Ryobi biscuit joiner

[John DeBoo]

Anyone have one of these they'd venture an opinion on? I see HD has them for $99. I'm an occasional small furniture sort of builder so it won't get a whole lot of use, however.......

[Steve]

I returned two (2) DeWalt plate joiners because of incredibly shoddy manufacturing workmanship before I bought the Ryobi.

I'm pleased to have a better tool that cost me *far* less. In fact, when I got the Ryobi last January I also got a Milwaukee Jig Saw at the same time -- and spent about the same amount of money for *both* tools as the Porter Cable biscuit cutter would have cost all by its lonesomes.

[Gene T]

[Bob G.]

========================= Honestly it is hard to believe that the Ryobi is better then the two Dewalts that you had to return BUT stranger things have been known to happen....

Anyway I have been toying with the idea of buying a biscuit jointer even thought I have managed (quite nicely) to do without one for 40+ years ... And like the original poster I do not see my usage as being "heavy"...

I honestly have the tendency to buy the best I can afford but I am having some problems spending a few hundred dollars on a tool I will not use but a few times a year...Better off buying a workable lower end biscuit jointer and another Forrest Blade for one of the saws...

Same situation with the Router Raisers that are now being marketed...Heck I have had a Table mounted router (3 set up in the shop right now) for years and spending the money to save myself from bending over to adjust the bit seems like a a waste...

Bob Griffiths

[Trent©]

You might consider looking at the Kreg pocket joiner system. Its not for everybody...but it has some advantages over biscuits in a lot of cases.

You can get a basic system for about $20.

I've used it several times...and am quite pleased.

Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!

[Phisherman]

[John DeBoo]

[Digger]

If you really think you will not use it much, why not buy the one from Harbor Freight @ $69 and cheaper when on sale, and use the extra $30 + the $35 you were thinking about spending on the Craftsman and apply it to a Hitachi M12V 3 1/4 hp Plunge router? You can get them for $159 - $179 and you will hear tons of good reviews here for it. I love mine in a router table.

Digger

[Jeff Cochran]

My Ryobi cuts a slightly sloppy slot though, although it works it's not as tight as the PC a friend has. But mine is lighter, cost half as much and for the amount it gets used is a good buy. I biscuit MDF with it fine, but I have had problems doing biscuit joints in crown molding with it and the PC worked fine for that.

Shhh! Our wives might hear you! :)

Jeff

[Rodger Podlogar]

I have read on a number of news groups, including this one that Ryobi cuts a sloppy slot. Since I use biscuits for alignment not strength I find this to be a feature..

[Rodger Podlogar]

After investing in a biscuit joiner, about 4 dozen different clamps and waiting 30 to 45 minutes between glue ups I invested in the Kreg Pro system and haven't looked back. No glue up times, no need for a bunch of clamps,

10 times stronger than biscuits. If the pocket hole isn't going to show, it's the way to go..

[Trent©]

And, of course, they sell plugs for the holes, Rodger. They come in about a half dozen different kinds of wood.

Just curious, Rog...

Do you do a glue up most of the time? I've done it both ways...glue and dry...and I don't see a whole lot of difference. I've been leaning toward the glue, though...most of the time. But, even dry, you sure get a nice, tight fit.

Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!

[D.Martin]

You may want to consider looking at the Freud. I believe that they are the first who introduced the biscuit gizmo so they should be better than average.

I can't comment on Freud yet since it's still in the box waiting for a project.

Daniel Martin

[someone]

so you're saying you prefer sloppy alignment over accurate alignment? seems a bit contradictory to me...

[someone]

[Rodger Podlogar]

I'm saying I like a little play in order to get an accurate alignment...

[Rodger Podlogar]

I use plugs on painted projects but don't like the looks of them on finished projects.

As to using glue, when I first started with pocket holes I glued everything up. A few months ago my wife picked up a small stool at a yard sale for her dressing table. I believe it was originally designed for a child and it ended up broken. Well, OK, I sat on it. Went out to the shop to build a new stool; a quick and dirty weekend project. I sized a 3/4 piece of scrap ply for the seat and cut the legs and braces out of 2x2 scrap pine; sanded everything down and dry fitted it with 6 or 8 pocket screws.

The following day we had a big wind storm that damaged our gazbo and I spent the next 3 weekends repairing the gazbo. Getting back to the stool I slapped on 2 coats of paint, forgetting that I hadn't glued it up. The thing is rock solid. I weigh around 200 pounds, I sat on it, rocked back and forth several times and couldn't crack the paint at any of the joints..

[CW]

[D.Martin]

Thanks for the link. Again proof that the net will provide you with just about any information that you maybe looking for. Possibly Freud may have been one of the first to commercially push the biscuit joiner in north america. But again I might be wrong on this one, notice I used the word "possibly".

D.Martin

[Nova]

Huh? The idea of the biscuit is to keep the boards flush. With the slop in the Ryobi's cut it doesn't.

-- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA