JET Reviews

I have a RBI Hawk Scroll Saw and this sander is every bit a tool as the Saw. It is the perfect compliment for what I do. It is one of the very best if not the best.

I've had a Delta BOSS spindle sander for ~5 years and it worked well until the motor burned out. Repairing it would cost almost as much as a new one, and even if repaired its longevity was questionable (other than that I've been pleased with its performance), so I looked for a replacement and settled on the Jet. I've used the Jet and it does the job intended. However, it has some areas in which it could be easily improved. Following are some comparisons between the Jet and the Delta.

1) The Jet is slightly quieter than the Delta, but not a lot - neither is a loud tool.
2) The Delta's round table is larger than the Jet's square one. The Jet's table is beefier (the Delta's never showed any tendency to flex).
3) The Delta's base is plastic, while the Jet is all metal. The feet for the Delta are molded into its base, with non-skid rubber inserts attached - all four of the molded feet are cracked, though this never caused a problem. The Jet has non-slip feet as well, and given the construction I don't think they'll be cracking or breaking off.
4) The Delta's mechanism is simple and looked robust enough. I've read that people have had problems with the nylon drive gear - I did not. However, the cover for the gears broke off at some point.
5) The Delta's steel table inserts fit around the spindles well (one for each spindle), with a pattern cut into them to improve dust collection. Delta has modified the BOSS since, and I don't know if its inserts are still steel. There are fewer inserts (also steel) for the Jet (one size is used for multiple spindles). The table inserts in the Jet aren't flush with the cast iron table top, necessitating shimming them.
6) The Delta has storage for all its accessories. The Jet has storage for some of its accessories. There's storage for the spindles and inserts, but no provision for storing the supplied wrenches required for changing the spindles. Also, there's no storage for the optional 3" spindle and insert. The Jet's insert holder slots are too narrow for the inserts to slip into (they can be forced). Some filing of the holder would correct this for the most part, but the mounting bolts will restrict the depth to which the insert can fit in the innermost slot. Some of the holes in the spindle holder are too small for the spindle to seat into completely.
7) The Delta comes with the full range of spindles (up the 3"). The Jet comes with smaller sizes (down to 1/4"), but the 3" spindle is a costly add-on (and its insert is extra).
8) The Delta is almost too tall while sitting on the benchtop (I'm 5' 9"). The Jet is ~3" taller, so it's too tall for benchtop use for me. I built it a rolling stand that puts it at a more comfortable height. This also solved the problem of lifting the Jet onto the bench - it weighs considerably more than the Delta.
9) The Jet's spindles are ~1" longer than the Delta's, but given the Jet's tilting table feature, in normal (right angle) use the extra length is lost, and the capacities of these sanders are similar.
10) The Delta's dust collection is efficient (when hooked up to a shop vacuum or dust collector - the bag is useless). The Jet is much more open underneath (between the table and the base, to accommodate the tilt feature), so dust collection suffers. I've experimented with some thin plastic sheeting to enclose this volume better). Both tools have odd-sized dust ports.
11) The Jet has twice the horsepower of the Delta (1/2 versus 1/4), but I never bogged down the Delta (these are fairly aggressive sanders, so light pressure is the norm). The Delta's motor is an open design (i.e., dust can get in) with no built-in fan, whereas the Jet has a TEFC motor.
12) The Jet costs ~$150 more than the Delta.

Bottom line: The Jet is a more solidly built machine, and appears to be constructed for the long haul. It has some rough edges that, if corrected, would take it from "very good" to "excellent". Given the extra $150 cost compared to the Delta, Jet should make these corrections. Even as is I'd classify it as a "keeper". The Delta is a decent machine for the money, but my experience with the motor kept me from buying another like it. I own a number of Delta tools (stationary and benchtop), many 15 years old or more, and this is the first failure I've experienced with one.

Have had this tool for about a year now, and would rather give up my routers than this (though I mostly work 'unplugged' anyway)

If there is a fault at all, I'd say the tilt locking mechanism is a little flimsy - do check for true if you tap the front edge with your work. Having said that, I wouldn't swap it out for a fixed top model - too useful, and it may just be that I'm a little too oafish :)

This is a fine saw, but the fence doesn't stay level to the piece being cut! I've adjusted the fence numerous times, but each time I lock it into place, it veers to the left. I have to press forward on the fence to keep it from moving to the left and I still end up with ripped pieces that are off by 1/8 to 1/16.

