For the uninitiated when it comes to basic woodworking, jointers and planers are not the same things. Each machine has its own specific mode of surfacing operation. A jointer is primarily used to flatten and straighten wood or to straighten and square off edges. A planer, on the other hand, is used on boards that have already been prepared and jointed to make them of equal thickness from end to end for a consistent and smooth, uniform finish. In an ideal world if you really are a woodworking enthusiast, then you’d probably want to own both a Jointer and a Planer!