Amazon.com Review

Square holes? No problem. Delta's industrial mortiser offers precision with a1/2-horsepower motor behind it. A rack-and-pinion system raises and lowers the head,and the mortising head column swings 180 degrees for off-table work. Clearly a step upfrom Delta's MM300 Shopmaster mortising machine, this one's made with theprofessional user in mind and includes an adjustable dovetail way on the mortising head,a tool and chisel tray, a gas-filled head stabilizer and multiposition feed lever. There'salso a generous 16-3/4-by-13-1/2-inch cast-iron base and 2-15/16-inch tall two-piecefence totaling 13-5/8 inches in length. Bit and chisel changing is easy with the chuckkey/hex wrench. Of course, we always want to use new tools right out of the box, andDelta's made sure you can get started right away with 1/4-, 5/16-, 3/8-, and 1/2-inchchisel and bit sets. Beats a drill and hand chisel any day! --Kris Jensen-Van Heste ... Read more

Features

• Includes 1/4-, 5/16-, 3/8-, and 1/2-inch chisel and bits to get you started right away
• 1/2-horsepower motor designed and engineered exclusively for mortising for greater accuracy and reliability
• handles work up tp 3-3/4 inches under hold down for a variety of applications
• Multi-position hand lever and rack and pinion lowering system for easy operation
• Large Cast-iron base with center through hole

Reviews (34)

Excellent machine
Assembly is straightforward, though compressing the hydraulic cylinder to mount it is not mentioned in the instructions. It takes some force, but you can do it by hand.

You do have to keep an eye on the depth of the drill relative to the chisel. If the drill bit isn't in REALLY tight, it can back out a bit when mortising dense hardwood. Then you'll get the chisel making premature contact, and that will probably shorten its life.

The instructions that come with the device could be better. I think Delta assumes that pros are buying these things, and underestimate the "New Yankee" factor.

Even given these relatively minor complaints, this tool rocks. It makes a difficult and time-consuming manual operation a simple and fast power operation. Well done. As long as the chisels hold up, I'll be happy.

buena herramienta
adquiri delta mortiser machine y la recomiendo como una estupenda herramienta hace el trabajo mas facil y limpio y rapido una buena herramienta a bajo precio
la recomiendo

Boo Hoo Hoo
I just received my Delta Mortiser and like others have reported, it was damaged. The packaging looked as if it had already been "around the block" a few times. After opening it, I found a crack in the cast iron motor bracket. (my heart fell to the floor... ;-(
Just finished packing it up for return. I was very suprised at the flimzy packaging from Delta. I own at least a half dozen or so Delta power tools and all of them where packaged as if they were ready to take a trip on the space shuttle. I've bragged to my wife several times about the way Delta tools are packaged. (She even keeps the boxes for storage) Even with the marginal shipping practices of UPS, this unit is truely packaged poorly. The fact that the unit is packaged with the head attached to the stand creates an accident waiting to happen. It seems that minimal shock can crack the dovetail. I guess Delta failed to do a drop test on this unit.
The styrofoam seems as if was not fitted for this tool. There is so many little cubby holes that don't seem to fit the parts that it took some time to figure out how to repackage it for return.
I guess I'll give it another try. Maybe next time I'll be able to talk about how much I love the tool.... dc

what service
i read all the reviews ,including the horror stories about broken parts and bad packing , but i ordered the 14-561 anyway.
i have always had good results with amazon. i placed my order on
may 31. tracking said i would receive items(i had other items in
this order) on june 7. well they all arived on june 8. only 8 days total. not bad! i really did not know what to expect because of all i had read. my delta 14-651 mortiser was in perfect condition.the box had one tear on a corner about 2in.long , no big deal.i set it up in about 20 min. and made my first mortise in some oak. THIS MACHINE WORKS GREAT! bits and chisles VERY sharp. machine has plenty of power. take your time and enjoy.

shipments cause concerns
this is an excellent piece of equipment if it is delivered without damage. from the reviews I read it appears that all the
damaged units were purchased from amazon.com. why? should I buy
a second unit for my son from a local merchent? ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

