Feedback on Your Benchtop Mortiser, Please...

[Caleb Dietrich]

Hello All,

I'm looking into purchasing a benchtop mortiser. I would like to know which ones have been well recieved, and which ones to stay away from. Finewoodworking rated the General the "Best Overall." They don't include the Powermatic in their testing... I wouldn't mind saving the money if a less expensive one will be comparable. However, I don't mind spending a little more if it means I'm getting a quality machine.
Is the General Made in Canada?

I'll appreciate any feedback

Thanks

[Peter M. Spirito]

I am very pleased with the Shop Fox mortising machine I purchased from Grizzly. Woodworking Magazine did a review on the chisels and I opted to purchase the chisels from Lee Valley.

[Jim Becker]

I have owned the Jet for a number of years and in the infrequent times I've used it, it has performed well. The real secret is having the proper honing stones for the chisels so they can cut cleanly...and you need them for "new" chisels which are NOT sharp enough out of the box. The drill bit does most of the work, but you need a keen edge to square it off without tearing, especially in softer woods.

[Scott D Johnson]

I know that many people do not like Harbor Freight tools (and they do have many poor quality tools), but in my limited weekend warrior experience the $99 (on sale) Harbor Freight and a $50 sliding cross vise works for me. Honing the chisels (any chisels) using Scary Sharp method made a huge difference.

[Tim Malyszko]

I have the Delta Benchtop Mortiser (actually just received my $50 rebate check in the mail today). At first, I was dissappointed at its performance and then I realized I needed to hone the chisels. After doing that, its a tool that I cannot imagine being without. It makes cutting mortises so easy that even I can do it.

Looking back, I would have purchased one with a larger motor - the 1/2 hp doesn't have quite enough power to blast thru very dense wood like oak or cypress, but has worked fine on other woods like maple. I can still cut a mortise in denser material, but it requires a little more care when doing so.

Like others have said, sharp, honed chisels make all the difference.

Good luck with it. From my experience, it collects dust the majority of the time, but is a great asset to have when using mortise and tenon joinery.

[Nancy Laird]

We have the Woodtek, great machine right out of the box--except that the mortising chisels did need work.

Nancy

[Dave Malen]

I have this one. It'd nice to have the extra 1/4 hp. It also has a great fence and hold down.
Dave

[Eric Wong]

I have the Jet JBM-5, and it served me well for a couple years. Now I have the Leigh FMT (lots more precise, but $$ too).

Anyhoo, the Jet was a little finicky, but careful setup usually avoided any problems (I guess you could say that about anything in woodworking). And I was never satisfied with the chisels that came with it. They were lower quality, and very difficult to keep sharp. My mortise sides always had torn surfaces that need a little cleanup with a hand chisel.

With any square chisel mortiser, be very careful that the chisel is set up parallel to the sides of the mortise. Even a hair off and you'll end up with rough or jagged sides.

[Brian Ross]

I purchased a used Crescent floor model mortiser a year ago and I am one happy puppy. I bought it through an On Line auction for $513. USD. It is at least 55 years old and works like a charm. I realize used equipment is not for everybody but if you have the shop space I seriously would consider one. It weighs about 650 lbs so getting it into a bsmt may be a challenge.

Brian

[Jules Dominguez]

What is considered to be a proper honing stone for a mortising chisel?

[Ken Milhinch]

These work well. http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...ter=sharpening
Not sure how you could sharpen a mortising chisel using scary sharp method, when it's the inside of the chisel that you have to sharpen.
In answer to the original question, I use the Delta machine and I am very happy with it. The key to a happy relationship with your mortiser is definitely good quality, sharp, chisels

[Tim Malyszko]

These work well. http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...ter=sharpening

I found that this set works best (at least for me) when I place the honing bit into my drill press at its lowest speed and then use the drill press vise to align the chisel with the bit. I tried doing it with the hand tool, but didn't seem to get good results. Again, maybe its just me, but the drill press works great.

[Mike Cutler]

Caleb.

I have the Delta 14-651. It's a nice mortiser and does what it's supposed too.
In retrospect I would have bought one with a tilting head. I do a lot of Arts & Craft style type projects and the tilting head would have been a time saver.

I have to agree with the others. Sharp chisels and bits are a must.

[Brian Penning]

I have the General non tilting model. Quite satisfied with it and the supplied chisels worked great for me out of the box.
Not sure if it's made in Canada or not. Probably isn't and for me where something is made is a non issue. It's the quality of the end product that counts.

[Scott D Johnson]

Clarification. I do also own and use the mortising honing stones from Rockler. My comment regarding the Scary Sharp method was related to the fact that getting all 4 of the "outside" edges perfectly flat is important (just like back of bench chisels). After that is done, of course, honing the inside of the chisel is done using the stones. Again, take my comments commensurate with my level of experience, (I am only a weekend warrior).