Should I buy a Jessem or Dowelmax jig?

[Paulh Tremblay]

I was about to purchase a Dowelmax jig before I saw a few reviews on the Jessem jig. Bill Hubber and a few others have used both, and prefer the Jessem. Yet I hesitate to go with the Jessem because there are so few reviews on it compared to the Dowelmax.

I am not concerned that the Dowelmax costs about $100 more, since I will be using my dowel jig for almost all my joints, and $100 is a small price over the lifetime of a tool, especially when considering how much everything else costs, including saws, blades, routers, wood, etc.

What makes me lean towards the Jessem (though I have had my heart on the Dowelmax for years) is that the woodworkers who have used both find the Jessem easier to use, while the Jessem has the same accuracy as the legendary Dowelmax.

Is there any reason not to go with the Jessem?

[Peter Kuhlman]

I have not used the Jessem unit but every Jessem product I own is high quality and very functional.
The DowelMax has the clamps built in so you are just handling one item when positioning and setting it up. The machining and quality of the DowelMax is absolutely top notch and a pleasure to use. I get far better alignment results with it than with my Domino or biscuit joiners. Lots of pieces to the DowelMax jig so keep it in a box but this gives a wide range of uses and clamping ranges. For many uses it self aligns, comes with an extension rod to do a long run of dowels. I have used it on 60" long glue-ups with the rod and had absolute accuracy which seems impossible but shows the extreme accuracy of the machining.

I would look at the various videos of both units in use to see how they differ.

[Bill Huber]

I can't think of any...

Which Jessem are you looking at the new one or the Paralign, if it is the Paralign then I can make comments on it but on the newer one I had it and sold it, just like the Paralign much better.

They are both great tools, the DowelMax and the Jessem are very well built and very accurate. They both will do the job very well, the DowelMax is smaller then the Jessem.

The 2 big things for me are the Jessem does not use shims, just loosen 2 screws and move the stop plate to where you want it and lock it down. The other thing is with the size of the Jessem you can add things to it for doing different things.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?150851-Jessem-doweling-jig-flat-work-adapter&highlight=Jessem+doweling

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?212510-New-Jessem-Paralign-Doweling-jig-mod&highlight=Jessem+doweling

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?153582-Drill-bit-collar-jig-for-Jessem-or-DowelMax-dowel-jigs&highlight=Jessem+doweling

So to answer your question I see no reason not to buy the Jessem.

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[Paul Murphy]

The machining and quality of the DowelMax is absolutely top notch and a pleasure to use. I get far better alignment results with it than with my Domino or biscuit joiners.

I think this is a very helpful observation, as accuracy is important in many uses of a joinery tool.

An example is using dowels to strengthen a stub-tenon cabinet door. If the joinery is accurate, the door assembles easily and the corner profile matches nicely.

The "annular ring" style of dowel have impressed me for holding power.

[Art Mann]

I am a long time Dowelmax user and I just can't say enough good things about this tool. It took my woodworking to a whole new level of efficiency. Having said that, I just watched the video of the Jessem unit on their website and I think the concepts they are using are very good and the tool appears to be very well made. I might be tempted to get the Jessem if I weren't already so accustomed to using the Dowelmax. I have only one thing bad to say about Dowelmax and it is about the company rather than the tool. Several years ago, someone published instructions on this or that other woodworking forum on how to make a doweling jig out of wood that uses the same flat surface alignment concept as the Dowelmax. The Dowelmax owner personally came on the forum and threatened to take legal action against the person. I thought that action was inappropriate and decided not to buy anything else from the company.

[Phil Thien]

The 2 big things for me are the Jessem does not use shims, just loosen 2 screws and move the stop plate to where you want it and lock it down. The other thing is with the size of the Jessem you can add things to it for doing different things.


I think that is the crux of it right there, the elimination of the shims is, IMHO, the reason to go with the Jessem over the Dowel Max.

I own the Paralign and also the newer (less expensive) Jessem w/o the built-in clamping (I bought mine from Bill Huber before I found a great deal on a Paralign).

[Cary Falk]

I have only used the JessEm Paralign. It is a great jig. I never used to do dowel joints before because the half dozen cheap jigs never gave me good results. After getting the JessEm, I was amazed that dowel jigs could be so accurate. The extra $100 and the shims pushed me away from the Dowelmax. I have not regretted the decision.

[mreza Salav]

DM is now made overseas (not in Canada anymore), Jessem still is Made in Canada.
I have both versions of the Jessem (the bigger one as well as the simpler version) and have used both extensively (like thousands). I like them both a lot. Very accurate and easy to use.

[Loren Woirhaye]

I have a Jessem heavy model. The only gripe I have is that it takes some time to change the clamp block position when making casework joints. It might be nice to have a pair to leave each one set up differently. For frame joints one setup can be used.

[Von Bickley]

I think that is the crux of it right there, the elimination of the shims is, IMHO, the reason to go with the Jessem over the Dowel Max.

I own the Paralign and also the newer (less expensive) Jessem w/o the built-in clamping (I bought mine from Bill Huber before I found a great deal on a Paralign).

That is the one that I recently purchased and it works great. I have only used it 2 times to check it out and it works perfect. I just clamp mine with a Kreg auto-max clamp.

[Paulh Tremblay]

I didn't realize there were two types of Jessem jigs, so I'm glad I asked. I believe I want the paralign, since I don't want to have to provide my clamps. By the way, I'll be using the jig mostly for cabinets made with standard 3/4'' sheet goods.

[Von Bickley]

Paulh,

Have you seen this video....

http://www.jessemdirect.com/JessEm_Dowelling_Jig_p/08350.htm

[Ole Anderson]

I purchased and used the DowelMax for my kitchen cabinet boxes last year and it worked very well. Shortly after receiving the DowelMax, I saw the Jessem and wished I had gotten that one instead, it just looks so much beefier and easier to use.

[Terry Rogan]

Guys, concerning the Dowelmax; I can't find a reference anywhere that states the EXACT center-to-center spacing between the holes in the Dowelmax.
Any help there?

The reason I ask is because I am using my CNC machine to cut panels nowadays so I can place the flat panel 3/8" holes for shelves exactly where I want them.
That means that it would be helpful to know how to space those holes so that they would conform with the spacing of the Dowelmax jigs' hole spacing.