Benchtop Jointer vs Planer: Why You Need Both?
If you’ve ever tried to glue up boards, build a tabletop, or assemble a cabinet, you may have run into a situation where the pieces don’t line up as expected. Boards might rock on the workbench, leave gaps along the edges, or feel uneven even after careful cutting. When this happens, the issue often starts earlier than you think.
In many cases, the problem isn’t the saw or the measurement. It’s the wood itself. Before solid wood can be cut or assembled accurately, it needs to be prepared so it behaves in a predictable way. This preparation stage plays a major role in how smoothly the rest of the project comes together.
The article looks at the two machines commonly used at this stage, jointers and planers, and explains how they contribute to preparing solid wood for accurate, reliable woodworking.
What Are Benchtop Jointers and Planers?
Benchtop jointers and planers are both machines used during the wood preparation stage, before parts are cut to final size or assembled. Their shared purpose is to turn rough or inconsistent boards into material that can sit flat, align properly, and be processed consistently in later steps.
To achieve this, both machines remove small amounts of wood using a rotating cutterhead driven by a motor. This preparation allows later operations, such as ripping, glue-ups, and assembly, to proceed more smoothly and produce the intended results.
Because they both serve the preparation stage of the workflow, jointers and planers are often discussed together and commonly found side by side in workshops. Both are needed, because they perform different but complementary roles in preparing solid wood. These differences are explored in the next section.
What Is the Difference Between a Jointer and a Planer?
The difference between a jointer and a planer becomes clear when you look at what each machine changes about the board and how they are used in sequence. The comparison below highlights what each machine does, what problem it addresses, and what it prepares the wood for next.
Jointer – Create One Flat Face and One Square Edge
A jointer is a woodworking machine used to prepare solid wood by creating accurate reference surfaces. It works by passing the board over a rotating cutterhead positioned between two tables, allowing material to be removed in a controlled manner.
What it does
A jointer produces one flat reference face and one adjacent edge that is square (90º) to that face. These reference surfaces are not meant to finalize the board, but to serve as reliable guides for later woodworking operations.
What problem it solves
Solid wood often arrives bowed, cupped, or twisted due to natural drying and moisture changes. Without a true reference face and edge, downstream machines will simply reproduce these defects. A jointer removes high spots on one face and edge so the board can sit flat and provide a true reference.
What it prepares the board for
A jointed board can be fed accurately into a planer to create a parallel surface, ripped cleanly on a table saw using the square edge as a guide, or aligned tightly during panel glue-ups.
Planer – Create Parallel Faces with Uniform Thickness
A planer is a woodworking machine designed to control board thickness. It removes material from one face while the opposite face, used as reference, rides on the planer bed.
What it does
A planer makes the two faces of a board parallel and brings the board to a consistent thickness.
What problem it solves
Even boards with flat faces can be difficult to assemble if their thickness varies along the length of a board or between boards used in the same project. A planer ensures consistent thickness in both cases, allowing parts to fit together cleanly.
What it prepares the board for
Thicknessed boards are ready for accurate joinery, clean assembly, and final sizing. Because the planer follows the surface placed against its bed, it relies on a properly jointed reference face to work correctly.
Why You Need Both a Jointer and a Planer
A jointer and a planer serve different roles in wood preparation. Using only one of them often leaves part of the problem unresolved.
Using only a jointer – Flat surfaces, uncontrolled thickness
A jointer can create a flat reference face and a square edge. It can even flatten the opposite face if that face is also jointed. However, because the jointer does not control the distance between the two faces, the board’s thickness is not regulated. The result can be two flat faces that are not parallel, causing the thickness to taper along the board like a wedge.
Using only a planer – Consistent thickness, unchanged shape
A planer can bring a board to a consistent thickness, but it does not correct the board’s underlying shape. As the board passes through the planer, downward pressure from the feed rollers and cutterhead temporarily forces it flat against the planer bed. This allows material to be removed evenly and produces a uniform thickness.
However, once the board exits the planer and that pressure is released, any existing bow, cup, or twist can return. The board may now be evenly thick, but it is still shaped according to its original distortion. This is why a planer alone cannot straighten warped lumber and why a flat reference face must be established first on a jointer.
Using both machines together – Flat, parallel, and ready to use
When a jointer and a planer are used together, the woodworker must follow the correct sequence to address different preparation problems. The jointer is used first to create one flat reference face and one square reference edge. These reference surfaces give the board a stable geometric foundation.
Once that reference face is established, the board is fed into the planer with the jointed face down. The planer then makes the opposite face parallel and brings the board to a consistent thickness. Because the planer is now following a true reference surface, the results are predictable and accurate.
Used in this order, the two machines produce boards that are flat, parallel, and uniform in thickness, making them suitable for precise joinery, tight glue-ups, and clean assembly. This workflow reflects how jointers and planers are intended to be used together in real woodworking practice.
Conclusion
Jointers and planers perform different but equally essential roles in solid wood preparation. A jointer establishes flat and square reference surfaces, while a planer uses those references to create parallel faces and consistent thickness. When used in the correct sequence, they form a complete workflow that turns irregular lumber into material ready for accurate cutting and assembly.
SHINMAX designs both benchtop jointers and planers equipped with spiral cutterheads, supporting this workflow with stable cutting performance, efficient material removal, and consistent surface results. Distributors and B2B partners are welcome to contact us to learn more about SHINMAX woodworking machines and cooperation opportunities.