Mortising has never been easier or more accurate. Model JBM-5 JET Benchtop Mortiser features include: powerful 1/2 HP TEFC 1725 RPM motor for solid performance and trouble free operation, heavy-duty cast iron and steel construction for durability and stability, three jaw drill chuck with extended chuck key for ease of positive grip on mortise drill bit. Rack and pinion head raising and lowering allows for positive drilling control. Two hinged side doors to allow for complete drill chuck access. Removable safety toggle switch for prevention of accidental turn on 1/2" max. mortise chisel capacity. 4-3/4" head stroke. Includes free 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" chisel and bit sets.

1/2-horsepower bench mortiser; 115 volts; 1,752-rpm motor

1/2-inch chisel capacity; 4-3/4-inch head stroke; rack and pinion head

Constructed from rugged cast-iron and steel

Includes mortiser, three bits, chuck key

44 pounds; Backed by 2-year limited warranty

Average Customer Review: ( 73 customer reviews )
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One Negative attribute:
If you have read any of the reviews of mortise machines, you will notice a common issue with bench top mortise machines is the hold down fixture. Jet is considered to have one of the better hold down fixtures. If you have used drill press with a mortise attachment you have lived the pain of setup and hold down. This machine is by far a huge improvement over a drill press attachment. However, this hold down fixture could also be improved. Mine is not parallel with the base surface or square with the back fence. This allows the stock to rack slightly when withdrawing the chisel from the mortise. It doesn't take much movement of the wood to bind the chisel in the mortise.

Note:
I am upgrading to the Powermatics floor model because of the improved hold down, the translating table, and the larger chisel capacity. I am very happy with my Jet mortiser and do regret purchasing it. I just want more.

Operator errors to avoid:
A) If you try force the chisel and bit, you run the risk of elevating the temperature of your cutting tools and ruining the temper. Try to keep the wood from smoking.
B) If you force the cut faster than the helix on the bit can remove the chips, you can induce too much heat into the cutting tools and could stall the motor.
C) The HP is fine. If the wood is smoking, slow down.
D) Lastly, it seems too obvious, but be prepared to mount this to a table or some other ridgid structure before use.

83 of 83 found the following review helpful:

JET Benchtop Mortiser is Tops!Mar 24, 2000
By Roy Brouwer
After having used biscuit joiners, dowels, and hand-made mortise and tenon furniture, I decided to invest in a powered benchtop mortising machine. After seeing and using various brands, I found the JET JBM-5 to be the best designed and most precisely built of the lot. The machining, design, simplicity of use are the best available for the novice-to-advanced woodworker. The hold-down bracket is designed to clamp evenly and the depth stop is easily adjusted without tools, unlike the Delta model. Another useful feature is the unit can be reversed on its base, allowing mortising of long objects--I built a clamping devise on the back of my mortising stand and can accomodate 36" long material for end-mortises or wide stock. The 2 year warranty should be more than adequate, given the history of other JET tools I've used--all running prefectly as designed.

95 of 97 found the following review helpful:

Love that mortiserMay 01, 2000
By Gerald B. Hatley
I have a Delta drill press and had used a mortising attachment for several years. It is quite difficult and time consuming to set up. I had wanted a dedicated mortiser and decided to try the Jet, and boy am I pleased. Basically, right out of the box you are ready to make great mortises. I attached it to an auxilliary table as described in the manual and began work. I am building an antique pie safe and am using very hard red oak lumber. The Jet tooled through the red oak like cutting through butter. I especially like the slow speed (1750 RPM) that the drill bit turns. You are assured that you will not burn the wood. The chisels are also incredibly sharp. I found it easy to set the work fence to center the work piece and properly setting the cutting depth adjustment is a breeze. All in all, a very fine tool. Very glad I bought it!

74 of 76 found the following review helpful:

Diamond in the RoughSep 06, 2000

I purchased the JBM-5 for a woodworking project that used 120 mortise & tenon joints. The machine itself appears very solid but there were a couple of finish problems. First, the spring-return chuck door on the left was not aligned with its recess. Second, the fence was not perpendicular to the base and required some shimming.

There are some other annonyances, too. First, all of the chisel & bit sets still had rough machine marks and burrs on them. It took a lot of time and patience with a small file to get them into useable shape. Second, after the packing oils wear off, these chisels scream like a kicked cat until they come into contact with wood. Jet needs to find a better OEM for their chisel & bit sets (as Delta had with the Austrian chisel & bit sets included with their benchtop mortiser).

The adjustable fence is poorly designed (a problem that seems common to all benchtop mortisers save the Powermatic). Depth adjustment is poor, requiring a Zen-like concentration to adjust it to a precise depth. Also, the fence is, at the same time, too short for taller pieces (4"+ in height) and too tall for short pieces (which require shims to reach the hold-down on the fence). The ability to rotate the motor 180 deg to mortise taller pieces is definitely a nice feature. However, Jet did not provide any way for pieces to be supported in this configuration (I had to build a jig for this).

In all, the JBM-5 performs as advertised. However, all the little annoyances add up quickly. It still beats a drill press with a mortising attachment (or forstner bits), but there is definitely some room for improvement here.

50 of 50 found the following review helpful:

Another Excellent JET Tool from a Solid CompanyAug 25, 2000
By Brad Cooke
I have been woodworking for several years. I have made mortises by hand, with a Delta drill press with mortising attachments, and with a router and jigs. I really wanted a Mutliquip or Powermatic mortiser. But since I am very pleased with the several JET products I own, I decided to purchase the JET mortiser, which costs considerably less. I have now found a better, faster (and cheaper) way of making mortises with JET's JBM-5 benchtop mortiser.

Hand-made mortises (w/ a chisel) are cleaner than machine made mortises, but take time and practice to acheive superior results. I have made many mortises with the JET using the bits that were included that are good and acceptable for most of my projects. My mortises got even better since I began using Clico mortising bits instead of the bits that come with the mortiser.

On the down side, first, the control lever has about 1.5" of play. While this is annoying, it does not detract from the quality of the mortise. JET could engineer the gears a little tighter to remove the play. Second, the cast base plate was cracked, probably in shipping. This seems to be a common problem, since the replacement was back-ordered and took 3 weeks to get. JET could prevent this problem by shipping the base plate and motor support detached.

On the upside, the instruction manual is clear and concise, assembly took 15 minutes, the mortiser's fit and finish are excellent, the mortiser is easy to set up and use, and JET's customer service rep. answered my call on the second ring and in 5 minutes, my order for a replacement base plate was processed.

While the Multiquip and Powermatic mortiser's are more expensive and provide greater adjustments, the JET mortiser is a good tool and much less expensive. I'll spend my savings on wood.

Happy Woodworking!

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