Craftsman CMEW020 Jointer Review

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This discussion is a tool review of the Craftsman Benchtop 6-inch jointer. This model is the Craftsman CMEW020.

As with all of my tool review, I try my best to not review the machine or tool in a way that is “they should have done ____”. I try to provide an honest review of the tool in an “as-is” condition. In the case of this jointer, I have had the machine for about 3 years and have used it regularly, so I hope to provide a review based on personal experience with the machine.

Price / Value

At the time of purchase, I paid around $300 for this tool, brand new from Lowes. While the machine does not feature large support wings or a cast iron bed, it can indeed cut a 6” wide piece of material with ease. There are larger and stronger machines on the market, but for the price of this machine, I feel it carries tremendous value.

Specifications

This machine is 10-amp bench top jointer with a variable speed range of 6,000 to 11,000 RPM. It has a cutter head speed of 12,000 to 22,000 cuts per minute. The cutter head is a straight-blade cutter head that features 2 knifes. The cut capacity is just over 6 inches and the center-mounted fence is 4 1/4” tall.

Noise

As to be expected with any woodworking machine, this tool is loud. Most jointers in general are rather loud. I contribute some of the noise to the straight jointer knife blades that are installed in this machine. A helical head blade set may reduce noise but again…this is as-is.

Even though this jointer is rather loud, it is honestly not much louder than any other woodworking tool. Anytime I am working in the shop with power tools, I expect noise with every machine I use, and this jointer is no different.

Bed

To date, I have no scratches, gouges, dings, or dents in the bed of this jointer. Once settings are dialed in and correct, the bed does not have any movement when putting the machine through heavy material tests. Even with large pieces of wood running through the machine in a “normal” work setting, I find that the bed and wings do not move or fault, leaving my material surfaced and correct as I hoped for.

Wings

The wings of this machine appear to be made of solid metal and are durable enough to stand up to normal usage and wear-and-tear. While the wings are not cast-iron, they have durability that is suitable to me for the use of which I need out of this tool. While the wings are long enough to the type of working I’m doing and frequency in which I use the machine, but of course, they could always be longer. When milling up longer material, the short wings on this machine provide for some minor difficulty, but they get the job done.

Fence

The fence on this machine is 4 1/4” tall and is made from what appears to be an extruded aluminum product. The fence has always stayed at a perfect 90-degree for me and I have seen little-to-no movement. Even though the fence is lightweight aluminum, it works fine for my workflow. I have found that by super-tightening the adjustable knobs and handles provides for more trust in the fence to stay in place. When milling up a very large piece of material, sometimes the fence has a tendency to move, but has not caused catastrophic damage in my milling process. I also don’t know whether to contribute the minor fence movement to the fence itself, or simply the size of the entire machine and it’s security to the base it’s sitting on.

Safety Plate

The swinging safety plate has been nothing but awesome in my experience. It has not sagged or moved over time. There is no rubbing or imperfections in the safety plate or it’s dedicated features. It features a rubber bump stop on the side closest to the fence that keeps it from wearing on the fence over time. It has a smooth shining mechanism and the spring remains strong to keep it “closed” when not pushed out of the way by wood material.

Adjustments

The various adjustment choices offered on this machine are just right for what I do. I do not find that the adjustments are overly dramatic in precise movements. They adjust just as much or as a little as I would hope for. I would offer advice though in that when you tighten a knob or handle, make sure it is indeed tight before working.

Dust Collection

The dust collection components on this machine feature a plastic shroud funnel with a 2 1/2” dust collection port (male plug). I find that even though this piece is plastic, it is durable enough to stand up to a dust collection hose clamp without cracking or faulting. With the force and volume of my dust collector, the surrounding area is near spotless when I am done working; meaning the machine does a very good job of collecting and disposing of dust through the designated port. I would critique the dust collection system when milling material at a larger/deeper/heavier depth. When taking off lots of material per each pass, the chips can be large enough to clog the machine. This is a rare occasion for me as I usually opt not to take off such a large volume of material per pass. However, when the machine does clog, it is a bit of a chore to unclog the machine. While it is a simple process to remove the plastic dust shroud and manually unclog the machine, it can put a time-damper on production of your workflow.

Strength

The power on this machine seems to be fine. It is inline with what is to be expected with this size of a machine. I have never had an issue with the machine bogging down or struggling to work through a large and hard/dense piece of wood. Naturally, when milling larger wood or a dense piece of hardwood, it does take more power. However, slow down the feed rate through the cutting knifes and the machine perseveres.

Cutting Head

The machine comes standard with straight blades on the cutting heads. I would imagine there is a helical head upgrade option for this machine, but I have not looked further into the option. I find that with the correct speed and feed rate, I get clean surface faces and great results with the machine as it is.

My conclusion on this tool is that it is absolutely a great starter jointer for your wood shop. This is the only jointer I have ever own and honestly, I haven’t had a need for anything else. I could always use something bigger, but it’s not a necessity right now. For the value and quality, I would definitely recommend this tool to any woodworker.