Rikon Bench Top Jointer & Planer

The final tool on the 2021 Editor’s choice tool list is not one tool specifically, but a pair of them that works in tandem — the Rikon 13" helical head planer and 8" helical head jointer. While I’m sure that most of us can see the benefit and would make the argument to get as big of jointer and planer as you possibly can, not everyone has the floor space to dedicate to a stand-alone unit.

And while I’m spoiled with a large Rikon jointer/planer combination unit at our studio (it packs two machines into one footprint), I’ve come to appreciate how much work I can get done in my shop with these little guys. Each tool features helical style cutting heads. The jointer comes with carbide inserts that can be rotated when dull or chipped, while the planer has high-speed steel cutters that are sharp on two edges.

In the past, I wouldn’t have given the time of day to a bench top jointer, but I now see that was a result of poorly designed and cheaply produced jointers. While the 20-800H is small, it’s mighty. Being bench-top, the jointer bed is fairly small (about 30" or so), but it has wings that extend out to a hair over 50". Does it take the place of a full-size jointer? No, but that’s not its purpose. What it does well is provide smooth, clean and accurate results when flattening board faces on workpieces that are in the 30" range. This covers about 90% of my flattening needs. With the planer and jointer coming in at 68 and 49lbs respectively, they’re easy to store on the floor under the bench when not in use.