To find the best biscuit joiner isn't easy since this tool has grown in popularity. That's because they make it easy for you to join wood quickly and you can trust that the bond you’ve created will be good and strong. Using biscuits to join your wood is so much easier than using a dowel, once you try one of these tools, you might wonder why you hadn’t hopped on the biscuit joiner bandwagon. When dowel connections are needed there is the Domino Joiner, it's the joiner that you use like a biscuit joiner but its going to cost you more from the cash drawer.
Of course, the desire to hop on this bandwagon is probably why you’re here! It’s understandable that you’re in the market to find the best biscuit joiner you can, and you’re in luck! We have five mini reviews of great products we feel are definitely worth your consideration.
However, if you want to do some more research and look outside of these five products, we have created a little guide that will show you what kind of features the best biscuit joiner should have.
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Why Should You Use A Biscuit Joiner?
If you’re on the fence about why you even need a biscuit joiner, allow us to shed some light on why these tools are handy. Well, simply put, the best biscuit joiners will accurately line up and cut slots in two pieces of wood that will let you glue and insert a biscuit into.
Once the glue and biscuits have been applied, you’ll want to clamp the two pieces of wood together and let it dry. This will result in a strong joint!
It’s important that you choose a quality joiner because you want to make sure that your slots line up evenly. Some machines may claim to be able to give you accurate cuts, but sometimes those claims are unwarranted.
It’s wise to always do some research on the product before you buy it, especially with getting the best biscuit joiners because they can range anywhere from $100 to up to $800 or more.
What Features To Look For When Choosing The Best Biscuit Joiner?
As far as power tools go, it is always a good idea to handle as many joiners as you can before taking the leap and making a purchase. With that said, here are some things that you’ll want to look for in the best biscuit joiners before you go purchasing any old joiner.
- Handle Style – The way you hold your joiner is actually going to play into how productive you are. Biscuit joiners have one of two handle styles: a barrel grip where you’re actually hold the body of the tool, or a D-handle. Most people prefer the barrel grip because they can get a better grip on the tool and have more control of where they are cutting.
- Fence Features – You should look for a tool where you can adjust the fence setting. Ideally, you’ll want one that can be set at 45 degrees and 135 degrees. You can find some tools that go from 0 to 135. By being able to adjust the angle, you can work on either the inside or outside face of the mitered joint, thus increasing your assembly options for your project. Also, look for a tool where you can raise or lower it while it staying completely parallel to the blade. We recommend a rack and pinion mechanism, as well as a large angle scale, and adjustment and locking knobs.
- Blade Size – Most biscuit joiners will come with the standard 4” blade. This blade size will let you cut the standard slots. You want to find a tool that will allow you to change blades and put in a smaller 2” blade. This smaller blade is going to let you cut smaller slots and use those tiny biscuits.
- Power Source – Like all power tools, the biscuit joiner can be found in corded and cordless options. You are going to want to decide what is more important to you—having the ability to go anywhere you want without being tethered to an outlet or an extension cord, or if you want to be able to work for long periods of time without having to stop to replace a battery.
Best Biscuit Joiner Reviews
Now that you know what to look for when shopping for the best biscuit joiner, let’s take a look at our top five choices.
Lamello Classic X 101600 Biscuit Joiner
The Lamello Classic X Biscuit Joiner is a tool that has been designed with innovation in mind. This highly efficient and accurate tool is one of the simplest joining systems and rates as a best biscuit joiner. The unit features a front stop that can swivel, as well as a multi-functional stop square that meets with the fixed pivot point to give you a precise application surface.
The applications on this are detachable and there are fixed connections that feature 15 different joining elements for a variety of use.
The tool also features depth adjustments that are used for joining elements of the joiner. You can get the perfect fit in any material, thanks to the 780W motor and the guidance system with an accurate parallel group for the correct alignment.
Notable features of the Lamello Classic X 101600 Biscuit Joiner include:
- New base plate swiveling front stop and stop square are flush on sides for easy position on edge for reference
- New powerful, ergonomically designed 780 watt motor
- CNC high precision machined parts and long life guidance system render accurate parallel grooves for perfect alignment
We were curious to see what other customers had to say about this joiner and we were pleasantly surprised that all the reviews were positive, making it the best biscuit joiner they have tried.
Of these stellar reviews, people felt like this unit was by far the best plate joiner on the market. One person even went so far to say that someone would need to “pry it from their cold dead fingers.”
Customers did say they were able to get perfect joints with this tool—the alignment was spot on and when they needed to make adjustments, they were able to do so easy and frustration free. People feel that this tool was made exceptionally well and it has surpassed their expectations.
