Loose tenons sure seem to be all the rage these days. Probably has a lot to do with two popular loose tenon tools (Domino and Mortise Pal), of which I will probably get one in the near future...probably the cheaper one!
Aside from when you want true tenons for aesthetic reasons, is there really any reason to go with true tenons over loose tenons? Are they actually any stronger? (I realize we're in the theoretical realm of strength here as I'm guessing both types of tenons will withstand real-world loads equally.)
Aside from any theoretical strength advantage, or possible aesthetic utility (e.g. through-tenon), loose tenons seem superior, at least from my novice perspective.
Pros:
Easy. Heck of a lot stronger than biscuits. Can mill your own tenon stock. If you screw up the tenon, you're not trying to salvage an entire workpiece.
Cons:
Size? I can see at a certain size larger single loose tenons may become impractical.
Thoughts?