Indeed ... they are all the same. Check this one ... Craftex; another Canadian brand sell by busy bee 🐝. www.busybeetools.com/products/8in-benchtop-jointer-with-helical-cutterh-cx08bthc.html

I've heard of Busy Bee, but never seen any in the wild. Seems like it may be more of an eastern Canada brand. Sure looks like the same unit, thought.

Actually, the 8" Wahuda is different in that it has cast iron tables, for better machine stability and wear resistance, versus the cast aluminum tables on the Cutech/King jointers. The Wahuda also has the new spiral style cutterhead with 4-sided carbide inserts installed versus the 2-sided tips on the Cutech and King. They can only use 2-sided inserts. The Wahuda's fence bracket system is slightly beefier, machined to tighter tolerances, has a 4" longer fence, and is 3" longer overall with the extensions pulled out than the Cutech and King models. It's also manufactured by a different company in Taiwan than the others. Just thought I'd let you know.

Forgot to mention, the Magnum 8" model 81-180 jointer and Rikon model 20-800H 8" are the same as the Cutech and King.

@@migi4993 Thanks for the info!

Hahaha. You're welcome, I guess? Not sure what an "internet robot" is, but I kinda want one.

Thanks for checking it out

Thanks.

Haha. Thanks, Sean. My vibe is just about all I've got going for me sometimes.

Thanks

Something to consider, for sure.

Thanks, Amy. Unfortunately, I think all the kids in my life are past the point of "rocking horse" (or donkey), so it won't move up the list very quickly, even if I add it on (which I will, because that's what I do with people's suggestions).

As long as landed on the list! My grandfather used to make rocking motorcycles. They were pricey, but they sold well at markets.

@@amygoersch8394 I wish I could afford a storage unit or something so I could make stuff on spec to sell at markets, etc. Unfortunately, at this point I'm stuck making things on commission (or for friends) so I know they're out the door at time of completion or things that are for the house itself.

You and me both Mike. I've got one stall of my garage set up as my shop and if one of my kids decide to buy a car, I'll be in trouble. Keep up the good work, I look forward to seeing what suggestions you do make, because I know they'll be great!

@@amygoersch8394 Tell those kids they have to buy cars that they're okay parking outside. Remember: You're in charge, dammit!

I'll have a look in there, but I don't think the problem is the cover, just that there isn't a blower in there at all. Can't hurt to have a look inside, though. Thanks for the idea.

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff Good call on the blower..... didn't think of that. Good luck!!

Thanks for checking it out. Good luck on the couch! Hahaha

I have a feeling that video will never happen. But thanks for the kind words, and for clearly actually making it to the end of the video. haha

Wooden ThingsAndStuff I always watch your video from beginning till the end.... it is so much fun and with all the jokes 🤣🤣🤣🤣. You are doing a very good job. Keep it up ! And if you are coming to Toronto one day , please let me know. We can meet up !

Thanks George!

I leave the dust port shroud off and the chips fall out fine as long as I doon't let them pile up and back up into the machine. Still miss the blower, but it's not that big a deal.

Thanks, Brian.

Brian Moore any video from the manufacturer should be labeled “commercial”; never have I seen a “review” and likely will never.

Glad I could help!

Have fun. At least Busy Bee gives you a proper manual. I've since downloaded it for when I have to make any bed adjustments on mine.

I can see why. It's a good unit for the $

I did the 40" sides of my tool cabinet without a problem, but to be honest, part of the reason I'm okay with a benchtop planer at all (other than the lack of shop space) is that it's pretty rare I'll have to do anything more than that. Like, how many beds and dining room tables does someone need? I think this will be lots of machine for me for a while.

2 month update: still going strong. Bigger is better for sure and I definitely wish I had the bigger one on occasions when I’m pushing 8’-long boards but it handles 6’-long board and shorter like a charm. Still very happy with the purchase 👍

@@ColinMacInnis thanks for the update I’m looking at getting the wahuda 10inch

I don't think the fence is trash, but the adjustment knobs (levers?) kind of are. But once you get it set, how often are you really moving anything? I don't think I've moved my fence since I set it a couple years ago!

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff completely agree with those knobs! Like big time agree. I have to washer nearby to adjust it as an additional piece of leverage so I don’t snap it off

It looks like pretty much all the 8" segmented head benchtop jointers on the market right now are the same unit with different paintjobs. That's a good price. Hope you like it!

Thank you! My whole shop has developed from profits from the shop. I paid about $150 for a mitre saw and maybe $40 for a sander, and after that, all my tools and tool upgrades were paid for by things produced in the shop (and Christmas gifts, etc.)

Just my local tool store.

I mainly sell charcuterie (and cutting) boards, little boxes, and stuff that people like to get at craft markets and whatnot, like wine displays and barbeque scrapers, but I also make hand drums and art pieces.

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff Thank you!

