Hi 👋, I am new to your channel, great review, I have the Mafell , DD , Doweling Machine, for many years, It is not only good for doing joints on cabinetry work, but for doing pin holes inside the cabinets or bookshelves for adjustment shelving system, But the aid of a track, Phil from the moulin,
I struggle mightily with the trend now where manufacturers, including Triton, sponsor TH-cam woodworkers, but the woodworkers will not fully disclosed the relationship. I am very grateful for your transparency on this particular issue. Folks look at these videos, in part, to find good tools to use. I think it is disingenuous when folks are paid money to use a tool but do not disclose that reality. Again, I'm grateful that you are so upfront.
Hi Jay, I agree but I think there is also a difference between using a tool that was provided by a sponsor and reviewing that tool. I frown big time on the latter if full disclosure is not made upfront. Steve
It has created a negative impact for me in respect to the market. I think it has to be scaled back, way back. Many of them are no different that informetials.
I was considering the Triton machine and luckily saw your video before making my decision, but man the price difference is huge, great job with the video!
After seeing your videos I was curious do I picked one up yesterday. I'll check it out and see if the company took your info to heart. It's 4 years later and they still sell so I have some hope they did. THANKS 🙂👍
I have heard they made improvements but I never heard back from Triton when I provided feedback. It definitely has an affordable price. Hope it works out for you. Steve
At the end of the day none of them are perfect: Triton = junk, toss it in the garbage can. Or keep it to loan to friends if they ask to borrow the Festool or Mafell :) FESTOOL = Accels for me with drawer construction, I build drawers with exposed dominos and love the look and durability. As you said its better for narrow stock if you do a lot of it. The big negative comes when you start comparing the consumables cost. Yes, the dominos are more than a dowel but I can stomach that what really hurts is the RTA style connectors The basic KV 8/50 will cost you $2.30 EACH That really starts to add up. MAFELL = all the same accuracy and build quality of the Festool (some may argue better) However there are two big benefits not mentioned 1. The Hafele ix connect RTA connectors are only .40 cents each and only need a very small hole for the allen wrench to tighten them. The bad part is they require 45mm deep hole on one side of the fastner and the mafell only goes to 40mm so you need to chase each hole out an extra 5mm. It's not the end of the world and it goes fast but wow it would have been really nice to get an extra 5mm plunge depth. Or a shorter connector but what guy really wants that. 2. The round hole makes for easy cnc cutting on the face side, so half the panels you dont need to use the Mafell at all. Just set up the mafell to match the cnc layout and you only need to drill the holes in the ends. Yes you can technically cnc the domino hole on half the panels too but it does take more time to mill out a domino slot then a dowel hole and will cost you more sometimes a lot more for each domino. 6mm domino = $ 0.14 6mm dowel = $0.012. For a small DIY guy its not a big deal but after a few thousand it starts to add up. Not to mention the $ 1.90 difference in the RTA connector. You can buy a Mafell for the cost difference in just over 500 connectors. 500 might sound like a lot to some but they go faster than you think when you start adding up 1, 2 or more for tall cabinets per every joint on a cabinet. LAMELLO = not a fan, It has the same high cost issue for connectors as you mention and neither the face or the end panel can be done on the cnc. If you dont have a cnc then thats not a big issue but you are still paying a ton for connectors = hard pass. So its really between the festool and mafell. If you plan on using RTA connectors go with the mafell it can do more than the festool cheaper in the long run plus I agree the LR32 is a little cumbersome. So having the ability to do shelf pins easily and joints all from one tool is a great option and pushes it past the Festool, If you plan to only own one. If you need or want to make rock solid, sexy drawers that can withstand heaviest use even in a house full of kids the Festool does it without complicated time consuming dovetails. Best case scenario = owning both the Festool and Mafell one for drawers and one for carcasses. I know some will say "too much money" but the cost of a full LR32 system will just about pay for the Mafell.
I can see that your reviews are based on the performance of the machines whether good or bad. I for one appreciate a true evaluation in a shop environment. We all expect a tool to perform the task it was designed for. Some do it well and others fall short. I was considering the Triton machine and luckily saw your video before making my decision. I went with the Domino instead and did not strand that investment. Thank you very much for the honest review. I am relatively new to wood working and want my money to be invested well. I also purchased a MiniMax Jointer/Planer after seeing many of your videos. Keep up the great work.
