The planer and jointer look similar and both remove wood with spinning cutterheads, but they solve different problems. A jointer flattens one face and straightens one edge. A planer makes a board a consistent thickness. Using the wrong one for the task produces boards that look flat but are not, or boards that are a consistent thickness of warped. Understanding the sequence — jointer first, planer second — is fundamental to working with rough lumber.

Planer vs Jointer

What Each Tool Does

Jointer: Flattens a surface by removing high spots. The workpiece rides across a flat infeed table, past a cutterhead, and onto a flat outfeed table. The outfeed table is set level with the top of the cutterhead’s cutting arc. Any high spots on the board are cut away; low spots pass under the cutterhead untouched. Over multiple passes, the surface becomes flat relative to the machine tables.

A jointer also straightens edges by standing the board on its edge and passing it along the fence. This creates a straight, square edge for glue-ups and joinery.

Planer (thickness planer): Makes a board a uniform thickness. The board feeds through on a flat bed while a cutterhead above removes material from the top face. Rollers press the board flat against the bed during the cut. The result is a board with the top face parallel to the bottom face at the set thickness.

Here is the critical distinction: the planer does not flatten — it makes the top surface parallel to the bottom surface. If the bottom surface is warped, the top surface comes out as a consistent-thickness copy of that warp. The planer follows the shape of the bottom face.

The Correct Sequence

Joint one face flat on the jointer. This creates a reference surface.
Plane to thickness with the jointed face down on the planer bed. The cutterhead creates the top surface parallel to the flat bottom — producing a board that is both flat and a uniform thickness.
Joint one edge straight and square to the faces.
Rip to final width on the table saw, referencing the jointed edge against the fence.

This sequence turns rough-sawn lumber into dimensioned, flat, square stock ready for joinery and assembly. Skipping the jointer step and feeding warped boards through the planer only produces warped boards at a precise thickness.

If You Can Only Buy One

Buy the planer first. A benchtop planer (DeWalt DW735, $400 to $500; or Ridgid R4331, $350) handles the most common task: thicknessing boards that are already close to flat. Most dimensional lumber from the home center and many boards from the hardwood dealer are straight enough that a planer alone produces usable results.

You can substitute for a jointer using:

A hand plane (No. 5 jack plane or No. 7 jointer plane) to flatten one face before planing
A router sled: a router on a flat platform that spans the board, skimming the surface flat. Slow but effective for wide boards.
The table saw for edge jointing: run the edge against the fence to straighten it

These workarounds are slower than a powered jointer but produce the same result. A planer has no equivalent workaround — nothing else makes a board a consistent thickness as quickly.

Add the jointer later when you start buying rough-sawn hardwood regularly. A 6-inch jointer (Grizzly G0654, $600; Ridgid JP0610, $400) handles boards up to 6 inches wide. An 8-inch jointer handles boards up to 8 inches wide but costs significantly more ($800 to $1,500).

Benchtop Planer Recommendations

Model	Width Capacity	Price	Notes
DeWalt DW735	13”	$400-500	Three-knife cutterhead, fan-assisted chip ejection, excellent
Ridgid R4331	13”	$350-400	Good value, infeed/outfeed tables included
Makita 2012NB	12”	$500-600	Exceptional surface quality, quiet
WEN 6552T	13”	$300-350	Budget option, adequate for occasional use

The DeWalt DW735 is the most popular benchtop planer for good reason — the three-knife cutterhead produces a smoother surface than two-knife designs, and the fan-assisted chip ejection keeps the planer and surrounding area cleaner when connected to dust collection.

Jointer Recommendations

Model	Width	Price	Notes
Grizzly G0654	6”	$550-650	Solid, reliable, long tables
Ridgid JP0610	6”	$350-450	Good value, compact
Jet JJ-6CSDX	6”	$700-800	Helical cutterhead option
Grizzly G0490X	8”	$1,100-1,300	Premium, handles wider stock

Helical vs Straight Knife Cutterheads

Straight knives are the standard. Two or three long blades span the cutterhead width. They cut aggressively and are inexpensive to replace ($15 to $30 per set). They produce more noise and can leave visible knife marks (snipe) at the beginning and end of the cut.

Helical cutterheads use dozens of small, square carbide inserts arranged in a spiral pattern. Each insert has four cutting edges — when one dulls, rotate the insert 90 degrees for a fresh edge. Helical heads produce a smoother surface, generate less noise, and handle figured grain with less tear-out. They cost $200 to $400 more but the carbide inserts last months to years between rotations.

For a home workshop, straight knives are adequate. If you work with figured woods (curly maple, quilted sapele) or value quiet operation, the helical upgrade is worthwhile.

Snipe Prevention

Snipe — a slightly deeper cut at the beginning or end of a board — is the most common planer problem. It occurs when the board is only under one roller (infeed or outfeed) instead of both, allowing the cutterhead to pull the board up and cut deeper.

Prevention:

Support the board with infeed and outfeed roller stands or tables so the board enters and exits level
Feed boards end-to-end with no gap between them (the trailing board supports the leading board through the outfeed roller engagement)
Leave boards 2 inches longer than final length and cut off the sniped ends after planing
Lift the trailing end of the board slightly as it enters the planer to maintain pressure against the bed

Dust Collection is Mandatory

Planers and jointers produce massive chip volume — a planer can fill a 30-gallon bag in 15 minutes of operation. Connect both tools to a dust collection system or at minimum a shop vacuum with a separator. Running either tool without collection creates an unworkable mess and a respiratory hazard.

The planer in particular should connect to a 4-inch dust port. The fan-assisted ejection on the DeWalt DW735 requires a 4-inch connection to function properly.

Bottom Line

The jointer flattens. The planer thicknesses. Joint first, plane second. If you buy only one tool, buy the planer and hand-plane or router-sled one face flat before thicknessing. Add a jointer when you start milling rough lumber regularly. Together, these two tools turn $4 per board foot rough hardwood into perfectly dimensioned stock that costs $8 to $12 per board foot at the lumber yard — saving money on every project while giving you control over the final dimensions.