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Best jointer planer combo
JET JPJ-12BHH 12" Helical Planer/Jointer
12-inch jointing and planing with a 42-insert carbide helical cutterhead and a 55-inch jointer table.
A jointer planer combo is one machine that does two jobs: the top works as a jointer to flatten one face and square an edge, and the same cutterhead planes the opposite face parallel when you feed the board underneath. The appeal is width and space. A combo gives you a 12-inch or even 16-inch jointer, where most home shops stop at 6 or 8 inches, in roughly the footprint of one machine. The best jointer planer combo for most serious home shops is the JET JPJ-12BHH, with 12 inches of capacity on both functions and a 42-insert helical head. The FORESTWEST 10420H is the 12-inch combo that runs on 120V, the RIKON 25-216H is the pick for 16-inch boards, and the WEN JT630H and PL1337 bundle is the practical two-machine alternative if you’d rather skip the changeover.
Below are six machines that genuinely do both jobs and could be ordered on Amazon when I checked, a comparison table from the makers’ specifications, short reviews, how I chose them, and a buying guide covering width, changeover, table length, cutterheads, power and floor space.
Best Jointer Planer Combos: Comparison
Capacities, cutterheads and motors come from each maker’s manual or product page; the Hoteche figures come from its Amazon listing because the maker publishes nothing else. “Width” is the widest board each machine can joint and plane. I don’t print prices: these range from a few hundred dollars to the price of a used car, and the Amazon buttons show the live price.
| Product | ⭐ JET JPJ-12BHH 🏆 EDITOR’S CHOICE |
FORESTWEST 10420H | RIKON 25-216H | JET JPJ-12B | Hoteche 10″ Combo | WEN JT630H + PL1337 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Width (joint / plane) | 12″ / 12″ | 12″ / 12″ | 16″ / 16″ | 12″ / 12″ | 10″ / 10″ | 6″ / 13″ |
| Max. thickness | 8-3/4″ | 6-1/4″ | 8″ | 8-3/4″ | About 4-3/4″ | 6″ |
| Cutterhead | Helical, 42 carbide inserts | Helical, 28 blades | Helical, 44 carbide inserts | 3 HSS knives | Not stated | Spiral HSS inserts on both |
| Motor | 3 HP, 230V | 2.5 HP, 110V, 16.4A | 4 HP, 230V | 3 HP, 230V | 13A, 120V | 10A + 15A, 120V |
| Jointer table | 55″ long | 42-3/8″ long | 65-1/2″ long | 55″ long | 37.3″ long | 30″ long |
| Availability | Shop Now at Amazon | Shop Now at Amazon | Shop Now at Amazon | Shop Now at Amazon | Shop Now at Amazon | Shop Now at Amazon |
Best Jointer Planer Combos: Reviews
There are fewer real combination machines on the US market than search results suggest: many “combo” listings are a single benchtop jointer or a planer with a jointer blade set. Every machine below joints and planes, and each one had a working buy button on Amazon when I checked it.
Editor's Choice12-inch helical planer/jointer combination machine
JET JPJ-12BHH
JET JPJ-12BHH 12″ Helical Head Planer/Jointer
A true 12-inch jointer and planer with a 42-insert helical head, 3 HP and a 55-inch jointer table on a small footprint.
Shop Now at AmazonSpecs: JET
Best for
12-inch jointing and planing in a small footprint, with carbide inserts.
- 12-inch jointing and planing in one footprint
- 42 carbide inserts you can rotate
- Fence stays on during changeover
Skip it if
Your shop only has 120V outlets: look at the FORESTWEST 10420H.
- Needs a 230V circuit
- 453 lb, premium price tier
Read full review
Best Jointer Planer Combo Overall
The JPJ-12BHH is the machine most people mean when they talk about a jointer planer combo: a real 12-inch jointer on top and a 12-inch thickness planer underneath, sharing one cutterhead and one motor. JET’s manual lists a helical cutterhead with 42 four-sided carbide inserts, a 3 HP, 230V motor, a jointer table 55 inches long and a planer that takes boards up to 8-3/4 inches thick with two feed speeds (16 and 26 ft/min). That 12-inch jointer is the point: standalone 12-inch jointers are long, heavy stationary machines in their own right, and this one shares its footprint with the planer. To switch to planing, you release two locks and lift the one-piece jointer table up to vertical, then swing the dust chute across; JET says the fence doesn’t need to come off. The cast iron tables and parallelogram planer table are built for a stationary shop, and the stand footprint is only 24 x 21-1/4 inches. The trade-offs are weight (453 lb), a 230V circuit, and the premium price tier. JET backs its woodworking machinery with a 5-year warranty for home use.