While there weren’t any negative reviews left about this joiner, a couple people did mention a few things that would have been nice additions. One of which was the price. This unit is pretty pricy and because of the price point, customers felt that it was too expensive.
Another thing one person brought up was that because the price on this unit is relatively high, they would have liked that the tool came with a sturdy case, instead of just the cardboard box that the product was shipped in.
PORTER-CABLE 557 7 Amp Plate Joiner Kit
When you start looking for the best biscuit joiner for the money, you’re going to want to stop and take a look at the Porter Cable 557. This components of this joiner, the fence assembly, bottom plate, and even the gear box have been cast from a strong metal.
It is this sturdy metal construction that is going to keep your tool nice and secure while you’re working. Also, you’ll find that this joiner isn’t going to shoot dust and debris at you while you work. This is because the unit has a dust port on the right side of the tool. With the blade being almost completely enclosed, you can expect to have minimal dust in the workspace as you work. These are features you expect to find on the best biscuit joiner.
When you are working with this tool, the fence assembly positions the blade directly over the spot where you want the slot cut. The tool uses a spring loaded motor assembly that pushes the cut and then the springs make the motor return to its original position.
You can also expand the surface area by using the clear plastic plate that comes with this kit. This plate will help you keep your material steady, but also make it easier to position your tool.
Notable features of the PORTER-CABLE 557 7 Amp Plate Joiner Kit include:
- Plate joiner kit handles a variety of wood and offers seven different cutting settings
- Industry-leading, super powerful 7-amp motor rotates blade at 10,000 RPM
- Fence tilts from 0 degrees to 135 degrees with positive adjustable stop at 90 degrees
- Plate joiner kit handles a variety of wood and offers seven different cutting settings
- 1 year warranty
- Industry-leading, super powerful 7-amp motor rotates blade at 10,000 RPM
- Fence tilts from 0 degrees to 135 degrees with positive adjustable stop at 90 degrees
- Four-inch blade makes standard-size cuts
- Comes with 4-inch blade, centering plate, spanner wrench, dust bag, and chip deflector
When looking at what customers had to say about their experience using this machine, we noticed that the majority of them had really good things to say.
Some people pointed out that they had been using their tool for many years and it continues to be accurate and precise. Also, customers have said that they like being able to make a variety of different sized slots—as long as you have the 2” blade for those smaller slots.
On the other hand, there were a few concerns raised by customers who didn’t enjoy the tool that much. The most common complaint was in regards to the stability of the fence. Some felt that no matter what they did, the fence was very wobbly and they didn’t feel safe using the tool. That isn't a common complaint for best biscuit joiner tools.
Also, a small handful of customers mentioned that the blade on their tool either scraped the housing when adjusting the blade, or the bolt that held the blade would come out of the hole completely.
DEWALT DW682K 6.5 Amp Plate Joiner
The DEWALT 6.5 Amp Plate Joiner is the perfect tool for professionals or those who are in a production setting. This tool is designed with quality materials that are going to last. The only pieces on this machine that are not made from metal is the rear grip and the cover for the motor—everything else is made from cast magnesium.
The fence mechanism on this tool features two racks and a single pinion. This set up allows the fence to be adjusted in a single fluid motion, ensuring that the fence is always parallel to the blade.
Working with wood means there is going to be dust, right? With the DEWALT 6.5 Amp Plate Joiner, you aren’t going to be covered in dust by the end of the day. The joiner features fully covered blade and a dust collector, so when you do make cuts, the sawdust and chips are sucked out of the way and are ejected from the dust port on the side of the joiner.
Notable features of the DEWALT DW682K 6.5 Amp Plate Joiner include:
- 6.5 Amp, 10,000 rpm motor provides power for working in the hardest woods
- Dual rack and pinion fence ensure blade and fence are always parallel for accurate joints every time
- Integral one-piece fence is adjustable and tilts 0-90 degrees
- Flush cuts can be made at 0 degrees without removing fence
- 45 degree locating notch in fence allows indexing off the outside surface of a mitered joint; non-marring, heavy-duty aluminum shoe allows joiner to be clamped for stationary work
When it comes to people’s reaction when they used the DEWALT 6.5 Amp Plate Joiner, we noticed that the majority of customers were happy with their purchase. These customers were pleased by how easy it was to adjust the tool from making #20 to #10.
These customers also mentioned that when they work with a hard wood and then a soft wood, they didn’t notice a change in the motor’s RPM—it was just as powerful and made the perfect slots every time.
Though the majority of customers enjoyed using their plate joiner, some felt that this was not the best biscuit joiner tool they have tried.
Some customers said it didn’t matter what sized biscuits they used, the slots that this machine created were too narrow for the biscuits to fit. Other customers said that the plate wasn’t flat, so when it was being used, the tool would wiggle, causing the slots to not line up correctly.
