Mortiser Recommendation

[Gibbcutter]

I have an old Jet bench top mortiser. Been having lots of trouble getting true/square cuts. Considering upgrading to bigger more powerful unit.

Feedback appreciated.

[Huxleywood]

I have an old Jet bench top mortiser.  Been having lots of trouble getting true/square cuts.  Considering upgrading to bigger more powerful unit.

Feedback appreciated.

Budget and would you consider used?

[Hank Knight]

I had a Delta benchtop mortiser. Whoever designed it was a sadist! I saw a Jet floor standing mortiser for sale cheap on Craigslist. I pounced on it without a second thought. It's one of the earlier models without the tilting table, but it was lightly used and looks new. It's wonderful and it has changed how I design woodworking projects. In the Delta days, I avoided mortise and tenon joints like the plague unless there were only a few of them that I could cut by hand. I recently finished a large chest of drawers that had many, many mortises. The Jet handled them with ease and accuracy. I would never have tackled that project with my Delta mortiser. You will get lots of different suggestions and recommendations in this thread. Here's mine: if you are committed to hollow chisel mortising like I am, don't settle for a bench top machine. Get a floor standing model. They are solid, accurate and simple machines. After struggling with your bench top mortiser, you would be very happy with a dedicated floor standing machine.
My $.02.

Hank

[AgGEM]

What Hank said.
Had one, (Jet floor) it is a robust tool for hobby / small job shop.
I do miss it.
Ag

[Gibbcutter]

Ballpark $1500 and yes to used.

[Steve N]

For a stand mortiser you don't get huge variation on it's lever principle. The working part isn't the lever, it's the chisel, and bit you are using, and both need to be very sharp to work properly, and set so you have about a dime to a nickle's thickness between the chisels end, and the tip of the bit. You'll require good chisels. LV sells some, others are available, but they are never found to be the cheapest set. You'll need a good sharpening stone for the sides of the mortise chisel. a nice set of cone stones to get up into the chisel, and sharpen that always working inner edge. For the bit you need a nice selection of files, or one of those sharpen any bit machines, maybe? Watch Chris, he goes through the necessities. Correct me if I'm wrong, but with several tools on that bench, he's using the Jet.





I know all of this works because I have a POS HF mortiser that does a great job, provided I have the chisel/bits sharp, and they are set properly. Your Jet would be a huge upgrade in levers for me, and I imagine my work would only be easier.

[jteneyck]

Have you considered a horizontal router mortiser instead?  Unless you absolutely need really deep, square ended mortises the horizontal router mortiser is superior in every way.  Take a look at my design.   I also make an upgraded model, available with flat or tilting X-table, that looks like this:



If you have an interest in this one, send me a PM.  

John

[Cian]

Very 

[ez-duzit]

I recently picked up a used Powermatic 720HD that was missing the entire tilting table and clamp assembly, and which needed a few other parts as well. These parts have been ordered, though the table could take months to arrive. This is a 220-volt machine. Looks like this.

http://www.gotgreattools.com/powermatic-...91309.html

[Adnick]

Wish I had a Powermatic floor model, or an old General that tilts. have a Shop Fox bench model, and while the mortiser works fine I've broke the handle attachment twice!

Built a dedicated bench for it with an x y machine table, the swivel feature is also great, can do wide boards very easily. However if you want a cheap shofox with broken handle, let me know. ;-)

Good luck,
Andy