Benchtop mortiser - which one do you have

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

For space and budget reasons, I'm looking into a benchtop mortiser. In my mind the Steel City and Delta units are the front runners, although I've seen good feedback on the Jet, Shopfox, etc.

I don't like asking "which one should I buy", but I do like to ask - which one do you own, and what do you like or dislike about it? If you've owned different ones, any major differences?

[Michael Faurot]

I have the Delta. It seems to work well enough. My only issue with it has been the combination chuck key and allen wrench. The handle to it broke, but I was able to bodge a fix for it with some JB Weld. :)

[Rick Levine]

I have the Jet model JBM-5 and it has worked great for me.

[Clifford Mescher]

A mortiser is only as good as it's chisels. My experience is to concentrate on a good fence and a method to hold the wood tightly against said fence. Clifford.

[Rod Sheridan]

I have the General International model, great fence, hold down, nice dovetailed ways with brass wear bars etc.

Mine has made more than a thousand mortices without complaint, and if I remeber correctly it received a very good rating from FWWW magazine.

Regards, Rod.

[Rob Diz]

I have teh Delta. I got it a few years ago when Amazon was blowing out tools. It does the job, but I have not been overwhelmed by the tool. It is what it is. A solid performer that makes square holes.

[Allen Koriakin]

The fence is horrible compared to some of the others. The fence prevents the hold-down clamp from contacting the wood if the board is 2.5 inches or less in thickness. The delta is a much better choice IMHO.

[Kyle Kraft]

Jet. If I would do it over I'd get one with a dovetailed column. I haven't been able to adjust the side to side slop out of mine. It has some pointy brass plugs that are forced into an axial groove in the column. When they are tight enough to get rid of the play, you can't move the head up or down. Otherwise it works pretty well for what I paid for it.

[Al Navas]

John,

I have the Delta benchtop. BUT... I will sell it to anyone who wants to buy it.

I have the Leigh FMT - and LOVE it. Why? Please, read on.

I know that my next reply is a long shot, due to your stated budget constraints - However, space requirements for this little gem are about the same as for a benchtop mortiser. I suggest you look at this way: If you make the mortise, you still must cut the tenons, using one of many tools and/or techniques. But the FMT lets you cut both, by simply changing the board orientation and clamping arrangement - and with the same set-up, once dialed in. You can watch the Leigh videos at their video page. (http://www.leighjigs.com/vids.php#fmt)

I use the Leigh FMT - here it is, on my bench, and held in place using the new Leigh clamps:

http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/leigh-clamps-6.png

Now, before you shoot the messenger, keep in mind that you can produce THE best mortise AND tenon fit than with just about any other machine, while using one setting; you dial in the fit with trial and error, in just a few minutes - and THEN you go to town making all the mortises & tenons you need in the same size.

So, you might want to save your pennies a while longer. Or you might get lucky and find one for sale at serious discount in the Classifieds, on Craigslist, etc.


---- Al


P.S.: Disclosure: Leigh is a sponsor of my blog. However, I bought and used many of their products for several years, before they became my sponsor. I make my recommendations based on my own personal experience using the Leigh tools and procedures.


P.S.:.




For space and budget reasons, I'm looking into a benchtop mortiser....

I don't like asking "which one should I buy", but I do like to ask - which one do you own, and what do you like or dislike about it? If you've owned different ones, any major differences?

[Jim Kountz]

I have the Delta, its ok for the occasional mortise but I wouldnt want to depend on it everyday. Just doesnt seem robust enough. That being said it has never let me down yet.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Very interesting - no doubt. but VERY pricey for what I want or need at this point. Maybe I'll keep my eyes open for one on CL.....

[glenn bradley]

There's a reasonable amount of info on these. I ended up with a Mortise Pal (http://www.mortisepal.com/) but that is not the solution for everyone. Here's a snippet from one review that was pretty thorough:

[Randy Carnley]

I have the Powermatic 701.

[Randy Rose]

I have the Steel City and after 140 mortises ( mission bed) am pleased with my purchase.

[Harley Lewis]

I have the Steel City, and I chose it because of the bed, extentions, and clamping system. The only thing I find frustrating is it will not mortise narrow stock and you have to put in a filler which eliminates the value and use of the clamps. Maybe there are longer chisels than the ones that came with the unit that would solve that problem. I have only used the chisels that came with it and they work fine if honed and sharpened. I have not used it that much but it works like a charm.