Makita PJ7000 Plate Joiner
The Makita PJ7000 Plate Joiner is a tool that features a robust 5.6 amp motor that is still comfortable to hold in the hand, even if your hands aren’t very large. The unit has a top handle that you can hold on to for more control. The unit only weighs 5.5 pounds, making it one of the more lightweight models on the market right now.
The fence system on this joiner has two parts: the fence and a removable angle guide. The guide can move up and down so that you can get the exact thickness from your material that you are looking for.
The tool can be adjusted so that you can use the typical biscuits (#0, #10, and #20), but you can also use the max setting (20mm), D (14.7mm) and S (13mm) that are required for Lamello fasteners or hinges.
Notable features of the Makita PJ7000 Plate Joiner include:
- Powerful 5.6 AMP motor delivers 11,000 RPM for quick, precise cutting in a variety of woods
- Rack-and-pinion vertical fence system engineered for accurate fence adjustments
- Cast aluminum pivot fence with three positive stops at 0°, 45° and 90°
- Six depth settings with one-touch stops for #0, #10, and #20 and most common biscuits sizes
- Large and easy-to-operate cam locks for fence adjustments
- Large top grip handle for improved handling
- "Tool-less" blade cover and shaft lock for fast and easy blade changes
- Non-marring rubber inserts on shoe engineered to prevent material from slipping
- Cast aluminum front body for added durability
- Designed for making strong plate joints in a minimum amount of time
- Double insulated
- 1 Year Warranty
- Slim and ergonomic body design for added comfort
To get an overall feel of how well this biscuit joiner works, we took a look at customer reviews. We weren’t surprised by the fact that the majority of people who have tried this tool were pleased by their experience.
Customers have said that the joiner is able to get a precise angle and to do so is simple. Customers were also pleased that the unit wasn’t nearly as noisy when it is operational than other joiners they have tried in the past. People have also said that the feel of this joiner in the hand is a lot more comfortable than others they have tried in the past.
While the majority of customers who have used this product had good things to say, there were a few complaints lodged against the machine too. Of these complaints, the most common issue was that the they wished the height adjuster could be more precise, as customers find that it cannot change to 32nd or 16ths of an inch.
Another complaint some people have had was that the unit felt too heavy after prolonged use. Also, they had some problems with the exhaust port getting clogged when working on larger projects.
Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Plate Joiner
If you’re a handy person and you’ve already got some Makita tools in your collection, then this biscuit joiner is just the icing on the cake. This unit works off of Makita’s 18 volt battery platform, which means you can work seamlessly from one tool to another.
With this joiner, any dust and debris from your woodworking will be collected in the bag. If you’re working on larger projects, the bag may not be large enough, but you do have the ability to remove the bag and point the debris shoot toward the floor.
In terms of how well the unit works, can get up to 320 cuts out of a fully charged 3.0 Ah battery. When you need to change the blade, you can do that quickly and easily because you don’t need any tools—simply unscrew the nut and BAM! The blade is changed.
Notable features of the Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Plate Joiner include:
- Rack-and-pinion vertical fence system engineered for accurate fence adjustments
- Cast aluminum pivot fence with three positive stops at 0Degree, 45Degree and 90Degree, and easy centering on 3/4" material
- Six depth settings with one-touch stops for #0, #10, and #20 and most common biscuits sizes
- Cordless plate joiner provides portability and performance in the field or in the shop without the cord
- Large and easy-to-operate cam locks for fence adjustments
When took a look at what people had to say about the Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Plate Joiner, we weren’t surprised by the positive reviews customers had for the joiner.
The most common remark people made about the tool was that it was incredibly handy because it was cordless. Customers like that it is really simple to use and it was quite powerful. One person even said that this was a happy addition to their Makita collection.
The only thing people didn’t like about this tool was that it didn’t come with a battery or a charger. The need to purchase a separate battery and charger was unexpected. However, if you already own Makita products that require a battery, then this will not be a problem for you.
Our Recommendation
In this guide, we have reviewed five products that are all worthy of being called the best biscuit joiner. In our opinion, if you are searching for the best value in the best biscuit joiner list, we like the Porter Cable 557.
This unit comes with a sturdy carrying case, but what really makes it special is that it has a fast and easy set up, it can make accurate and repeatable cuts no matter how fast or slow you work, and it has a trigger lock.
If you are a professional and you’re looking for the best biscuit joiner, then you can’t go wrong with the Lamello Classic X. Coming from the company that changed the way we join wood, you know this is a quality product that is well worth the investment! Worthy of being called the best biscuit joiner.
Leave us a comment below and tell us what joiner you feel is the best! We’d love to know your thoughts!
