Customer Reviews

Freud JS102 6.5 amp Plate Joiner with Tilting Fence

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I purchased this biscuit jointer two years ago and have used it to build many tables in the time since. It is a quality built machine that is worth its modest price tag. The only fault I can find with it is that the dust port leading to the cloth bag tends to get clogged up. This is not a big deal though, as it is easy to clean out. I would buy this tool again in a heartbeat.

Easy to handle and the dust bag is a godsend! Don't see how the other manufacturers are selling theirs for so much more when the Freud is available. Only draw back is the fence adjustment. Have to "eyeball" the setting to make sure the plate is level. A "rack and pinion" setup would be nice. If this one ever wears out, I'll buy another Freud.

Having looked at various reviews of other manufacturers, and having gotten a feel for different models (...), I finally settled into the Freud JS 102. I am glad I did.
(...)The Freud is an all-metal design, except the handle shroud. It is well built, and substantially made. Its price tag belies its engineering and performance. It's 5 amp motor didn't even slow down during cutting. We are not chain sawing oak; we are only cutting a tiny slit on the side of wood. The fence detents of 0 and 45 degrees are accurate. More importantly it does not slip when cutting a biscuit. Dust collection appears to be one of the best. Even with the collection bag off of the unit, the shavings exited readily out of the chute, off to the side, and away from the operator.
The only drawback is that in order to adjust the height of the cut, you must loosen the locking nut, and manually move the fence up or down. With this method it is possible to jump to a spot, which may be more or less than is needed. A micro fine adjusting knob would be nice. Some of the more expensive units have that feature. Freud chose to use a precisely fitting (no play) front "sled" with linear measurements inscribed on its face, and a locking lever that is very exact.
On the other hand, the depth of cut is easily adjustable, and like the rest of the unit, very precise.
If your the kind of person who coddles to the very best, and will be using it for your own projects, no matter how many you undertake, and are not dependent on biscuit cutting for a living, then this unit is for you. The only reservation is the height adjustment. Don't misunderstand me. You can get an exact height adjustment with this unit. A perfect setting as a matter of fact. You may spend an extra 20 seconds getting it there. If you cut a 100 different biscuits a day, that 20 seconds could add up.
I am new to this machine and am convinced that with a little practice, I will be able to precisely adjust the height first time, by the way that I hold it, and visually measuring the difference using the measuring ruler on the fence face.
All in all I give it 5 stars because of the quality of the tool, and the surprisingly low price. It appears to be a tool that will give you years and years of dependable use. Freud router bits are among the very best, and I believe this tool is worthy of the Freud name.

I bought the Freud JS102 because I thought it was one of the better brands out but, not any more. The other reviews you read here are accurate.
First, THEY DID SCREW UP THE measuring devices on the face plate that is supposed to ensure a level cut! Because of this, it is almost impossible to achieve a level cut! This seams very consistent with other reviews and I noticed the same thing. This is likely a manufaturing problem as many of the joiners have this same problem.
Secondly, I found adjusting the depth of the biscut cut very very difficult. Freud says it "pre-sets" the biscut depth at the factory. Well, it was not and my #20 biscut cuts were too shallow. In an attempt to correct this problem, I followed Freud's directions to manually change the depth. This was almost impossible. The "little wrench" they give you to make needed adjustments is too big!!! If I had not had my own tools to fix the problem, the depth could never have been changed!
Finally, the manual is awful. The pictures are of horrible quality and many points one would think of as important are not included in the manual.
Oh, one more thing, I don't know what amp motor I have! The box and tool both say it is a 6.5 amp motor but EVERY WEB SITE and even FREUD themselves say the motor is 5 AMPS!
Needless to say, the product made its way back to the store and I spent $50 more and got the Porter Cable.

I bought this tool then returned it because I found it time-consuming to set up and use. Still, it's quite a bit cheaper than the Porter Cable 557 (which I would recommend), and once you get it all adjusted (and assuming you don't need to change the setup much) it does work reasonably well for the money.

The manual is plain awful. Pictures are so low-res that I can't make sense of them. Instructions on using the unit are incomplete.

The tool arrived in need of readjustment. Since I've never used bisquits before, it took me a long time to figure out how it should work properly, then I was able to get it to adjust... just barely: the adjustment screw was nearly at the end of its range when I got the depth adequately set. The manual says that this adjustment should be set properly when the tools is new. I agree! It wasn't, though.

The tool can't do many of the things that the PC557 can do. The fence in particular is not very flexible. On the other hand I expect that 45 and 90 are most of what I'll use, and this tool does those ok.

...

I recently received my first JS102 and sent it back because the fence scales (one per side) clearly indicated the fence was 1/32" crooked. I determined this was due to the drilling for the two pivot pins being uneven at the lower edge. Everything else looked very precise, but the pivot pin misalignment throws the entire plate off. I called Freud (the phone number included with the product is not correct) and they said they had never heard of such a misalignment and would have to see the item before sending me out a replacement part. Maybe reasonable, but would take several more weeks at least. I returned the item ... (they even paid shipping) and ordered a second JS102. The second one has the same defect. (It does have a different serial number!). I decided to keep this one since they must all be this way. If the factory could figure out how to drill the two pivot holes inline with each other (or fire the worker that prides speed over precision) this would be a perfect tool. Wonder how many other JS102 owners have seen the same defect.

The biggest problem with this tool is the total inability to adjust the auxiliary fence parallel to the blade. The fence adjustment mechanism seems poorly designed and engineered. The amount of discrepancy is small, but when joining surfaces that can accomodate only one biscuit, the joined pieces will be totally misaligned.

It's too bad because in other respects, it seems like a fairly decent tool. (If not for the lousy fence I'd have given it at least 4 stars.) But I've decided to return it and spend a little more money for a tool with better precision.

The fence on this joiner is flimsy and allows for inaccurate slots. Should only be use for the very roughest work. Try another brand, very disappointing after the fine 15 amp router I bought from Freud worked out so well. They do make great blades and bits however.

I purchased the JS102 few years ago and the others cost about 50% more at the time but with more features. First there was no oil in the oiler - the plastic cap cracked and I had oil all over inside the plastic case. The plastic case is blow mold and never closed right, like my cheap Chinese tool cases. Initially the I thought the cutting blade was missed aligned or too wide since the biscuits fit very loose in the slots even with plenty of glue in it, but now, after a few years, its ok, nice and tight with the same box of 1,000 biscuits I purchased elsewhere. The stick-on angle scale came off but the factory gave me a new one - never needed it anyway, all my cuts are at 90 degrees. If you have different thickness boards, the height adjustment on the fence could be a PIA since there are no fine adjustments like the other biscuit cutters. You need to make a few test cuts to make sure the slot is in the middle of the board or where you wanted it - I don't trust the scale. I have no problems with the dust bag, just empty it every 10 cuts - yes, lots chips form those slots.

Now the most erratic part: the motor/gear box sounds like it has a bunch of loose parts inside, sounds like they forgot to grease the gear box at the factory or it has broken teeth in gear box. Sounds worse than my Craftman 4.5" grinder. Other than that it feels solid and it does cut well after its set up. If only they would put in one dollar more for a better case, two dollars more for a fine adjustment and a little better quality control.

Really pleased with the performance of this tool. Have not used others for a comparison, but this seems to be a well made unit for the money. Better made and heavier duty (more metal than plastic) than other comparably priced units such as the Ryobi.