I haven't had any issues with the stability of the fence, but I also don't think you have to push very hard against it in order to get consistent contact.

I've not heard of Craftex, but it absolutely wouldn't surprise me. It seems as though this machine is just getting a new badge on the front depending on which company orders it from the factory. But no matter what name is on it, it's a fine machine at the price point.

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff Craftex is Busy Bee's brand. Being in Canada I would recommend checking them out if they are close to where you live. We have one here in Calgary and I buy a lot of Craftex stuff.

@@devonmoore2774 I'll have a look around. Thanks.

I never had a CrappyTire jointer. My old one was a Craftsman that I bought second hand for like $60, so yes, this is a heck of an upgrade. The only thing the old one had over this one is that it had a blower to exhaust the chips. Can't speak to customer support, because I haven't had any need to contact anyone about it yet.

Someone else actually pointed out that Busy Bee has the same unit with a better manual, which I have since downloaded for when I need to make any adjustments. $50 cheaper and extra warranty sounds like a no brainer to me. Good call.

Would you still recommend that jointer?

I had that problem one time last year, too. I was all set to upgrade the planer, and got the money set aside, and then got hit with an unexpected bill. Don't remember what it was, but by the time I'd recovered financially, I'd changed my mind and bought this jointer instead. If I was in your spot, I'd get that table saw first. Every project I make sees the table saw at some point, but not every project needs the jointer.

I haven't encountered the fence problem you have, but there are definitely a few scratches on the bed already. I don't see it as a problem, though. There's more than enough reference surface there that a few scratches won't throw anything off. If I end up with a scratch that leaves a burr that might gouge my wood, I'll just sand it down so it doesn't mar anything and keep going. I don't foresee a problem getting my $700 out of it, anyway.

Two things: first, I've never had a problem with the power of the machine. Second, I've purchased one thing from Vevor and let's just say there won't be a second.

@@WoodenThingsAndStuffunderstood. Thanks. King on the way.

Yup. There's a lot of progress not being made because manufacturing processes are already in place and are therefore cheap. Yay capitalism!

Thanks. Will definitely check that out if/when my beds go out of square.

Glad to be of help.

Good so far. Just rotated the cutter heads for the first time (after about a year and a half of using it). Have had no problems with it since I brought it home from the store.

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff thank you bro, appreciate your feedback, I'll buy it..

@@22tadi It's a good little unit for the price.

I got it from my local tool store. Not sure where you'd find one online, but the Cutech, Rikon and Craftex are all the same unit, from what I can tell.

Wow. That IS frustrating. Sorry that was their response.

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff Sorry, I meant 'they tell you' as far as the manual goes. You know what - I actually called the techs at King and they walked me through the process of aligning the beds. Its really simple - once you take off the bolts on top, there are bushings you can turn with a large flathead screwdriver. Tweaking the four bushings allows you to re-align the bed. I honestly don't know why they make such a big deal out of it in the manual!

So...do you work for one of these companies and know who makes their machines? I'd genuinely like to hear from someone who can say for sure that all these jointers aren't coming out of the same factory with different branding on them.

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff I have emails from both Cutech and Wahuda. Although their stories are different, each blaming the other, they are different companies and different manufacturers. I recently purchased the Wahuda, thinking it was an upgraded version of Cutech. But they cut ties with Cutech and found a different manufacturer so they are now Wahuda. They claim, they are the original Cutech out of Tennessee, and say someone else picked up the name and is now using it in California. Its sounds like a legal battle unfolding. I returned the Wahuda because the tables are not adjusted and after a couple of hours with 1 cross threaded adjustment screw, I gave up. I purchased a Cutech, there are very small differences, but the tables are factory adjusted so its ready right out of the box. The carbide cutter version is about $50 less then Wahuda. I paid $464 and $35 for shipping. The cutters are only two sided, the tables are aluminum covered with Teflon. The Wahuda has 4 sided cutters, cast iron top and the extensions are 2 inches longer. You pay $550 for it.

This is good information. I knew there was certainly some weirdness between those companies when I was searching "Cutech jointer" and it came up with one website and then a few months later, it came up with a different one. Sounds like you found one that's going to work for you, which is good. I'm still happy with mine, but want to see if I can find some 4-sided cutters to replace the 2-sided ones when it's time.

I haven't looked at jointer prices for a while, so I can't say if I'd do it again relative to anything else on the market right now, but it's still doing the job I ask of it and haven't had any problems that needed addressing. If I had room, I'd certainly look at a floor-standing unit with longer beds, but I'd absolutely never go back to straight knives now that I've used segmented heads. I still think this is a good tool for the $

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff sweet thanks for the response after 3 years!

@@nonplayablecharacter4815 Not sure what you mean. I responded to this comment the same day it came in.

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff after three years of the video being released you’re still responding to comments that’s cool

@@nonplayablecharacter4815 Oh I getcha. Yeah, I try to respond as much as I have time for.