Great video, I've enjoyed all Four in this series. I've subscribed to the channel and look forward to seeing more projects and tool reviews. Keep up the good work.
i enjoyed your videos, that being said by looking at all triton products I just feel they look and feel cheap. i always try to buy the best quality tools I can and look at all brands before a purchase as well as reviews such as this. thanks again
Some wag said "Far worse than realising you spent more than you ought to for something, is realising you spent less than you should". It hurts to pay big bucks for tools, but when you do (and get away with it) they are a joy to use. The trouble is, Triton stuff isn't actually cheap. It is 2x or 3x the price of the cheapest equivalent. $200 for a tool that does not do the job is very expensive. It'll just take up storage space sitting in a box, and it was $200 you could have put towards a domino, or take the wife out to dinner, or just kept. A waste of time, money and hope
I remember the Dieffenbach workbench from the old woodworking mags...in the adds in the back ofnthe mags. Im so happy to see one in use. You could only order it from the magazine frim what i remember.
@@extremewoodworker Steve, I know you mentioned that you don't use the Dowler much for furniture but do you think it would be ok for such? I had looked into the Domino but shipping is so back up for them, no telling when I would get one.
@@iisreset Hi Travis. I think the Duo Dowler is fine for furniture and it is strong enough. I have used it in the night stand build video. If you have stock that is narrower than about 2 inches, the dowel machine will start to have issues because of the 32mm spacing between the spindles. You could take one bit out but then you have a joint that will rotate around the dowel if you are not careful during glue-up. Since much of my furniture deals with stock less than 2 inches wide, that is why I usually opt for the Domino there.
Thanks Steve. I was considering the Triton as an alternative to purchasing a Domino. You saved me from the frustration of a tool that does not perform as you would hope and expect it to perform. I did go ahead and purchase a Domino and Dust Extractor. Thank you for putting your money on the table and giving us a true candid review of the performance of these machines. I truly appreciate your willingness to tell the truth so your viewers can skip a costly mistake. I enjoyed this series so keep up the good work. Kris
Thanks Kris. The Domino is my go to furniture joinery tool. So much so, it made my slot mortiser obsolete so I sold it. I had high hopes for the Triton but in retrospect, it is the worst power tool I have purchased in the past 45 years. Steve
ExtremeWoodworker Steve, thank you again. Selling my slot mortiser after buying a Domino is exactly what I was considering as my action plan coming into your video. If you went with the smaller Domino, as shown in the video, do you miss the slot mortiser for larger scale joinery projects, such as entry doors? Or did you buy both sized Domino machines?
Michael, I purchased the Domino XL about 3 years after introduction as I needed it for bed construction. I use the Domino 500 95% of the time. While I purchased the slot mortiser well before the Domino was invented, one could purchase both Dominos and the assortments for less than I had in the slot mortiser. Steve
Steve, thanks for your replies. I'm now narrowing down to one of these two re-tooling paths: #1 - Buy Domino 500 and keep my slot mortiser for occasional larger scale work; or #2 - Buy both Dominos and sell the slot mortiser (as a rebate of both cash and floor space.) I couldn't get the price of the Domino 700 for the slot mortiser I have, but since neither would be used for any but large scale work according to my overall plan, I'm leaning toward buying both Dominos, as handling/supporting larger stock on my slot mortiser is no doubt much more problematic than handling the 700 machine and taking it to the large work pieces would be. Cash outlay aside, does this conclusion square with your experience? Thanks, Mike
Steve, Thanks for the comparison. Found it honest and informative. Any thoughts of getting a doweller are gone. Looks like coughing up the bucks for a Domino of some version.
Thanks for the great assessment Steve! I really do appreciate the review. Haters gonna hate, it's just the way of the world. Let it fall on well-muffed ears 😉
Thanks for this great review video. The only question I still have about the Mafell is how week does it work with hardwoods and plywoods? Most of the videos I’ve seen demonstrate it being used with mdf and particle boards. Id really appreciate your thoughts on this.
Hi Clayton. I recall using the Mafell on both ash and white oak during this series and also used it on ash making the nightstand video on my channel. You do need to push a bit harder for the harder woods but it works fine. I also used it in Baltic birch ply in this recent video: th-cam.com/video/21httnfgmV4/w-d-xo.html Steve
I really appreciate the information you share in your videos. Please share your thoughts on routers that you use since I had hard time to find decent fixed base router for my Router Table.
Thanks Hamid. This one is tough for me to answer since I haven't purchased a fixed base router in well over 20 years. The router in my table is a 5 speed Porter Cable motor mounted in a lift (currently made by JessEm). If I were in the market for a fixed base router today, I think I would be looking closely at Bosch choices. Hope this helps.
This is a very good video as were Number 2 and 3. In the end I found them all (including #1) very informative. I used to do all my dowels with a jig and about four and a half years ago I bought a Mafell while in Germany so I have no need for another. Frankly, I was put off by the Festool shirt in the first video. However, I believe your assessment is fair and accurate. Glad you lost the Festool shirt though. Hat in Hand!
After watching all the evaluation videos I found I should have reserved my judgement. I watched many of your other videos as well, and have subscribed. Your shop is great.
