Anyone know of good tool review sites? or have an opinion on a good biscuit jointer?

I have the Porter Cable, and I’ve never had any problems. Perfect cuts every time.

-- JP, Shelbyville, KY

I have a Porter Cable as well, and it works great! I know others recommend the Lamello or Festool, but I think the PC is fine. I think it cuts more accurate than I do..

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

My DeWalt works just fine. I especially like the adapter so I can attach it to my shop vac. A biscuit jointer throws out a lot of sawdust and material. All of my cabinetry is joined by using biscuits. It is quick and easy to use.

-- Fred Childs, Pasadena, CA - - - Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

I have the PC, it works well for me. I don’t use it a lot but it cuts accurately and has plenty of power for the occasional use I put it to. I have a buddy w/ the Dewalt. I’ve played with it a little. Seems pretty similar in terms of utility, ease of use, power, and build. The price is pretty similar too. I wouldn’t give the nod to either over the other.

When I was researching joiners the lamello seemed to get consistently very high reviews, particularly for production work, like cabinet shops. I’ve never held or used a lamello so I cant comment personally but I do wonder if the lamello is worth it. It is significantly more expensive. Maybe it is a case of you get what you pay for and the lamello is worth it, or maybe it’s more like the lie-nielsen planes. Once you paid that much money for something you can’t admit that it is anything less than delivered by god on a platter.

I think you should buy the lamello and give us a report :). If that’s not in the cards the PC and Dewalt seem pretty similar, you probably wouldn’t go wrong with either.

The PC 557 got top value placement with Fine woodworking. The favorite was the Lamello Top 20 and the best for the money at 20% less than the PC was the Makita 3901. There were 2 others that got honorable mentions (Dewalt and Craftsman (they were the same machine)).

Drew

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

I like the reviews on American Woodworker’s website. That’s where I go first to research new tool purchases.

I’ve used both a DeWalt and the PC557 with reasonable results. I bought the PC557 recently and love it. The DeWalt is I’ve used is owned by the high school where I take an adult ed class so it’s gotten a lot of abuse. My only complaint about it has been the depth adjustment loosening up, but as I say it’s been abused.

-- Chelle http://artsgranddaughter.blogspot.com

They also said that you could buy 3 PC557s for the same price as the Top 20…

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

I have the PC557 and am happy with it.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I have the Dewalt joiner and I like it. Ebay!

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

I too have a DeWalt and like it very much. I had a Ryobi (for about 5 minutes) the guide fence just wouldn’t stay in place for more than a couple cuts, very very frustrating! Ran back out to the Big Box and traded for the DeWalt, No complaints after years of use. The vertical fence stays nice and parallel to the blade. I have used mine a lot, but probably not to the same degree of abuse one may have seen in a classroom setting.

I did have a Lamello available at a class I took, which is supposed to be the gold standard. I noticed that the fence was able to be adjusted out of square (remembering the Ryobi, I put it down and took my project home.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

The PC allows me to use the very small biscuits and I don’t think the others did way back when I bought it. I’m sure it is only a matter of time before I cave and buy the new Festool Domino. I will have to do some jewelry shopping first, I think :)

-- Jeff, Santa Fe

I have the Porter-Cable and it works great.

-- There are three types of people in the world, those who can count and those who can't!

Dormer, I have found this site to be very good for tool reviews.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/

Thanks for all the responses, I am leaning toward the DeWalt or Porter Cable, because I can get them at cost through my dad. :)

I have the Porter Cable… hardly ever use it.

I prefer dowels… biscuits belong on the plate covered with gravy

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

I have a PC, I’d go for thest best deal of the two you mentioned

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Obi,

Curious, why do you prefer dowels ? I’ve used dowels to maintain alignment in pieces intended to be knocked down but generally not for structural joints.

It seems most everything I’ve read, joinery books, internet research and such, indicate dowels are a poor choice for providing structural strength. The reasoning seems to be too little long grain to long grain glue surface in a dowel.

I watched a web video of breaking various joints and dowels did not fair too well. Given all the other options for joinery, particularly biscuits if you want fast and easy, why dowels?

Are you concerned about biscuit swelling ?

Its a good time to buy a used biscuit joiner. Lots of folk are buying the Festool Domino, which is really a tenon joiner and selling their biscuit joiners. You can find DeWalts and PC’s both on Craigslist for about half price, and usually they don’t get a lot of wear and tear.

-- They say the best things in New Mexico are at the end of a dirt road, I know I am.

I have a DeWalt and I have not had any problems with it.

-- Buchanan, New Jersey,