Customer Reviews

Makita 3901 5.6 amp Plate Joiner

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this plate joiner sight unseen and don't regret it. Makita is superior in comparison to other brands. The tolerances are much tighter with no slop. Cuts are very smooth. I also have a Porter Cable, and it doesn't come close to the quality this model. The slider bars move with great precision. All wood chips exit through the dust port. Unless you have the money to spend for an expensive "Lamello", this is the model to get.

I am a 30 year carpenter of which the last 15 have been nothing but finish work. I had done some research on these biscuit joiners before buying the Makita.Great decision!This thing is so simple in design and function that the direction booklet is not even necessary.It's effortless! I jumped in full bore today.8 six foot 1 by 4s of mahogany for a table top went together quite easily thanks to about 50 perfectly alligned biscuits.I don't bother with the dust bag so I can't really comment on that but what a sweet tool.The fence allignment was spot on and the cam lock height adjustment is so user friendly that it makes this tool fun to use.
I guess the only reason I did not give this tool a 5 is because the fence sort of shrouds the biscuit location marks on your project. It's not that big of a deal but you do have to extend your marks to about a half inch on each side of desired biscuit location.
The blade left very little tear-out and cut effortlessly! I have tried almost every biscuit joiner out there with the exception of the Lamello[WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!!!] and all in all this one gets my vote for top tool for the price!
I would recommend this tool to all you journeymen as well as apprentices out there wondering which one. Trust me on this one guys!

The rack and pinion depth adjustment feature on this joiner is among the best that I've tried. All the adjustments are quick and repeatable with good accuracy. My only complaint is with the case. It could use a bit more room. I have to loosen the fence angle lock to get the case lid to shut. Trivial but a nuscience never the less. The joiner itself does a great job and the dust collection bag actually works! I'm sure that spending more money will get you a more refined tool but for the budget minded, this very well could be a valuable asset to your woodshop.

I looked at the PC, and did not like the plastic components on the fence. I already had a DW, and was not happy with the alignment problems between the fence and the blade. Of all three, the Makita is the best. The fence is attached to a surface machined parallel to the blade, and is also more substantial than the DW. Don't worry about the lower amp motor, as the blade is very high quality, and the wood from the slot comes out as shavings, not chips as in the DW. I like this tool. I would buy it again. I can't say that about the other two.

I got this tool as a gift and had little experience with plate joiners. I was amazed at how easy and intuitive it was. I no time at all I was able to make standard biscuit joints, mitred biscuit joints and off set biscuit joints. It was so easy to use. The fence system is basically self explanatory. There are center markings on every surface and the 0 and 45 degree detents are helpful.
The only thing I would change is the handle. I find it difficult to hold while sliding the saw portion without tilting the blade. I usually hold onto the barrel. A handle would be more useful if it were oriented along the long axis of the tool. Otherwise it is fantastic.

I purchased the Makita after thoroughly searching the internet for advise and reviews. It was a close call, but due to the minor problems people reported with the other two top sellers I chose the 3901. Wow, what a tool! Solid, accurate, easy to use.

Forget the dust bag though. After two joins it is filled up. Just point the bag mount to the floor and sweep up later. The shavings are actually used by my wife in her gardening.

I'll still use dowels where appropriate, but never for edge joining again.

Like a couple of other posters, I'm not a huge fan of using biscuit joiners but on large glue-ups, mine still gets quite a bit of use, mostly for alignment.

I have used another popular brand of biscuit joiner and find the Makita top notch. I like it because it's not overly complicated at all and the chips really fly as opposed to clogging up in the chute. The fence is substantial, easy to adjust / lock and it's very straight forward to use. I don't want to have to "refresh my memory" for its use on those few occasions when I need biscuits. If for some reason I needed another, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Makita for this tool.

This is a very nice plate joiner, and the rack & pinion adjustment is very accurate. Another nice feature is the plunge mechanism, which is very smooth. A good buy and a good performer.

This tool is a time saver, no doubt. The settings stay true and the ease of use make it a joy to operate. I can't compare it to any other tool in its catagory but it is suitably powered for production runs and its accuracy leaves the job with a finish that I like. The dust outlet however gets clogged if there is a large chip ejected since there is a bottle neck at the tool end. May be a shop vac would be better than a static dust bag, thankfully the blade cover opens easily with just a few turns of a thumb screw. A good tool to own at a great price. The five stars are for it never going wrong on a single project.

I have been very satisfied with this biscuit joiner. It operates smoothly, the dust bag works fine, no parallax problems and its easy to handle (I'm glad to have spent the extra $ for it).
Its other benefit is that I bought a 110mm(=4&3/8inch) blade so I can use the joiner as a panel cutoff saw. The max depth of cut I can get is 1 inch and the high quality head machining means the cuts are straight and square. I cut my panels up with this blade and then quickly swop back to the biscuit cutter blade to do the joints. This is great for a woodworker like me who has no room for a table saw.