12-inch helical jointer/planer combo, 120V
FORESTWEST 10420H
FORESTWEST BM10420H 12″ Jointer Planer Combo with Helical Cutterhead
A 12-inch helical combo on household voltage, with a 2.5 HP motor and 6-1/4 inches of planing capacity.
Shop Now at AmazonSpecs: FORESTWEST
Best for
12-inch capacity without running a 230V line.
- Runs on 110V/120V
- 12-inch width with a 28-blade helical head
- Light enough to move
Skip it if
You joint long boards often: the JET's 55-inch table is far steadier.
- Shorter 42-3/8" jointer table
- 1-year warranty
Read full review
Best 120V Jointer Planer Combo
If your shop doesn’t have 230V, the 10420H is the full-width combo that runs on household voltage. FORESTWEST lists a 2.5 HP (1,800 W), 110V, 16.4-amp motor, a 12-inch width for both jointing and planing, and a helical cutterhead with 28 blades turning at 9,500 RPM. Boards from 1/4 to 6-1/4 inches thick fit through the planer, the jointer working table is 42-3/8 x 12 inches, and the 25-inch fence tilts from 90 to 135 degrees. There’s a 4-inch dust chute and a 1-year warranty. It weighs about a fifth as much as the JET, which makes it the combo you can actually move around a garage. The limits are the ones you’d expect from a lighter machine: a shorter jointer bed for long boards, a 1-year warranty instead of 5, and FORESTWEST doesn’t publish the changeover procedure or a manual on its product page. A 16.4-amp draw is more than a 15-amp circuit is rated for, so plan on a 20-amp circuit and check the manual when it arrives. Mid price tier.
16-inch helical planer/jointer combination machine
RIKON 25-216H
RIKON 25-216H 16″ Planer/Jointer with Helical Cutter Head
16 inches of jointing and planing, a 4 HP motor and a 44-insert helical head for wide rough-sawn lumber.
Shop Now at AmazonSpecs: RIKON
Best for
Wide boards: 16 inches of capacity on both functions.
- 16-inch jointing and planing
- 44-insert two-row helical head
- 65-1/2" jointer bed
Skip it if
Your boards are 12 inches or narrower: the JET does it in a smaller machine.
- 639 lb, top price tier
- Needs 230V and 650 CFM
Read full review
Best Wide-Capacity Jointer Planer Combo
The 25-216H is for woodworkers who buy wide rough-sawn boards and are tired of ripping them to fit a 6- or 8-inch jointer. RIKON lists 16 inches of width for both jointing and planing, a 4 HP, 230V motor, and a two-row helical cutter head with 44 four-sided carbide inserts. The jointer bed is 65-1/2 inches long in the manual, the planer takes stock up to 8 inches thick at a 23 ft/min feed, and the 43-1/4 x 6-inch fence tilts from 90 to 135 degrees with stops at 90 and 45. RIKON’s one-piece jointer tables lift up and out of the way for planing, the 5-inch dust port wants 650 CFM, and the machine comes with an outfeed planer table and a digital depth readout. It’s a big commitment: 639 lb, a 25 x 23-inch base, the top price tier on this page, and a 5-year warranty. On Amazon it’s sold by a third-party dealer rather than Amazon itself.
12-inch straight-knife planer/jointer combination machine
JET JPJ-12B
JET JPJ-12B 12″ Planer/Jointer with Straight Knife Cutterhead
The JPJ-12BHH's 12-inch capacity, table and motor with three HSS knives in place of carbide inserts, for less.
Shop Now at AmazonSpecs: JET
Best for
The JET combo at a lower price, on straight-grained wood.
- Same 12-inch capacity as the helical model
- Lower price tier than the JPJ-12BHH
- Knives can be resharpened
Skip it if
You work figured maple or curly woods: the helical JPJ-12BHH tears out less.
- Knife setting takes time
- More tear-out in figured wood
Read full review
Best Straight-Knife Jointer Planer Combo
The JPJ-12B is the same machine as our top pick with one difference: a three-knife HSS cutterhead instead of the 42 carbide inserts. Everything else in JET’s manual is identical: 12-inch jointing and planing, 8-3/4 inches of planing capacity, two feed speeds, a 55-inch jointer table, a 3 HP, 230V motor and the same lift-up changeover. Straight knives leave a very clean surface on straight-grained wood when they’re sharp and set correctly, and they cost less up front. The catch is maintenance: the knives have to be set at the right height and parallel to the outfeed table, they dull faster than carbide, a nick leaves a line across every board until you resharpen or replace them, and figured wood tears out more easily. If you mostly mill cooperative species like poplar, cherry and walnut, the JPJ-12B is the lower-cost way into a 12-inch combo. Same 453 lb weight and 5-year JET warranty.
