Hi folks thanks for the superb input on my previous posts.Hell who needs a master/mentor with you folks.This is an on-line apprenticeship for me.
Goin’ take the plunge and buy a biscuit joiner.I make picture frames and I want an accurate one.Save me a ton of sanding.I don’t have 3 big bills to slap down for the Lamello which I have read is the most accurate.I have also read,however,that the Makita comes close in accuracy which is the important thing with me.It doesn’t have the power of the Dewalt or Porter-cable which is less important to me.I probably will be using mostly #10 biscuits.
What was the FWW verdict on the Makita relative to the others?Anyone with any experience out there with the Makita(or other brands for that matter)that I should know.Thanks tons in advance for any input.Roland
Replies
I have the DeWalt, and it is an excellent machine. I have also, found the DeWalt biscuits to be very good. The PC biscuits ( at the risk of not being PC) are very poor, but I believe their machine is better than the DeWalt.
Have used the PC professional model for the last two years - Works fine -
Foly
The lamello is by far the best and our shop has a couple and I love them, but because of cost I own a DeWalt and it works fine but I would definetly buy the lamello bisquets they are head and shoulders better than whatever is in second place
Doug
If you make picture frames, the PC that does both the regular size biscuits and the mini-biscuits may be the ticket.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
roly
Please dont take this the wrong way but this subject has been beat to death. Please check the archives there are numerous thread on the same subject about the same 2 biscuit jointers. Darkworksite4: When the job is to small for everyone else, Its just about right for me"
Does Prospero provide you with a uniform?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
(from Ron)
FG , Do you really really want to start this. I noticed slams in other threads also. just answer the question and we can continue from here on......
Ron, I respectfully disagree -- there are no slams in other threads. I made one disclaimer, followed up by a :-) (in the other thread). That is hardly a slam. And my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek above. IMHO, a gentle hint.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 5/29/2002 11:39:42 AM ET by forest_girl
Too Funny, you guys are crackin me up....Steve - in Northern California
We aim to please and entertain!!! :-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Steve,
I am about to splurge for that Systematic blade you recommended.$60 at amazon.com.I jus' hope its a table saw blade.Thanks Roland.
Sorry I didnt see the :). I use the Johnny (My boys name) on my work computer. I guess I do get defensive sometimes. I definately had one of those days today.... Darkworksite4: When the job is to small for everyone else, Its just about right for me"
No harm, no foul! (Unless you're the Lakers of course -- Ooops, there I go sniping again :-) I'm just a troublemaker, I guess. At least now I know why you were using an alias -- that had me mystified this morning!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I've used Lamellos, Freuds, Dewalts (that's what I have in my own shop), the lamentable old PC, the bench mounted PC or Delta or whatever, and the new PC (have them both inmy school shop). If I had to buy a new one tomorrow, it would be the Dewalt. The new PC is pretty good, but the fence is sloppy , the machine is bulky, and those little biscuits are just stupid, and not worth the effort, IMO. I do like the way the fence adjusts for mitres in either direction though. cabinetmaker/college instructor. Cape Breton, N.S
Hiya Rick, nope, the booties are still waiting in the wings, so to speak LOL! I had made a little router table extension that attaches to the steel wings, so have to decide how to handle that once the iron goes on. Suppose I could drill holes in 'em, but I have this mental block about drilling holes in metal. Also, am gonna need help with them mega-wings!
I have a lowly Freud biscuit joiner, but would have bought the PC 2-way if the cash had been there. Just love the idea of being able to do mini's. Decided I could use a router table for that if I needed 'em.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi guys thanks for all the responses.Incidentally I did check the archives before starting this thread.I always do that in general.I don't want to waste unnecessary bandwith.
In the archives there is one guy who bought both the Makita and Dewalt.He returned the Dewalt.I was hoping to smoke him out about his makita.However I guess he is still in his hole.The little weasel!Don't be shy guy.Anyway thanks to all again.Roland.
Roland, I've noticed there's an "Invite" link at the bottom of the left-hand frame (at the very bottom of the list of discussions). I don't know how it works, but maybe you could "invite" him to join in. Of course, if his original post came from before-Prospero his name might have changed :-(forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi Rick! The router's on the back burner, but I might take it into Poulsbo to "the tool guy" and see what he thinks. The chuck is part of the armature (it's a cheap, little SC router!) so the chuck's not independently replaceable. I think this whole thing may be the wood-spirit's way of telling me that I really, really need to buckle down and get the big Freud router cleaned up and installed in a table.
Your comment about Sears and their service is one reason I don't buy their power tools (I got my 'little gem' router dirt-cheap at an estate, looked like it had never been used). The only exception to this no-buy policy might be the miter saw they have with the laser cut-line dealie on it. That I would like to have, but it's pretty far down the list at this point.
Am lovin' my saw now that it's all adjusted properly, even without the iron installed yet. Ran the dado blade for the first time today, and was expecting maybe some extra vibration or something, but it purred like a kitten :-)
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
In response to your original message, according to Fine Woodworking No. 151, the Makita 3901 scored very well in the parallel tests, just behind the two Lamello machines. Initially, the fence was a little sloppy, but was easily corrected. Overall, a good machine for the price, especially considering the superb parallel scores.
Hi Ricky,
Thanks tons for the info.In an archival post here someone(who actually owned a Makita I believe) said the Makita design was a clone or copy of the Lamello.Could you tell me exactly how the joiners were rated by FWW?I know FWW doesn't really rate things in their reviews like American Woodworker however one can read between the lines to a certain extent.
People here and at Badger Pond really rate the Dewalt high,however,from what I have read about the FWW review the Dewalt isn't very accurate.The Porter Cable is more accurate but more expensive.Yes it does Face frame biscuits but those things are mighty small.I wouldn't think they would have much holding strength.
