Features

• 8,000/10,000 rpm
• Uses 1/2" and 3/4" spindle bits
• Powerful 3 hp, single-phase motor
• 25-by-18-inch solid cast-iron table
• 4" dust port

Reviews (1)

Great Shaper!!
I recently purchased the Jet JWS-25Cs and could not be more happy with the product, pleanty of power!! Setup was easy, no surprises. Fence system is solid. Comes with 1/2 and 1/4 router bit collets. Spindle changes are relatevely easy. Unfortunately you need to open the rear access door to make spindle changes, I wish they designed it to be done from the side access panel to avoid, in my case, having to move the machine away from the wall to open the rear door. I have heard some comments about router bits not working well in shapers because router bits are designed to spin faster. I can tell you that I tried several router bit and they work just fine at the 10,000 rpm setting. ... Read more

Features

• Fully adjustable workpiece hold-downs on table for keeping stock in position
• Extra large, heavy-duty cast iron table for stability
• Fully enclosed cabinet stand for longer motor life
• Handwheel and spindle lock for safe, accurate spindle height adjustments
• Two reversible spindle speeds for versatility

Features

• Independent left and right fences
• 1 hp, 1 phase motor 115/230v
• Overall dimensions 18-1/2 inch x 22-3/8 inch x 40 inch
• Open steel stand
• 4 inch dust chute

Reviews (2)

Nice Machine But There Are Better Deals Out There
I've had this Jet shaper for 5 years and have only one real complaint: The Inserts are nearly impossible to remove. You'll end up using a gear puller to get them out. With that said this unit has seen much use over the years and has run perfectly throughout. It is very smooth running with nicely cast & machined parts. It should be looked at as a really, really, nice router table or an entry level shaper.

I got mine on "Special" when Jet was begining to change the paint on their machines from blue to white (mine is blue) and I paid $375 for it. Considering that at that time there were no such things as router lifts and the few good router tables availiable were nearly the same in cost, I got one heck of a deal.

But look at the Jet JWS-22CS if you are looking for a entry level shaper - for 50 bucks more you get extra power and a closed stand. The fence system is nearly identical (and of good design).

The JWS-18HO would make a lot more sense if Jet lowered it's price to the under $400 range. The same basic shaper but painted green and with 3/4 hp can also be found elsewhere for much less.

Not too small after all
I originally wanted to buy a larger machine, but the 1.5 HP Jet was not available - so I opted for the 18HO (same spindle and travel spec.'s) and hoped it could get the job done. Was I surprised! I use 1/2 inch router bits for making RP doors and cabinet work, etc. mostly with 3/4 stock. The single horsepower motor breezes through anything I've tried. The slightly smaller table is not a problem - to work large panels any model needs add-on wings. I'm over 50 and have worked with machinery all my life - the Jet is well-made. Castings are free of scaling and voids, and the machining is right on. You can tell the QC folks at Jet earn their pay. I used the money I saved to buy high quality router bits. For home shop or small jobs this machine is plenty good and is vastly superior to a more expensive router table set-up. ... Read more

Features

• Two-year limited warranty
• 1-1/2 hp totally enclosed, fan-cooled, single phase motor
• RPM: 7,000 and 9,000 reversing
• 22-3/8-by-18-1/8" table
• 3/8" x 3/4" table T-slot

Reviews (2)

shipping is a joke
I bought this machine thinking it was 1 to 2 weeks shipping, three weeks go by, now you say another month befor shipping, if I new it would take this long, Id bought it someplace else, will it be another 30 days after march 29th? We will see... I wont buy again from this service...

excellent
I purchased this machine about 6 mos. ago. I have been perfectly pleased with its performance. The price is definitely a plus, it does perform as well as more pricey machines I use at work. The only drawback encountered with this machine is that when taking a larger "bite" out of harder woods, you must take it "gingerly". Common sense, however it is the only limitation I have come across-an all around good machine!! ... Read more

Features

• Two-year warranty
• Solid cast-iron work surface
• Heavy-duty fence
• Two spindle speeds
• Closed stand

Reviews (13)

Better than any router table
I've had my shaper for 4 months. I am pleased with all of the shaper features. The two piece fence has very fine adjustment knobs. They are great for out feed adjustments. The true 1-1/2 HP motor has plenty of power. Not like the over rated routers on the market. Image running a table saw with a 3 HP router? The 1/4" and 1/2" collets and router bits are easier to change than my router table. The stock hold downs are ok. You need a metric wrench to adjust. Over all this is a good buy, powerful, quiet, and adustable. The only problem I had is the same as others. The table rings are very difficult to remove.