Hi, the p fastener for the lamello,,, do you think the hold strength is just as good as glue for say example a full size wardrobe or a floating media cupboard? I just think they will come undone. Ps material birch ply 18mm :), thanks in advance for your help
If you passed the Triton on to TH-camr AVE, he could perhaps determine what would need to be changed to make the Triton a viable alternative to the Mafell. He disassembles tools noting component quality.
Yeah, AVE will give that tool a hot supper. What I like about his videos, is a large component of the reviews final score is based on the tools serviceability (ie could he put it back together).
I think he already covered it, much the same way AVE would have, without material analysis. It aint skookum for sure, but the biggest issue with cheaper grade power tools is almost always accuracy, and not necessarily durability. A saw with excessive run out, a fence that isnt square, or measurements that dont hold true. You could make the triton better, but like most tools, its built with a price point in mind. The Lamello Zeta doesn't make that much sense to me, as compared to the domino connectors. Same take down function.
2 years later and they still make the tool in the same way. I waent for the domino after watchiny your vidio, although I did find 1 youtuber that liked the Triton duo dowler .
you will always find youtubers who like useless machines. May be they are payed for that or may be they are satisfied with horrible results... there are many good or even enthusiastic reviews about cheap biscuit jointers - and all of them are crap. ExtremeWoodworker shows the issues with close up pictures - no interpretation needed. That's how reviews should be!
I bought the triton after seeing these and other videos that showed the shortcomings, as a kind of challenge to see if I could alter it. When it came in , I found no real problems. For the price, it’s a good machine. Maybe they finally retooled!
So bud, thanks for taking all the time to make these exhaustive comparisons. Obviously the tools you use matter to you, and the results they give you are important. I don't own any tritons, but I own some festools and some mafells. What people just can't see over the video is the amazing build quality of a mafell tool, and they totally hit their mark. when a mafell tool says 6mm, by god, it means it is gonna go six mm. Maybe we can't measure that worth a damn, because, 'merica, but that is a different problem. I think festool has some super innovative tooling, but their build quality is no where near the mafells that I own. So thanks for a look at an import machine, that we don't get allot of expose to. I bet you are gonna take allot of heat from the internet trolls because of your euro style tooling. But keep on keeping on. thanks for sharing.
Hello, i am new in woodworking and starting to make my workshop, and tools are too expensive and it difficult to buy some as this Triton, will you sale it for low price? Thanks in advance
Hi Steve. Hope you had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.... Did you find that the Mafell Duo Doweller better than the Festool LR 32 system? Did the Mafell work better for shelf pin holes? Did you use it for any functions other than shelf pin holes or case construction? Thanks for your time Steve. And thanks for being transparent as always. Ron
Hi Ron, I can't say the Mafell is better than the LR32 system as both perform the same function when doing 32mm system holes. The Festool is a bit more fiddley to set up than the Mafell. I have used the Mafell for some furniture construction but generally opt for the Domino route for that. Happy new year. Steve
ExtremeWoodworker Thank you. I definitely see some knockdown advantages for the Mafell. Have you had a chance to try the knock down components from Festool yet? Ron
Price side by side, and usability the festool might be the best option by what I get out of your review. but that tool is outside of my price point as a home wood worker so to narrow it down is speed really necessary when working on your own homemade stuff? And a better option might just be the biscuit jointer in that case. if its just a joint that's not going to have a lot of stress on it, Lap joints look good as well as tennon joints. sometimes when trying to make a better mousetrap we find out its just too complicated when its finished. As for hole spacing on the Mafell that could be adjustable for a machine that cost that much money from bit point to bit point as much as 1/2" or more by moving the motor up or down and sliding the drill bits to either side with a large center gear system, and each bit rotating in differnt directions. Kind of like a planetary gear system with return springs on the drill bit gears. I've never used an inline drilling machine but I'm sure the bits are not set at one spacing. So this is somthing that can be done. Its a matter of figuring out how to do it with a portable tool that has a good price point. Me buying any of the machines is not going to happen I've got other fish to fry.
I think that you may not understand the concept behind this type of tool. The 32mm spacing is intrinsic to the design of the tool and having variable spacing delivers little or no advantage to a trade woodworker (probably the target audience) who is using System 32. System 32 is the grid system on which pretty much all commercial carcassing is based in Europe and has really been the standard since Blum produced the original Blum Pearls document back in the 1970s. All Euro hardware, hinges and fittings for kitchen cabinets, bedroom cabinets and built-in furniture is designed around this system. The heavy industrial machinery (line borers, CNC point-to-point routers, etc) manufactured in Europe all have boring heads spaced at 32mm (or multiples thereof) to work with this system (you can get non-standard spacings, but at a cost) and a small scale trade woodworker buying a tool such as this would probably want to fit in with this design philosophy because it actually works very, very well indeed. Making it more complex, more expensive and less reliable by having infinitely variable spacing is counter-intuitive especially as most of the time when I'm carcassing (a low profit margin task) I want to just pick-up a tool and work, not mess around getting it set just so only to find out that my settings run 2mm out over 600mm and that the bespoke panel I've just made won't fit the factory made panel I need to dowel join it into#. Life is just too short
Trational mortis and tenon can be done with a chisel, a hammer, and patience. Dowels, domino and biscuits are in the sub family, of "loose tenon' joints. If you want to do the same joints as these machines, and your not after speed, there is nothing wrong with a manual dowel jig, which is nothing more than some way to align your drill bit with your work piece with some sort of depth indicator. In a pinch you can make your own dowel jig, get the right size drill bit, drill a perfect 90 degree hole (drill press if you have will make life easier) and some sort of fence to align with your work piece. If your going to buy a dowel jig, try and get a decent one. The more decent ones are around 100 bucks but will easily out perform this triton, simply due to accuracy and repeatability.
