Pressed for time? Check our best picks
CRAFTSMAN CMEW020
- Dual-knife cutter head
- Variable spend up to 22,000 CPM
- Manufacturer warranty
Wahuda Tools 50180CC
- Compact 8-inch jointer
- Decently quiet for a benchtop jointer
- Lightweight and portable
Delta 37-071
- Robust, inside and out
- High-precision squaring and adjustable fence
- Easy to clean and maintain
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Jointers can be incredibly cheap or incredibly expensive based on a wide range of considerations.
If you’re shopping on slimmer budget but still want the best that the market can offer, you’ve come to the right place.
In this guide, you’ll learn what we’ve picked as the best budget jointer under $500.
We’ve look at more than a dozen different models, so we’re certain you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for in this guide.
Best Budget Jointer Under $500 – CRAFTSMAN CMEW020
The best budget jointer under $500 from the 15 models we researched and compared is the CRAFTSMAN CMEW020.
This lightweight yet powerful 6-inch jointer produces up to an astounding 22,000 CPM while removing 1/8 of an inch with every pass.
There’s also a generous 3-year warranty that sounds too good to be true.
The CRAFTSMAN CMEW020’s key specifications are as follows—
- 10A Motor
- 12-22000 CPM
- 30-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- 3-Year Warranty
The CRAFTSMAN CMEW020 sports a high-powered 10A motor that spins the two-knife cutterhead at a rate of between 6,000 and 11,000 CPM.
With variable speed controls at your fingertips, you can use this budget-friendly machine to cut through soft and dense types of woods without chipping either the cutterhead knives or your workpiece.
The combined length of the worktables comes in at 30 inches, which is plenty of space to support long rough lumber from your local lumber yards.
The tables are cast iron that won’t warp or bend in any way, even as you plop larger stock on top of the machine.
Pros
- Dual-knife cutter head
- Variable spend up to 22,000 CPM
- Generous manufacturer warranty
- Easy to adjust and replace knives
Cons
- Could come with a dust/chip collection bag
The CMEW020 is a great option for DIYers who want the promise of a name-brand jointer without spending a small fortune. This 6-inch jointer would make any novice woodworker proud to have.
Top budget-jointer-under-500 in the Market Compared
Product Image | Product Name | Features | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Best Overall -CRAFTSMAN CMEW020 |
| Check Today's Price | |
Best Premium -Wahuda Tools 50180CC |
| Check Today's Price | |
Delta 37-071 |
| Check Today's Price | |
Shop Fox W1829 |
| Check Today's Price | |
RIKON Power Tools |
| Check Today's Price |
Reviews of Best budget-jointer-under-500
Best Premium - Wahuda Tools 50180CC-WHD
Key Specifications
- 10A Motor
- 12,000 RPM
- 34-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- Built-In Table Extensions
The Wahuda Tools 50180CC-WHD is the only 8-inch model on our list.
As such, it can accommodate wider stock with forcing you to trim it down to size before passing it over the 12,000-RPM cutterheads.
The cutterhead uses carbide-tipped inserts that are more durable than steel and has four reversible sides for longer-lasting performance.
This 8-inch jointer has 34-inch infeed and outfeed tables, but with the built-in extensions, you can increase your workspace to up to 51 inches.
Even though the extensions will offer greater support at propping up longer stock, there’s a tiny dip between the main tables and its extensions that can lead to snipe if you’re not careful.
Pros
- Compact 8-inch jointer
- Lightweight and portable
- Decently quiet for a benchtop jointer
- Uses carbide-tipped inserts
Cons
- The worktable extensions could be flatter
The Wahuda is a super-inexpensive 8-inch jointer that will grow alongside amateur woodworkers as their jointing needs grow.
Delta 37-071
Key Specifications
- 12A Motor
- 20,000 CPM
- 28.5-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- Built-in Dust/Chip Ejector
The Delta 37-071 is a compact 6-inch jointer that features shorter tables by an inch or so compared to most of its peers.
However, it’s not missing anything in the motor-size department, seeing as how its 12A motor drives the cutterhead knives to cut up to 20,000 times every minute.
With each pass, you can remove 1/8 of an inch of material for more accurate and more squared corners.
Delta designed this 6-inch jointer with longevity in mind. Its made almost entirely out of cat iron, so it will undoubtedly withstand bumps and bruises as you transport this lightweight machine to and from different job sites.
It’s also backed by a 5-year manufacturer warranty, so there’s very little concern as to whether this is a smart purchase.
Pros
- Robust, inside and out
- High-precision squaring
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Adjustable fence, 45° and 90° positive stops
Cons
- Replacement components could be easier to find
Overall, the Delta 37-071 is the dream 6-inch jointer for more serious DIYers and semi-pro woodworkers.
Shop Fox W1829
Key Specifications
- 1.5-HP Motor
- 20,000 CPM
- 28.5-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- Fine-Adjust Infeed Table Knob
The Shop Fox W1829 might appear to be no different from most 6-inch jointers, but you’ll be surprised by what it’s packing.
