I originally ordered a Delta mortising machine, but it was defective and I had to return it. Having been pleased with a Grizzly bandsaw and drill press I bought many years ago, I decided to go with a Grizzly instead. I'm glad I did.
As with the other two pieces of heavy machinery from Grizzly, they shipped me the machine via truck freight. Rather than delay my project over a holiday weekend waiting for the truck line to deliver the machine to my house, I went to their terminal here in my city and picked it up myself. It was amusing to see this relatively small 76 lb. package on a pallet being forklifted into my pickup truck. I was able to carry the box myself from my truck to my shop, but I recommend you get a friend to help you if you have doubts as to your physical ability.
Assembly was easy. If you're mechanically inclinded enough to want and use a mortising machine in the first place, assembly should come naturally to you. Export grease comes off easily with a citrus-based cleaner such as Goo Gone.
I'm used to using a drill press and right away I noticed distinct differences when using this machine for the first time. First, don't expect the head to want to rise up like a drill press. The gas cylinder is only designed to keep the head of the machine in balance so that it will stay in whatever position you want it (as opposed to the heavy head crashing all the way down). Second, the mortising drill bit tends to make a lot of noise when not in the wood and a little smoke when it is. This is normal, but it's not something I'm used to on my drill press. Saw blade wax tends to cut down on the noise somewhat.
After drilling 50+ mortises, I decided I made the right choice. Here's the rundown:
THINGS I LIKE:
- fence has reliefs to keep wood bits and sawdust away from the workpiece
- drill chuck access is very good
- cover over the fence's gear mechanism keeps it from clogging with wood bits and sawdust
- includes chisels and chisel/tool holder
- can be rotated for mortising on the ends of long boards off your workbench
- extension block included
- tooless hold-down
- tooless depth stop
THINGS I DON'T LIKE (these are very minor)
- fence adjustment knob doesn't seem to be in an ideal position and/or shape for my large hands
- would like greater position adjustment for the pull-down handle. Can only make coarse adjustments.
I noticed that the mortising holes are not quite as clean as you would get using a router, but from what I've read, that's to be expected from most mortising machines. I also had to spend a few seconds cleaning out the holes with a small chisel so that the tenons would fit properly. Not sure why, but I may have had the drill bit set too far down from the base of the chisel.
Overall, the design of this mortising machine seems to have been thought out, and for the price, you can't go wrong.
| Brand | Grizzly Industrial |
|---|---|
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Maximum Rotational Speed | 1725 RPM |
| Voltage | 110 Volts |
| Amperage | 6 Amps |
| Maximum Chuck Size | 0.25 Inches |
| Material | iron |
| Speed | 1725 RPM |
| Maximum Power | 0.5 Horsepower |
| Manufacturer | Grizzly |
| Part Number | G0645 |
| Item Weight | 73.2 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 18.5 x 22 x 16.5 inches |
| Item model number | G0645 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Style | Grizzly |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Measurement System | both |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