I have the American Woodworker edition,incidentally,with their review of biscuit joiners however it isn't a very good analysis.It is more of an ergonomic based review as opposed to an accuracy based review like FWW.In their review Makita and Lamello were beat out by Dewalt and PC.Thanks tons,Roland.
Roly,
According to the Fine Woodworking article, all biscuit joiners except for the Makita 3901 have tabs in the motor housing that ride in ways on the base. The two Lamellos' ways are machined as opposed to the others' ways, which are cast. This apparently results in a smoother action. The Makita has parallel rods on the base that engage machined housings on the motor. This also makes for smooth sliding. While the Makita does not seem to be a clone of the Lamellos, they do share the aspect of having machined parts. For a smoother sliding carriage, this seems to be an advantage over castings.
As for the results, the Lamello Top 20 got the top recommendation, price tag notwithstanding. The Porter-Cable 557 received good notices for its versatility. The Makita warranted mention as a good affordable alternative to the P-C. It seems that the operation of the fence is crucial. Half the models reported sloppy fences. Parallelness of slots, in my opinion, is a secondary concern, considering the measurements differed by only thousandths of an inch. However, the DeWalt DW682 did score poorly in the parallel tests, tempering an otherwise positive review.
Personally, I have the P-C 557. Your assumption about the face frame biscuits are correct. I have used it maybe once. Pocket screws are more efficient for face frames, and the changeover to the smaller blade is not exactly speedy. I appreciate the machine for the small things: highest amperage in the group, the double bevel of the protractor, and yes, the ability to cut weird-sized slots should the need ever arise.
Hi Rick, yep, I had one get lost last night too, but I think the culprit was Kaluha LOL. Last night, I trekked into HD to grab some plywood and gaze at routers. I think they may have had that little Makita you're talking about. Am holding off for now, but I agree that a second, smaller router seems pretty high priority -- I have the Freud plunge router, but would really like to have a smaller one for edge work and stuff. My hands flare up with tendinitis periodically, and it would be just as good to avoid horsin' that Freud around a workpiece if I can.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Obviously, there is not enough public opinion about the best biscuit joiner! Porter Cable can't be beat for the feature and quality:price ratio.
No-one has yet mentioned the DeWalt biscuit jointer's achilles heel-- which is venting the motor at the top, and directed forward, directly into the operators eyes, which has a nasty habit of blowing the dust directly into the operators face and eyes. I'm surprised no-one has thought to mention this quirk and irritation. Apart from that, it's not a bad machine, but a Lamello will always leave the rest grasping at straws, at a price of course. Slainte, RJ. RJFurniture
I concur. I have the PC and it's been fantastic. Dead on the whole time.
Well, the jury may still be out, but it sounds like most of us who are posting are leaning toward the PC. It probably is the new top dog. But lets not forget, this new PC model came onto the scene fairly recently. Before this, we had limited choices for a quality biscuit joiner. You could apply for a loan and buy the Lamello, or settle for those scarry Craftsman or Ryobi models, or even something that Freud put out. The old model PC was of a very different configuration and looked more like a Craftsman or Ryobi. At the time, Dewalt was the next best thing to owning a Lamello. It worked well, and is still sold at a fair price. The Dewalt model came out long before this new PC model did. Mine has given me years of loyal service, and despite the fact that the new PC has alot more bells and whistles, I'm not ready to swap just yet."Hide not your talents, they were for use made. What's a sun-dial in the shade?"
- Benjamin Franklin
Am I imagining things, or are you placing the Freud biscuit joiner below the Craftsman? Puhleeeez! :-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Craftsman makes a router? Expressions Fine Wood Working and Cabinetry..A division of Schefer Engineering Inc., Santa Rosa, Ca.
Now it's my turn to say "Huh?" :-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Was your Huh? remark refering to my message re: biscuit joiners?"Hide not your talents, they were for use made. What's a sun-dial in the shade?"
- Benjamin Franklin
This is getting funny (sort of like the "Who's on first?" routine) My "Huh?" was addressed to Steve (alias "cutoff") and his comment about Craftsman making routers.
I was ribbin' you about the Freud joiner thing -- I have one, though couldn't testify as to it's all-around quality as it's not seen serious service yet. Not a tool I'm apt to use alot, so I got the affordable one. My tosies are fine :-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
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Looks like our friend freud is graduating with honors. No freudian slip here!"Hide not your talents, they were for use made. What's a sun-dial in the shade?"
- Benjamin Franklin
I think Freud has re-designed their biscuit joiner and dropped the casting approach where it was causing problems. Ran across something in a catalog description, although can't remember exactly where right now. (Not enough coffee yet).forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
No ma'am, I'm not saying the Freud model is inferior to the Craftsman model. I actually have the Freud and the Dewalt. (I was out on a distant jobsite installing a built-in, came across an unexpected situation calling for a buscuit joiner, only local store was a Lowe's. Their Freud was the least expensive so I bought). I does a good job, FG. But little things like a crudely stamped motor housing and lots of pot-metal was why I grouped it with the others. I hope its not your all-out favorite FG, don't want to step on anybody's toes. :+>"Hide not your talents, they were for use made. What's a sun-dial in the shade?"
- Benjamin Franklin
Yup, me too....I've had two Dewalts (still have one), and now the P-C. The comments about the Dewalts 'accuracy' lacking.....I take that with a great big grain of salt. I've never noticed a problem with paralleism....if I have one, I can fix that. I'll give the P-C one point for a fence that is better at doing mitres in either direction, but I'd still pick the Dewalt.cabinetmaker/college instructor. Cape Breton, N.S
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