10-inch benchtop jointer/planer combo with stand
Hoteche 10" Combo
Hoteche 10″ Benchtop Planer and Jointer Combo with Stand
A 10-inch benchtop combo on 120V with a stand, for light hobby milling; specifications come from the listing only.
Shop Now at AmazonSpecs: Amazon listing
Best for
A low-cost, space-saving combo for light hobby work.
- Lowest price tier on this page
- Runs on 120V, stand included
- 10-inch width on both functions
Skip it if
You mill hardwood regularly: a cast iron combo or the WEN pair holds up better.
- Specs from the listing only
- Light-duty, short tables
Read full review
Budget Benchtop Jointer Planer Combo
This is the only true combination machine in the budget tier that’s currently sold on Amazon, and it’s a different class of tool from the others. The listing describes a 10-inch benchtop jointer and planer with a 13-amp, 120V motor at 9,000 RPM, a 37.3 x 10-inch jointer table, a 10.6 x 12-inch planer table, stock from about 3/16 to 4-3/4 inches thick (5 to 120 mm), and a feed of 6 meters per minute. The stand is included. Hoteche doesn’t publish a manual or spec sheet we could check, the cutterhead type isn’t stated, and depths of cut are small: up to 3 mm per pass jointing and 2 mm planing. Treat it as a light-duty machine for short boards, hobby projects and softwoods, not a replacement for a cast iron combo. If you want a jointer and planer in this price range with a known maker behind them, the WEN pair below is the safer buy.
6-inch jointer and 13-inch planer bundle
WEN JT630H + PL1337
WEN JT630H 6″ Jointer and PL1337 13″ Planer Bundle
Two benchtop machines with spiral heads: a 6-inch jointer and a 13-inch two-speed planer, both on 120V.
Shop Now at AmazonSpecs: WEN
Best for
Milling rough lumber on 120V with no changeover.
- No changeover between jointing and planing
- Spiral heads on both machines
- Runs on 120V
Skip it if
You need to face-joint boards wider than 6 inches.
- Jointing limited to 6 inches
- Two machines to store
Read full review
Best Two-Machine Alternative
For most home shops, the practical answer to a jointer planer combo is two benchtop machines bought together, and this bundle is the one we’d pick. You get WEN’s JT630H, a 6-inch jointer with a 12-insert spiral cutterhead, a 30 x 6-inch table, up to 1/8 inch per pass and a fence that bevels to 45 degrees, plus the PL1337 planer, which WEN lists with a 26-insert spiral cutterhead, 13 inches of width, 6 inches of thickness and two feed speeds (26 and 16 ft/min). Both run on 120V and both carry a 2-year warranty. The advantages over a combination machine: no changeover, so you can joint and plane in sequence without resetting anything; a planer wider than the jointer; and two smaller machines that can live on carts or a shelf. The disadvantage is the 6-inch jointing width, so boards wider than 6 inches need a planer sled for the first face. Mid price tier for the pair.
How I Chose These Jointer Planer Combos
I started with every machine sold in the US as a jointer/planer combination and kept only the ones that do both jobs, can be ordered on Amazon today and have specifications I could check. That ruled out several good machines: Grizzly’s G0958, G0959 and G0634X combos were all unavailable on Amazon when I checked, and the European-style combination machines from Hammer, Minimax and Laguna weren’t listed on Amazon at all, only their parts and accessories. I preferred makers that publish a manual or a full spec sheet (JET, RIKON, FORESTWEST, WEN) and say so plainly where a listing is the only source. Because a true combo is a big purchase, I’ve included the WEN two-machine bundle as the alternative most small shops should weigh first. I don’t show customer ratings or prices. For how I pick products across the site, see how I choose.
Jointer Planer Combo Buying Guide
Combo Machine or Two Separate Machines?
A combination machine wins on jointing width and floor space: a 12-inch combo face-joints boards that would never fit a 6-inch benchtop jointer. Two separate machines win on workflow: you can joint a stack of boards and walk them straight to the planer without converting anything, and the planer is usually wider than the jointer. If most of your lumber is 6 inches wide or less, two benchtop machines are cheaper and easier. If you buy wide rough-sawn boards, a combo saves you from ripping them narrow just to flatten them. My jointer vs planer guide explains what each machine does and the order to mill rough lumber in.
Jointer Width and Planer Width
On a true combo the jointer and planer share one cutterhead, so the widths match: 10, 12 or 16 inches. That’s the main reason to buy one. Planer thickness capacity varies more: 8-3/4 inches on the JET, 8 on the RIKON, 6-1/4 on the FORESTWEST. Six inches is enough for almost all furniture work; the extra matters for thick turning blanks and timber-frame stock.
