Favorite Benchtop Mortising Machine?

[Jeremy Gibson]

I need to start building something for SWMBO instead of more shop cabinets and jigs. Of course, this just means I have justification to get a mortising machine. I have a Shop Fox bookmarked from Amazon for $250 but also have looked at the Delta Professional for $230. The Shop Fox is 3/4 hp and the Delta is 1/2 hp.

Excluding the really nice industrial machines, what brand / model has had real-world use and is recommended?

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Jeremey, I have the delta 14-651 and recommend it think its one of the better bench tops. The riser block to extend the capacity is a nice plus..

[tod evans]

jeremy, if they haven`t changed? the delta is a 1725rpm machine and the other is a 3450rpm machine.....slower is better....02 tod

[Jim Becker]

I have the Jet JBM-5 and have zero complaints with it. Works well.

[Dave Lehnert]

I have the older Grizzly unit that they no longer sell. It is just like the Jet. I like it a lot. It turns at the slower speed and I do think it helps from burning the wood. My dealer sells the Shop Fox model. The photos on line don’t do it justice. It is a much larger size unit over the Delta, Jet etc… I have no experience with it but if I were looking again I would take a look at the Shop Fox. It has a much longer handle on it over my Grizzly. I would think that could only help.

[Christopher Stahl]

I have the Shop Fox and have no problems with it.

chris

[Steve Schoene]

I don't know if the basic Powermatic 719 is still around. I have one and it is great. I would love to have the 719T with the tilting table, but it no longer qualifies as a tabletop and has seriously jumped in price from the old 719.

[Brian Hale]

My floor model turns at 1750 and i don't think i'd want it to run any faster....

[Allen Bookout]

I do not use one but I remember a magazine evaluation several months back and they rated the General number one (but expensive) and the Woodtek (model 138-224 I believe) the best for the money. They did say that the Delta was a pretty good unit if you wanted to spend less money. If you want to try to find the article send me a message and I will look through my stuff and see if I can find it. I do remember them saying that they could see no advantage in running the higher speeds.

Well, I went back and read your question again and looks like that I messed up. You said "real world use". Anyway, I will just leave this post just in case that it has any value.

Allen

[Lou Morrissette]

Jeremy,

I've had the Delta 14-651 for about a year and have had no problems. Great machine for the money.

Lou

[john mclane]

I have the Shop fox and have no problems. Need to get good quality hollow chisels and bits (whatever there name is) and keep sharp. The Shop Fox had the longest arm of the benchtops and seemd like the best hold on top of the wood for this size mortiser. I have not had any burning with the higher speed and the higher speeds seems to get the chips out faster. I liked and used the delta for comparison

[Bart Leetch]

I have the Shopfox which runs at 3450 & did all the mortises for the stretchers to fit into the legs on my bench & it worked fine I don't believe I could ask for more bang for the buck. I am very pleased with this mortiser.

[Doug Shepard]

Favorite Benchtop Mortising Machine?

My plunge router with Micro-Fence edge guide. Sorry:( I've got the older Delta Mortising Machine, but hardly use it anymore. I just like the quality of the mortises I get with the router a lot better. If I had a LOT of them to do on a regular basis that would be another matter, but I suspect I'd want a floor model in that case anyway.

[Russ Massery]

I have the 14-651 works great no problems. I really like the rack & pinion adjustment for the fence.

[Steve Evans]

Jeremy

I'm partial to the GI 75-050. Very heavy built unit for a benchtop. I've had mine for about 4 years now, and no complaints. I found it a few places on line for $320 (not the tilting head model).

