Budget biscuit jointers?

[Eric The Viking]

None of them have "extraction." They have a dust port, and sometimes a collection bag.

The Makita relies on the draught from the spinning blade to blow stuff into the bag. I'd guess they all do. The bag is good for occasional 'site' use where you need to let in a few slots possibly at awkward angles. If you put a vacuum hose on it, the dust collection is ridiculously good - hardly anything ever escapes, no matter what angle you use it at. It also comes out in the right place facing in the right direction - it doesn't get in the way.

Regarding budget, there's a 110V Makita on Gumtree presently at 110 quid. And a DeWalt in Colchester 130, and a Freud in Brum at 40 quid (three week old ad tho).

I'd have any of those over anything Silverline any day. I bought a Silverline hot air gun recently because I needed one in a hurry. It has touchable metal bits on the nozzle and around the fan motor at the back but no earth. I know this is legal, but on that type of tool it's just dumb.

At risk of repetition, you get what you pay for.

E.

 

[MikeJhn]

OK perhaps extraction was a stretch, but I was using the word in the context of removing the debris rather than sucking/blowing being done by the unit, I have a 2400watt vacuum that I use on all of the hand held power tools and it does a very good job.

Incidentally I said I use 110v I don't particularly want a 110v biscuit joiner, a 240v joiner will be more useful to me.

I know what you mean about Silverline, I bought two electric staple guns, to put a vapour barrier up in a large loft, both guns broke in the same way, only a small plastic catch, but it held in the staples, so pretty essential, Silverline do not stock spares for this gun and where partially unhelpful when spoken to on the phone, I swore then never to buy another Silverline product, so far I have managed to keep to that promise to myself.

As to "You get what you pay for" that is true in all things.

Mike

 

[Eric The Viking]

There's quite a few on there, including a 240V Makita ( ), but it's more expensive.

I'd say getting something better quality secondhand isn't such a risk, especially if you can pick it up and thus get a good look over it and run it up.

 

[MikeJhn]

Yep, just did that with a Kity planer surfacer, still looking for a cheap solution to the biscuit joiner though, perhaps a little bit more information may help, I need a stand alone biscuit jointer to make picture frames for my wife's new hobby, this takes place mostly in France at a workshop I have set up in the barn, In the UK I have a Lamello that I use for jointing, but can't justify that sort of cost for what is something I am going to leave in a barn.

Mike

 

[MikeJhn]

Got hold of a Neilson biscuit jointer, look reasonable for the price, good solid fence, Switch is underneath the body so always in hand =D> , but the adjustment bits are cheap plastic, don't know how long they will last, will update once I have used the thing in anger.

Mike

 

[MikeJhn]

Through an inadvertent mouse click a Porter Cable biscuit jointer arrived this morning, the difference between the two is obvious, Eric is absolutely correct in his statement that the may look the same but are quite different in reality, the castings for the fence on the PC are clean and crisp, the Neilson look as though no work was done on the castings after being struck from the mould, the adjustment on the PC are well made and firm, whereas on the Neilson they are flimsy and loose when operating, bit like chalk and milk, in comparison the Neilson could not make a cheese standard, but then it is only 23% of the cost compared with the PC.

Mike

 

[Eric The Viking]

Through an inadvertent mouse click a Porter Cable biscuit jointer arrived this morning, the difference between the two is obvious, Eric is absolutely correct in his statement that the may look the same but are quite different in reality, the castings for the fence on the PC are clean and crisp, the Neilson look as though no work was done on the castings after being struck from the mould, the adjustment on the PC are well made and firm, whereas on the Neilson they are flimsy and loose when operating, bit like chalk and milk, in comparison the Neilson could not make a cheese standard, but then it is only 23% of the cost compared with the PC.

Mike

If it will run happily on 110V here, I'd keep the Porter Cable one. The whole point of biscuits is getting a tightly-fitting strong joint. I've found that the 'tightly-fitting' thing is essential to strength, and that you don't get a tight joint if the tools are cheap. Been there, done that, wasted a lot of energy on it.

 

[MikeJhn]

Looking at the options I have, I am going to keep both, but the PC is going to France and will be run on a 110volt transformer off a three phase supply, so should not be a problem.

Mike

 

[MikeJhn]

Good review of some of the most popular biscuit jointers: http://www.woodnet.net/plansnow/review- ... inter2.pdf

Mike