7 years later & the Triton is still one of only a handful of budget dowel joiners on the market. I think there may have been some modifications but it sounds like a lot of the flaws are too. I don't understand why they don't fix the issues on this (UK price) £166 tool & market a Mk2 in the £250-£300 range. I think people would pay for a poor man's domino if it wasn't for the glaring QC issues & inaccracy. It seems like there is a gap in the market for a £300 Domino alternative that gives acceptable results.
I am in complete agreement with you. They could make a tool that is actually functional by fixing these glaring issues and charging a little more. Sadly, it seems Triton and several other manufacturers are in a race to the bottom. Steve
@@extremewoodworker After extensive research I've ordered a clone (branded as Igooo) for £149. I know full well there may be issues that need addressing & I'm not expecting perfection. I have some machine tools I can utilize to fix some of the flaws & make some modifications (indexing end pins etc... ) but if I was to unsuspectingly buy one expecting a fully functioning tool out of tge box, it seems like a coin toss whether I'd be disapointed or not. It just amazes me no other companies have tried to fill that market gap. Perhaps they're all just waiting for the Festool patent to expire & don't want to hurt their reputation with a product that seems to have such a poor reputation.
I'm new to your videos. I appreciate your " just the facts, ma'm" approach very much. Intelligent and unbiased viewers can reach good conclusions on their own from such presentations. I am currently struggling with a significant shop downsize as I enter semi-retirement from a professional shop equipped with large stationary joinery machine options. From your discussion, I conclude that if one hoped to get by with just one portable machine purchase, and quality and flexibility were more important than either machine investment cost or cost/time per joint, then Domino would be the appropriate choice of the three machines you covered. Based on my premises and goals, would you agree? Thanks again for your careful analysis.
The only source in the US is Timberwolf Tools and when you call, a real person who knows the product answers the phone. www.timberwolftools.com/mafell Steve
Hi Steve thanks so much for your review, that help me a lot, one question you how have both tools are you happy with the Mafell or do you think with the Domino is more that enough?
Hi Andres, I am happy with the Mafell and the domino. Whether the domino is enough really depends on what you do the most. I tend to use the Mafell and Lamello for cabinetry whereas the domino for furniture. Occasionally, I will swap but not often. The Mafell is an exceptional joinery tool within its limits. The Mafell has a lower base that is a bit awkward for some operations but I get around that fairly easily. Steve
You really struggled sprouting "full disclosure", all well and good about sponsors. But how about $$$ ? you kept mentioning the Triton goes for $200 but you couldn't bring yourself to mention the Festoon Domino costs around $1250 and the maffell at $1290. Finally, I would like to mention maffell have brought out a new model, DuoDoweler DDF 40 this has a rack-and-pinion height adjuster which makes it very accurate compared to the free sliding and clamp Duo-Dowel System DD40P that you have. Do you plan to spend another $1000 to increase your productivity and accuracy? As for the majority, we can only look and dream and save hard, but we thank you for pointing out the Triton is an absolute Lemon!
![Festool Domino, Mafell Doweller or Lamello Zeta? [video #360]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/m78BZHu-uuA/mqdefault.jpg)
Hi 👋, I am new to your channel, great review, I have the Mafell , DD , Doweling Machine, for many years, It is not only good for doing joints on cabinetry work, but for doing pin holes inside the cabinets or bookshelves for adjustment shelving system, But the aid of a track,
Phil from the moulin,
I struggle mightily with the trend now where manufacturers, including Triton, sponsor TH-cam woodworkers, but the woodworkers will not fully disclosed the relationship. I am very grateful for your transparency on this particular issue. Folks look at these videos, in part, to find good tools to use. I think it is disingenuous when folks are paid money to use a tool but do not disclose that reality. Again, I'm grateful that you are so upfront.
I agree, but it's mostly the DIY community that sponsors go after to promote product through...
