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My pet peeves are that the fence is too low (although it has holes for attaching your own wood fence) the hold down cannot come below the fence since it is attached to the top of the fence, and finally the bottom surface of the hold down is not machined so it won't hold your material down flat.Delta, on the other hand, has completely upgraded their benchtop mortiser and priced it aggressively (it was cheaper than the Jet, as is also the case here on Amazon as of this review). On tool storage of extra bits. Two separate locking knobs for the fence. Unfortunately, in the past 3-4 years, Jet has not changed the design or features on this machine. I have this exact machine and it is up to Jet's standards for being solid and decent quality (I also have a Jet 14" Bandsaw).
Nicer handle. It is square, sharp, and quiet out of the box and very easy to set up. I saw them side by side over the weekend at a local retailer and spent some time comparing.Access to change bits on the Jet is adequate while it is much easier on the Delta (one large access door vs 2 smaller doors on the Jet) The Delta has a rack and pinion on their taller fence while the hold down goes much lower since the fence is cleared out for it. Nicer quick-knob for hold down adjustment (long lever with adjustable stops for easier, faster locking)If the Jet were priced a good third lower than the Delta, I might be inclined to give it three or *maybe* even four stars since I have had good experience with mine.If this review helps or if you have any questions or comments, please let me know. Wider heavier base.
It's not perfect, positioning the workpiece square against the fence requires some care and attention to detail, but the machine still makes mortising easy and accurate. I was apprehensive over the purchase, because most benchtop mortisers seemedto draw mixed reviews. I'm a new woodworker and I bought this machine, because I was afraid of messing up good work with a drill press and hand chisels. But I needn't have worried. It's definately worth the money. The Jet machine arrivedin perfect shape, was very easy to set up and worked exactly as I'd hoped it would.
I turned the chuck a little, then turned it back on. I'm skeptical how square the machine would cut if the manufacturer cannot machine square bolt holes. I just received the Jet Mortise machine yesterday. This is my first Jet tool and it will be my last. At first it wouldn't do anything thing but hum a little. These bolt holes attach the column to the base. Closer inspection revealed the fan on the top of the motor was grinding against the housing.
Took it out of the box, assembled it and plugged it in. It made a horrible grinding sound. I just ordered a Powermatic to replace this junk. Further inspection of the machine showed the bolt holes in the base were not taped square.
Besides, like any cutting blade, you need to maintain it properly. You don't have to scratch your head 20 minutes trying to figure out how to adjust it. Unlike the Delta hollow chisel mortiser, which I had to return twice, this one arrived in perfect conditions and was up and running after 10 minutes.I used it right away to make 16 mortises in solid cherry (some with different depth within the same mortise), and it performed very well. That's what I like about it.D. But with a good set of chisel, it's done in a snap).I don't find the blade to be as low quality as some of the reviewers wrote: after over a hundred plunge, it's still as sharp as new. Jet engineer their tool so that every action is reduced to the simplest desing, which you understand right away when looking at the tool. As for the chip ejection, I really did not have any problems at all.
It is very accurate, and the waste is easy to clean with a chisel (unlike the use of a router to cut mortise, a hollow chisel mortiser will need some cleaning of the mortise. It's not meant to be disposable. Lafrance Just cut the mortise in the opposite direction of the opening in the chisel and your all set.Overall, very happy with this unit.
I don't think I can say it much better than most of the other reviewers here, but that's never stopped me before.It's a very well made product, from the mortiser itself, the very sharp chisels that come with it and the chuck key. If you're drilling holes and chiseling the waste wood or routing.well if you've got the dough (and in this economy, it's an understandable consideration)., give the Jet a looksee. However, the hold down does leave a bit to be desired. It doesn't give me that sense of confidence at all times as far as whether or not it'll stay put.but it has so far.Personally, other than the hold down, I love this tool.
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