Amazon.com Review

JET's planer/molder handles material up to 13 inches wide andup to 6 inches in height. The tool's 1-1/2-horse, 110-watt motor (youcan easily rewire it to 230 watts) spins the three-knife cutterhead.Depending on the application, the machine runs 10 to 20 board feet perminute. The motor is fan-cooled, too, so it doesn't overheat. Thecast-iron table lends plenty of heft and contact surface, while therubberized infeed and outfeed rollers support the work without marringit. As is standard with most planers, it comes with an incorporateddust chute--so it's simple to hook up to a dust collector and keep theshop clean. Four lockable casters (not standard) make it easy tomaneuver the tool in a tight shop. For people working in homerestoration, this tool is a godsend. To match new replacement moldingwith the existing material, copy the profile of the existing molding,get custom knives made, and cut your own replacement. A helpful videois included that walks you through the process of changing and settingblades. This is unquestionably a solid tool, ideal for home woodworkerslooking to step up from a benchtop unit, and especially for remodelersand This Old House-type guys who need an good way to accuratelymatch existing trim. --Jon Groebner ... Read more

Features

• Comes with stand with four lockable wheels
• Cuts wood 13-inch wide x 6-1/8-inch
• 1-1/2, 1ph motor tefc
• JET offers 40 styles of molding cutters
• Fully adjustable rubber-coated infeed and outfeed rollers

Reviews (5)

Good tool, excellent results
My JPM-13 is about a year old, and is being used to restore an old house. I use 5/4 and 8/4 fir and 5/4 maple exclusively. I make the door/window trim (1 1/8 thick x 5 in wide) and have custom knives made. This is not a professional machine, but gives GREAT results on the maple molding, with no sanding needed! I would recommend it to anyone that would use it as a hobby machine.

ACE
I haven't used mine to cut molding yet, but the machine is under powered for rough cut lumber. If you just have a board or two to thickness plane it is functional, but for big jobs forget it.

Great machine
I've had my JPM 13 for over a year and haven't a single complaint. It's a workhorse that does a fine job of both planing and molding. It's way better than those flimsy, 12 1/2-inch portable planers. I've run a few hundred board feet of curly maple and red and white oak through it, and it does a great job.

Great for moldings, modest for planing
I've had mine for about a year and a half now. The reason I bought it was to match original moldings in my house restoration project and the RBI systems were out of my price range. It is a bit time consuming to switch between planing and molding, but after getting the routine down it is getting quicker and more accurate. There were some burrs on the gears that change the speed, but after cleaning them up has made the job a lot quicker. Once the machine is set for planing or molding, it does a really nice job. You definitely need a dust collector hooked up and the outfeed roller set is a big help in reducing snipe. Overall, it is very capable of meeting a hobbiest level woodworking, but the planing cut isn't that aggressive to do a big stack of wood all at once. If some one is considering molding making as well as occasional planing, it is a nice machine to meet those needs.

problem with gear
I've owned one for 6 months and have only been able to use it a half dozen times, since one gear broke on me twice and the first repair job took seven weeks, due to Jet not shipping a part to the shop. It won't stand up to demanding jobs and support has been less than satisfying. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

JET's planer/molder handles material up to 13 inches wide andup to 6 inches in height. The tool's 1-1/2-horse, 110-volt motor (youcan easily rewire it to 230 volts) spins the three-knife cutterhead.Depending on the application, the machine runs 10 to 20 board feet perminute. The motor is fan-cooled and enclosed, too, so it doesn'toverheat and stays protected from dust. The cast-iron table lendsplenty of heft and contact surface, while the rubberized infeed andoutfeed rollers support the work without marring it. As is standardwith most planers, it comes with an incorporated dust chute--so it'ssimple to hook up to a dust collector and keep the shop clean. Fourlockable casters (not standard) make it easy to maneuver the tool in atight shop. For people working in home restoration, this tool is agodsend. To match new replacement molding with the existing material,copy the profile of the existing molding, get custom knives made, andcut your own replacement. A helpful video is included that walks youthrough the process of changing and setting blades. This isunquestionably a solid tool, ideal for home woodworkers looking to stepup from a benchtop unit, and especially for remodelers and This OldHouse-type guys who need an good way to accurately match existingtrim. --Jon Groebner ... Read more

