I love a no 6, I actually have a record no 6 that I use more often, not sure why, I just do. I buy / find/ or am given lumber that is always "rough cut." I do use a powered jointer that I love--- 8 in with 76 in bed! I also use a 13 in. power planer. But, what people don't realize is that a hand plane can make things go a lot quicker. For instance, If you have a big bow or twist it would take forever to run it over the jointer a million times. I usually use a no 6 rather then a no 7 to knock off the high/ low points. Although often, if I'm doing that, I have a 36in. wood jointer that I use (usually on boards 8 feet or longer). I've found that if I'm working on just one or two boards that are smaller , I often use all hand tools. But, if I'm going through a huge stack of lumber, as I often am, I go with the hand tool / power tool combo. That seems to work the best for me.... hand plane, then power jointer, then power planer, then finish the last dge on the table saw.
cheers
jenny