Harley

[Brandon Shew]

I have the General International w/ the tilting head. IMHO this is the best of the benchtop models. It has the high quality of the best brands (PM, Delta). It has the tilting head which makes it more versatile than the others. It also comes w/ a clamp, solid fence, positioner guide for repeated setup on multiple units and the chisels are of high quality. Compare it to the others and it will make them look inferior

If that's too much $ for a benchtop for you, then I would get the Steel City. That was my alternate choice.

[Josiah Bartlett]

I have the one from Harbor Freight. Before anyone bashes me for that, its a pretty good tool for the price. I bought it on sale since I had a gift certificate, and its half the price of the Delta. I think I paid $80 for it. The chisels work fine, the motor has enough power, and I haven't seen any play in the mechanism develop yet. The only part I don't like is the fence- it has too much vertical play to keep the hold down in place when the fence is all the way forward. However, the addition of a C-clamp fixed that right up.

I wouldn't want to use one in a production environment, but it beats doing it by hand, and its faster than setting up a router jig if you only need one or two mortises. As long as you square the chisel to the fence it cuts a pretty good slot.

[Brian Penning]

I bought the General based on magazine reviews(FWW ranked it best overall) and WW forums.
Since buying a Dowelmax I don't use it as much as I used to but have no regrets buying it.

[Michael Koch]

I have the Delta. Picked it up at the local pawn shop off Craigs list. it has been just fine. Make sure that you keep your chisels very sharp. MK

[Al Navas]

Very interesting - no doubt. but VERY pricey for what I want or need at this point. Maybe I'll keep my eyes open for one on CL.....
John,

I am not sure if you are referring to the Leigh FMT, or to the Delta mentioned by Jim...


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[JohnT Fitzgerald]

I am not sure if you are referring to the Leigh FMT, or to the Delta mentioned by Jim...
.

I meant the FMT, but I've been looking for the delta or steel city unit - so I guess I'll keep my eyes open for either :)

[Dewey Torres]

I have the Griz... great tool! Had some problems initially with shipping but in the end love it!
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=103226&d=1228877090

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dewey...that's the one I have my eyes on!

BTW.....Senior Chiefs sure look younger today than they did in my day!:rolleyes:

[Don Bullock]

I have the Steel City, and I chose it because of the bed, extentions, and clamping system. ...
Harley

I have the SC for the same reasons plus I got it on a special sale. It's OK -- better than a Jet I used.

[Ryan Baker]

I have the Jet, and I have no complaints about it. It does the job and does it well. I liked it better than the Delta at the time and I got a good price on it. The SC didn't exist at the time.

[John Hedges]

I have the PM and like it. I think the only other one I might rather have is the General. I've also heard good things about the SC. The rest seem to be pretty comparable. I am with Al on the FMT though. If your cutting a lot of mortises you really cant beat it, it's a wonderful tool, but it is pricey. Since I got the FMT I haven't used the Mortiser, but will hold onto it for any thru mortises I do in the future.

As another poster said though the chisels are important. I have been very impressed with the set I got from Lee Valley.

[Al Navas]

... but it is pricey...
John,

It might all be relative, right? :D I could use my one Ray Isles mortising chisel, and the cost would be quite low, as I already have the chisel (a b'day present from Sandy) and at least two mallets...:cool:

When I need it, I need it badly. I always chuckle when we talk "pricey" stuff, without stopping to think about the money we really have invested in woodworking, be it a hobby, or a pro shop.


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[Don Wurscher]

I have a Shop Fox, as was previously stated, the proof is in the chisels, buy the best you can afford. Like all benchtop models the fence is its greatest weakness, but I have modified mine so that is no longer a problem. Would buy this one again.

[Darl Bundren]

I own the Steel City and like it. It comes with chisels that are decent, and I like the roller system to hold the stock against the fence. After you've checked to see that the chisel is parallel to the fence, you can move the stock from side to side after you've set the rollers without having to change any setups. It also has side extensions on the table to help keep things square.

I don't like the depth stop all that much--it's slipped a time or two so I have to be vigilant to ensure that does not happen again. And the first machine I purchased had a forging flaw around the bolt hole that secured the fence, so I had to return it and get another one. Woodworker's Supply took care of me there, though, so other than the time, no big deal.

The setup and performance are easy and good.

