Which 1" Floor Mounted Morticer to buy and which to avoid?

[PMK54]

Having been let down by Axminster and Jet (no compatibility between Axi mortice attachment and JDP-17F drill press bought at the same time), I am looking for a hollow chisel morticer. I've read many forum pages and am almost decided that my best route is to get a floor standing 1" machine for about the £500 mark - but stand to be corrected. But which is the best out there and which to avoid? I'm steering clear of Jet and Axminster because....well I've posted another thread on that subject. So is the Record Power one to trust, or Scheppach? Is 13/16" more desirable than 3/4"? I don't want to save money at any cost nor throw money away needlessly of course.

I had thought of a second hand 'pro' machine but the hastle of fetching yet another machine puts me off, and I'm not planning on setting myself up for years and years of woodworking, so as long as I get a good market price via ebay in (say) 2014 when I've completed my list of jobs, and the buyer is happy I'll be happy.

 

[kirkpoore1]

I strongly doubt that you'll need a mortiser that will run a 1" hollow chisel. I have an industrial hollow chisel mortiser, and I've never run over a 3/4" chisel in it. If you need to do bigger than that, I'd go with a 1/2" chisel and make a double row to make a wider mortise.

Kirk

 

[Tim Nott]

I think the Sheppach and Record are the same machine. I'd go ( and did ) for secondhand cast iron - eg http://tinyurl.com/76ot6dv

 

[eribaMotters]

I have used a Record, bought second hand for about 20 years. Models have changed over time, but the closest to mine is the Startrite currently on sale. Only difference is newer models have one only hand wheel for back/forward, left/right movement of the table. I have been very pleased with the machine, its 750w motor coping well with 3/4" chisels in softwood, although obviously a little slower in dense hardwoods. It even has a shear [cotter?] pin in the lever handle mechanism in case you are being a bit greedy. I have snapped this once [50p to replace]
I would imagine they run for about £350 second hand.I would only replace mine with a newish Sedgwick, that I am guessing are £500+.

Colin

 

[Karl]

Used is the way to go. I picked up this 230v Sedgwick for £150, so there are bargains out there. I'm sure it'd knock the spots off any modern machine.

Cheers

Karl

 

[tomatwark]

A second hand Sedgwick is the way to go there are normally a few around in 240v

Tom

 

[PMK54]

Thanks for the advice and picture! It's much appreciated. I wish I'd known woodworking was this technical years ago, then I wouldn't have wasted my time in electronics and computing!

 

[Mike.C]

3+ for Sedgwick, and if you cannot find one of these the 1 inch Multico are equally as good. I would take a look around Ebay or better still keep it in the family and place a wanted message in "For Sale and Wanted" below"

Cheers

Mike

 

[ja2_k]

Used is the way to go. I picked up this 230v Sedgwick for £150, so there are bargains out there. I'm sure it'd knock the spots off any modern machine.

Cheers

Karl

HI im almost certain that the pictured morticer isnt a sedgwick as i have an exact same machine which i will be upgrading to a sedgwick soon,as the above machine has a 3/4 hp motor and the sedg has a 1 1/2 hp motor.
thanks arfon.

 

[mailee]

I bought this at a good price a few years ago. It has been a very good machine. Record ridgway.

 

[Tony Spear]

Used is the way to go. I picked up this 230v Sedgwick for £150, so there are bargains out there. I'm sure it'd knock the spots off any modern machine.

Cheers

Karl

HI im almost certain that the pictured morticer isnt a sedgwick as i have an exact same machine which i will be upgrading to a sedgwick soon,as the above machine has a 3/4 hp motor and the sedg has a 1 1/2 hp motor.
thanks arfon.

Although you joined as long ago as 2009, you've only made 6 posts, which effectively makes you a relative newcomer. I can assure you of one thing; if Karl says it's a Sedgwick, there's a fair chance that it's a Sedgwick!

 

[ja2_k]

Although I've only posted 6 times that does make me a newcomer in writing posts. But it does not make me a newcomer in woodworking. I have been running my own Joinery business for th past 30 years. The above machine is a smiths fm75 British made circa 1986. Cost then £485.00

 

[Karl]

Although I've only posted 6 times that does make me a newcomer in writing posts. But it does not make me a newcomer in woodworking. I have been running my own Joinery business for th past 30 years. The above machine is a smiths fm75 British made circa 1986. Cost then £485.00

Thanks for the info. Looks like I was wrong with my Sedgwick Trio thread :lol:

 

[ja2_k]

I managed to find a advert from a 1986 woodworking mag showing the same machine
If I knew how to upload a photo I would show you.
But still a very good and reliable morticer just a bit under power.

 

[PMK54]

Many thanks for the advice. I had a trip up to Staveley to see the Record Power showroom and they kindly demonstrated the FM25. It looks a nice machine, has some UK pedigree (I'm not sure what 'made in UK' means today with components maybe coming from other countries) and can take what I understand to be the UK standard 13/16" shank hollow chisels. It has a collet system that allows 13/16" or 1+3/16" (also shown confusingly for a newcomer as "1.3/16" but I guess it does mean "one and three sixteenths inch") and 'metric' chisels to be used. I don't know if some manufacturers deliberately muddy the waters on this subject, but learning the ropes is very time consuming and you could end up with more than a hundred pounds worth of kit that isn't fully compatible. I don't know where the 3/4" chisel shank size that Axminster and some others sell has come from, perhaps a way of separating 'pro' from 'amateur' woodworkers and minimising the flexibility of use of these tools? It's very annoying when all I (and probably others) want to do is buy some kit, learn the ropes, do the jobs and then move on.

I believe the Sedgwick and similar 'Pro' machines would be a better route for me if I had more space and was expecting to take up woodworking as a more permanent occupation, hobby, pastime or obsession. It's my instinct to buy a good second hand 'pro' machine because amateur/shamateur machines are often not built properly, but space is a factor as is the matter of shipment.

 

[Guggs]

Sedgwick all day long ...Solid ,reliable ,bullet proof ,no plastic ,cheap to buy and acurate . I've a sedgwick and its magic . Cant fault it .