Mortise machine advice...

[Clisby Clark]

I've decided the time has come to add a mortiser to the arsenal. From my research it appears that the General Int. and Powermatic seem to get the best reviews and are top$$$. Does anyone have any experience using either or both of these machines? Are there any other benctops or stationary machines I should consider. I don't think I need anything more than 1/2 inch capacity. Should I be concerned with any Quality issues with Powermatic? (To quote DeNiro in Raging Bull, "I've heard some tings" about Powermatic quality in the past year or so).

Thanks for your input!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Clisby,

I don't think you can go wrong with either one. I bought the General International. I've used it one time and it worked quite well.

Think about this for a moment.

Which company is more well known and probably sells more equipment? I would expect the company with more sales to experience more failures.

I don't think you can go wrong with either one.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I have a 12+ year old PM719A [out of production - replaced by the 719T]. Boffo machine. The accuracy and repeatability of the X-Y gear table adjustments is excellent, IMO. Cannot speak to any changes in quality since then, but it's the same machine AFAIK, except with the tilt table added. My 12+yr-old PM 60A jointer is also boffo. I'd restart the same-old tedious water-balloon fight if I were to mention that my 26-yr old PM DP is also exellent, so I'll skip over that one.:rolleyes:

I seem to recall recently reading :D that PM appears to have laid a rotten egg on the new DP, but I'm not sure that means that every item on the menu is rotten. For example, I still have my original 14" Delta BS and original Uni [all from the same initial gear-up 12+ yrs ago] but almost immediately swapped out my Delta jointer and Delta mortiser [mortiser was an entirely different weapons class, to be fair, than the PM], and the Delta DP left a few months ago to make room for the PM.

[Gary Herrmann]

The Jet JFM5 is the rebadged Powermatic 719a. I've got one in my shop. I've been very pleased with it. I use the LV chisels with it. This is the floor model version.

Maybe the Jet will be one of the next sale items in that 3000 hr sale.

Would I prefer to have a General 220 or an old Wysong and Miles? Yes. But I wouldn't want to try to lug one those beasts down the stairs.

[Stan Mitchell]

I've got the Powermatic bench top model and it works quite well and has some nice features.

I added the optional metal stand, stuck some 3" locking casters under it so that it could be wheeled out the way when not in use. A mortise machine is nice to have, but only gets occasional use in my shop.

[Stephen Cherry]

I've got an older powermatic version of what is now the Jet JFM5. It works well, could do 1/2 inch mortises easily. The one I have is a benchtop. Although it can sit on a bench, it is not really portable- it's a lot heavier than it looks.

These machines come up used, but not often. One thing that I like about it is that the vise clamps the workpiece tightly to the vertical front of the table. That way the front of the workpiece is the reference surface for the cut. It's important if you want flush surfaces.

[Dan Karachio]

Hey Stephan, we are living in a parallel universe! :) I have a similar thread here and lately I am thinking the Steel City might be the one for me. FWW has a review of many, but that does not include the SC (they like the General best). From what I am reading in various reviews, it seems like a nice unit (with good chisels) and at $200 less than the General is quite appealing. However, I find myself imagining needing a tilting head some day for a Maloof inspired chair or something. However, since I have yet to build the most simple chair in the world, I wonder how much I am kidding myself.

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/steelcitytoolshollowchiselmortiserwithbitsandchise lsmodel25200.aspx

P.S. Today I hand chiseled 8 small mortises and kept thinking, "Go order it now, go, go, go!"

[Andrew Nemeth]

If you are only doing an occasional angled mortise couldn't you can just as easily use a wedge under the workpiece instead of a tilting head?

[Dan Karachio]

Exactly Andrew, exactly. For that once in three year angles mortise (probably easier to angle a tenon), that would do it!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I guess I fail to see the problem here.

I bought the GI because of the angled mortise capability.

At the current prices listed at Woodcraft, we are only talking about an $80 difference between the PM 701 and the GI.

For $80 I don't have to fool around trying make a shim ...guess at angles.

I fail to see why people feel the need to rant about such trivial stuff. Somethings in life are important. This isn't!

[Dan Karachio]

Sorry, but I don't see any ranting. Just trying to save some money and not critiquing anyone or their tools. I'd love the gi, but I'm second guessing my budget. A while back someone posted a cl ad for one of their floor standers for 600 ish. That would be a gloat.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Clisby,

Here's some things you might want to compare between models before you buy:

stroke length...maximum height under the bit.......holddowns......clamps.......horsepower.. .....5/8" and 3/4" shanks?

Stroke length will have an effect on how deep a mortise you can cut.
Most have a 4 3/4" -5 1/2" stroke.....GI has 9" stroke....

Some models have some good hold downs (vertical...prevents wood from lifting off the table when you raise the bit up)

Clamps....holds the wood to the fence in the horizontal plane....

Handles and arms ....adjustable?....comfortable?

Will it take 5/8" and 3/4" shanked bits? I wouldn't pay more for this but I might consider it a deal maker on equally priced machines all other things being equal.

Of all the specs....I rate horsepower as the least important because a machine having a sharp bit and a sharp chisel is more important IMHO

Good luck with your decision.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Sorry, but I don't see any ranting. Just trying to save some money and not critiquing anyone or their tools. I'd love the gi, but I'm second guessing my budget. A while back someone posted a cl ad for one of their floor standers for 600 ish. That would be a gloat.

Dan,

Like most of us, I live on a budget too.

I do, however, use a little different strategy when buying tools. I seldom buy on price alone. I try find a tool that meets all my needs even if that means I wait a little longer and pay a little more. That doesn't mean I haven't bought tools that met my needs on sale. It does mean I passed up the ones on sale because they didn't have everything I wanted. I haven't had to replace many tools using that strategy unless the tool broke or wore out.

It is always my goal to buy the best tool that I can afford and stay within my budget.

I also try to research everything in as much detail as I can imagine and I always invite other people's opinions and ideas. I have often realized a better idea or perspective on a tool by asking others opinions.

I apologize if I came off a little too agressive with my earlier statement but too often recently people have seemed to criticize other peoples criteria for buying tools.