I bought a Domino after I had the mortiser, and now the mortiser is relegated to big mortises or cutting mortises for through tenons.

[John Hedges]

Al,

I would have to disagree with you on this point. Since the OP is asking about Hollow Chisel Mortisers it indicates that he is looking at a power tool solution. Assuming he already has a Tablesaw to cut tenons, the Mortiser is the cheapest out of the box alternative by quite a bit.

Whether an FMT is worth it is really dependent on what you do. If you just cut an occassional simple mortise on projects a Mortiser is probably a better solution. Where the FMT really shines and pays for itself is on projects with a lot of repetitious mortises which require a high degree of precision or on complex joints like a chair. Mission/Arts and Crafts furniture are good examples of this. I had over 70 M/T joints on my last mission style entertainment center and couldn't imagine doing it without the FMT. It made the joints perfect and everything was aligned precisely. It is a very high precision tool. I also plan on making chairs at some point, another task where an FMT really outclasses other solutions. At some point I also plan on getting a domino as I feel this fills a different niche in the arsenal.

[Peter Scoma]

Bought the SC from woodcraft on sale a month or so ago. Still in the box so no verdict yet.

PS

[Al Navas]

Al,

I would have to disagree with you on this point. Since the OP is asking about Hollow Chisel Mortisers it indicates that he is looking at a power tool solution. Assuming he already has a Tablesaw to cut tenons, the Mortiser is the cheapest out of the box alternative by quite a bit....
John,

You are right! Thanks!


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[Thomas Pender]

My Delta has served me well for several years and I have cut many mortises in big chunks of white oak. (Have replaced the chisels, even after using the cone and honing the outside.) However, I am considering buying Pat Warner's mortise jig because of the outstanding success I have had cutting tenons with his tenon jig design using Whiteside Rabbeting bits. I get shoulders that look like they are cut with lasers and the thing cost less than $30 to build.

Now a plug for the Neanderthals: I have also found that using big Mortise Chisels in combination with Goose Neck Chisels works fine (bought mine from LV). There are several excellent videos out there on how to "chop" mortises and I still am not sure if I save time with my mortiser. Funny thing is that doing it this way costs more, to begin with, than buying a mortiser, because you will need several rather expensive chisels, but heck, they look great and sharpen well (presuming you have waterstones - 800, 4000, 8000). Makes less waste.

[Darius Ferlas]

Any Canadians out there?

Busy bee is offering their mortising machine on sale for another month or so, but I couldn't find any reviews of the product on the web.

[BOB OLINGER]

I purchased the Shop Fox a couple months ago. So far, just ran a few mortises but will put it to the test in coming months as I'm making plantation shutters. I bought the Shop Fox as the motor was 3/4 HP compared to 1/2HP on several comparable machines; also has a swivel so you can work long stock

[Rod Sheridan]

Any Canadians out there?

Busy bee is offering their mortising machine on sale for another month or so, but I couldn't find any reviews of the product on the web.

I don't think you could convince me to purchase another BB machine.

I owned two machines a couple of decades ago, and when I make my once every couple of years visit to their showroom, still find their products lacking.

I've convinced 4 people to purchase the General International machine in the past few years, and they're as happy as I am with mine......Rod.

[Marty Barron]

For any Canadians here is a link to a thread from the Canadian Woodworking magazine forum that has some feedback on the Busy Bee mortiser.

Marty

http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/showthread.php?t=17579&highlight=mortiser

[Bob Mircetic]

I have the Steel City, which I read a lot of good things about before buying. But, it's worth repeating Harley's comments:


I chose it because of the bed, extentions, and clamping system. The only thing I find frustrating is it will not mortise narrow stock and you have to put in a filler which eliminates the value and use of the clamps.

For that reason, it has left me a bit underwhelmed. It works, but it's not all that and a bag of chips either...

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Thanks for the info and advice everyone. I decided to pick up the SteelCity unit from Woodcraft - it was on sale, had a lot of the features of other nice machines, and it seemed to get very good reviews. I can easily see this becoming a 'part time' machine in the future though, if I get into using my router for mortising as well....but for now, I'll settle for this.

now to clean all the grease and oil off. ugh.

btw - the Woodcraft in Springfield MA? The guy there was very nice. Very good shopping experience.

[Jim Tobias]

I have a Multico that I bought several years back fro Garrett Wade. They are made (I believe) in England. It is very well made and has never presented any problems.

Jim