J.M.E

Once I got the boxes opened and inspected the pieces, I knew the quality had to be there. I took five hours to assemble this saw, taking my time to read and understand all the instructions first. The saw went together without a single hitch. Out of the box the saw was cutting perfectly straight. I readjusted the ripping fence one time to fine tune the cut and I was cutting perfectly. The fence glides along the top of the table with ease. This saw is very quiet when operating. The 10" blade made quick work of the 2x4's and sheets of plywood I ran through the saw. Using the HTC mobile base with the Jet Saw makes it very easy to move around the garage. This is one great saw.

Well, indeed it is a very nice saw with very little vibration. I really had doubts about the "nice" reviews thinking they came from Jet salespeople. Setup could be improved. I took longer because I want to do it right the first time, and with the help of my wife, she was able to figure out the ones I got lost on, i.e., Mounting the motor. You go gurl! Can't wait to test it completely, creating everything I can imagine, and ordered to create under the sun. If you are trying to decide between Delta 36-444 or that... DeWalt, you can't go wrong on this table saw. Don't forget to order the HTC Universal Mobile base. It's a dandy.

This base works very well with my JET table saw (as it should). Easy to assemble, and once the saw is on it, moves around my garage very smoothly. The only downside is that you need 2 people to put it on the saw because the table saw weighs 200 lbs so you can't exactly lift the saw and slide the base under it yourself.

Great bases I have then on everything in the shop. I built a new torsion box table that is 40 X 90 " and wanted it mobile. It weighs about 400 lbs, so a universal base with 1 1/2" angle iron for length extensions. Works great...

I bought two of these units. Easy to assemble and use. I will be buying more as needed.

For the price, this is a wonderful saw. My only regret is that I didn't get the cast iron wings.

This saw is plenty powerful, and quite good. I replaced the miter guage, and that has worked out nicely. The fence is adequate, but I always measure just to be sure.

I'm very happy with this purchase!

I bought my saw over seven years ago, before Jet changed to the white color. Aside from a few minor adjustments to the fence, this saw was flawless out of the box.

After dozens of jobsites cutting everything from pine to poplar to oak to MDF to framing lumber, this saw still performs like it was new. I have even had to chase away a mason who thought it would be fine to shove a cement covered 2x10 through. We build houses and additions and this saw is on the job from start to finish - framing, siding, exterior trim, interior trim and finish cabinetry. I still have it wired for 115 volts, and as long as I am on a short cord, I have never had a problem. A little steel wool and lubricant keeps the table and fence clean.

I decided to write this review while I was online shopping for another one. The only downside to this machine is that I can't have on two jobs at the same time. Dollar for dollar, this is the best tool on the job.

I picked mine up at Costco at a significant discount. This has performed well for me. The only change I have made to it is that I upgraded the standard V belt to a link-belt. The top was flat and the saw was easy to assemble and the vibration is non-existent. It passed the "nickel test" with flying colors. The fence is accurate and holds well. The miter gauge was pretty basic (to be expected). I replaced mine with an Incra V-27. The only other downside is that it will bog down a bit when ripping VERY thick wood (2" plus).

Very satisfied with this saw.

I want this review to be helpful to all who may read it so I have divided my comments into four sections, 1) My motivation for purchasing the Jet 1442, 2) My experience with the packing and shipping of this heavy machine, 3) My thoughts on the assembly of the Jet 1442, and 4) My experience using the Jet 1442.

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My Motivation for Purchasing the Jet 1442

I have been looking for a heavy duty lathe for quite a while. I was looking for a lathe that was powerful enough to swing large diameter spindle and bowl blanks. I wanted a machine that was heavy enough so blanks that were severely out of round or blanks of uneven density would not cause the lathe to vibrate excessively. I didn't want a lathe that required 2 or 3 hundred pounds of sand bag ballast added to the lower shelf just to make it stable. It doesn't make sense to me to purchase an expensive machine and then have to add unsightly ballast just to make it useable.

