Biscuit joiners

[Farm Labourer]

I may have previously mentioned that I'm less than impressed with my Rutlands BJ "(quiet at the back)" - I'm not sure that the need to accelerate at warp-factor to Festool will ever happen.

So my question is - what's somewhere in between that will produce cuts parallel to the fence and not break the bank!

 

[craigs]

i hear good things about the makitas and dewalts although i dont have one..

 

[TJC]

I bought a makita from someone else here. Haven't used it for much yet, only some small glue ups but it feels acceptable. Easy to align and keep aligned, parallel, decent gauges for depth etc.

 

[alan895]

A second hand Freud can be bought cheap these days, I have one and its rock solid.

 

[Droogs]

I have a Makita an like it very much, bought from one of the members here 2nd hand (can't remember who now) and it wasn't expensive.

If you remember dear member if you sold it to me let me know - cheers (hate not remembering things like that, but memory has been garbage as of late)

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

I had a Makita, and the fence is not the most reliable - the rack-and-pinion is at one side, and the fence does not square up until clamped up. There is no way to adjust an out-of-square set up.

I have the De Walt, and it rules. Very reliable, and better ergonomics than the Makita. Plus it is yellow and cannot get lost!

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Agree with Derek, I have use of both and the DeWalt is the better machine, it's still not a patch on a top 21 but it is a 3rd of the price

 

[clogs]

Fein.....cant rememberhow old mine is now.......used it just the other day, still fine......
bought it new....they were just started to sell em then....
now I'd get a used one.....just a qual one tho.....

 

[NDRiley]

I have the Makita. It’s ok and wasn’t too expensive bought new. However I agree with the limitations mentioned above. If I had to buy a new one now I think I would be looking at the dewalt.

 

[porker]

Another vote for the DeWalt. It has some adjustment and is spot on. It wasn't perfect out of the box. I have an old Erbauer that has slop in the guides and is inaccurate but have seen others that are happy with theirs.

 

[Phill05]

And another DeWalt perfect in every way.

Phill

 

[Andy F]

I bought this from screwfix. I have only used it for joining boards, some good quality pine for shelves, and some pallet wood that was only 9mm or so thick . Not much to say really, it is cheap, it works, a joint has never failed or gone wrong and there was no bulging showing even in the thin pallet wood.

Andy

 

[eezageeza]

Another vote for Dewalt - good straight out of the box, and has performed flawlessly for a few years now.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

No gripes with DeWalt.

 

[gmgmgm]

I have a cheap one from Screwfix, which always worked pretty well. I never used the fence, as I think that's where the cheap ones lack. I always referenced off the base.

Can you adjust your working style so you don't use the fence?

 

[SammyQ]

I have an ancient Ferm, sourced, I think, from Screwfix. One tenth the price of a CessPool or Lambsbellow and has quite happily chewed through loadsa of slots in teak, oak, mahogany, MDF, ply, oatcakes...well, you get the picture.

Sam

 

[Farm Labourer]

It's the fence that is seriously on the wonk - I'll try a test with the base, if that works, I'm sorted. Thank you.

 

[Farm Labourer]

With the fence - I was seeing a difference of 1.1mm across the width of the fence. I tweaked it and held some pressure whilst tightening and could improve that to 0.7mm but that is potentially 1.4 depending on the orientation of the 2nd cut.

Fence off and referencing on a flat bench - the cut is 0.02mm out across the length of the biscuit. So potentially 0.04mm and I think that's quite acceptable.

Thank you all, again as I shan't be shopping just yet!