First, you’ll find a beefy 1.5-HP motor that’s unheard of in most 6-inch models.
It can turn the cutterhead to shave of 1/8 of an inch of your rough workpieces with every pass by slicing thin layers at a rate of 20,000 CPM.
The 28.5-inch worktables provide plenty of support for most boards, both pre-milled or rough, thanks to its durable cast-iron construction.
The tables are also incredibly sleek, so the rough edges of your wooden workpiece won’t get stuck in corners or along the fence.
Pros
- Easy-to-adjust infeed table height
- High-speed and high-torque cutterhead
- Comes with 2.5-inch dust port
- User-friendly 6-inch jointer
Cons
- Could arrive with missing screw bolt
Contact the company if the cutterhead is missing a screw. However, this is a rare occurrence, and even with the missing screw, you’ll still get a ton of work done with this machine.
RIKON Power Tools 20-600H
Key Specifications
- 10A Motor
- 22,000 CPM
- 30-inch Infeed + Outfeed Tables
- Front On/Off Switch
Last up, we have the RIKON Power tools 20-600H. Compared to other benchtop jointers, this doesn’t look particularly interesting, but it’s what’s inside that matters the most.
You’ll find a beefy 10A motor that delivers up to 22,000 cuts per minute.
This jointer uses 12 HSS inserts in six rows for more even cuts across 6-inch-wide boards.
Instead of using cast iron, RIKON opted to construct this jointer with steel and aluminum, which isn’t half-bad considering it drops the price by quite a lot.
However, there are durability and flatness issues with both the table and fence, which you can overcome by leaving the machine in place.
The front on/off paddle is a nice touch and will make for safer operations, especially for newbies.
Pros
- Lightweight 6-inch jointer
- High-speed cutting performance
- Long worktables
- Safe front-facing on/off paddle switch
Cons
- Steel tables and aluminum fence could be more durable
Indeed, there are durability issues with this jointer, but if you leave it in one place in your workshop and carefully plop your workpieces on the table, you shouldn’t have any issues.
Best Budget Jointer Under $500 Buying Guide
In this brief buying guide, we’ll go over what a jointer is, why you might want an inexpensive jointer, and how to determine which of the models we mentioned above will suit your needs the best.
What is a jointer?
In short, a jointer is a machine that uses multiple knives or blade inserts in a high-speed cutterhead to shave off thin layers of material from your wooden boards.
Its main purpose is to square the corners of the board by cutting the face panels and sides.
You’ll need to do this regardless of whether you get your lumber from a lumber yard or from a large retailer.
A jointer will remove all warps, twists, and cups in your boards to ensure more beautiful-looking furniture in the end.
Should I get a jointer priced under $500?
As you can see, even budget-friendly models like the ones in this guide will come in handy when you need to mill boards prior to planing, sawing, and gluing.
As for its relation to the price range, as is typical of any woodworking tool, a more expensive tool can guarantee longevity and better performance.
However, for novice and hobbyist woodworkers, you might not want to invest in a heavy-duty jointer.
With this in mind, jointers under $500 are probably best left in the hands of noncommercial workers.
Important Features and Considerations
We have more comprehensive guides on how to choose the best model for your workshop in our guides on the best 6-inch jointer and the best 8-inch jointer.
Head over there now to see what size and what features/specs you need to pay attention to.
FAQ’s
Its main function is to square corners of rectangular workpieces by cutting the faces and sides of the board. However, you can use a jointer to reduce a board’s thickness by running it multiple times over the cutterhead, but there’s no guarantee that it will produce uniform thickness from the board’s tail to head. For that, you’ll need a thicknesser or planer.
We have a separate guide on the best jointer planer combo that might interest you. These 2-in-1 machines are great for those who are looking for value packages of multiple tools or don’t have space in their workshop to accommodate two large-sized woodworking essentials. We suggest taking a look at that guide to determine on your own whether that’s the best step.
All of the models on our list fall into the benchtop category. As for whether these jointers are worth the cost, they can be if you don’t have the floor space for full-sized jointers or if you’re just getting into the self-wood-milling game. Remember that a jointer is used to prep lumber for further processing, so you can pick up cheap boards at your local lumber yard and square it yourself with a jointer. Over time, squaring your own boards will lead to greater savings as opposed to purchasing pre-pampered lumber at a retailer.
In this guide, we’ve provided both 6-inch and 8-inch jointer options. We have separate guides on those if you’re interested in seeing the best of each world. In short, an 8-inch jointer like the Wahuda will allow you to square wider boards instead of cutting it down to size beforehand. 8-inch jointers are the better option for more experienced woodworkers who prefer using fewer boards in their construction projects.
Summary
In today’s guide, we’ve shown you what the best budget jointer under $500 is after analyzing and comparing more than dozen models head-to-head.
We’re confident that any of the models we reviewed above will make a great addition to your garage workshop.
If you’re unsure which under-$500 jointer to get, we’d be more than happy to help in the comments section.