I was looking for a lathe with variable speed motor so I could rough out large diameter, rough cut, unbalanced blanks at low speeds and still turn smaller diameter blanks at higher speeds. I was also looking for a lathe with a motor that had enough power so it would not bog down when cutting at the lower speeds.

After reading quite a bit of literature on the subject I decided limit my search to lathes with motors of 1 hp or greater and to ignore the many lathes on the market equipped with 1/2 hp or 3/4 hp motors.

I wanted a machine that had a wide footprint for stability and was heavy enough to dampen vibration when turning uneven stock. Therefore I limited my search by not considering any lathes with light weight stamped steel stands, and I focused my attention on machines with a heavy cast iron bed and heavy cast iron legs.

I also wanted a lathe whose headstock could slide the length of the bed and could rotate through 180 degrees for turning bowls off the edge of the bed so I did not consider any lathes with fixed headstocks.

Other criterion that was important to me was a machine with a large distance between centers so I could turn long spindles. I wanted an economical machine that either ran from, or could be wired for 220 volts which would reduce the load current by half and keep my electrical meter spinning at a much slower rate.

My search eventually led me to the Jet 1442. The Jet 1442 met all of the specifications I was looking for. It has a 1 hp motor, a sliding and rotating headstock, a sturdy tail stock, a continuous cast iron bed and a pair of heavy cast iron legs. The headstock, tailstock, tool rest, and bed weigh in at 200 pounds and the legs add another 160 pounds for a total machine weight of 360 pounds, so it can absorb a great deal of vibration. It has a variable speed motor that can be adjusted in 8 steps through a range of 450 to 3000 RPM. It can swing a 14 inch blank over the bed and a 10 inch blank over the tool rest. The user manual claims it can handle up to 42 inch long blanks. According to the literature you can also purchase a 20 inch bed extension, or a 57 inch bed extension with legs. This gave me a greater sense of security knowing that I would not be locked into a 42 inch bed should I ever need to turn longer spindles. So it gives me room for growth.

The Jet 1442 comes pre-wired for 110 volts but it can be re-wired for 220 volt operation. I also liked the fact that both the headstock and tailstock used MT-2 taper centers, and that the tail stock center travel was specified to be 4 inches.

I first saw the jet 1442 in the showroom of the local Quality Woodworking store and I was very impressed. It was a great deal more massive machine than pictures on the internet would suggest. I left the show room with a fairly high interest in this machine. My interest was tweaked further when Amazon.com began offering the 1442 on sale, with free shipping, coupled with a $25.00 off promotion. My interest was heightened even further after reading all of the very positive 4 star and 5 star reviews on the Amazon website by people who had recently purchased this machine. I finally made the decision to buy this bad boy after I checked my back issues of American Woodworker and found a product comparison article for lathes in the January 2003 edition (pages 88-97). In this comparison a total of 18 lathes were tested and American Woodworker awarded the 1442 the Editors choice award for lathes in the $800 to $1,350 price range. This article featured several of the 1442 attributes, which proved to be very informative and helped me to better understand the quality of the machine.

In all my pre buy research, I did not come across a single negative associated with this lathe, so I took the leap and purchased it. As an added bonus, the price I paid through Amazon was $209 cheaper than what I would have paid had I purchased the showroom machine. After I purchased the lathe the price through Amazon was raised by $157.51 so by placing my order when I did I actually saved $366.51. Every so often a good deal comes our way. In this case, this was my good deal.

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My Experience with Packing and Shipping

The packing for this heavy machine was excellent. The tool rest, headstock and tailstock came attached to the lathe bed. The entire lathe assembly was wrapped in a very thick plastic cover and packed in one carton. The carton consisted of a well built wooden pallet with a hardwood moisture proofed bed on top. The lathe bed was bolted to the moisture proof bed. The pallet was surrounded by heavy gauge cardboard. Extra thick cardboard stiffeners were added to the inside of the package and then the box was banded to the pallet with two steel bands. The carton was marked as being 215 pounds gross weight. The stiffeners were about 3/4 inch thick. They were so sturdy I decided to keep them and use them as protective pads for the top of my work bench.

