benchtop mortiser

[Mike Cutler]

When drilling a long mortise you have to finagle it along by alternately easing the hold down, sliding the wood and bringing the hold down back down. It's probably me but I find if the hold down isn't snug, the chisel bit is harder to pull back out.

Julie
An inexpensive Harbor Freight, or Grizzly, X-Y vise will virtually eliminate this issue for you. Mine used to be through bolted to the OEM base, but eventually I needed more depth under the chisel, so now it's on a home made maple pedestal.
I think all of the bench tops have this issue.

[Ben Zara]

Rikon and Baleigh make a benchtop one with an xyz table.

[Jim Dwight]

I have a Jet benchtop with a 1/2 up motor. I Barnhart used it a lot. It works but it needs a clamp to hold the work. The mortises are not super smooth but I think they work fine. A XY table would be nice but I have it on a flip top base with my lunchbox planner. I am very space challenged and will probably buy a domino XL.

[Mitchell Ristine]

Bit of a hijack here. Sorry. There's 14-650 on CL by me for $150.00 (including the bits). Assuming the bits are dull and the machine is in reasonable condition, I would think $150.00 is a good buy?

[Art Mann]

I sold a perfectly good Steel City machine and have regretted it ever since. It was a better than average table top unit. Steel City is not in business any more but if you happen to see a good used one, I recommend you buy it.

[Tom M King]

A slide fit under the hold down works fine, along with the clamp to add a little pressure. Of course, none of that is as good as an XYZ table like the big stationary machines have, but it works fine.

Another thing I like about the 1hp Woodtek is the shape of the handle that has where you put your hand at a right angle to the lever.

[Van Huskey]

If you really want a benchtop and can find a General 75-075 buy it!

If you move up and consider something like the Powermatic 719T also take a look at the Baleigh floor standers, I haven't seen them in person but they both look impressive on paper for the money.

Something else that has not been mentioned is in general low speed mortisers are preferred over high speed ones.

[ChrisA Edwards]

I'm building plantation shutters for about 11 windows in my house and I think when those are done, I'll probably have the same amount to do again.

I decided to mortise the shutter frame and was considering a bench top mortiser and was leaning towards the Powermatic 701. The styles on most of the shutter frames are around 65" long,

After seeing a remote friend's PM719, the action of the X-Y vise sold me on the PM719.

Once the work piece is clamped, just sliding the table left or right, to make the next cut was the best feature. I could see how this could be done with a vise, but you'd probably have to turn the vise handle 10-15 times to reposition for the next cut, whereas it's about a 1/4 turn on the PM719. Most of my mortises were around 2"=3" so that would have been a lot of cranking assuming the vise had that much travel.

If cut 1/2" x 2"D x 2-3" mortises with ease. With the volume,I had to do and possibly still have to, I'm very pleased with the machine.

[Bill Carey]

great responses kids - thanks.

x-y table: seems unanimous that it is a great thing to have. Both benchtops that come with this are 1/2hp. A drawback.
No one seems to use the ability to rotate the column and do off bench mortises.
The Shopfox 3/4 has some pretty alarming reviews. It's out of the running.
The PM 701 is still leading the pack.
Does anyone have experience with this: Baleigh MC1000. It's only a couple hundred more than the 701.
Had a conversation with a client in CA and turns out he does ww also, and has a MLCS horizontal router table that he swears by, and does a lot of loose tenon work. It's 300 bucks, and it's not like I don't have any extra routers. Maybe a possibility. Offers a lot of extra possibilities besides mortises. But again, crappy reviews.

I've set a decision deadline of xmas morning, otherwise I'll noodle this to death and never pull the trigger. Seems like the 701, unless someone says the MC1000 is great.

Thanks for all the responses. Nothing on CL in my area, sadly.

[Dan Baginski]

I have the jet bench top. I got a great deal on it used, with a bunch of chisels. I get more accurate results using the mortising attachment on my Inca tablesaw. If you’re just cutting a few mortises then it’s fine. If you’re doing a lot, a well set up router may yield better results. I have to clean up the inside of the mortise with a chisel afterwards, after using the jet.

[Kevin Beitz]

For the people that don't know Grizzly and shop Fox is the same company...

[ChrisA Edwards]

I have the MLCS Premium Horizontal Router setup, new, in a box unopened. I bought it with the plan that I would do my mortises with that, but then I bought the PM719.

Want to make me an offer on it.... I bought the Premium Horizontal Router Kit

[Rod Sheridan]

great responses kids - thanks.

. Both benchtops that come with this are 1/2hp. A drawback.
.

Thanks for all the responses. Nothing on CL in my area, sadly.

Hi, not sure why you would think 1/2HP is a drawback when that's far more power than is required by 1 3/4" auger bit?

I've had mine for 16 years, making mortices in white oak, works great.............Regards, Rod.

[Van Huskey]

Had a conversation with a client in CA and turns out he does ww also, and has a MLCS horizontal router table that he swears by, and does a lot of loose tenon work.

There likely would have been a lot of discussion about other options had you not said you were mainly going to be doing Craftsman furniture. Most people use traditional mortise and tenons for Craftsman stuff.

[Frederick Skelly]

I looked closely at every brand out there when I bought mine 2 years ago. Went to stores and tried out several. Read a TON about what to look for. I figured that cutting a mortise puts a fair bit of strain on the lever arm, the bits and the motor. So this was not a tool I wanted to cut corners on. I decided on the 3/4 hp Powermatic (PM701). It is rock solid. It cuts any mortise I ask of it and does so easily. For me, it was $500 well spent.

As the saying goes, "they'll pry it from my cold dead hands."

Fred