If you could only have 1, Lamello Zeta P2 or Domino 500?

[Muttley000]

I do furniture pieces mostly, and cabinets often. I don’t expect a completely neutral crowd here, but do respect the knowledge regularly displayed. I am quite interested in the connector possibilities of both, and am leaning domino, just looking for issues I may not have considered.

 

[Leemstradamus]

Df500! But I don't own the other.

Sent from my SM-S908U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Lincoln]

If you primarily want one for connectors, the Zeta wins easily.
For permanent joints, Domino.
A bit of both, Domino.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

The 2 are complimentary, not exclusive of each other.
The Domino is far superior as far as construction of face frames goes. The Zeta has the same restrictions as a biscuit joiner. The slots are just too wide for that. The Zeta shines as far as the connector application. The Tenso connectors are totally invisible and they will pull a joint together, which a Domino can't do. Dominos require an outside clamping force, and of course glue, which makes them irreversible. They are also great for edge-joining large panels, especially at an angle, where clamping is difficult/impossible.
I also like the Zeta Clamex more than the Domino connectors too. The access holes are far smaller (5mm vs 15mm) though they may not technically be as strong (as far as direct pull out force)
I don't recall ever using Zeta connectors alone? always with the alignment factor of at least a couple of Dominos, but I have used Dominos alone a lot of times. A clamping strategy and glue are required though.
Also, this is in a commercial cabinet shop situation, where the cost of both is not nearly as important would be to a hobby woodworker. Heck, a lot of people consider either to be too much.
If I had to choose? Domino, for sure, but I would feel the loss of the Zeta. (Likely because I have one though?, you don't miss what you never had)
Zeta alone? would be too lacking.....for me anyway. YMMV

 

[Muttley000]

Thanks for the confirmation guys. When the right job comes along I hope to end up with the lamello, I think the domino will pay for itself quickly in my small operation.

 

[luvmytoolz]

If you're choosing the Domino I'd highly recommend the DF700 over the DF500. It's heavier but is much more natural and ergonomic to use, and easier to manhandle compared to the DF500. If you really want the use of the smaller Dominos the DF500 supports, you can buy the Seneca adaptor.

I love both Domino's but for most tasks the 700 is better in every way I reckon.

 

[rmhinden]

If you're choosing the Domino I'd highly recommend the DF700 over the DF500. It's heavier but is much more natural and ergonomic to use, and easier to manhandle compared to the DF500. If you really want the use of the smaller Dominos the DF500 supports, you can buy the Seneca adaptor.

I love both Domino's but for most tasks the 700 is better in every way I reckon.

Me too, but opinions vary a lot of this

Bob

 

[luvmytoolz]

If you're choosing the Domino I'd highly recommend the DF700 over the DF500. It's heavier but is much more natural and ergonomic to use, and easier to manhandle compared to the DF500. If you really want the use of the smaller Dominos the DF500 supports, you can buy the Seneca adaptor.

I love both Domino's but for most tasks the 700 is better in every way I reckon.

Me too, but opinions vary a lot of this

Bob

True! For myself I find I only use the 500 for 4/5mm domino's on boxes mainly. Anything larger I do with the 700, and being able to do doors and large panels with it is just awesome.

 

[SoonerFan]

If you primarily want one for connectors, the Zeta wins easily.
For permanent joints, Domino.
A bit of both, Domino.

[member=69760]Lincoln[/member] summed up the Domino vs. Lamello succinctly and better than I had read before.  Nice job!!

 

[tjbnwi]

I have the500, 700 and Zeta.

The Domino will be better for your furniture work. The Zeta slot is to long tip to tip for most furniture joints.

The Zeta is better if you need to make some cabinets with removable face frames. The Zeta slot is to long for 1-1/2” R&S assembly

Tom

 

[Muttley000]

Thanks guys, defiantly something to consider with the 700 there. 

[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member] the removable face frames is the one thing that was firmly in the Zeta column.  I don’t have a way to spray large projects, and with painted cabinets being popular taking a face frame and doors or drawer fronts is much easier than toting the whole project.

 

[DynaGlide]

If only one, Domino. It's so versatile. But for the connector systems, Zeta. I own both. I looked heavily at the DF500 connectors and felt they were a kludged together solution that required too much prep and room for error. The beauty of the Zeta for me is you put the slot and decide what you want to do with it later. Tenso, Bisco, or Clamex, you can decide on that later. Just a really nice setup. Oh and something that wasn't readily apparent at first is the Zeta connectors have room built in for slop in that you can still slide the joint a hair left/right for alignment without giving up any of the strength.

For something like painted face frames or scribe panels I don't think there's any contest.

 

[Michael Kellough]

That little bit of linear adjustment of Zeta fittings is welcome (sometimes critical) but there is also a tiny amount of lateral slack that is not welcome so the addition of Dominos (at middle setting) to keep lateral registration in check is the perfect combination.

 

[jujigatame]

I have both and wouldn't trade either.

For fine furniture building, the Domino hands down, BUT if you want to build amazing knock down furniture or cabinets, the Lamello BLOWS THE DOMINO OUT OF THE WATER!

I've tried the Domino knock down connectors, and they're good, really great actually, but the Lamello is a different world. And the Tensos eliminate the need for clamps on complex glue ups.

They're different tools. It's like comparing the Domino to a biscuit joiner.

 

[ChuckM]

Since the question is about choosing ONLY one, my answer would be the DF500 because:

1) The DF500 can do what the Zeta does in terms of knock-down pieces, but
2) The Zeta cannot compete with the DF500 in strength and many other aspects in typical furniture and cabinets that are assembled permanently.

 

[waho6o9]

DF500 because of it's versatility.

 

[mino]

I believe Peter Millard did a couple videos on this theme where he articulated well the function and benefit/limitation of both tools.

Long story short, these are mostly complementary, not competing,  tools. With the DOMINO being the way more universal one.

The only close competition for the DOMINO is, in my view, the Maffell DDF 40. Between those two, I see the DOMINO again as the more universal tool.

In short, the power of the DOMINO is in its universality. There are better tools out there for many of its use cases, but there is no other "good enough" single tool out there covering all the use cases the DOMINO covers and doing it at least as good as it does.

So my view being - IF you needed to ask, you want the more generic/universal tool => the DOMINO. AND you want to buy it rather sooner than later, to not invest in duplicit functionality.

 

[ChuckM]

snip. to not invest in duplicit functionality.

First time I saw the use of such argument in support of the Domino Joiner. I did get rid of my benchtop mortiser AND biscuit joiner as soon as I was convinced that the DF500 had made those two machines surplus to requirements.

Edit: The DJ has also more or less rendered my dado cutter (table saw) and doweling jig superfluous.

 

[Birdhunter]

OK, I confess, I have the 500 and 700 and Mafel duo-Doweler. All have a sweet spot and all have overlap in their coverage areas. The 500 gets 95% of my usage. The 700 was indispensable in building a garden gate with big pieces needing major tenons. The 700 was instrumental in building a knock down king bed. The Doweler comes in handy with some special joints. I can squeeze in a couple of dowels where I could not squeeze in two tenons. In my opinion, the Mafel has the best engineering by far. I have lusted after the Lamelo but simply cannot see where I would use it in my work. I’ve built lots of cabinets but always with the 500 and a Kreg pocket hole system.the combination of a Festool tenon and a pocket hole screw is magical.

 

[cider]

Got them both, and the Lamello might be my favorite tool to use, but if I could only have one, I'd have the Domino.