The two legs were shipped in a separate heavy card board carton. They were each embedded in thick molded Styrofoam and packaged one on top of the other. This carton was marked as being 160 pounds gross weight.

The delivery truck had a lift gate and a hand operated battery powered forklift. The driver unloaded both cartons and wheeled them into my shop. Because the lathe reached my door step in perfect condition, and since this was the best delivery service I had ever experienced with heavy tools of this type, I gave the driver a big tip, and it was worth it. I have included photos of the packaging in the "User Supplied Pictures" section below Amazon's picture of the lathe

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My Thoughts on the Assembly of the Jet 1442

This lathe is a very heavy piece of machinery. If you buy this big boy I strongly suggest you have the help of one other person to assemble it. In my case, I just couldn't wait for another person so I did all the assembly myself. The assembly itself is very simple. There are only 8 bolts and 4 adjustable feet to install. What makes it difficult is the extreme weight of the lathe. There are a couple of tricks I used to get around the weight issue.

First I opened the carton that contained the legs. I turned it on end so the legs were standing vertical, and then pulled each leg out by rocking it forward and out of the carton. The legs are balanced enough to stand on their own so I left them standing on the side of the shop. I then removed the cardboard sides from the lathe carton, which gave me room to remove the tail stock, the tool rest and the head stock from the lathe bed. I then removed the lag bolts that held the bed to the shipping pallet.

Some time ago I built a heavy duty roll around that as luck would have it, was about 2 1/2 inches higher than the legs of the lathe. I lifted the lathe bed up onto the roll around and used it to roll the bed to the area of the shop where the lathe was to be located. I then added the adjustable feet to the legs and teeter-walked them into position beneath the lathe bed.

I placed scraps of wood under the legs to raise them up by about 2 1/2 inches until they mated with the lathe bed. I then bolted the legs to the lathe bed, and removed the roll around. I used two levels placed on the lathe bed, at 90 degrees to one another, and a hydraulic floor jack to raise first one end of the lathe then the other to adjust the feet for level. The floor jack made this leveling operation fast and easy.

I used mineral spirits to clean all the machined cast iron areas of the bed, head stock, tail stock and tool rest, and then I applied a light coat of Johnson and Johnson paste floor wax to keep these areas from rusting.

I then attached the very heavy headstock, the tool rest and the tailstock, plugged it in and verified it worked. Tomorrow morning my back will tell me if I should have had the help of a second person.

After I installed the drive center and spur center I moved the tail stock as close to the head stock as possible until the centers were almost touching one another. I had hoped that the center pins of the two centers would line up perfectly but they did not. The two were misaligned by about a 1/16th inch. I'm not sure how to adjust this and right now I'm not even sure if an adjustment is called for. I think I will seek out more experienced opinions before I do anything.

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My Experience Using the Jet 1442

My first use of this lathe was to turn a 5 1/2 inch diameter, 35 inch long fluted column with 6 1/4 inch pommels at both ends out of a glued up poplar blank.

After the column was turned I wanted to be able cut the column in half lengthwise to produce two identical half columns. To accomplish this I needed to make the blank so it was easily separable lengthwise into halves. I milled down 4 pieces of poplar stock so that all were of identical size. I then made two glue ups, each consisting two pieces of stock, to form the two halves of the blank. I then glued the two blank halves together with a piece of heavy brown wrapping paper in between the two. The brown paper created a "weak" joint that could be easily split with a blade and mallet after the turning was complete. When glue up was complete the blank weighed 38 pounds. It was 35 inches long, and 6 1/4 inches on a side, which is a pretty hefty hunk of wood.

I didn't want the blank flying apart when I started turning so for safety's sake I drilled 4 holes, 2 on each end in the flat part of the pommels and inserted 4, six inch lag bolts to add strength across the brown paper boundary and help hold the two section blank together.

I spent two days turning the column and two additional days of sanding it smooth. The finished column was close to being perfect. The two halves of the column remained glued together and there was only a minor indication of the two beginning to separate during the turning.