Steve

[Marcus Ward]

Don't buy the delta, it doesn't take chisels bigger than 1/2". The stupid chuck is too small to take the bigger bits for the bigger chisels even if you manage to make a new bushing to fit inside the delta. DAMHIKT. If you want to cut bigger mortises, get the shop fox. The price is almost the same and you get more hp and larger chisel capacity. I cut 10 3/4" mortises last weekend with a 3/8" chisel. Talk about annoying. The only difference is the fence, and I don't think that's really a dealbreaker, the fence on the delta is not all that. Ideally you need to have that front clamping mechanism you see on more expensive machines but a clamp around the fence and workpeice works too. I hope I've managed to convey my frustration at the delta machine. If I were doing it again, I'd buy the shop fox model.

Edit - I just saw a pic of the shop fox fence, it actually looks like it adjusts easier/finer. :mad:

[Jim Davenport]

I researched mortisers, and ended up buying the Craftsman 152-21907. It's similiar to the Delta 14-651, but has a longer handle.
The Shop-Fox W1671 has a larger motor, but it runs at 3450. I would be afraid that is too fast, and would shorten bit life.
I just did a bunch of deep mortises on Southern yellow pine for new work bench legs. I was very pleased with the Craftsman's performance.
I'm just a hobbiest, and can work slower. But I didn't have any problems chopping 1" wide mortises by making two passes with a 1/2" chisel.
The key to making these machines work is sharp chisels, and bits. I sharpened the chisel and bit prior to starting the project.

[terry hansen]

whichever unit you choose (I have the Delta and am happy with it) look at the wood central site for how to configure an x-y vise, it really makes repeatable mortising easy & securely holds the workpiece.

[Mark Singer]

I have the Jet and it works ok....the hold down could be designed better

[Jim Young]

I have the 14-651 works great no problems. I really like the rack & pinion adjustment for the fence.
Ditto here

[tod evans]

jeremy, if we`re veering away from the two you asked about multico probably makes the best benchtop unit on the market...02 tod

[Alan Tolchinsky]

I have the Shop Fox and it works great and boy is this thing built.

[Steven Shelby]

Jeremy,

I've had the Delta 14-651 for about a year and have had no problems. Great machine for the money.

Lou

What Lou said! I really like my Delta.

[Jeremy Gibson]

Thanks to everyone for your comments. As usual this is the best darn creek on the planet!

I looked again at the Delta, Shop Fox, and now the Jet and also tried to get a total cost idea. I can get the Delta for $229 - $40 discount and free shipping from Amazon. The Shop Fox is $249 + $49 shipping. and the Jet is $275 - $40 discount - $25 mail-in rebate and free shipping. I only mention all of this because sometimes the pocket book dictates some decisions :( . I think I would really like the Shop Fox for the larger capacity in both stock and bit size, but I'm leaning toward the Delta at nearly $100 less.

If there are any more considerations please keep them comeing. I'll post the obligitory picture when I decide, order, and take delivery.

[Jim Hinze]

I have a delta MM300, works very well, turns at the slower speed.

[Maurice Ungaro]

I'll play the Dutch Uncle here, and put a word in for using your Drill Press (you DO have a DP, don't you?) with some good Forstner bits, and follow that up with your sharp bench chisels.

Save the money you would have spent on the single purpose mortising machine, and bank it for your next big tool purchase.:rolleyes:

[Joe Unni]

Used my Jet today for four 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" x 1/2" mortises...love it!!

-joe

[Jason Sanko]

I need to start building something for SWMBO instead of more shop cabinets and jigs. Of course, this just means I have justification to get a mortising machine. I have a Shop Fox bookmarked from Amazon for $250 but also have looked at the Delta Professional for $230. The Shop Fox is 3/4 hp and the Delta is 1/2 hp.

Excluding the really nice industrial machines, what brand / model has had real-world use and is recommended?

Look around I was able to buy it a lot cheaper locally than on the net. Also you get a person to deal with problems also.

[Curt Harms]

whichever unit you choose (I have the Delta and am happy with it) look at the wood central site for how to configure an x-y vise, it really makes repeatable mortising easy & securely holds the workpiece.

I have a Jet that I don't use much but the factory hold down is essentially useless. XY vise makes a huge difference.

Curt