Hi Jay, I agree but I think there is also a difference between using a tool that was provided by a sponsor and reviewing that tool. I frown big time on the latter if full disclosure is not made upfront. Steve
It has created a negative impact for me in respect to the market. I think it has to be scaled back, way back. Many of them are no different that informetials.
I was considering the Triton machine and luckily saw your video before making my decision, but man the price difference is huge, great job with the video!
After seeing your videos I was curious do I picked one up yesterday. I'll check it out and see if the company took your info to heart. It's 4 years later and they still sell so I have some hope they did.
THANKS 🙂👍
I have heard they made improvements but I never heard back from Triton when I provided feedback. It definitely has an affordable price. Hope it works out for you. Steve
At the end of the day none of them are perfect:
Triton = junk, toss it in the garbage can. Or keep it to loan to friends if they ask to borrow the Festool or Mafell :)
FESTOOL = Accels for me with drawer construction, I build drawers with exposed dominos and love the look and durability. As you said its better for narrow stock if you do a lot of it. The big negative comes when you start comparing the consumables cost. Yes, the dominos are more than a dowel but I can stomach that what really hurts is the RTA style connectors The basic KV 8/50 will cost you $2.30 EACH That really starts to add up.
MAFELL = all the same accuracy and build quality of the Festool (some may argue better) However there are two big benefits not mentioned 1. The Hafele ix connect RTA connectors are only .40 cents each and only need a very small hole for the allen wrench to tighten them. The bad part is they require 45mm deep hole on one side of the fastner and the mafell only goes to 40mm so you need to chase each hole out an extra 5mm. It's not the end of the world and it goes fast but wow it would have been really nice to get an extra 5mm plunge depth. Or a shorter connector but what guy really wants that. 2. The round hole makes for easy cnc cutting on the face side, so half the panels you dont need to use the Mafell at all. Just set up the mafell to match the cnc layout and you only need to drill the holes in the ends. Yes you can technically cnc the domino hole on half the panels too but it does take more time to mill out a domino slot then a dowel hole and will cost you more sometimes a lot more for each domino. 6mm domino = $ 0.14 6mm dowel = $0.012. For a small DIY guy its not a big deal but after a few thousand it starts to add up. Not to mention the $ 1.90 difference in the RTA connector. You can buy a Mafell for the cost difference in just over 500 connectors. 500 might sound like a lot to some but they go faster than you think when you start adding up 1, 2 or more for tall cabinets per every joint on a cabinet.
LAMELLO = not a fan, It has the same high cost issue for connectors as you mention and neither the face or the end panel can be done on the cnc. If you dont have a cnc then thats not a big issue but you are still paying a ton for connectors = hard pass.
So its really between the festool and mafell. If you plan on using RTA connectors go with the mafell it can do more than the festool cheaper in the long run plus I agree the LR32 is a little cumbersome. So having the ability to do shelf pins easily and joints all from one tool is a great option and pushes it past the Festool, If you plan to only own one. If you need or want to make rock solid, sexy drawers that can withstand heaviest use even in a house full of kids the Festool does it without complicated time consuming dovetails. Best case scenario = owning both the Festool and Mafell one for drawers and one for carcasses. I know some will say "too much money" but the cost of a full LR32 system will just about pay for the Mafell.
Thank you for taking the time in the finances to do the review on these I really find it helpful
I can see that your reviews are based on the performance of the machines whether good or bad. I for one appreciate a true evaluation in a shop environment. We all expect a tool to perform the task it was designed for. Some do it well and others fall short. I was considering the Triton machine and luckily saw your video before making my decision. I went with the Domino instead and did not strand that investment. Thank you very much for the honest review. I am relatively new to wood working and want my money to be invested well. I also purchased a MiniMax Jointer/Planer after seeing many of your videos. Keep up the great work.
Thanks for the great review series and I hope to se more !
Great video, I've enjoyed all Four in this series. I've subscribed to the channel and look forward to seeing more projects and tool reviews. Keep up the good work.
i enjoyed your videos, that being said by looking at all triton products I just feel they look and feel cheap. i always try to buy the best quality tools I can and look at all brands before a purchase as well as reviews such as this. thanks again
Some wag said "Far worse than realising you spent more than you ought to for something, is realising you spent less than you should".
It hurts to pay big bucks for tools, but when you do (and get away with it) they are a joy to use. The trouble is, Triton stuff isn't actually cheap. It is 2x or 3x the price of the cheapest equivalent. $200 for a tool that does not do the job is very expensive. It'll just take up storage space sitting in a box, and it was $200 you could have put towards a domino, or take the wife out to dinner, or just kept.
A waste of time, money and hope
Agreed. The $200 Triton was the worst power tool purchase I have ever made.
I remember the Dieffenbach workbench from the old woodworking mags...in the adds in the back ofnthe mags. Im so happy to see one in use. You could only order it from the magazine frim what i remember.
Thanks for the video, I am currently looking at the mafell dowler.
