Not sure what price range you're considering low cost but I'll say this- the PM701 is king of the benchtop machines. I have loved mine, it's about to be for sale and I could ship to you if you're interested.
Around these parts the General is the best opition, the Rikon maybe for hoby use? I keep wanting to buy one but really can not justify the cost verse limited use? Never know the right deal may show up Till then the pig sticker stays busy.
You likely won't see a lot of love for the Harbor Freight benchtop mortiser, but I look at them differently than most. I see them as a lever that you pull down to get the important part of the system, the extra sharp chisel, and pretty sharp bit down, and into the board you are mortising. Broken down into the smallest variable, that is pretty much all they are.
I have used a PM, and yes they have "gadgets" down to a science, and the options are good. BUT, they cost soooo much $$$$$$$$
The thing to know here is the HF bit/chisels are absolute JUNK, so you do have to spring for a really good set in the sizes you need for your work. Or just buy the sets as you need different sizes.
If you are going to be working with 3/4" stock, just get the 3/8" set. And yes on my cheap HF mortiser I can punch out great mortises as quickly as someone with a 600 dollah PM. Along with the Fisch set, just get a good flat plate diamond stone (fine), and a set of those bell shaped honing cones for getting the inside of the mortise bit nice and sharp, because the sharp chisels is the thing you do need. Absolutely.
I have the Rikon with the X-Y table, and it's not bad after dialing it in, with sharp/honed chisels. It's nice to be able to lock the piece down and then start cutting the mortise with just a handwheel.
The X-Y table isn't the most user friendly, as you have to readjust various settings based on the width and height of the piece using hex keys. But once you understand how it works it's fairly quick to set up, and you can bash out mortises very fast.
Making LOTS of Stickley spindle side Morris chairs, tables, beds and ottomans, I switched to a HF bench top. That lasted about a week. I went all in with a PM dedicated mortise, XY tables and solid clamp system. It is heavy, sturdy and does the job. The hold down feature and the XY table are nice. My gripe is that the cabinet floor model is NOT a working height. So, you either sit at an uncomfortable height or stand at a really uncomfortable position. And, you will need to get up and down to adjust stock and set the mortise. If I had space I would take the PM off the cabinet and mount it to a bench. Sadly, not enough space to do that. I agree with the sharp chisels. A wise person once told me and continues to tell me: Spend the most on what you use the most. I used the PM mortise LOTS so it was one of the few higher cost purchases. Best.
All of the cheap ones I've used were close to worthless I have two, one is a floor model that I would never recommend because of who sells it and the Rikon X/Y mortiser ,of all of them I've used I like it best , but I've never used powermatic and a number of others. The Rikon is only cheap when you compare it with machines like Powermatic.
Your welcome Buddy , You might try the drill press attachment morticer ,I've had students use them with success,I tried one years ago and it kept falling off of the chuck.
Have the original Delta Mortiser attachments with Norm's picture on the box. My floor stand drill press requires removal of hardware before attaching the the mortising chisels.
I have also gotten good results with the Rikon X/Y table, and Woodcraft has all their Rikon stuff at 15% off right now. That saves $67 on the mortiser. If you're going to buy it, might as well spend a little less.
That said, Powermatic is not just about gadgets. The PM motor is 3/4 HP and the Rikon motor is only 1/2 HP. I used a borrowed PM for an entire day and never jammed it once. I jam up the Rikon all the time if I'm not careful.
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