Best portable Benchtop Mortiser

[Clarence Martin]

What is the best benchtop style Mortising machine on the market these days ? Got an old Delta, but looking for something a little better.

[Cary Falk]

I think the titling head General is considered the best. That being said, I like my Steel City.

[carl zietz]

While I know there are more expensive ones out there, I have a General 75-050TMI that I have been using the dickens out of for a couple three years as an avid hobbyist, and it has never skipped a beat. it has all the hold down and tilting abilities, and set up is simple.
Carl

[Clarence Martin]

Having never installed one before, would this tool make the job go faster for installing a half mortise lock on a jewelry box ?

[Keith Hankins]

I did a lot of research last year when i bought my morticer. For features and hold down styles I was going to go with the powermatic. They were running such a good special at the time I stepped up to the full size powermatic. Good tools .

[Bryan Cramer]

I have a new Delta, it is an alright machine. If you are very serious or have the money buy a floor standing machine. They are more powerful with more leverage, easier setup, a large vice like clamp, large moveable table (left, right) and they cut cleaner. I recomend the Delta benchtop if your looking for the best bang for your buck. Wood rated the Powermatic benchtop machine as the best one. I found my Delta cuts better with aftermarket chisels. Even a cheap machine will cut better with quality chisels. I get mine from Rockler or Lee Valley. Personaly I think a mortiser is faster setup than a router for set up time (less jigs), that is why I bought my Delta. If I ever get more serious (open a buisness) I will purchase a floor standing machine. Hope this helps.

[Jim Neeley]

The Powermatic PM701 won FWW's desktop mortiser shootout within the last year. I ordered one yesterday. :)

The General was rated second.

[Curt Harms]

What is the best benchtop style Mortising machine on the market these days ? Got an old Delta, but looking for something a little better.
Better how? One shortcoming of benchtop mortisers is the hold down mechanism. A fair number of people have retrofitted a cross slide vise. Here is a random example:

http: //mysite.verizon.net/vze6zvlk/id12.html Remove the spaces after http: to make it active.

Sharpen or buy better bits/chisels? Not to discourage buying a new toyl or anything:p.

[Jim Neeley]

+1 on better, how?

For example, if power, the Powermatic has a 3/4HP motor while (I believe) the delta is 1/2HP. I don't have the HP ratings for others. I have a friend with the Delta who claims it works but it's under powered; I jumped with my response based on that.

[Dick Mahany]

I have used the Shop Fox W1671 for over 5 years and like it. The double column, swiveling head is solid and sturdy. I've made over 500 mortices with it and have been very satisfied with power, repeatability and overall operation. One small nit that is easily overcome is that the fence is a little tall without a notch for the hold down. I simply used double sided tape and stuck a couple of maple spacer blocks to the hold down to hold thin parts. Works great. Add a couple of the Grizzly's premium Japanese mortice chisels and it's a great combination.

[Larry Prem]

If you already have a benchtop mortiser, I'd save my money for a floor standing model. There is a big difference in power, and features between a benchtop model and floor standing one. Sure, a better benchtop model will be an improvement, but you will be missing out on what a mortiser really can do.

Just take a look at the features on these two:
http://www.lagunatools.com/mortisers/mortiser-platinumhct
http://www.powermatic.com/Product.aspx?Part=1791264K

[Myk Rian]

Just because a magazine gave kudos to a tool, that isn't enough for me.
Scour the I-net for USER reviews. Users aren't paid to give high marks.

[glenn bradley]

When I was looking, it became pretty clear that the General had this spot taken. The price is higher than others and so, depending on the basis for the reviews rating of "the winner", you may see it not come in on top. Ask owners who have owned more than one brand/type. If I only ever owned a Shop Fox, yeah, its great. If I have owned a PM, a Delta and a Shop Fox, suddenly my opinion is a little more informed.

P.s. I ended up going with a Mortise Pal for the minimal sacrifice of shop space and the ease of setup and use. I wouldn't want to make bed-frames and dining tables with it all day long but, for picture frames to chests of drawers, it does the trick.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I bought the General International a couple years ago. In July I finished a Norm Abrams/New Yankee Workshop project...his porch swing. 51 mortise and tenon joints in white oak. Every joint in that swing is a mortise and tenon joint. All structural joints are double pinned with oak dowels. IIRC it took me less than 1 1/2 hours to make the 51 mortises and that included 2 setup times and honing times on two different sets of chisels and bits.

The 3 unique features that set the GI mortiser apart from most of the others. 1) It has a horizontal clamp AND a hold-down bracket. Your material is held securely in two planes. 2)It had the most horse-power when I bought it. 3) The head tilts and swivels should I need it to do so. It is one of the more expensive benchtop models, however.

That being said......the best thing I did to get good and easy mortises with this mortiser is buy both a "sharpening kit" and a diamond hone kit for the chisels and then sharpen the bits with a jeweler's file and small diamond hone.

In the above mentioned swing, I cut 1/2" and 3/8" mortises in white oak and I could tell when the chisel and/or the bit began to dull. The dual clamping mechanism is important BUT I would bet the biggest thing most people overlook is sharpening the chisels and bits. The mortises in the white oak cut like butter.

[brian purss]

hi you may like this setup i'm currently making one of these in aluminum it will do many more things as well
regards brian
http://woodgears.ca/pantorouter/large_mortise.html

[brian c miller]

Ken,

which GI do you have? The General 75-050T or the big one - 75-075TS

[Shawn Pixley]

I can't speak to the general. I have the powermatic 701 with a riser. My machine at least is well machined. Everything is square and repeatable. It accepts both 5/8 and 3/4" bushings. The only limitation I have found is in the bits. Even with well sharpened and honed bits, they get hot after ~30 minutes of mortising. Not terribly surprising if you thinks about it. It is removing quite a bit of material. I will likely try to put a x-y base on it. I have held off to this point because the accuracy has not been an issue and adjusting the stock along the fence has been easy and accurate. I would buy it again.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Brian.....I have the 75-050T.