful dust port and filter bag, ensuring you can continue to work without excess dust. Also, the high blade speed remains at an impressive 22,000 cuts per minute. The adjustable fence level provides the same support. This CRAFTSMAN benchtop jointer improves on their smaller model by increasing the table size. This gives you a more spacious area to work in comfort.

In addition to this, it's constructed with a sturdy Aluminum base. Machined aluminum tables are sturdy, and this is no exception. This feature makes it very durable, preventing movement and vibration while you work with this power tool. Overall, this leads to greater precision while maintaining blade speed.

When it comes to power jointers, this one doesn't disappoint. It's a worthwhile upgrade on other Craftsman benchtop jointer models.

6. Wahuda Tools 50110CC-WHD Cutterhead Jointer

Heavy Duty Cast Iron Construction

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The Wahuda offers a 10-inch cut that creates a flat surface with no cupped wood. The spiral cutterhead has a four-sided insert carbide for precise cutting. The 120v motor creates 12,000 RPM for edging, flattening, jointing, and tapering. We liked the durable cast iron construction. It offers superb stability so you can work on large or long pieces of wood. In addition, the fence tilts at both 90 and 135 degrees for optimum versatility.

7. Delta 37-071 6″ Bench Top Jointer

Best Jointer for Easy Cleaning

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Delta power tools are known for their durability and this bench jointer is no exception. This benchtop jointer is a step above the rest, due to the new design of the aluminum cutter head. Cutter heads should be durable and work well, and Delta has seen to that. Get the smoothest possible finish for your wood.

The fence tilts 90˚ and 45˚  In/Out so you can adjust it to give the right support, and the sturdy cast iron tables prevent movement while you work. This Delta Power Tools 37 Jointer is also very easy to set up. It's equally easy to clean, thanks to the inclusion of a simple dust collection port. Also, Delta has conveniently included push blocks and all the other tools you may need.

The aluminum cutter head performs better than most benchtop jointers, giving your wood a smoother finish. The convenience of the easy setup and cleaning makes it stand out further.

8. WEN JT6561 Corded Benchtop Jointer

Best Jointer for Precison

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The Wahuda's 10-amp motor works with two 6 1/8 inch cutter heads at an impressive 20,000 RPM. With adjustments, the infeed table will make cuts that range from 0 to 1/8 inch deep. You can easily make unique workpieces. The bevel fence creates an angled cut of 45 degrees. This particular jointer comes with a complete dust collection system to help keep the shop clean.

The cast iron base and tabletop create a steady base with no wobbling or walking. The table measures 6-1/4 x 28-1/2-inch to provide ample workspace for large or small projects. The fence is also cast iron construction and can bevel at 45 degrees.

9. RIKON Power Tools 20-600H Benchtop Jointer

Best Jointer for Efficiency

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Our next benchtop jointer is the RIKON. This model boasts efficiency at an affordable price. The adjustable fence level means you can get the support you need for various wood sizes; it can alternate 90 to 45 degrees in either direction. The added dust chute and filter bag only further this efficiency. Both are included with the jointer table. It features helical cutter heads with 12 HHS blades.

The blades can cut up to ⅛ inch deep into your wood without difficulty, meaning it can deal with a range of lumber, creating uniform thickness and ensuring a straight edge. It also has a high blade speed, with 20,000 cuts per minute, comparable to other excellent models in this list.

The adjustable fence level and high blade speed make this a useful tool at an affordable price.

10. WEN JT833H Benchtop Jointer with Extendable Table

Best Jointer with an Extendable Table

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This jointer relies on a spiral cutterhead with 16 HSS blades to create a perfect finish on both softwood and hardwoods. It operates 12,000 times per minute for a powerful cut. You can adjust the infeed table from 0 to 1/8 inch with every pass to create a depth of cut scale. The bevel creates 45 degree angled cuts along the face of the boards.

The spring-loaded blade guard protects the user from injury. It only exposes a small section of the cutterhead during jointing to increase the machine's safety capacity. This jointer is fully compatible with the WEN BP510H replacement spiral blades.

The table is impressive. It measures 33 by 8 inches, but you can extend your table length up to 51 inches with the support ends. The added length lets you spend time on long workpieces with ease.

Benchtop Jointer Buyer’s Guide

Now that you’ve seen our picks for the best benchtop jointers available, it’s time to think about what you need to consider when buying one yourself. As you can tell from the reviews, benchtop jointers vary a lot in size, efficiency, and cutting speed. It’s a good idea to think about what you need from your benchtop jointer before making a decision in-store. You’ll also notice that they can vary in price, too, so it’s best to set a budget based on what projects you’re likely to work on.

Ask yourself what features you’re looking for. Do you want a closed stand jointer or a long bed jointer? If you’re cutting thick wood, you’ll need one with a good variable speed range for extra power. How about the cutting heads – should you opt for a spiral or a helical style cutter head?

(We have both a spiral cutter and a helical cutter head model on our list). Or maybe you’re looking for a two-blade cutter head. Whatever the features, we’ve got a model for you. Remember, the best benchtop jointer will be different for everyone, depending on their needs.

What Size Should it Be?

One of the most important things to take into account is the size of a benchtop jointer. Benchtop jointers are compact by nature, but they can still come in various sizes. Jointers with a larger bed width will give you more space to work in and will contribute to a more comfortable experience. However, as the jointer will be larger, you’ll need a bigger bench to place it on.

The size will increase as the number of features increases. Those jointers which boast a dust collection system (or even just a dust collection bag), a large tilting fence, and outfeed and infeed tables will take up more room. If you don’t need these features, you can probably save some space and money on a different model.

Furthermore, the bed size of your benchtop limits the width of the wood that can run through it. You should keep this in mind before purchasing a jointer. The cheapest benchtop jointer won’t have all the bells and whistles, but should still do the job.

But the size of the actual jointer isn’t the only thing to think about. You should also consider the blades and cutter head width, too.

Sturdiness

Another aspect to consider is the sturdiness and durability of a benchtop jointer. If you’ll be using this equipment regularly, you may want to invest in a jointer with a cast iron base, as it’s less likely to vibrate or slide around while in use. One problem with lighter benchtop jointers is the way they can move slightly while in use. A heavier base should stop this from happening.

A cast iron base and steel body will also make your jointer more durable. These are strong pieces of equipment that rarely get damaged, but a firmer material will prevent parts from falling out of place or becoming scratched through overuse.

However, this will also affect weight. A heavier jointer will be more sturdy, but this probably isn’t worth it if you also need to carry it between places of work.

Cutter Depth and Speed

Finally, you should think about the blades and blade speed you need for the work you’re doing. The faster the blades go, the quicker you’ll get the job done. But faster blade speed normally adds to the overall cost and can cause a lack of precision in some low-end models. It could make it more likely to vibrate too! If you want a faster blade speed, you should make sure it doesn’t limit the overall performance.

Some models, such as the Porter-Cable PC160JT, offer adjustable blade speed to give you more control. You may also opt for a quick depth setting mechanism. The blade lengths will affect how deep they cut into the wood. Cutting depth is important as it will determine how many times you need to run the wood through your jointer before it becomes level.

A larger maximum depth will be more efficient, but ½ to ¾ of an inch is the standard you can expect. Even the best benchtop jointer models can often be challenging to assemble, with many benchtop jointer reviews suggesting the instructions are hard to understand. So take the time to make sure you assemble yours correctly.

Did You Know?

After using it, applying mineral spirits and wax to a jointer can keep it clean and help the wood slide easily through it.