What a beauty. If Gustav Stickley had had Delta's MM300 Shopmastermortising machine, imagine how much more furniture he would have built! This unitrequires some assembly, but the instructions are concise and the photos are extremelyclear and helpful. You'll love this machine for its quiet 1/2-horsepower motor thatdelivers 1,725 rpm. We especially like this mortiser because the body swings 180degrees, allowing you to work on larger pieces off the table. A rack-and-pinionmechanism raises the head easily and smoothly, and the long lever handle plunges the bitlike a dream. It's heavy for a benchtop model, but we appreciate the way the weight addsto the tool's stability. It's always fun to be able to use a tool right out of the box, andDelta's made sure you can get started right away with 1/4-, 5/16-, 3/8-, and 1/2-inchchisel and bit sets. Beats a drill and hand chisel any day! Woodworkers looking for alarge cast-iron table and gas-filled head stabilizer should consider Delta's Industrialmodel 14-651. --Kris Jensen-Van Heste ... Read more

Features

• Includes 1/4-, 5/16-, 3/8-, and 1/2-inch chisel and bits
• 1/2-horsepower TEFC motor for long-lasting, trouble free operation
• Designed and engineered exclusively for mortising for greater accuracy and reliability than drill press add-on kits offer
• Handles work up to 4 inches under hold down for a variety of applications
• Multi-position hand lever and rack and pinion lowering system for easy operation

Reviews (2)

Preliminary review....
I just last week received the mortiser, put it together. The instructions were clear, only took a few minutes to assemble. I was surprised at the quality. The quality of Delta products (and Jet) varies wildly. I got a good one, it seems. I punched a dozen holes with each of the chisels in some mahogany scrap I had lying around, all were quite satisfactory. I haven't tried it yet on any of the hard maple or oak I usually work with. I'll report back later if I have any problems. Menards wanted another [money]for their Jet model, without chisels. A set of 5 chisels is [money]. The Jet I checked out in the store wasn't fit for use, sloppy dovetail, sticky slide. Be sure to get the preservative grease off the dovetail and gears, and grease it all before you use it. So far, I'm having fun drilling square holes!

Gary

A great little machine.
If you've ever drilled and chiseled mortises by hand you'll love the MM300, it gets the job done, quickly. The Delta is solidly put together with plenty of power for deep mortises. Assembly is simple, no surprises, set up also without a hitch. If the MM300 has a weak spot it would be the fence. It doesn't hold as well at times as I would like for it to, a trait not uncommon in mortisers in this price range. Overall a great little machine for the money, one that I would recommend to anyone. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

What a beauty. If Gustav Stickley had had one of these, imagine all the furniture he would have built! This unit requires some assembly, but the instructions are concise and the photos are extremely clear and helpful. After setup, you'll love this machine for its quiet 1/2-horsepower motor that delivers 1,725 rpm. We especially like this mortiser because the body swings 180 degrees, allowing you to work on larger pieces off the table. A rack-and-pinion mechanism raises the head easily and smoothly, and the long lever handle plunges the bit like a dream. It's heavy for a benchtop model, but we appreciate the way the weight adds to the tool's stability. It's always fun to be able to use a tool right out of the box, and Delta's made sure you can get started right away with 1/4-, 5/16-, 3/8-, and 1/2-inch chisel and bit sets. Beats a drill and hand chisel any day! --Kris Jensen-Van Heste ... Read more

Features

• Two-year limited warranty on machines, parts, and accessories
• Includes 1/4-, 5/16-, 3/8-, and 1/2-inch chisel and bits to get you started right away
• Designed and engineered exclusively for mortising for greater accuracy and reliability
• Handles work up to 4 inches under hold down for a variety of applications
• Multi-position hand lever and rack and pinion lowering system for easy operation

Reviews (18)

A Good Machine For The Money
I purchased this mortiser about 5 months ago, and have been very happy with it. I purchased the higher quality Delta Austrian Mortising Bits locally, thinking that the imported bits that came with the machine wouldn't perform well, but the bits that came with the machine held up better. I broke 2 of the higher quality bits (1/4") in oak, but the cheaper ones are still going. I had one bolt that I could not install when I put the machine together, but Delta sent me a replacement in a day. The machine has better than average construction, and I think it is a good value for the money. I have cut over 100 1/4 inch mortises with no problem. My fence does sit a little tilted (horizontally)but it does not affect its operation, and everything that affects the precision of cuts lines up well. The machine has good power, I use it mostly on oak and cherry, and have no problems. Common sense dictates that the larger the mortise you are boring, the slower you go. I can cut into oak with a 1/4" bit quite fast, but slow my feed rate down when using larger bits. Don't try to use it without bolting or clamping it down. Considering the bits that it comes with, I think it is an excellent value. It has saved me a lot of time cleaning out mortises that I used to make with round bits. There may be higher quality machines out there, but not for this kind of money. The fact that Delta / Porter Cable stand behind their products was a factor in selecting this unit.