Still happy. I've heard a few people who have had problems, but I think that's going to be more of a "quality control" problem than with the machine itself if it's set up properly. At the price range, I'd say it's a win.

That's a good way to put it. I would say it's a "perfectly adequate piece of equipment if you don't plan on being too hard on it" tool. Decent value, but most people should probably spend more and go up a level.

Great review. I think the issue for a lot of hobby woodworkers is to go up a level would mean triple the cost especially in the current economic climate. I also like the fact it is reasonably portable and doesn’t take up a lot of floorspace.

@@Aaron-nj4ou Agreed.

Still liking the machine. Gets used on pretty much every project that goes through the shop. Is your shop vac itself not enough to suck the chips out? I just bought a new one (unboxing video going live today, in fact) that I hope will do the trick. I'd be concerned that adding a hole for an external blower would cause the chips to come out in every direction from under the machine, since it has an open bottom, but it COULD work, I suppose.

Wooden ThingsAndStuff i have the Wahuda version and the bottom is slanted so it’s closed in...i just like the blower idea

@@pharaohacura3618 If it's an enclosed box, I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Wooden ThingsAndStuff hey there I watched your shop vac video...do you have a dust extractor hooked to your shop vac?

@@pharaohacura3618 I do not. Will build or buy a separator eventually, but no room for one right now.

I do wish this one had 4 sides, but I also still haven't turned them from the first side, so the 2-sided ones are probably going to last me 4 years at this rate, so I'm not that upset about it.

Still going strong, but it doesn't get a bunch of heavy use, really. Should probably turn the cutters one of these days, as I have a couple of nicks. I can say I'm still happy with my purchase, if that helps.

Thanks? haha

King Canada? ....9:45....I think you're reading from the manual? Right to Repair? Big Companies, like Apple, extorting the little man for repair and maintenance? King Canada recommending you seek their techs but they leave breadcrumbs for you to do it yourself, in comparison to Apple? Still a good vid tho.

Hasn't happened yet!

What size dust collector do you have attached to it? I would guess you need a fair number of CFM. I don't bother and just sweep them up.

Not that I've noticed. I wouldn't press too hard against the fence (because it's aluminum and held with those cheap toggle dealies I talked about) but you shouldn't have to press too hard that way while feeding anyway.

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff I have the 10 inch model but Magnum industrial brand from kms. I find the beds flex pretty easily. It's a bit of a bummer but I'll just rig up an adjustable support.

Thanks, Shawno.

Yeah, I would imagine the quality control isn't very high and there will almost certainly be some lemons produced. Sorry to hear you got one. Considering the price, I was really surprised to see mine worked well right off the shelf, as I was expecting to have to make some adjustments.

Agreed. But that's one of the reasons they can price them where they do. I assume big floor-standing cast-iron jobbies have better fence systems.

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff I just got one of these machines and I see why is flexing so much. I think I may have a solution

Agreed. It does work way better than straight knives, though. I just rotated them for the first time a few weeks ago, and when this side gets dull, I'm hoping to replace them with 4-sided ones if possible, which should last a number of years.

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff The little carbide inserts should be 4 sided right? Wondering if there is a true helical cutterhead available out there? Thanks again for all of your info.

@@mishellekochel4510 The ones that come on this machine are only 2-sided. Hoping to replace them with 4-sided ones when the second side wears out. Unsure if there's a true-helical out there that fits this unit, but if there is, it would probably cost as much as the tool itself.

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff Got it, what a bummer and completely agree about the price. Best of luck and Happy New Year!

Yeah. Hopefully it doesn't go out anytime soon, because I really don't feel like experimenting with that.

Yes it absolutely does.

Totally agree. Huge step up from straight knives, but not as good as an actual helical head. But considering a helical head itself is about the cost of this whole unit, I think it's a good compromise.

Nice find! Thanks.

Yeah, I thought about that. Just need to figure out a place to keep it for when I eventually get dust collection running....

I never claimed there was a brand sale or rebranding of anything. But there was absolutely a change that was unexplained to the consumer. When people went to look for the product, there was a significant change in where they were directed, which causes confusion. It's a good product, but transparency is important. Maybe hire a communications person. I happen to have a degree in that, so ....

It's true.

I wish more tool companies would be more transparent about their designs and/or how their manufacturing happens. Appreciate your view on this. I do wish my King had 4-sided cutters so I could get more longevity out of them before replacing them, but each side does last a long time as long as you don't mistreat them by hitting nails or staples or whatever. Still way better than straight-knives, in my opinion.

@@WoodenThingsAndStuff true I agree. But China have bad names on their products. So it’s a smart move they moved to Taiwan. And it’s known Taiwan makes really high quality stuff.

Agreed

Yeah, the Craftex manual does, too. I downloaded that one a while back for when it inevitably goes out of plane.