Hi Travis. Glad it was of some help. Steve
@@extremewoodworker Steve, I know you mentioned that you don't use the Dowler much for furniture but do you think it would be ok for such? I had looked into the Domino but shipping is so back up for them, no telling when I would get one.
@@iisreset Hi Travis. I think the Duo Dowler is fine for furniture and it is strong enough. I have used it in the night stand build video. If you have stock that is narrower than about 2 inches, the dowel machine will start to have issues because of the 32mm spacing between the spindles. You could take one bit out but then you have a joint that will rotate around the dowel if you are not careful during glue-up. Since much of my furniture deals with stock less than 2 inches wide, that is why I usually opt for the Domino there.
@@extremewoodworker Thank you sir, I appreciate your input!
Thanks again for the very helpful and honest information, Steve.
Thanks Steve. I was considering the Triton as an alternative to purchasing a Domino. You saved me from the frustration of a tool that does not perform as you would hope and expect it to perform. I did go ahead and purchase a Domino and Dust Extractor. Thank you for putting your money on the table and giving us a true candid review of the performance of these machines. I truly appreciate your willingness to tell the truth so your viewers can skip a costly mistake. I enjoyed this series so keep up the good work.
Kris
Thanks Kris. The Domino is my go to furniture joinery tool. So much so, it made my slot mortiser obsolete so I sold it. I had high hopes for the Triton but in retrospect, it is the worst power tool I have purchased in the past 45 years. Steve
ExtremeWoodworker Steve, thank you again. Selling my slot mortiser after buying a Domino is exactly what I was considering as my action plan coming into your video. If you went with the smaller Domino, as shown in the video, do you miss the slot mortiser for larger scale joinery projects, such as entry doors? Or did you buy both sized Domino machines?
Michael, I purchased the Domino XL about 3 years after introduction as I needed it for bed construction. I use the Domino 500 95% of the time. While I purchased the slot mortiser well before the Domino was invented, one could purchase both Dominos and the assortments for less than I had in the slot mortiser. Steve
Steve, thanks for your replies. I'm now narrowing down to one of these two re-tooling paths: #1 - Buy Domino 500 and keep my slot mortiser for occasional larger scale work; or #2 - Buy both Dominos and sell the slot mortiser (as a rebate of both cash and floor space.) I couldn't get the price of the Domino 700 for the slot mortiser I have, but since neither would be used for any but large scale work according to my overall plan, I'm leaning toward buying both Dominos, as handling/supporting larger stock on my slot mortiser is no doubt much more problematic than handling the 700 machine and taking it to the large work pieces would be. Cash outlay aside, does this conclusion square with your experience? Thanks, Mike
Yes Michael. That is what I did. Steve
Great review and conclusion video, thank you!
Steve, Thanks for the comparison. Found it honest and informative. Any thoughts of getting a doweller are gone. Looks like coughing up the bucks for a Domino of some version.
Thanks for the great assessment Steve! I really do appreciate the review. Haters gonna hate, it's just the way of the world. Let it fall on well-muffed ears 😉
I appreciate the feedback James. For some reason, this series generated more hate than usual. Steve
Thanks for this great review video. The only question I still have about the Mafell is how week does it work with hardwoods and plywoods? Most of the videos I’ve seen demonstrate it being used with mdf and particle boards. Id really appreciate your thoughts on this.
Hi Clayton. I recall using the Mafell on both ash and white oak during this series and also used it on ash making the nightstand video on my channel. You do need to push a bit harder for the harder woods but it works fine. I also used it in Baltic birch ply in this recent video: th-cam.com/video/21httnfgmV4/w-d-xo.html Steve
Waited for the the review, six minutes in nothing gave up
I really appreciate the information you share in your videos. Please share your thoughts on routers that you use since I had hard time to find decent fixed base router for my Router Table.
Thanks Hamid. This one is tough for me to answer since I haven't purchased a fixed base router in well over 20 years. The router in my table is a 5 speed Porter Cable motor mounted in a lift (currently made by JessEm). If I were in the market for a fixed base router today, I think I would be looking closely at Bosch choices. Hope this helps.
Thanks Steve. Great round up.
This is a very good video as were Number 2 and 3. In the end I found them all (including #1) very informative. I used to do all my dowels with a jig and about four and a half years ago I bought a Mafell while in Germany so I have no need for another. Frankly, I was put off by the Festool shirt in the first video. However, I believe your assessment is fair and accurate. Glad you lost the Festool shirt though. Hat in Hand!
Thanks Roy. The shirt just happened to be the top one on the shelf that day, nothing more. Steve
After watching all the evaluation videos I found I should have reserved my judgement. I watched many of your other videos as well, and have subscribed. Your shop is great.
Thanks Roy. Steve
Great review. Keep up the great work.
