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Post by lynx on Mar 23, 2008 10:26:53 GMT
It's time to upgrade the Fern Biscuit jointer. The two models on the table so far are the Mafell LNF20 (£230) and the Lamello Classic?C3 (£299).
Is the Lamello really worth the extra £70 over the Mafell.
Any others worth looking at?
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Post by engineerone on Mar 23, 2008 10:47:07 GMT
not sure who makes the aeg one, but mine is still going strong after many years. not to say i have trade used it, but have dropped it a number of times, and it still seems pretty accurate? having said that mafell tools are well made and strong too, and of course the lamello is still probably the best, but whether it is that much better  the only thing of course is that lamello have a number of the specialist biscuits like kd ones and they may require something special of others to fit. not sure having not tried them. paul  |
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Post by Scrit on Mar 23, 2008 12:31:01 GMT
Is the Lamello really worth the extra £70 over the Mafell. I have the Mafell LNF19 (previous model, same from end, different motor/switch) and I'd say, no it isn't. The Mafell has a useful 3-position turret which is a boon if you are switching thicknesses on a job, other than that it's very much a well nailed together unit. The same front end has appeared on biscuit jointers from mafell, AEg, Atlas-Copco, Milwaukee (the last three are different names from effectively the same firm) and Kress the only thing of course is that lamello have a number of the specialist biscuits like kd ones and they may require something special of others to fit. not sure having not tried them. Most of them don't use anything other than the 0 - 10 - 20 slots although some items like the Fixo biscuit (great for face frames) use a size "D" or "S" (can't remember which  ), either way the Mafell has those covered. Scrit |
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Post by engineerone on Mar 23, 2008 13:53:11 GMT
ta scrit i too have learnt more. must say i do like my two other pieces of mafell kit. i guess the important thing is to make sure that you know what they make themselves, and what is bought in  paul |
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Post by jonnyd on Mar 23, 2008 17:24:04 GMT
I have the Mafell LNF19 have used it quite regulary in a trade situation for the last seven years with no problems at all.
I have checked out the lamello biscuit jointers at trade shows and they are very well made. I also have a lamello cantex lipping planer which is superbly engineered and shares some of the height adjusting mechanism of the top of the range Lamello jointers.
Jon
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Post by Scrit on Mar 23, 2008 20:00:13 GMT
I also have a lamello cantex lipping planer which is superbly engineered and shares some of the height adjusting mechanism of the top of the range Lamello jointers. Problem is that you don't get that feature with the bargain basement units - and they are still £70 or so more expensive that the LNF20. As for the Top 20, well, that's a LOT more expensive. So nice if you have the dosh, but ...... Scrit |
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Post by pitbull on Mar 23, 2008 21:07:45 GMT
IMHO I would say, if you want a biscuit jointer and thats it, the the lamello is well over priced, no matter how well built it is, The only way it warrants the cost is the other attachments that it can be used with, but again at even further costs. For the glue dispensers, I've just looked at there video's and a narrow squirt of glue along the gluing joint ain't much at all, so to use a dispenser the go along again to brush glue over it again seems pointless. But thats only my opinion. I don't use mine alot, mitres of facings, the odd shop fittings, so I get on wel with the cheapo dewalt one in its case. £150, But all I want it to do is cut biscuit slots, butt joint and mitre joints  ;D |
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Post by dirtydeeds on Mar 26, 2008 11:12:01 GMT
i have the smaller of the two lamello glus dispensers about £20
i reckon it paid for itself in time saved applying and minimising glue waste and reduced clean up time over 1000 biscuits
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Post by promhandicam on Apr 23, 2008 10:02:15 GMT
Hi. Just a quick related question - what do people use for dust extraction with their biscuit jointers and how good is the dust extraction on the Mafell?
Steve
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Post by davyowen on Apr 23, 2008 11:17:05 GMT
I use the trend vac with the lamello jointer and the extraction is superb with not a bit of dust/chip escaping.
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Post by paulchapman on Apr 23, 2008 11:45:34 GMT
I use a Henry vacuum cleaner with my tools. Excellent extraction on my Elu DS140 biscuit jointer, which can get jammed up with shavings (depending on the wood) if I don't use the dust extraction - so I use it all the time. Cheers Paul |
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Post by jake on Apr 23, 2008 13:04:04 GMT
No chips escape the Mafell either, using a decent vacuum.
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Post by engineerone on Apr 23, 2008 13:31:26 GMT
based on my mafell circular saw, and the doweller, i would say that a well connected extraction system would work well with their biscuit joiner. paul |
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Post by wizer on Apr 23, 2008 14:20:27 GMT
I use a henry with my Freud BJ and the extraction is surprisingly good.
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Post by jonnyd on Apr 23, 2008 17:39:05 GMT
I use a festool mini extractor with the mafell jointer and get no chips . It tends to clog up if used without an extractor.
Jon
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Post by Dave S on Apr 23, 2008 19:58:49 GMT
I'm pretty new to biscuit jointing myself, but ... unlike a router or circular saw, the cutter on a biscuit jointer is fully enclosed in use, so the only way out for dust and chips is through the dust port. So in that sense I would have thought just about any vac would do the trick. I don't know if clogging can be an issue - I've not encountered it myself. I have the cheapest Earlex attached to my DeWalt and it works a treat.
Dave
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Post by paulchapman on Apr 24, 2008 19:15:48 GMT
I don't know if clogging can be an issue - I've not encountered it myself. I've found it can be if the wood is a bit "stringy", like pine, but not so much if you are using something like MDF, which comes away as dust. But, as you say, the dust extraction works so well, I use it all the time and that way I don't get any problems. Cheers Paul |
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), either way the Mafell has those covered. 
;D
