Customer Reviews

DELTA 37-365X X5 DJ20 Precision 8-Inch 1-1/2-Horsepower Jointer, 120/240-Volt 1-Phase

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I own several woodworking machines by Delta, Powermatic and others. This is one machine, however, that I really felt compelled to write a review on. I recently upgraded to this machine from a Delta 37-195 6" Professional Jointer which I was, for the most part, very happy with. I made the switch for two reasons; length of the infeed/outfeed tables and weight of the unit. At only 200+ pounds, the 6" jointer had a tendency of not staying in its place when edge jointing larger boards and securing it permanently to the floor in my basement shop was not an option. The only real issue with the DJ-20 was getting it into a basement workshop based on its bulky size and overall weight of around 500lbs. This was done with 3 people and a large capacity appliance dolly. With minimal setup time, I was absolutely amazed at the difference between this jointer and the 6" Delta I was used to. Overall, depth adjustments are much simpler and more accurate, due to the smoothness at which the infeed table moves. The accuracy and power of this machine makes even face jointing 8" hardwood stock a simple task. The amount of chipout as compared to other jointers is minimal. I am amazed at how quickly I can square up a board to a near perfect 90 degrees EVERY time no matter how rough the stock initially was. The bottom line is that I purchased this mahcine for its weight and infeed/outfeed length, but ended up with the larger capacity and an entirely new level of accuracy. The possibilities that this jointer have opened up to me will bring my woodworking to the next level. The free mobile base (mail in coupon included with the unit) is a great feature as well.

I waited a long time for Powermatic to redesign their 8" jointer like they did with the 6", but I was dispointed. The new Powermatic 8" jointer's lower price does not offset the fit, finish, and features of this Delta 8" DJ20.

The Delta lever actuated depth of cut adjustment is fast, smooth, and accurate. The fence is easy to adjust and holds square. I have run a lot of figured wood over it and have not experienced burning or tear out, unless I abuse it or don't pay attention to grain direction.

I previously owned a 6" Jet jointer. If you are on a budget look at the 8" Grizley long bed, the Jet 8" on sale, or the Powermatic 6" long bed.

Assembly of this jointer is relatively easy. I did it myself in about 6 hour using alot of leverage and some strong sawhorses. I would not recommend this to everyone. Unless your a 250 weightlifter get some help putting it onto the stand. The rest is easy.

Note added after over 2 years of heavy use:
I have since changed out the cutter head to a Byrd Shellex carbide segmented unit. This change has vastly improved an already great jointer. It was an easy change over, which took about 4-6 hours. It's advisable to change the bearings at the same time, keeping in mind that if the bearings go, it can damage the new $500 head. You can get generic bearing for less than $20 a set, which is cheap insurance. Be careful when installing the Byrd head, the segments may not look like it but they are extermly sharp. The jointer is now quiter and provides a cleaner cut on almost all woods. The small pattern can easily be sanded out with 220 grit.

I also added a Delta mobile base and 3" high wood riser blocks to clear my tablesaw top and move it around to work with longer stock.

Other than thinking about changing the short electric cord that Delta supplied, out to a longer one; I am very happy with this jointer.

This jointer is priced at the high end of the 8" class - a fact I had to come to terms with before I finally made the "plunge". In my mind, I've always downplayed the role of a good jointer until I started serious woodworking last year. When I set up my shop I purchased a 6" jointer with a short bed, in an attempt to save some money. I've wanted a larger, more precise jointer ever since then. After quite a bit of deliberation, I finally decided not to risk another disapointment and purchased the X5.

Be ware - watch who you listen to. A salesperson at one of the local woodworking stores told me that the X5 units were made in the USA to tighter tolerances than the standard units. I can't speak for the tolerances but, my X5 was not made in the USA and it turned out that their floor model wasn't either!

The main jointer casting was crated and packed extremely well. The base was cardboard boxed with little packing, making the sheet metal easily subject to shipping damage. Fortunately, mine made it through the shipping process just fine.

I did have to work out one problem: I noticed a large "knot" at drive belt, at the seam/joint when I first assembled the unit. The knot in the belt contributed to an extremely high vibration. I installed one of those red link belts. I'd read about their ability to drastically reduce vibration and folks who use them, swear by them. Again - I'm a believer! Nearly all the vibration went away after installing the new belt.

As I said, I haven't measured the tolerances but I am pleased with how this jointer operates. In my mind, it's been worth the cost to move up to this unit.

Fit, finish, design, overall very good. Parallelism between the infeed and outfeed within about 0.001" right from the factory. Slight lip on top edge the fence was removed with a little filing on the bevel (stay off the face!). After that, fence was flat withing 0.002". No discernable bow or twist. Plenty of power. Installation of knives is the usual hassle. Made easier with dial indicator and machinist's straight edge. Fence adjustments would be easier with some sort of screw controlled fine adjustment mechanism. A coat of wax on the bed makes the wood move easily. Dust collection is a VERY good idea. So is 220 VAC 1PH. Compared to griping I've heard about other brands, not much to gripe about here. Good value for the money.