Hard to setup, hard to keep setup
I don't like to use Allen wrenches to do adjustments, but the Delta unit requires use of them a lot. The set screws are of poor quality, too, and have a hard time staying put. I found that the depth adjustment stop didn't stay, so soon I was mortising deeper than I had wanted. A real pain! Also, the Delta unit tended to make a lot more noise than I would expect a mortiser to make.

I've seen that the Jet unit (around the same price as the Delta) is easier to setup, runs quieter, and stays setup properly.

I love my Delta table saw, but I'd steer clear of this mortiser and get the Jet.

I Think I Will Continue Using My Drill Press Mortiser
After reading your reviews on the Delta Mortising Tool I think I will continue Using my craftman drill press with mortising atachment. I thought this was hard enough to set up and keep adjusted sounds like I would just be spinning my wheels to buy a new DELTA MORTISER

A good tool for the money
In this price range there are pretty much two choices. The Delta and the Jet. I decided to get the Delta. I had no other reason except for my "Delta bias" and hesitancy to get something that's not going to work for me.

I ordered the tool from Amazon. It came fast as stuff from Amazon usually does. The tool went together very easily. You have to install the handle, fence, and pneumatic lifter. It took about 30 minutes to wipe off the protective oil gunk and about 10 minutes to actually put the machine together.

The tool is heavy and it is tall. Since space in my shop is at a premium, I have to clamp the tool on my workbench and then put it away for each project. In addition, the handle in its default position makes the tool fairly tall. I made a large space in my cabinets just for this tool and it has a sliding shelf. This helps a lot when I go to put the mortiser away.

My first cuts were pine. I set up the machine with the premium 1/2" bit that came with the machine as a special promotion. I was building a headboard that required many mortises. They took me less than an hour to cut. I was impressed. You have to apply some pressure on the handle to cut into the wood but not a lot. The bottom of the mortise is not as clean as I like, so I clean it out with a chisel.

I've used the machine on hardwoods and I get similar results. I get acceptable mortises with little effort. The manual suggests positioning the opening of the chisel on either the right or left side. I kept getting packed wood shavings in my mortises. I had to use a screwdriver or chisel to dig them out. If you place the opening of the chisel in the front, facing you, the shavings get kicked out the front.

The one thing that I don't like too much about the tool is the fence and table assembly. It is difficult to adjust and the table is too small. Adjustments are easy to make but the result feels "loose".

If you need to make mortises in thick stock, you can turn the tool around on it's shaft and use your own table. This is not a simple task. You just about have to disassemble the machine. I haven't had to do this yet but when I do, I'll be building some jigs for the machine.

You'll also want to get a nice light to shine down on the area where you are working. The wood shavings get all over the place and it is hard to see where you are cutting.

The chisels that came with the mortiser are okay. The extra set of premium chisels that came as part of the promotion are significantly better, especially in the hardwoods.

I can imagine that both the Jet and the Delta are very similar in operation. They are certainly similar in price and I don't think that you will go wrong with either one.

About a week after I started using the mortiser, my pneumatic lifter failed. I called Delta and they had me a part shipped to me within just a few days. No questions asked. I was very impressed with the support I received from Delta. Since receiving the new part, I've used the tool a lot with no problems.

The mortiser does a good job... not a great job. But considering it is a machine that cuts square holes and it is a lot faster than cutting them by hand or by other means, I believe that it is a good value.

Delta 14-650X review
I had three problems with this unit. First, the poorly cast fence was not square to the table, allowing the work to rock during the mortising action, yielding mortises that were not square. Second, there is no clamp or foot to hold down the work making it very difficult to back out of harder woods. And third, the chuck and key were poor quality with poor fit and rough action. ... Read more