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Jointer vs. Planer: Ultimate Guide (2026)
Jointer’s primary job is to make one flat face and one square edge. Meanwhile, the planer makes the second face of a board flat and parallel to the first one. However, you should remember that you need both machines to turn wood into a S4S board.
So what is the basic difference between planer and jointer? This guide will explain which is the best machine to buy or should you buy only a jointer or planer for woodworking?
What Is a Jointer?
（Source: felder-group）
Basic Definition and Purpose
A jointer is a woodworking machine that creates a perfectly flat surface along the length of a board. Originally, woodworkers used long hand planes to achieve this, but a power jointer automates the process. You use it primarily to flatten one face and square up one edge of a board.
How a Jointer Works
The machine features two tables: an infeed table and an outfeed table. A spinning cutter head sits between them. First, you adjust the infeed table to determine the depth of the cut. As you slide the wood over the cutter head, it shaves off the high spots. Consequently, the wood becomes flat as it moves onto the outfeed table.
Pros and Cons of Using a Jointer
Pour :
- It removes twists, cups, and bows from rough lumber.
- The fence allows you to create a perfect 90-degree angle between the face and the edge.
- You can use it for specialty cuts such as chamfers and rabbets.
Cons:
- It cannot make two opposite sides parallel.
- You are limited by the width of the cutter head, which is often 6 or 8 inches.
- This machine will not help you achieve a specific thickness.
What Is a Planer?
（Source: DeWalt）
Basic Definition and Purpose
A planer, often called a thicknesser, is a tool used to make a board a consistent thickness throughout its length. While a jointer focuses on flatness, a planer focuses on parallel surfaces. You need this tool to ensure that the top of your board is exactly the same distance from the bottom at every point.
How a Planer Works
Inside the machine, the cutter head is mounted above the table. Power rollers grab the wood and pull it through. The table serves as a reference point. Because the blades are fixed at a specific height above the table, they shave the top of the wood until the board reaches your desired thickness.
Pros and Cons of Using a Planer
Pour :
- It creates a uniform thickness across multiple boards.
- The machine can handle wider boards than most hobbyist jointers.
- It saves an incredible amount of time compared to hand-sanding or hand-planing.
Cons:
- It will not remove a warp or twist on its own.
- If you feed a bowed board into a planer, the rollers will press it flat while cutting, but it will spring back to its original shape later.
- You should generally avoid using it without a flat reference face.
Choosing the Right Cutterhead
You must choose between traditional lames de rabot and modern technology for your wood planer or jointer. This decision affects the quality of your wood surfaces and your daily work environment. You will find that switching to a high-performance system saves you time and reduces noise in your shop.
The Tradition of HSS Straight Knives
Originally, most woodworking machines used HSS Straight Knives to plane wood. First, these are single, long steel blades. Then, in turn, you have to sharpen the entire edge if it becomes dull or gets a nick from a staple. This often just takes a lot of time to align the knives perfectly in the machine head.
Many users on public forums mention that straight knives work good for softwoods but struggle with hardwood grain. You should generally avoid these if you work with expensive, figured wood because they often cause tear-out.
The Modern Helical Cutterhead and Carbide Inserts
Next, you should look at the Helical Cutterhead. It just means the tool uses many small Insert en carbure arranged in a spiral pattern around the head. To begin, this design provides significant noise reduction. Consequently, your shop stays much quieter while the machine runs. After awhile, you will notice that the shear cut action prevents wood fibers from pulling.
This is a helpful feature when you work with curly maple or oak. First, you need to understand that carbide stays sharp much longer than standard steel blades.
Practical Benefits and Cost-Effectiveness
First, you need to consider the surface finish quality. Because the inserts cut at an angle, they produce a smooth finish even on difficult grain patterns. Then, you should think about maintenance efficiency. If you hit a nail, you only rotate a single insert rather than replacing an entire blade.
Best way to do this is to use a torque wrench to ensure every insert is tight. Also, these carbide tips are very durable. So, aside from the initial cost, they are more cost-effective over time. Because the last thing you want to do is spend hours sharpening blades.
Important Differences Between Jointers and Planers
You must understand that these tools are partners, not competitors. They solve different geometric problems during the milling process.
Primary Functions Compared
Caractéristique | Jointer | Planer |
Primary Goal | Flattening and Squaring | Thicknessing and Paralleling |
Reference Surface | The machine table | The face of the board touching the bed |
Cutter Location | Underneath the wood | Above the wood |
Feeding Method | Manual push | Automatic rollers |
Flattening vs. Thicknessing
Starting off, the jointer handles the “truing” of the wood. It removes the “banana” shape from a board. On the other hand, the planer handles the “sizing.” If you want a 1-inch board to become exactly 3/4 of an inch, the planer is the only tool for the job.
Blade Placement Differences
At the onset, notice that a jointer has its blades flush with the outfeed table. You are pushing the wood down and across. Meanwhile, a planer has the blades suspended above. This orientation is why a planer can make a board thinner but cannot make it straight if the bottom is curved.
Output Characteristics
A jointer produces one flat face or one square edge. It does not care about the other side of the board. Next, the planer takes that flat face and creates a second flat face that is perfectly parallel to the first. Without the jointer, your planer might just create a thinner, still-warped board.
Typical Machine Sizes and Capacities
In terms of size, jointers are usually narrower. Most home shops have a 6-inch or 8-inch jointer. Planers are typically wider, with common benchtop models reaching 12 or 13 inches. This often just means you can plane wider boards than you can joint.
When and Why You Need Each Tool
Order of Use in Woodworking
The sequence of your work is vital. First, you need to flatten one face on the jointer. After that, you should square one edge on the jointer by holding the flat face against the fence. Then, you should move to the planer. You place the flat, jointed face down on the planer bed. Finally, make sure to run the board through until the top face is parallel and the board reaches your target thickness.
Examples of Use Cases
Imagine you are building a tabletop. You will need to glue several boards together. First, of course, you use the jointer to make the edges perfectly straight so there are no gaps. Then, after the glue dries, you can use the planer to make the entire assembly a uniform thickness.
What Happens if You Skip One
If you skip the jointer, your boards will likely have twists. This will happen even if they look smooth because the planer just follows the existing curves. If you skip the planer, you will have a flat board that is thick at one end and thin at the other. There is no way to know if your furniture will be level if the wood is not a consistent thickness.
Conclusion
A jointer creates the first flat reference surface and a square edge. Then, the planer uses that reference to create a parallel face and a specific thickness. Using them together is the best way to do this. You should be able to produce perfect lumber every time by following this workflow.
FAQ
Can a jointer replace a planer?
No, it cannot. While you can flatten both sides of a board on a jointer, there is no way to guarantee they are parallel. You would likely end up with a wedge-shaped board. A planer is a helpful addition because it handles the thicknessing that a jointer simply cannot do.
Can a planer replace a jointer?
In some cases, yes. You can use a “planer sled” to flatten a face. This involves shimming the board so it does not rock. It just means more setup time. However, for squaring edges, you would still need a table saw or a different jig.
Which should you buy first?
Most experts suggest buying a planer first. You can buy S2S lumber which is already flat but needs thicknessing. Furthermore, you can use jigs to make a planer act like a jointer. Until then, the planer is more versatile for a small shop.
Would you like me to expand on the specific types of jigs you can use to make a planer act like a jointer?