I was concerned about turning such a heavy and long piece using just the head stock and tail stock centers. I contemplated using a faceplate for greater strength but rejected that idea when I couldn't guarantee that I could get it exactly centered on the end of the blank. When turning pommels or coved ends on a column it is imperative that the blank be mounted dead center, other wise the square parts of the pommel and the round part of the column will be off center with respect to one another and it will result in a very noticeable error. Fortunately the four spur drive center and the 60 degree spur center with bearings that are supplied with the lathe worked great. I had no problem at all with this heavy piece coming loose.

During the turning of this heavy blank, there was absolutely no vibration in this very massive lathe. Before I started, I placed pencil marks on the shop floor that outlined the position of the lathe legs. When the turning was complete, the legs were still within the penciled outlines indicating the lathe had not moved even the slightest amount. Since I did not have to add any extra sand bag ballast to keep the lathe steady, this really made my day, and validated my decision to purchase this heavy machine over one of the lighter models.

I added the flutes to the column using a home built jig consisting of a cradle to hold the round column, with a router table and guide on top. I used a plunge router to route a flute the length of the column and I repeated this every 20 degrees around the column circumference. I simply rotated the column in its cradle until the flute line lined up with the center line of the router guide and then made the cut, and then repeated the procedure until all flutes were cut. I removed the 4 lag bolts and split the column lengthwise into two identical halves by forcing a thin blade in the brown paper intersection of the two column halves. Check out the pictures of this lathe and column in the "User Supplied Pictures" section below Amazon's picture of the lathe.

Other features to note about this lathe are:
1.The headstock has 12 holes on the spindle spaced at 30 degree intervals, and three threaded holes spaced at 20 degree intervals in the headstock casting. Using the supplied threaded indexing pin and a combination of these two sets of index holes allows the user to rotate and lock the piece mounted on the lathe in 10 degree increments.
2.The lathe has a variable speed control that can be adjusted when the lathe is turning. Variable speed is accomplished by changing the diameters of the motor and head stock belt pulleys, effectively changing the "gear" ratio between the two.
3.The headstock slides the entire length of the bed and can be rotated a full 360 degrees for turning bowls or blanks larger than 14 inches.
4.The lathe comes with a tool rest extension for turning bowls.

During the time I spent on this column project, I got to know and feel comfortable with this lathe. I am glad I invested the effort researching lathes because I'm pretty sure that I ended up with a high quality machine that will provide years of heavy duty use and more than likely will never have to be replaced by a "better machine". Would I buy this lathe again? The answer is a definite yes.

I purchased this lathe because of the reviews. I couldn't be more satisfied. It is heavy and I took the pieces apart and carried it up to my shop above the garage. The legs are the same color as the rest of the unit unlike one reviewer commented. When I started it up I found it to be quiet and smooth. I set a nickel on edge on the unit and was able to turn it on and run it without knocking the coin over. Everything fit together well. Now I need to get some knives and start cutting something up!

I am very pleased with this lathe. The quality,in all aspects, is outstanding. I did not relate to how heavy the machine was until I received it. Purchase with legs is highly recommended.
The speed change is a little stiff, but I believe it will improve as I use it.

I agree with all the good things said about this saw's power, smoothness, and quietness. BUT... the odd blade size means you'll pay more and have to special order - that's takes time.
But the real killer design flaw in this machine is the lower guide arrangement. It's virtually inaccesible, even with the special hex wrench Jet gives you (lose that puppy and you're SOL). The guide wheels secure with thumbscrews that an average hand can't reach without mangling your flesh, and there's so little room you can't wear gloves. The guide base flops all around and is hard to see and almost impossible to align properly. I've been using bandsaws for 40 years - so I KNOW it needn't take half an hour to change a blade, then another half hour to readjust it over and over.
If you change blades often, stay away!

Overall, I need to get the fence and do some more serious cuts before making a final evaluation. From what I've seen so far, this machine does not meet my expectations.

The set-up was pretty straightforward. I did it myself in about three hours. Luckily, the local delivery came in a lift gate truck. The driver helped me take the crate, lift to vertical and open and inspect the unit. He also took the box, pallet and Styrofoam packing!

The tabletop had paint run-backs in the beveled surface. The top edges and blade channel had rough edges which required sanding down.

The tabletop is fairly flat from the neck side to the miter gauge slot, then it tapers down pretty substantially. This may need to be replaced -- see other comments.

