Mortiser which one Delta or Jet?

[imported_Tim_ber]

My wife wants to buy me an xmas gift. I want a bench top mortiser but its a bit of a delema figuring which is more bang for the buck. anyone with any comments on either of these equipment please help.

Thanks

[imported_Bob D.]

Look at the General models before you make up your mind. They were rated best overall in a recent test by Wood Magazine.
http://www.general.ca/international/75-075.jpg
General HOLLOW CHISEL MORTISER (http://www.general.ca/product/inter/75050anspe.html)

American Woodworker recently ran a test and didn't like ANY of the fence/hold-down systems used on the bench top mortisers they tested.

I have a Delta drill press mortising attachment that I use now. It suffers from the same crappy fence/hold-down as the bench top mortisers do. I plan to try using a drill press cross vise in place of the fence and hold-down that comes with the Delta attachment. If I don't get respectable results with that then I plan to get the General 75-050 or the Powermatic Model #719. \they are in the $650.00 range, but I have a lot of mortising coming up in the work I have planned over the next couple years. If you take a look at the Powermatic or General(or have seen them first hand in Woodcraft or other stores), the clamping/hold-down system is not much different than adding a cross vise to a low-end mortiser or drill press with mortising attachment, which is where I got the idea from.
http://www.wmhtoolgroup.com/product_images/images/1791263K.jpg

[ 12-11-2004, 10:52 PM: Message edited by: Bob D. ]