Jointers and Planers are widely used by the wood industry. There is confusion between the applications of Jointer and Planer. They are considered to do the same job.
Key Takeaways
- Jointers create a flat surface on wood by removing material along its length.
- Planers ensure uniform thickness by shaving material from the wood’s surface.
- Jointers square up wood pieces, while planers create even thickness across the wood.
Jointer vs Planer
A jointer, also known as a surface planer, is a woodworking tool used to create a flat, even surface on the face of a board. It works by using rotating blades to shave off thin layers of wood. A planer, also known as a thickness planer, is a woodworking tool used to create a consistent thickness throughout the length of a board. It works by using rotating blades to remove thin layers of wood.

The jointer is machinery that is widely used by the wood industry. It is a heavy machine. This helps to make the edges of the wooden piece into a square. It makes the edges straight.
Planer is machinery that is widely used to make surfaces smooth and flat. This works from the above. It makes the surface parallel and maintains a consistent thickness around the workpiece.
Comparison Table
Parameters of Comparison | Jointer | Planer |
---|---|---|
Job | Edges to square | Thickness of edge |
Face | Single face | Parallel face |
Thickness | Roughly | Consistent |
Way of work | Below | Above |
Warp removal | Yes | No |
Cost | Cheap | Costly |
What is Jointer?
The jointer is used to make the edges flat, and basically, it is squared. The wooden pieces are flat at the edges so that the pieces can be joined later on with other wooden pieces.
The tables are known as infeed and outfeed. Infeed is the table on which the workpiece does its work, and outfeed is the table in which the machine floats when it is cut from the cutting head.
The piece comes on the outfeed. The cutting head has a blade that has to be managed so that the desired workpiece comes out.
The cutting head has more than two very sharp knives. The axis of rotation is perpendicular to the direction of feed. The cutting process happens in the opposite direction of the feed.

What is Planer?
Planer is a machine that trims wooden pieces. It is used to maintain thickness around the wooden piece. It completes the work in a single pass.
The rollers are in a set inside the machine. The table is the base of the machinery. The table can be adjusted as required. This machine can handle very large pieces also.
The machine has a high construction. It needs a powerful motor to complete the mechanism. It is also known as a planer thicknesser in the UK.
This piece cuts the wooden piece into a perfect dimension so that the wooden piece maintains proper thickness all around the wooden piece.

Main Differences Between Jointer and Planer
- The jointer is used to remove warp, but Planers are not used to remove warp.
- Jointers are cheaper than Planers.
