A biscuit joiner, also known as a plate joiner, is the quintessential tool for joining two pieces of wood. The biscuit joiner carves a mortise into a workpiece for a biscuit to be placed inside it. Once the biscuit is in place and your inside edges are prepared with glue, another workpiece with a corresponding mortise is joined to the latter piece. This system locks the two independent pieces together to create one piece.
The Motor Is Important
You want to make sure that your biscuit joiner has a good quality and powerful motor that runs at 10,000 rpm or higher. You also want to make sure that your holes are cut without any blade resistance; the last thing you want is your workpiece to move out of place during cutting.
Get A Good Fence System
Make sure to get a joiner with a good fence system. A good fence system makes it easy to line up and square your cuts. Finding that your mortises don’t line up when you’re joining is an extremely tragic event you’re best to avoid.
Get something with a warranty if you can. Lastly, dust collection capability is handy, but not a deal breaker.
The Best Biscuit Joiners On Amazon
DEWALT 6.5 Amp Plate Joiner
Estimated Price: $169
This is your best match for both quality and price.
Dewalt is the everyday carpenter’s favorite because their tools are durable, reliable, and tough. This unit’s 6.5-amp motor spins at 10,000 rpm to ensure quick cuts without workpiece movement.
The DW682K’s rack-and-pinion fence allows for quick and accurate tool placement and its preset depth stops for all common biscuit sizes, increasing your chance of a clean union. This tool also comes with a three-year warranty and one-year free repair.
Honestly, unless you’re wanting a state-of-the-art professional tool, your search begins and ends here.
Festool 574432 Domino Joiner
Estimated Price: $990
That being said, if you want to go for the state-of-the-art professional option, go Festool.
This joiner’s patent cutting design makes perfect mortises. It also comes with a mortise width control dial to encourage easier alignment. It’s built-in index pins also encourage accurate and quick alignment.
Worth noting, the Festool 574432’s motor spins at a ridiculous 23,400 rpm, which means your mortise will be cut before you finish a blink.
This is a superior tool for the pro and obsessed tool collector.
PORTER-CABLE 557 7 Amp Plate Joiner Kit
Estimated Price: $253
This tool is a consistent and reliable option that will work for years.
The 7-amp motor runs at 10,000 rpm for accurate mortising through the hardest woods. The fence tilts to 135 degrees and has a positive adjust stop between 0-90 degrees.
There are seven built-in cut settings for you to choose from and a dust bag for dust collection.
At seven and a half pounds, this tool is well worth the asking price.
Lamello Classic X 101600 Biscuit Joiner
Estimated Price: $650
Lamello invented many of the biscuit joining features and techniques you see on the market today. Joining is their niche, so you can bet that their line of tools is the very best that money can buy.
The Lamello Classic X 101600 is a reminder of how special it is to handle a high-quality tool.
The base plate swiveled front stop and stop square ensures that your tool sits parallel to your workpiece and cuts precisely. This joiner can cut for twelve different kinds and sizes of biscuits without the need to change the cutting tool.
It’s a little heavy though, weighing in at ten and a half pounds. That said, it’s worth its weight in gold.
