Domino vs Biscuit Joiner

[ear3]

For those of you who have converted over to the Domino, are there ever any occasions where you still reach for a biscuit joiner, and if so, when?

I ask because I'm considering loaning out my biscuit joiner long term to a colleague, since I have yet to find a joining task that the biscuit joiner would do better than the Domino.  But I'm not a professional cabinet maker, so maybe there are applications I haven't considered.

 

[semenza]

For those of you who have converted over to the Domino, are there ever any occasions where you still reach for a biscuit joiner, and if so, when?

I ask because I'm considering loaning out my biscuit joiner long term to a colleague, since I have yet to find a joining task that the biscuit joiner would do better than the Domino.  But I'm not a professional cabinet maker, so maybe there are applications I haven't considered.

      The biscuit joiner can be a bit faster if you really need to crank out a large volume of something. And once in a while the looser tolerance ( a bit of play) can actually be useful. There are also a few special hardware pieces/ connectors that fit into biscuit slots. BUT I sold mine years ago and have never really needed it.

Seth

 

[Locks14]

A domino machine is not a replacement for a biscuit joiner in my opinion.

For me biscuits are used for alignment, dominos are used for adding strength. For example if I'm gluing up a table top from narrower stock, biscuits are faster and cheaper, same for fixing face frames to cabinets.

 

[Cheese]

Purchased the Domino 4 years ago, did a couple of projects with it and immediately put the biscuit joiner out-to pasture. Never looked back and I haven't regretted the move even once. C'est la vie

 

[Sparktrician]

I moved to the Domino wholeheartedly, and have never seen a need to reconsider.  I dumped my biscuit joiner a couple of months later.  It was just gathering dust. 

 

[stvrowe]

I have both and still use both.  Since purchasing the Domino, the use of the biscuit joiner has gone down significantly and even more so since getting the Zeta P.  Having a joiner where I can easily create ready to assemble joints is very important to me and to date, no one has developed these type fasteners for the Domino.  That said, I still use the Domino for nearly all my joints in building fine furniture.  I sometimes use Dominos for sheet goods but there are faster methods that are a bit more forgiving.  I look at the biscuit joiner as a sunk cost that is worth more to me using it than what I could get by selling it.  As always YMMV.

 

[Birdhunter]

I have both the 500 and the 700 Dominos and both a normal and a mini biscuit cutter. I seldom use the biscuit cutters. If I need a shallow cut into the material I'm joining, I'll use the biscuits. The biscuits do help with alignment. The biscuits have a lot of side-to-side adjustment room and that sometimes is an advantage.

In summary, I use the Dominos 100 times (not a measured ratio) more than the biscuits.

 

[Brent Taylor]

I still use mine for casework,  table tops and edge joining, for me the plate joiner is faster and cost effective. It's the same as with pocket hole joinery,  if it's shows, diminos, if not pocket holes. For me to be competitive in my business and still produce a quality product I have to be efficient,  diminos take more time and cost more, most people don't want to pay for that level of quality, sorry to say.     

 

[jacko9]

I purchased the Lamello Top 10 many years ago and used it quite often.  Since buying the Domino 500 about 6 years ago and the Domino 700 when it came to market, my Lamello has seen little use.  However, I don't intend to get rid of it and probably will use it to attach face frames too some kitchen cabinets I just started to build.  I also have two sons that will take any "free tool" I decide to part with[wink]

Jack 

 

[ear3]

Thanks for the replies.

 

[ajcoholic]

A domino machine is not a replacement for a biscuit joiner in my opinion.

For me biscuits are used for alignment, dominos are used for adding strength. For example if I'm gluing up a table top from narrower stock, biscuits are faster and cheaper, same for fixing face frames to cabinets.

I agree completely.  Also with Steve R.  I also have a Lamello top 20, and a Zeta P2, which get used as often or more (almost daily in the shop by one of us) as the Domino.

Biscuits are much faster, much cheaper and certainly have a place (in my case mainly for alignment, and for using specific joiners).  The little "play" and lateral adjustment does come in handy for positioning.

Dominos are great for higher strength situations in building furniture, or for fitting into smaller areas (for example I use the smaller Dominos in my cabinet face frames to strengthen the joints where a biscuit wont fit)

In a well equipped shop, each tool has it's place - and there is a "best" for each job.  I dont get why you would want to use Dominos where a biscuit would work - if for nothing more than the cost.  Biscuits are a few cents each. 

