Best Power Mortisers
Makita 7104L Powerful 10.5 Amp Motor Extremely Portable Chain Mortiser. Powerful 10.5 AMP motor (3,200 RPM) to quickly notch or cut holes in thick wood stock. Innovative power tool notches or cuts through-holes in thick wood stock quickly, neatly and accurately. Large adjustable vise and knob for attaching firmly onto logs 3-1/8"" to 12-1/8"" thick. Sliding rear clamp adjustable to desired width with a quick adjust tension knob. Adjusting levers and knobs for quick changes without resetting the tool.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"awesome tool, works great."
"Well worth it very happy as I usually am with most makita products."
"Good unit well made didn't realize was 120 volt though as we are 240 volt here in this country australia."
"If you do timber framing....you are going to want to get this."
"Tool works very well for straight mortises, not sure if it can mortise at an angle to the work piece, as in making stairs."
"This tool saves a lot of time in a timber frame build."
"This is a must for a serious Timber Framers tool collection."
"It has a depth setting which brings up the only negative... in a blind mortise the bottom will be rounded - you have to cut down about 1.25" deeper than your tenon. Pull a lever and the chain moves forward about a half inch and the process repeats. In my case, I'm cutting 2" x 5.5" all the way through... takes about 10 minutes per mortise and the result is a perfectly sized rectangular hole."
The head-stroke capacity is 5-1/2-inches and the chisel center to fence is 4-3/8-inch with a chisel capacity up to 3/4-inch. 3/4-horsepower bench mortiser with 1/2-inch chuck, in-line depth stop, and 5/8- and 3/4-inch bushing sizes. 3/4-horsepower bench mortiser with 1/2-inch chuck, in-line depth stop, and 5/8- and 3/4-inch bushing sizes.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"However, there is a triangular metal piece that acts both as a spacer and holds the head steady as it goes up and down the shaft. The first time this happened, we didn't notice it was gone and the piece fell behind the stand and out of sight."
"Works well didn't expect anything else from Powermatic."
"The table is perfectly flat and the fence is perfectly square to the table."
"Easy set up of chisels and depth settings and hold down works great."
"There are not any glaring negative aspects of the apparatus as of this date; I do recommend that the purchase of good quality bits to bring out the best in this devise."
"The hold-down fork does not release - it seems to bind on the staff, so I am constantly having to pry it up with a screwdriver."
"so far only limited use so I am still learning ."
"More powerful than other brand mortisers."
Its large wooden table (measuring 20-1/4 inches by 7 inches) gives plenty of work support and will adjust to any angle between 0 and 35 degrees. Specifications Spindle speed: 1725 rpm Chuck size: 1/2-inch Chisel capacity: 1/4-inch to 1-inch Head stroke: 6 inches Chisel center to fence: 4 inches Fence size: 4-1/2 inches by 20-1/4 inches Table tilt: 0 to 35 degrees Table size: 7 inches by 20-1/4 inches Table travel: 15-1/2 inches longitudinal; 4 inches cross Motor power: 1 horsepower Dimensions: 21-1/4 inches by 21-5/8 inches by 74 inches. 719T Tilt Table Mortiser. At a Glance: Sturdy cast-iron construction for optimal stability and durability Quick-position, table-mounted swiveling vise clamp for angled work pieces Feed lever features six positions for quick adjustments Table and fence tilt from 0 to 35 degrees for a wide variety of applications Smooth gas cylinder-controlled rack-and-pinion head raising and lowering system Quick-adjust depth stop for less downtime Hinged access door allows easy access for quick bit changes. Gas cylinder controlled rack and pinion head raising and lowering system for smooth operation.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"outstanding works as advertise."
"Robust and easy to use."
"Excellent tool , it came in two boxes and it was an easy set up."
"Nice tool."
"The Powermatic 1791264k Model 719T Tilt Table Mortising machine, works excellent and it is a very good equipment."
"The one problem I found is it needs a handle stop."
"Awesome machine !"
Best Power Magnetic Drill Presses
SKIL 10 In. Adjustable depth stop for accurate measurements and repetitive drilling.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Actually, there's a problem with the way it's packaged, (see picture) not Amazon's fault and I don't really blame the shipper. My initial impression "out of the box" was quite positive, table is nicely machined, painting is well done and general fit and finish is excellent . I chucked a piece of drill rod and set the table to "0" using a high quality machinist square. There is no mechanism, such as a lever, to apply tension to the drive belt but that's not a problem, just loosen the two wing nuts and push on the motor to tension then tighten the wing nuts. I do have some concern with the motor though as it gets quite hot after running for 15 minutes or so under very light load drilling 1/8" holes in pine. It's hands down the nicest small drill press I've seen and I believe would please most all users."