Mighty honest video thank you very much you may have saved me some money
Hi, the p fastener for the lamello,,, do you think the hold strength is just as good as glue for say example a full size wardrobe or a floating media cupboard? I just think they will come undone. Ps material birch ply 18mm :), thanks in advance for your help
good video ,there is also the felisatti rf12/720 to prove.
good review and thank you for the information
If you passed the Triton on to TH-camr AVE, he could perhaps determine what would need to be changed to make the Triton a viable alternative to the Mafell. He disassembles tools noting component quality.
Yeah, AVE will give that tool a hot supper. What I like about his videos, is a large component of the reviews final score is based on the tools serviceability (ie could he put it back together).
Ed Vickery I
I think he already covered it, much the same way AVE would have, without material analysis. It aint skookum for sure, but the biggest issue with cheaper grade power tools is almost always accuracy, and not necessarily durability. A saw with excessive run out, a fence that isnt square, or measurements that dont hold true. You could make the triton better, but like most tools, its built with a price point in mind. The Lamello Zeta doesn't make that much sense to me, as compared to the domino connectors. Same take down function.
2 years later and they still make the tool in the same way. I waent for the domino after watchiny your vidio, although I did find 1 youtuber that liked the Triton duo dowler .
you will always find youtubers who like useless machines. May be they are payed for that or may be they are satisfied with horrible results... there are many good or even enthusiastic reviews about cheap biscuit jointers - and all of them are crap. ExtremeWoodworker shows the issues with close up pictures - no interpretation needed. That's how reviews should be!
I bought the triton after seeing these and other videos that showed the shortcomings, as a kind of challenge to see if I could alter it. When it came in , I found no real problems. For the price, it’s a good machine. Maybe they finally retooled!
...remove one cutter from the mafell for small stock...they offer an add on...
It's clear why you won't be passing along the Triton but I'll happily accept the Mafell instead! 👍
Ha Ha. Steve
Thanks for this review
So bud, thanks for taking all the time to make these exhaustive comparisons. Obviously the tools you use matter to you, and the results they give you are important. I don't own any tritons, but I own some festools and some mafells. What people just can't see over the video is the amazing build quality of a mafell tool, and they totally hit their mark. when a mafell tool says 6mm, by god, it means it is gonna go six mm. Maybe we can't measure that worth a damn, because, 'merica, but that is a different problem. I think festool has some super innovative tooling, but their build quality is no where near the mafells that I own. So thanks for a look at an import machine, that we don't get allot of expose to. I bet you are gonna take allot of heat from the internet trolls because of your euro style tooling. But keep on keeping on. thanks for sharing.
Thanks Gareth. I only have two Mafell's and they have outstanding build quality, much better than Festool IMO. Steve
Hello, i am new in woodworking and starting to make my workshop, and tools are too expensive and it difficult to buy some as this Triton, will you sale it for low price? Thanks in advance
Hi Steve. Hope you had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year....
Did you find that the Mafell Duo Doweller better than the Festool LR 32 system? Did the Mafell work better for shelf pin holes? Did you use it for any functions other than shelf pin holes or case construction?
Thanks for your time Steve. And thanks for being transparent as always.
Ron
Hi Ron, I can't say the Mafell is better than the LR32 system as both perform the same function when doing 32mm system holes. The Festool is a bit more fiddley to set up than the Mafell. I have used the Mafell for some furniture construction but generally opt for the Domino route for that. Happy new year. Steve
ExtremeWoodworker Thank you. I definitely see some knockdown advantages for the Mafell. Have you had a chance to try the knock down components from Festool yet?
Ron
Ron, I have purchased a set for the 500 but so far haven't used them. Steve
Price side by side, and usability the festool might be the best option by what I get out of your review. but that tool is outside of my price point as a home wood worker
so to narrow it down is speed really necessary when working on your own homemade stuff?
And a better option might just be the biscuit jointer in that case. if its just a joint that's not going to have a lot of stress on it, Lap joints look good as well as tennon joints.
sometimes when trying to make a better mousetrap we find out its just too complicated when its finished.
As for hole spacing on the Mafell that could be adjustable for a machine that cost that much money from bit point to bit point as much as 1/2" or more by moving the motor up or down and sliding the drill bits to either side with a large center gear system, and each bit rotating in differnt directions. Kind of like a planetary gear system with return springs on the drill bit gears.
I've never used an inline drilling machine but I'm sure the bits are not set at one spacing.
So this is somthing that can be done. Its a matter of figuring out how to do it with a portable tool that has a good price point.
Me buying any of the machines is not going to happen I've got other fish to fry.