If you have a Lamello (and a more recent model) the dust collection is excellent, and the build quality is even better IMO than the Domino - it is a very well made piece of equipment.  Mind you they run as much or more as the Domino.

 

[jeh]

There are other choices like Dowellers from Mafell and others. You get Domino strength + dead on alignment. The Mafell has accessory template guides for placing dowel's "in the field". As a bonus the template guides when combined with 5mm bits can do shelf pin holes without the finickiness of the LR32.

As for domino versus dowel's strength they each have their pluses. Multiple articles have been written comparing the DF 500 to the DD40. That said the DF 700's larger dominos are stronger  than the largest dowel's just based on their size.

Both the Domino and dowell-based solutions are known to be stronger than biscuits.

 

[mathpham]

For those of you who have converted over to the Domino, are there ever any occasions where you still reach for a biscuit joiner, and if so, when?

I ask because I'm considering loaning out my biscuit joiner long term to a colleague, since I have yet to find a joining task that the biscuit joiner would do better than the Domino.  But I'm not a professional cabinet maker, so maybe there are applications I haven't considered.

I think Biscuit joiner is the best for light duty Project ,because wood biscuit is not good ,but Biscuit joinerr is cheap ,so i still choose it

 

[Holmz]

For those of you who have converted over to the Domino, are there ever any occasions where you still reach for a biscuit joiner, and if so, when?

I ask because I'm considering loaning out my biscuit joiner long term to a colleague, since I have yet to find a joining task that the biscuit joiner would do better than the Domino.  But I'm not a professional cabinet maker, so maybe there are applications I haven't considered.

I think Biscuit joiner is the best for light duty Project ,because wood biscuit is not good ,but Biscuit joinerr is cheap ,so i still choose it

It is not that the wood is no good, it is because the biscuits are thin.
(And one would not use a domino in 1/4" or 3/8" plywood.)

Dominos work well in real wood, and biscuits work well in sheets goods.
And they can both be used where they do not work as well.

 

[GhostFist]

^^^^this. Biscuits were devolved for sheet goods, in particular, particle board

 

[justinh]

I use a biscuit joiner a lot more than my Domino.  Same reasons as the others, speed and cost of consumables.  One of my primary uses is to reinforce mitered casing.  A 3 1/2" casing takes one #20 biscuit and one slot.  The same casing takes 2 Domino's and 2 mortises.  That adds up if you track the costs.  Last year I went through 1 case of Domino's and 4 cases of biscuits.

 

[upscale]

I ask because I'm considering loaning out my biscuit joiner long term to a colleague, since I have yet to find a joining task that the biscuit joiner would do better than the Domino.

I bought my Domino about four years ago. Six months later I found my biscuit joiner covered in dust pushed to the back of a shelf. Sold it three days later with a box full of biscuits for $50.00 Haven't regretted it once. Anytime I think about it, comparing Festool VS biscuits is very much depicted by the comic below!

 

[grbmds]

I use a biscuit joiner a lot more than my Domino.  Same reasons as the others, speed and cost of consumables.  One of my primary uses is to reinforce mitered casing.  A 3 1/2" casing takes one #20 biscuit and one slot.  The same casing takes 2 Domino's and 2 mortises.  That adds up if you track the costs.  Last year I went through 1 case of Domino's and 4 cases of biscuits.

Understand that it probably takes a little longer to do the Dominos but am not sure why it would take 2 Dominos. A single Domino cut from the same face, using the paddle or pin stops on the Domino fence from the long side of the miter joint should hold. (Although I suppose I'm thinking the stock is 3/4" and not possibly 1/2", which trim many times is. I was amazed at how strong 1 Domino in a miter joint was and how well and tight the miter went together (assuming the narrowest Domino setting is used).

 

[chrisrosenb]

I have both Dominos. I still use the biscuit jointer more than the Dominos. Both Dominos & biscuit jointers play very important rolls in my work.

I believe it has been stated here before. If Festool sold a biscuit jointer, it would also be a have to have, can't do with out tool.

 

[Holmz]

I have both Dominos. I still use the biscuit jointer more than the Dominos. Both Dominos & biscuit jointers play very important rolls in my work.

I believe it has been stated here before. If Festool sold a biscuit jointer, it would also be a have to have, can't do with out tool.

It reminds me of the impact drivers.
People complain that FT do not make those even though there are many good ones on the market that are well proven. Where is this belief that a "non-existent, unicorn of a tool" is going to be better than tools that exist?