Another Excellent Jet Product
Being an engineer and intermediate woodworker, I appreciate a reasonably priced tool with rock solid performance and well machined parts. The fine line of Jet tools continues to provide me with all of these. The JWS-22CS is an excellent tool. The top is machined flat. Both sides of the fence are easily adjusted by turning two knurled knobs. Raising and lowering the spindle is effortless and quick. The dust collection works well. Changing speeds requires you to loosen a bolt on the motor housing but this takes less than 30 seconds. The motor is extremely well balanced and quiet. In fact, you can hardly hear the unit running. This shaper has replaced my loud and less powerful 3 1/2HP router and table. I had a problem with both the 1/4" and 1/2" collets not adequately gripping the bit. I contacted Jet and they immediately sent me replacements which work great. I also had a little problem getting the table rings out for the first time, but a little sand paper and WD-40 came to the rescue. If you want a good intermediate shaper, you can't go wrong with this one!

Better than a router table but marginal as a shaper
I purchased this shaper about 2 years ago, my first machine made by Jet. I was expecting it to be a small shaper with the quality of a larger shaper but I did not find that to be true. The first problem I had was the concentric table inserts were virtually impossible to remove. The instruction book said to place a small piece of wood on top of the spindle and crank up the spindle to push the inserts out. Dream on!! That method did not budge them at all. I finally resorted to using a bearing puller and poped them out. After I got them out they would not go back in. Probably they could have been pounded back in with a mallet but then the same problem would exist. I borrowed a micrometer from a machinest friend and discovered that the opening in the table was .004 inch smaller than the insert. (no wonder it was tight.) I took the insert to the machine shop and had .004 removed from it and the same thing to the small insert. After that they worked fine but I can't imagine why Jet would fit the inserts that tight. I have heard others have had that same problem so I am reasonably sure the problem was not unique to my machine. The next problem is the fence is poor at best. It is difficult to set up. The handles on the tightning bolts interfere with each other and the faces of the two adjustable sides of the fence are not precisely parallel which makes it very difficult to totally avoid a small bump in the shaping near the end of the board. The raising and lowering of the spindle is geared too high making it somewhat difficult to achieve an exact height setting and the lock lever is too close to the height adjustment knob. The dust collector attachment cannot be bolted tight without using washers because it is about 1/2 inch higher than the top of the fence body where it bolts on. It functions ok in collecting the dust loose but it could have been designed more accurately at no extra cost.

On the good side, The machine has a well machined table, the stand is sturdy, it runs smooth and quiet with very little viberation, and it has adequate power to cut raised panels in hard wood. (I always used carbide cutters that are sharp, if using old dull cutters the 1 1/2 hp moter might be marginal in making raised panel cuts)

In summary, this machine could have been a lot better with relatively minor design changes but in fairness it is probably as good as most in the price range. It is a vast improvement over a cheap router table but at the same time I find it quite marginal as a principal machine in fine woodworking. If you are thinking of investing this much money in a shaper I would suggest that you spend a few hundred more on a higher quality machine. I plan to upgrade to a better machine soon.

Ergonomics? We don't need no stinkin' ergonomics!
The good news: it's solid and heavy.

The bad news: the ergonomics are so bad it must be a prototype, it can't possibly be a production model. Mainly every control knob / lever / bolt is in the way of every other control knob / lever / bolt. For example:

The spindle height adjusting knob is right next to it's own lock down "knob", which is one of those push-button-turn-handle deals â'' with only a ¼ turn freedom of movement. A sloppy, stupid, knuckle busting, time wasting design.

You can't change bits without removing the spindle / router-collet, and you can't do that without partially _DISASSEMBLING_ the fence. And you can't do that without keeping wrenches â'' some open end, some Allen, some metric, some English â'' in your pocket. A sloppy, stupid, time wasting design.

The fence-hold-down-bolts get in the way of the fence-frame, and you're all the time pushing the bolt-turning rod back and forth: ¾ turn, push rod, ¾ turn, push rod â'' 22 times to remove the bolt!. A big time waster. This sloppy, stupid design would have been fixed by making the hold-down bolts one inch longer. Jet just must not care.

Why would you want to remove the fence? Well for one thing, you can't move the fence back far enough to route a dado. Gotta' remove the fence and clamp on some other fence you got somewhere besides Jet. Jet tech support says, simultaneously:
1) They can't imagine and have never heard of anyone ever routing a dado (!!) with the machine â'' which BTW comes with a set of router bits, and,
2) People who use the machine as a router table tap new fence-hold-down-bolt holes in the table.

The door you open every time you change a bit hits the cord taking power to the motor. A sloppy, stupid design.

Power. It's got a small motor. The motor on mine bogs down routing a ½ dado, 1/8 inch deep, in soft pine.

I could go on. You get the point. Won't get fooled again.

Very good product
CONS: The router bit set is 1/4 inch shank and the collet was made imperfectly. Jet service is replacing. The fence isn't great. I don't like that both sides move -- it would be better if it were one piece.

PROS: Plenty of power and heavy. 1/2 the price of the other shapers.

I got it delivered last week and so far, I love it. ... Read more