Combination jointer/planers have shorter beds than stand-alone jointers, so working with boards longer than 6' on the 12" machines and 4' on the 10" model can be cumbersome. we prefer the smooth-ground cast-iron tables on the grizzly, hammer, and rikon 12" models to the ribbed cast-iron tables, shown below , on the 12" jet and the milled. The primary difference between jointer and planer tools is that a jointer shores up the edges on a piece of wood while a planer removes a portion of the thickness from that wood. using a combo tool helps you create boards and sheets that are perfectly smooth as well as even and level..