Changeover Between Jointing and Planing
Every combo has a changeover step. On the JET and the RIKON, the jointer tables lift up out of the way and the dust hood swings across to the planer; JET says its fence can stay on. Expect a minute or two each time, which is why combo owners learn to batch their work: joint every board first, then switch to planing for the whole stack. If you constantly go back and forth, two machines are less frustrating.
Jointer Table Length
A longer jointer bed flattens longer boards. The rule of thumb many woodworkers use is that a jointer handles boards up to about twice its bed length comfortably. The RIKON’s 65-1/2-inch bed and the JET’s 55-inch bed handle furniture-length stock; the FORESTWEST’s 42-3/8 inches and the benchtop machines are better for shorter parts. Outfeed support or roller stands help with anything longer.
Helical, Spiral or Straight Knives
A helical cutterhead uses many small carbide inserts set at an angle; it shears the wood, tears out less in figured grain, runs quieter, and a nicked insert is rotated to a fresh edge in minutes. Spiral heads on benchtop machines like the WEN use the same idea with HSS inserts. Straight knives cost less and cut cleanly when sharp, but they need careful setting, dull faster and leave lines across the board when nicked. On a machine you’ll keep for decades, the helical head is usually worth it.
Power: 120V or 230V
The full-size 12- and 16-inch combos (JET, RIKON) need a 230V circuit and a matching plug; the JET ships with a 6-15P plug. If your garage only has 120V outlets, the FORESTWEST, the Hoteche and the WEN machines run on household voltage, but check the amp draw: the FORESTWEST’s 16.4 amps calls for a 20-amp circuit, not a shared 15-amp one.
Footprint, Weight and Dust Collection
The JET weighs 453 lb on a 24 x 21-1/4-inch stand and the RIKON 639 lb on a 25 x 23-inch base, so plan a permanent spot or buy the maker’s mobile base. Both throw a lot of chips: JET asks for at least 550 CFM and RIKON 650 CFM at a 4- or 5-inch port, which means a real dust collector, not a shop vac. In a garage, my guide to the best dust collector for a small shop covers 120V options.
💡 Pro Tip: Joint Everything First, Then Switch Once
The changeover is the one real cost of a combo, so organize around it. Rough-cut your boards to length, flatten one face and square one edge on every board in the stack, mark the jointed faces, then convert to planing and run the whole stack through. JET’s manual recommends cuts of about 1/16 inch per pass for better control, so plan on several passes rather than one heavy one.
Is a Jointer Planer Combo Worth It?
It’s worth it when width matters more than convenience: if you regularly buy rough-sawn lumber wider than 8 inches, a 12- or 16-inch combo is the most compact way to flatten it at full width. It’s not worth it if you mostly use surfaced lumber, work with narrow stock, or hate interrupting a job to reconfigure a machine. In those cases a benchtop jointer and a lunchbox planer do the job for less; see my picks for the best benchtop jointer and the best thickness planer.
Combo Safety Basics
- Always unplug before changing modes. JET’s manual says the machine must be off and at a complete standstill before switching between jointer and planer.
- Use push blocks on the jointer. JET calls for a hold-down or push block on stock shorter than 12 inches, narrower than 3 inches or thinner than 3 inches, and says hands should never come closer than 3 inches to the cutterhead.
- Respect minimum sizes. JET says not to joint material shorter than 8 inches, narrower than 3/4 inch or thinner than 1/4 inch, and not to plane boards shorter than 10 inches.
- Check boards first. Loose knots, nails and grit damage knives and inserts and can cause kickback; feed with the grain.
- Wear eye and ear protection, and keep the guard in place for every jointing pass. My how to use a jointer and how to use a thickness planer guides cover technique step by step.
🏆 The Short Version
If you have 230V and want one machine for 12-inch boards, buy the JET JPJ-12BHH; the JPJ-12B is the same machine with straight knives for less. On 120V, the FORESTWEST 10420H gives you 12 inches with a helical head. For 16-inch stock, the RIKON 25-216H. If your boards are mostly narrow, the WEN JT630H and PL1337 bundle does the same milling with no changeover.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Are planer jointer combos worth it?+
What is the best jointer planer combo?+
Do you need both a jointer and a planer?+
Which should I buy first, a jointer or a planer?+
Can a jointer be used as a planer?+
Can you run a jointer planer combo on 120V?+
Conclusion
A jointer planer combo makes sense when you mill wide rough lumber and don’t have room for two big machines. The JET JPJ-12BHH is the one to beat at 12 inches, the JPJ-12B saves money with straight knives, the FORESTWEST 10420H brings 12 inches to 120V shops, and the RIKON 25-216H handles 16-inch boards. If your stock is mostly narrow, the WEN bundle gives you the same workflow with no changeover. Questions about your shop or your lumber? Ask in the comments.