You need two 14mm wrenches to secure the 90 degree stop.

The blade guard extends so low that it obscures your vision of the cut. I'll need to remove it, cut-off about 2" and reinstall.

Preliminary cuts were OK, but not overly impressive. The fence I ordered has not been delivered, but making cuts with a temporary fence indicated a noticeable blade drift, so resawing will need a bullnosed fence attachment -- this is contrary to one of the other reviewers.

The supplied blade is 3/4" wide 3.5TPI in mild steel. You should consider buying a blade for resawing and a narrower blade for curves.

Airborn Freight delivered the saw right on time. With the help of a friend, had the saw uncrated, together and runing in just over 1 1/2 hours. This included installing the Jet fence that I ordered separately. The saw was in excellent condition, no scratches, dents or anything else. Resawed a 1/32 slice of 6" red oak with the factory blade. No problem other than very shallow blade marks. (This will probably be resolved when the 3/4" Wood Slicer is installed) I have a set of Carter Style Blade Guides ordered, but I'm not convinced that this may be neccessary. After reading some other negative comments about this saw, I checked it out very carefully. The table went on with no problem and was flatter than pee on a plate! Jet provided all the tools necessary for set-up other than a phillips screw driver and a square (for table set-up) Getting the protective coating off the table was no problem at all. I just soaked some paper shop towels in a citrus degreaser, and layed them on the table for about 10 minutes, then scraped off the stuff with a single edge razor blade. This saw is a fantastic value for the money and will do everything a somewhat serious woodworker would want.

Nice but no cigar,fit and finish need to be improved,the fence is a wreck waiting to happen.Its like a cheap suit thats all over the place

I've had this saw for several months and believe it to be an outstanding choice. The fit/finish is excellent and the accuracy is exceptional. Out of the box, the blade was parallel to the slots by a thousanth of an inch. I also have the fence parallel to the blade within 2 thousanths'. The only weaknesses are the xacta fence installation instructions and the free blade. It would be nice if the guard/splitter was quick attach/detach but I guess you can't have everything. You will also want to put a mobile base on this baby cause its heavy.

Got my JWTS10 last weekend. The saw runs great and the XACTA II fence system is extremely accurate and easy to use. I didn't have help, so unloading the saw from the back of my van involved tearing open the box and carrying all the pieces to my basement shop. Assembly took about 6 hours, and I am overjoyed with the quality of this saw.

One area that was lacking (at least for me since this is my first non-portable table saw) was the instructions on assembly of the rails and fence guide. They could have used better diagrams and part descriptions.

Overall an excellent saw for the money. I will probably trade out the accessory wood table for a router table.

I own a Jet 10" left tilt arbor table saw and it is the center piece of my woodshop. I love that machine. So I thought I would try the Jet bandsaw to accompany it. Absolutely no regrets in buying this baby. It is awesome. I would highly recommend this saw for any home shop. I bought the riser block, but have not installed it yet. I also bought the mobile base but it has not arrived yet. Not sure why it takes HTC so long to ship it. I ordered it a month ago. When I get the base, it will be easier to move the saw around in the shop. The quality of this machine is excellent. Well worth the price paid.

I have tried two of the Delta bandsaws of comparable price and have returned both of them because of poor quality parts and construction. The Delta bandsaw took nearly three hours to put together just the enclosed base. I was never quite able to get the doors completely square so they would open and close correctly. On the other hand, I have found the Jet to be a bandsaw with high quality construction and much less vibration. The cuts are smooth and the adjustments are simple and quick to make. The additional 1/4 horsepower is a plus for resawing. The jet enclosed base comes in it's own box, preassembled with extra bracing inside to support the heavy saw on top. The drill holes align with no problems and I hade it completely assembled in approximately two and a half hours. I would recommend this bandsaw to any one.

Purchased this machine earlier this year. Have waited to give a good evaluation. At first was not pleased with the quick release for the blade but have adjusted to its action. Cuts wood like butter. Have cut oak, pop, maple, cherry and ash up to the six inch limit with no problems at all. Upgrade the blade guides to cool blocks. The motor is very powerful. The 4" dust port is really nice and does it job. Made a mobile base for it but it is still heavy to roll around. The rip fence was extra but well worth the money.

