Biscuit joiner recommendations

[Karl]

Hi folks

I am in the market for a new biscuit joiner, and wondered what recommendations others had.

I can't stretch to a Domino ( ) but am prepared to spend up to £200 (maybe a little more if it's really worth it).

Cheers

Karl

 

[Aled Dafis]

I have the trend one, and my advice would be to give it a WIDE BIRTH, it's crap!!! Good biscuit jointers should be easy to set up and give repeatable results, mine doesn't!

Thinking about it, I can't remember when I last used it. Anyone interested in buying a biscuit jointer?

Regards

Aled

 

[Philly]

Karl
I have a Lamello C2 - used it for years and it is fantastic. Just does what a biscuit jointer should do.
Just finished building two solid oak bookcases (2.2m tall, 1.3m wide and 0.45 deep) and the Lamello made life easy with its unerring accuracy.
Hope this helps
Philly

 

[Anonymous]

My Freud has been fantastic for the past 2-3 years and is within your budget. basically a rip off of the Lamello

 

[Scrit]

Mafell LNF20 (also sold as Kress and Milwaukee) - quality well up there with Festool (in fact Festool and Mafell share some production), has innovative 3-position turret depth stop (like a router) allowing quick and easy resetting of thickness (ideal for projects where you are working with two or three thicknesses of material, e.g. kitchen installation). Very well finished and should be just within your budgeT

Scrit

 

[Jake]

I can vouch for the Mafell as well. Haven't used a Lamello, but it's one of those purchases I have never had the slightest need, whim or desire to upgrade. It's class.

 

[toysandboats]

I've also got the Mafell and find it very accurate and simple to use

David

 

[Argee]

Lamello. Founded by Hermann Steiner, who invented the concept in 1955. Beautifully engineered, smooth, repeatability second to none. If you intend to buy only one, that's the one (more here if it helps).

Ray.

 

[Jake]

Why does the Lamello have the big chamfer off the corner of the fence? You lose so much registration (looking at the photo of the biscuit into the edge, with the fence registering off the end of the plank).

 

[Scrit]

Lamello. Founded by Hermann Steiner, who invented the concept in 1955. Beautifully engineered, smooth, repeatability second to none.

Maybe. I've used Lamellos and whilst they are nice they are also much more expensive than the OP's £200 limit. I also found the loop handle at the front was too small for me to use comfortably on account of the size of my hands (something another reviewer in Fine Homebuilder also chose to comment on). The stripped-down model, the Classic C2, comes (came?) with no finish (bare cast base) and generally doesn't feel as nice as the full-price models. The next model up, the Classic C3 is £300 in the UK whilst the Top20S4 runs out at nearly £600

Having used both the deWalts (and I actually still have an Elu DS140 - the forerunner of the DW685) I'd rate the DW682 as less handy (and a bit less well made) than the Mafell. Some of them seem to have a fence which can rack and get out of parallel. I've also tried a Porter-Cable 557 but I couldn't live with that huge fence opening

The OP may find this review helpful whilsrt looking for biscuit jointers. Not all of the models in it are available in the UK, but the comments about what makes a good, useable biscuit jointer are very relevant to his search

Scrit

 

[Karl]

Thanks for all the replies - looks like the mafell gets the majority vote.

Scrit - when you say the Mafell is also sold under the Milwaukee brand, do you mean this one ? The handle looks different to the Mafell. Under the Milwaukee brand it generally appears to be cheaper than the Mafell brand (if indeed it is the same model).

Cheers

Karl

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hi Karl,

If you want to consider something a bit different, I've used the Elu DS140 for years.

It's a superb machine, still available as the DeWalt DW685K http://www.dewalt.co.uk/powertools/prod ... no/DW685K/

The only thing it lacks is a variable angle fence - that's never been a problem for me but, if you need that feature, I'd go for the Lamello or Mafell.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Mcluma]

And another one for Mafell

 

[woof]

I have both the Freud and recently got the lamello C3.

Look similar, but the smoothness of the mechanism and accuracy far surpasses the Freud - well it should for the price!!! I won't be changing the lamello, anad the freud does a job, but not quite the same. Really depends on what you want to spend.

 

[Karl]

Hi Paul

I had looked at the new DW 685, but discounted it on the basis of the fence arrangement - doesn't look great for working with sheet materials or putting biscuit joints in worktop mitres.

But if I see an old ELU knocking about on the bay for a decent price, i'd be tempted to have it as a second machine.

Cheers

Karl

 

[The Moose]

Hi Karl

For what it's worth, I tried a £50 cheapie from Screwfix last year. It was rubbish but Screwfix were at least good enough to refund my money.

I then did what I should have done in the first place and bought the best I could afford - a Mafell. I have no complaints whatsoever and would recommend it to anyone at that price level.

Happy jointing.

Paul

 

[hpl]

Just interested in others opinion on the domino v a good quality biscuit jointer. As there seems to be several of you with experience of good biscuit jointers posting here so I thought I would butt in to get your opinion.
I have owned a cheap bj (axminster own brand) in the past but when it was stolen I bought a domino. Its a great machine and is accurate (as long as I'm firm in holding it in the right place) and I can use it in the place of tenon's in many places. I also use it quite a bit for joining MDF and veneered boards together and it gives very accurate joints when used well.
Do quality BJ's give accurate results if say joining two boards end to end or for sides to bases and tops in say a kitchen type carcass? My cheap one always needed a tweak to get things right and there was too much movement in the slot for the biscuit to sit in accurately. Is this normal or are the quality machines vastly difference?

Johnny B

 

[matt]

Hi Karl,

If you want to consider something a bit different, I've used the Elu DS140 for years.

It's a superb machine, still available as the DeWalt DW685K http://www.dewalt.co.uk/powertools/prod ... no/DW685K/

The only thing it lacks is a variable angle fence - that's never been a problem for me but, if you need that feature, I'd go for the Lamello or Mafell.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

I have one of these too - given to me by a professional joiner when she bought herself a DeWalt replacement (it was a good price). The only one I've ever used so can't compare but also I have absolutely no complaints.

 

[Jake]

My cheap one always needed a tweak to get things right and there was too much movement in the slot for the biscuit to sit in accurately. Is this normal or are the quality machines vastly difference?

There's always room for movement lengthways along the slot, obviously, but there should be virtually no slack up and down by the time several biscuits are fully home in both pieces. As long as you get your registration right and don't have to adjust the fence or fanny around with potentially inaccurate) spacers, it should be (for all intents and purposes) spot on - as in pretty much undetectable by finger.

A Domino is a bit of different beast, though...

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I am very happy with my Makita 3901 it works well and seems very well made. But those Lamellos are very tempting,


Pete