Features

• Comes with stand
• Sturdy cast-iron table
• Reduced vibration
• Adjustable infeed/outfeed
• Motor located at base

Reviews (8)

maybe try the 16 inch
When I bought this, about a year ago, it seemed like a good choice for a home hobbiest. The 15 inch Delta,Jet,or Powermatic, would have been nicer, but they were a couple hundred dollars or so more money. I think it works great. The rollers are real grabby, and I get 3 inches of snipe on each end, maybe it is user error or machine setup, I don't know. The mobile base is nice, but it doesn't lock down as hard as it should, but good enough. I would look at the new 16 inch model now which is almost the same price. Most wood is never over 13 inches, but for gluing boards together 16 inches would be a lot nicer. The outfeed and infeed rollers are ok. The problem is, the table moves up and down instead of the cutter. I didn't realize how inconvenient this is (when using additional rollers). I have never used the molder. Maybe someday I will, that would be fun. For planing only, I would look at the new 16 inch 3 hp Jet planer. I wish they would have had it a year ago, but I am very satisfied with what I have too.

JPM-13CS is a good deal, but the options will get you.
JPM-13CS

I purchased my JPM-13CS in October of 2000. I promptly wired it for 220v. It is still going strong. I have done several hundred feet of lumber (birch, brown maple, basswood, pine, hackberry, oak) with it so far and I am still on the original blades. It does a nice, smooth job, but max planing speed is only 20 feet per minute. I seldom get snipe, and in 3 years of use, I haven't figured out exactly why some boards do, and some don't. Narrow boards (about 4 inch or less) seem to do it more so than wide boards.
I purchased a molding set for tongue and groove, and made a few hundred feet of basswood paneling. I strongly discourage anyone from going this route to make paneling. It is a slow, tedious process, and the available T&G set does not make the V chamfer groove, so an extra step through the router to make the chamfer was needed. I learned my lesson and bought a router bit set that makes the tongue and grove with the v chamfer.
I tried using this planer without a dust collector. It got about 2 feet and jammed without the collector.
I also purchased the optional "Curved Molding" table for the planer. I have not used it yet, but the attachment is very expensive for what it is. (A sheet of 3/4" white Teflon or plastic with slotted holes, and some bearings and bolts)

can't go wrong with this one
Very nice planer. Plenty of power even when wired 115, easy to adjust, compact footprint, very well built. Have not tried the molding head option yet, but I'm confident it'll be a darn nice feature to have. I'm very glad I did not mess around with a smaller, less powerful benchtop unit first.

BEST ALL ROUND PERFORMER
IF YOU'VE EVER CONSIDERED GRETTING A HIGHER END PLANER, THIS IS IT.
THE PLANER-MOLDER IS PROBABLY THE BEST LOW PRICED, HIGH QUALITY ITEM I'VE EVER INVESTED IN. IT SETS UP EASILY, JUST FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS AND PERFORMS SUPERBLY. THE OTHER MOLDER PLANERS I LOOKED AT WERE EITHER TOO HIGH PRICED OR INFERIOR IN QUALITY (SEARS)
JET HAS PUT A PRODUCT ON THE MARKET THAT THE AVERAGE WOODWORKER CAN AFFORD AND USE FOR A LIFETIME, YET IS STILL A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL WOODWORKER WITH A SMALLER SHOP. EASY TO USE AND SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE ARE THE BEST QUALITIES OF THIS MACHINE. WHILE IT'S COMPACT SIZE MAKES IT EASY TO STORE.

A Great Machine for the Price
I purchased this machine as an upgrade in my shop from a bench type planer. Initially, I thought I would like to buy a larger planer, but have found the thirteen inch capacity to be more than sufficient for my needs. The machine planes efficiently, and thickness settings are accurate upon initial calibration. Changing thickness is easily accomplished without the effort required for many smaller planers. The machine is sufficiently heavy to support large boards during planing, and the built in retractable wheels are wonderful, allowing easy relocation of the machine in the shop and good stability for planing while they are in the raised position. The infeed and outfeed roller supports are easily adjusted and well constructed. When properly set up they virtually eliminate snipe. When coupled with a dust collection system, the built in dust hood removes virtually all the chips. I am impressed! This is an exceptional machine for the price! ... Read more