Leigh FMT vs. Festool Domino

[Ed Gibbons]

Both cost about the same (a lot)

The FMT probably makes a stronger joint but is more complicated to set up.

The Domino looks extremely simple and appears to make a joint that will probably out live me.

Thoughts??????

[Brent Smith]

Hi Ed,

I have both, and both serve a purpose. The FMT is better suited to frame work and the Domino to panel work (along the lines of a biscuit joiner). The Domino can be used on frames while the FMT can't be used on panel jobs. One thing, the FMT is not at all complicated to use once you pass the learning curve. Leigh probably puts out the best manuals in the industry, but they can make a simple thing seem complicated just by the overkill in explanation.

[Don L Johnson]

Ed,

I think you may have answered your own question, depending ...

I don't have the Domino, but I understand that its ease of use for doing loose tenoning is hard to beat.

I do have the FMT and would like to ease your mind on set up. It's really not that bad; you do have to concentrate on the first cut to ensure all of them are cut the same way.

Notice I said all of them. It would be my opinion that the FMT would be very difficult to beat where you are doing a lot of the same joinery. That's the reason I purchased mine, as I am building 10 mission style chairs with a lot of mortise and tenon joints. Once I get the first cut of the first leg set up, then the others march right behind. If you do a lot of (or anticipate doing a lot of) angled tenons, then I would again vote for the FMT.

If all you want is a device to be able to joint boards, and you don't anticipate the need to do the above, then the Domino might be the better choice.

[Mike Heidrick]

I own the FMT and not a domino.

You can make mortises and solid and floating tenons with the FMT. There are templates to make square tenons with it if you cut square mortises a different way. It is not as easy to take it to a jobsite (but I just made that one better by using it with the Ridgid MSUV along with my Omnijig) It is super repeatable. It requires the expense of a router and router bits and other templates (or mix and match bits).

The domino just makes round cornered mortises and you have to supply the tenons. It looks very easy and fast. The domino tenons are expensive to me. Super portable.

[Scott Brihn]

I have the FMT and concur with the previous responses; it is not difficult to set up.

The key for me was to make sure the right angle fixture was positioned properly prior to cutting tenons. The redesigned version seems much better than the original.

Although many folks seem to like the face clamps and Leigh has recently re-purposed them as bench hold downs, I find them cumbersome to position and adjust. Fortunately, you really only need to reposition them a couple times on any given project.

[Rick Fisher]

I have a Domino and dont use it nearly as much as I thought I would.

Its an extremely nicely built tool and very easy to use. The joints are not comparable to a M&T joint.

I have to assume the Leigh machine is a better investment.

[Russell Tribby]

I don't have the FMT but I do have the Domino. It has been indispensable. The speed and ease of use that it offers is hard to beat. I'd disagree that it doesn't stack up to M&T joints. The joint is extremely strong and self-aligining. It is extremely versatile. I've used it to put together face frames, to reinforce mitered corners on casework, attach shelves to cabinet sides, reinforce rail and stile joints on large doors, etc. I intially got it this summer when I had to build 9 windows worth of plantation shutters. I would've had to cut 72 M&T joints. Instead, in using the Domino, I was done cutting all of the joints in less than an hour. Just food for thought.

[John Gornall]

The FMT is a permanent part of my shop. There's no getting it out of the box and clamping it to my bench - it has it's own deadicated stand. There's a platform at the same height behind it to put the router on so I don't have to keep lifting it up and down. There's drawers below for templates and bits. ShopVacuum hose is attached to the bench. A board hangs on the side which goes in my bench vise to hold the end of boards when cutting a horizontal piece. The stand is a work in progress and it's almost as important as the router table. The stand height handles up to 40 inches and if I put the stand on my bench I can do 76 inches.
The stand is made of borg 2x4's jointed, ripped to 3 inches and joined with 1/2 " mortise and tenons. That's how I make most shop tables and stands as it's so fast and strong. Did I mention I really like my FMT.

[Mike Heidrick]

Tonight I put my omnijig and FMT on the Ridgid MSUV. I took 1/2" ply and doubled it up overlapping a piece 8" and one 10". I installed my FMT on the edge of the doubled up side with the wider plywood piece on top. The plywood the slips into the omnijig top from the rear. The plywood positions the FMT to be used opposite the omnijig and both tool front faces 100% clear the MSUV. When I want to use them I just get out and flip open the MSUV - when not they store in a dolly like stance. The FMT slips into the rear of the omnijig and is clamped in place by the top CAM. When I want to use the omnijig, I raise the omnijig CAM and slide the FMT out and the omnijig is ready to go set for 1/2" BB plywood (drawer boxes). Pic soon to make this make more sense.

[James K Peterson]

John and Mike: You've both described some great setups, I'd really like to see both, since I'm looking at the FMT as well. I can't wait to see the pics and more details on them both.

[Paul Grant]

I own an FMT also, no domino. For a production enviroment it should have a dedicated router so it's always ready to go. Faster than a Domino ??.....I'm doubting it on basic square joints but the FMT is far more versitile for everything else.
Now I'm a hobbiest and a General contracor with occasional pieces thrown into the day job as needed and the FMT has been a great time saver.

Doubling up a DT jig and the FMT in one station is an excellent idea !! Thanks.

[John Danner]

What do the accessories add to the FMT? Are long boards hard to work with using the FMT? Their website has the content shifting due to different size screen shots of the video link and it gave me a headache just trying to read about the product.

[Neal Clayton]

you're only limited by the FMT's distance from the floor with long boards really.

i used to own one, since i'm now primarily doing windows and doors which require the joints to be inside cope/stick profiles neither of these is well suited for that, so i sold the FMT, but it was monkey-simple to use and very accurate/repeatable.

if i were making furniture or other such things that needed flat ended M/T joints i would have kept it.

[Charles Lent]

I'm a satisfied FMT owner. I don't own the Domino.

I've owned my FMT for about 4 years now and bought it to do a job that required almost 1000 close fitting mortices and tenons. I first tried doing it with a Trend M/T jig, but couldn't get the repeatability and close tolerances needed. The FMT easily paid for itself about 1/3 way through that first job. It did a superb job and it's earned a permanent position in my shop, even though it sometimes sits for months waiting for something to do.

Most of my work fits easily into the FMT while it sits on the bench in the shop, but I have had a few needs to put tenons on boards that were way too long for my shop setup. For these I had considered making a hole in the ceiling of my shop and moving the FMT to the second floor, but I found a better way. I borrow my neighbors deck rail (12' to ground), clamp the FMT on it backwards so that it faces the yard and my boards can hang down past the floor of the deck, then rout the tenons without any problems. Running it backwards, like this, did take a few minutes to get used to though.

Charley

[Michael Wildt]

I've looked at both products, both very impressive. Though the price is high.

Is there any knockoff FMTs ? around like what we have for dowel jigs etc.

Michael

[Charles Lent]

Michael,

The Trend jig is about the closest jig available that does both the mortise and the tenon, but I don't recommend it as it is is not adjustable for tightness of joint fit. If you are willing to do floating tenons and make your own tenon stock with your table saw, etc., the Mortice Pal is probably the next best thing, and at a significantly lower price. They recently re-designed the Mortise Pal and are now offering it with more capacity for about $200. This new version handles thicker boards and has a few other small improvements. Right now their original 2" capacity version is on sale for $139.00.
See www.mortisepal.com.

I have no connection with them, just passing on the information.

Charley