"I received my Drill press last week (Nov 11/2012) but haven't had a chance to open the box and assemble it. The clamping system for the base works very well and allows the user to keep the base really snugly in position (a must for accurate drilling). It seemed to get pretty reasonable alignment but I still need to adjust for some small drill wander. The laser alignment works (I might do a bit of minor adjustment but nothing radical). For those interested I tried using my x-y base to do some milling (with a drill bit!). I think this is going to work really well once I get some proper milling bits that are meant to cut sideways."
"I've drilled through various types of hard and soft woods as well as high carbon metal without any issues."
"Be advised that the speed is adjusted manually by changing the drive belt between gears, but the process is pretty quick and easy (with helpful charts printed on the case cover)."
"I was amazed upon receiving the very well packaged unit which was very easy to assemble. I love the laser on it as it provides precise drilling and this is important to me as I build Guitar Tube Amps like they did back in the 50's and 60's."
"Mine stopped working and it looks like the run capacitor is faulty or the motor is shot (it just buzzes)."
Best Benchtop Drill Presses
It's a drill press, tool holder and flex shaft holder all in one. Tool Holder- Holds Tool at 90 Degrees Horizontal for Tasks Such as Polishing Metal Objects, Sanding Different Shapes and Grinding Metal Pieces.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"no ammount of adjustment can fix this, I took the entire thing appart, and determined it is a problem with the plastic mold. if you are only going to be drilling thin peices of material and dont need real accuracy this wont bother you."
"This is a beautifully crafted tool, that has been obviously carefully engineered by Dremel. Thank you Dremel for so many decades of producing fine, useful tools for us DIY craftsmen."
"Maybe at some point I'll have some detailed wood work to do but unless you have a specific use in mind I wouldn't purchase this with the Dremel as I did (especially if you already have a drill press)."
"I have a need for a small drill press, however I did not want to take up a lot of bench space Since I already own a dremel tool, I thought this product would work for me."
"In addition to this I would have liked to see a way to lock the spring loaded drill press in a down position for when you are using it to cut or route areas out, this way you could drill down, lock it in position at a set height and carry on with your cut rather than having to loosen and adjust the entire mechanism. In the end this is a great accessory if you need an affordable solution for using your dremel as a drill press, or if you need a vice etc."
"The first time I tried using it: I attached the rotary tool and lowered it on a small plastic part."
"I've attached a picture and both holes were made with a 1/8" drill bit at different speeds to show the horrible lack of precision."
"And, worst of all, there is play in the plastic housing that connects the tool to the base so you cannot use it for precision drill pressing in anything harder than cheese."
Best Stationary Drill Presses
Its powerful induction motor features ball bearings for an extended life and it all comes together with smooth and balanced performance even at high speeds. Since 1951, WEN has proudly produced innovative powered tools focused on value delivering meaningful features that will help you complete and enjoy the work as much as the project. Spindle travels up to 2 inches with easy to read, locking linear depth stops for accurate and repeatable drilling operations. Spindle Travel of 2" with easy to read, locking linear depth stop for accurate and repeatable drilling operations.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I put the belt on the second to highest torque setting, which would mean the second to slowest speed and the press worked great."
"Yes, there is a little bit of flex between the post and the actual machine head but it was not enough to cause significant drill deflection, even at max throw and minimum chuck."
"I am not a huge fan of how the depth guide works, the two nut setup is kind of a challenge to get right because the space is so tight to get a wrench in there. The nuts on my drill press were so tight, I had a hard time getting them loose in order to adjust the depth. If there was an alternate way to set the depth, or perhaps if the guide was moved outward a little from the head of the unit, that would make it easier to adjust. Once I freed the nuts, they have become a little easier to move, but the gap between the nuts / depth guide-rod and the head of the drill press is a little tight, so it does make getting the fingers in there a bit tight."
"The only con I have found thus far is the table handle being on the left side - however, for the price I can deal with it. 01/15/17 Update: Drilled a bunch of holes today in 1/2" thick steel Flat bar for a project, and it performed well."
"The base is small so I’ll fab a bigger one for stability. But, gotta go bronze cuz the base is obviously cast. A few medium taps w a dead blow hammer and this thing spins good w in my needs. I plan to use it pretty gently and confident it will hold up. Just went 3/8 through 1/2 (asking a lot) the plate deflected pretty big. Still a good little guy but definitely don’t plan on much more than 1/4 hot roll. If you’re interested in an investment that will last w heavy work, this isn’t it."
"Super easy to assemble, fantastic price and square right out of the box - I checked it."