In this category of saws, I have a friend with a PowerMatic, and it IS a little heavier built saw (I even had a WMH Tool Group rep admit to this). Mine has performed great though, I added Jet's sliding table later, and this is one super combo. It has had daily use since Dec. 02, when I started my cabinet shop. I have another friend with a Delta, and I prefer this one over a Delta any day.

For the last 2 years I'd been using a contractors saw in a shop that a friend and me shared. After building my own shop I started looking to replace a few tools and a "cabinet" grade table saw was first on my list. For a month I researched magazines, Amazon reviews, questioned woodworkers, and so on. Finally, I decided on the Jet and MAN what table saw. I drove 2 hours to pick up my JTAS-10XL (Amazon was sold out) and paid an addition $100(Ouch). Brought it home and began to assemble, BY MY SELF (not a good idea, the cast iron top/motor is quite heavy). Some people see assembly as tedious labor; I view it more like a child standing in front of the tree on Christmas morning. Assembly took about 3 hours and plus an addition hour to dial it in. Everything went together smoothly as a matter of fact I don't recall opening the instruction book. Having used a contractor's saw for 2 years it was like trading in a Yugo for a Ferrari. This saw is solid, little or no vibration and accommodates all 13/16 of my dado blade stack. The biggest surprise to me was the quality of the router as well as the lift. Honestly, as with most "bonus" items I expected a so-so router and a lift that I would have to replace in a year or so. The Bosch router runs smoother than my DeWalt 618. The other saws I seriously considered were the Grizzly and the X5 but the router table pushed me over to the JTAS-10XL and boy did it pay off. If you must have a con I not real fond of the magnifying bubble on the fence. (There I said it) Seriously, this might be best purchase I've made to date. Solid, smooth and accurate you get you money's worth.

Top notch system and a great price ($1,599 w/ $100 refund in April 2004). The saw is very powerful and accurate. With the included router setup you just can't go wrong. A great saw for the money ...

I ordered this machine for two reasons. 1. To plane boards and 2. to make molding. I run a small cabinet shop and thought it would be nice to have the second ability. The planer performs its function as a planer poorly at best. There is very evident snipe on both ends of the boards that pass through. Being that this was the primary function of this machine in my shop it was very disappointing. After more than a dozen adjustments per the manufactures manual, through experimentation, and the recomendation (singular) of Jet tech support it could not be adjusted out. After further inspection it was found that the planer's table actualy had 1/32nd to a 1/16th of an inch movement vertically on the infeed end and outfeed end. I figure that is the reason for the snipe on every pass. The other major disappointment of this purchase is Jet technical support. Don't bother calling them for help. I asked about the snipe problem and they answered "yeah, all of these machines do that". When they were told about the movement in the table they had no response and had to go find an engineer to find an answer. I had no response in 3 days, and had to call them back to try to get an answer. But there was no answer except that the guy who knew about this was away from his desk and they would need to call me back. This was 2 days ago. Maybe I received a machine that was built on Friday right before quiting time? I would not recommend buying this machine to anyone at this point. If you want a planer, buy a planer. If you want a molder, buy a molder. But don't buy this planer/molder.

I just bought this at local wood hobby store, initials WC. Their price was $800; I called on phone and asked if any coupons were out that I should be aware of, and the manager yelled at the salesman to honor a 10% coupon coming out in late July. This is the third time they have done this for me. I planed about 150 feet of american cherry and brazilian cherry. This unit works GREAT. Other than adjusting the rollers, it worked just fine with no adjustments. The 3 inches of snipe others commented on can be eliminated by properly supporting on in feed and out feed. I did have 1 or 2 runs with some snipe throughout the piece, but I just continued to run it through with nominal cuts and it was eliminated. My guess is that certain wood characteristics come together on a piece of wood to make it more prevalent, but it can be eliminated. Highly recommend this unit.

great piece of equipment. sets up quickly, all fittings were cast very well. everything was tuned perfectly right out of the box. Base and wheels move smootly. Very fine adjustments on thickness. Dust port works great. Only thing I'd like to see change, if possible, is that changing speeds mean you have to reverse the gears manually which is easy, but greasy. I'd recommend wering disposable gloves