I upgraded to the DJ20 X5 after having a JET 6" jointer that I really enjoyed for about 10 years. I thought I'd get 2 more inches of capacity, but soon realized that I got so much more. This is a real workhorse. 8" wide hard maple doesn't even slow it down and the finish is better than anything I've experienced. The long infeed table is absolutely critical to getting a long board flat because it allows you to get more of a long board up on the work surface instead of a cupped end hanging off the end and eventually lifting the entire board up as it reaches the infeed table. The extra weight of the machine is a plus because it makes vibration nonexistent and it allows you to canteliever 8 feet of 8/4 maple (heavy) off one end of the machine without it even coming close to tipping. Try this with a 6" machine and you'll know what I mean. The fence and it's mechanisms are all way more sturdy and heavy duty. The sliding mechanism locks tighly and the fence angle adjustment is simple and positive. I must admit that I liked the wheel adjustment of the infeed table, but after using Delta's levers and seeing how fast, easy, and accurate the parallelogram system works, I'd never go back to wheels. My only regret is that I didn't get this earlier. If you're looking for an 8-inch jointer, you won't be disappointed with this one.

Delta has been making the DJ-20 for quite awhile and it has always been viewed as a quality product. Everything is adjustable and strongly constructed. The extra long infeed table is very nice and the accuracy of the tool is excellent. However, there are a few improvements that could be made:

1) Dust collection. Currently there is a chip chute but no pipe for DC attachment (6" would be ideal). You can get around this by screwing in a HVAC fitting (just like the Delta Unisaw). Chips pile up rapidly with this tool... you will want something taking them away!
2) The fence is not adjustable to the front edge of the tool. This makes the rabbeting ledge worthless (unless you need a 2"+ rabbet).
3) The fence angle is not easily adjustable. Dialing in an exact setting can be frustrating... the lever to control the tilt is small and does not offer a lot of control.
4) Belt vibration is noticeable during power down. A link belt fixes this problem.

In fairness, most jointers have these same exact problems. It would be nice if Delta could address these issues... then they'd have a true 5 star product.

I have owned this jointer for about a year now having upgraded from the Jet JJ-6CSX 6 inch and a Delta Deluxe 6 inch model prior to that. The DJ-20 has performed magnificently. It was dead on right out of the box. The only tweaking I performed was to tighten the belt as the motor would "bang" when you initially turned it on. Cuts are smooth with the oak and pine that I have mostly run through it at this point. The fence adjusts smoothly. The infeed table is very smooth to adjust which I have to admit I was a little skeptical at first having been used to the handwheel adjustments on the Jet. But I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the table adjusts up and down. Please note that even with the 1.5 HP motor, the unit comes pre-wired for 220 so you will have to accomodate that with a 20 amp breaker. The motor shows plenty of power even with extra wide lumber. If there were one complaint I would lodge it would be with the lack of a magnetic switch. Also, I have not had to change the blades yet but everything that I have read indicates that it should not be a painful process. I would definitely recommend this machine as it has served me well to this point.

On request, the shipping company delivered the machine with a tailgate lift. The jointer shipped in a cardboard box containing the base with motor and a plywood crate containing the table assembly, fence and other parts. When the jointer arrived, both box and crate had suffered minor damage to exterior and packing materials. The staples used to fasten one of the straps used to secure the table assembly, fence and small parts in the crate had pulled loose, allowing them to move and create a very small nick on the table edge, however it was easily repaired with a few strokes of a file and is now undetectable. Otherwise, the jointer was undamaged. I used a heavy-duty 4-wheel dolly to easily transport the crate and box from the lowered truck tailgate into my shop.

After reading other reviews, I was relieved to see that a 4-inch dust collection cover for the chip chute was included and installed with a very nice fit. I was also happy to see that the 120v/220v motor came pre-wired for 220v. The instructions for assembly and adjustments were thorough and easy to understand. After assembly, I found that it was necessary to adjust the table and fence pre-set stops as well as the out-feed table height. The knives were sharp and did not require any adjustment. All adjustments were very easy to make and produce excellent results when machining stock.

The parts are heavy, combined they weigh almost 400 pounds. During assembly, work carefully to avoid injury to yourself and/or damage to the jointer. I recommend that you enlist the aid of a friend to install the table assembly on the base. We lifted the table assembly from the crate and supported it at the ends with saw horses, then rolled the base under the table assembly to align bolt holes and fasten them together. I recommend purchasing the mobile base as a permanent solution to mobility needs, but you could use a dolly, pallet jack or a forklift. It took an afternoon to unpack, assemble, clean and wax the cast iron table and fence, and make necessary adjustments.

I upgraded to this jointer from a Jet 6-inch model which I re-wired to 220v during assembly. The Jet is a sweet machine, did a great job, and I liked the handwheel table adjustments, but I really needed the capability to machine wider and longer stock for many future projects. It wasn't long before I became familiar with using levers to adjust the tables on the Delta. The five-year warranty adds to peace of mind. In hindsight, I wish I had purchased the 37-365X as my first machine. If you have the room in your shop for machine storage and handling the stock lengths it is capable of machining, you will love the results.

I have only had this jointer a short time, but it is great. It will face surface full 8" wide boards effortlessly. Edge joints are exactly 90. Proper setup takes some time and you will need someone to help you lift the jointer onto the stand. Overall, it is a great jointer. I would purchase it again.

Great machine exept delta needs to use better quality belts!
I cut off the original belt that created a huge vibration and replaced it with a link belt. Once that was done the machine became a nice addition to my shop.
The Delta DJ-20 is a good choice for any workshop, and it will make straightening wood a breeze. I had a 6" delta proffessional and I can't believe the difference. Worth every dollar, I LIKE IT...........