I think that you may not understand the concept behind this type of tool. The 32mm spacing is intrinsic to the design of the tool and having variable spacing delivers little or no advantage to a trade woodworker (probably the target audience) who is using System 32. System 32 is the grid system on which pretty much all commercial carcassing is based in Europe and has really been the standard since Blum produced the original Blum Pearls document back in the 1970s. All Euro hardware, hinges and fittings for kitchen cabinets, bedroom cabinets and built-in furniture is designed around this system. The heavy industrial machinery (line borers, CNC point-to-point routers, etc) manufactured in Europe all have boring heads spaced at 32mm (or multiples thereof) to work with this system (you can get non-standard spacings, but at a cost) and a small scale trade woodworker buying a tool such as this would probably want to fit in with this design philosophy because it actually works very, very well indeed.
Making it more complex, more expensive and less reliable by having infinitely variable spacing is counter-intuitive especially as most of the time when I'm carcassing (a low profit margin task) I want to just pick-up a tool and work, not mess around getting it set just so only to find out that my settings run 2mm out over 600mm and that the bespoke panel I've just made won't fit the factory made panel I need to dowel join it into#. Life is just too short
Trational mortis and tenon can be done with a chisel, a hammer, and patience. Dowels, domino and biscuits are in the sub family, of "loose tenon' joints. If you want to do the same joints as these machines, and your not after speed, there is nothing wrong with a manual dowel jig, which is nothing more than some way to align your drill bit with your work piece with some sort of depth indicator. In a pinch you can make your own dowel jig, get the right size drill bit, drill a perfect 90 degree hole (drill press if you have will make life easier) and some sort of fence to align with your work piece. If your going to buy a dowel jig, try and get a decent one. The more decent ones are around 100 bucks but will easily out perform this triton, simply due to accuracy and repeatability.
7 years later & the Triton is still one of only a handful of budget dowel joiners on the market.
I think there may have been some modifications but it sounds like a lot of the flaws are too. I don't understand why they don't fix the issues on this (UK price) £166 tool & market a Mk2 in the £250-£300 range. I think people would pay for a poor man's domino if it wasn't for the glaring QC issues & inaccracy. It seems like there is a gap in the market for a £300 Domino alternative that gives acceptable results.
I am in complete agreement with you. They could make a tool that is actually functional by fixing these glaring issues and charging a little more. Sadly, it seems Triton and several other manufacturers are in a race to the bottom. Steve
@@extremewoodworker After extensive research I've ordered a clone (branded as Igooo) for £149. I know full well there may be issues that need addressing & I'm not expecting perfection.
I have some machine tools I can utilize to fix some of the flaws & make some modifications (indexing end pins etc... ) but if I was to unsuspectingly buy one expecting a fully functioning tool out of tge box, it seems like a coin toss whether I'd be disapointed or not.
It just amazes me no other companies have tried to fill that market gap. Perhaps they're all just waiting for the Festool patent to expire & don't want to hurt their reputation with a product that seems to have such a poor reputation.
I'm new to your videos. I appreciate your " just the facts, ma'm" approach very much. Intelligent and unbiased viewers can reach good conclusions on their own from such presentations. I am currently struggling with a significant shop downsize as I enter semi-retirement from a professional shop equipped with large stationary joinery machine options. From your discussion, I conclude that if one hoped to get by with just one portable machine purchase, and quality and flexibility were more important than either machine investment cost or cost/time per joint, then Domino would be the appropriate choice of the three machines you covered. Based on my premises and goals, would you agree? Thanks again for your careful analysis.
Hi Michael. For joinery, I do believe the Domino is the more versatile machine particularly for furniture. Steve
Where do you buy mafell in NA ?
The only source in the US is Timberwolf Tools and when you call, a real person who knows the product answers the phone. www.timberwolftools.com/mafell
Steve
Hi Steve thanks so much for your review, that help me a lot, one question you how have both tools are you happy with the Mafell or do you think with the Domino is more that enough?
Hi Andres, I am happy with the Mafell and the domino. Whether the domino is enough really depends on what you do the most. I tend to use the Mafell and Lamello for cabinetry whereas the domino for furniture. Occasionally, I will swap but not often. The Mafell is an exceptional joinery tool within its limits. The Mafell has a lower base that is a bit awkward for some operations but I get around that fairly easily. Steve
👍
dualdowelblblblblblb....versus THE DOMINO.. Get the best. Mafell bisquilt joiners are traded in massively. Just got one. Bliss.
You really struggled sprouting "full disclosure", all well and good about sponsors. But how about $$$ ?
you kept mentioning the Triton goes for $200 but you couldn't bring yourself to mention the Festoon Domino costs around $1250 and the maffell at $1290.
Finally, I would like to mention maffell have brought out a new model, DuoDoweler DDF 40 this has a rack-and-pinion height adjuster which makes it very accurate compared to the free sliding and clamp Duo-Dowel System DD40P that you have. Do you plan to spend another $1000 to increase your productivity and accuracy?
As for the majority, we can only look and dream and save hard, but we thank you for pointing out the Triton is an absolute Lemon!
It's a bad review actually. The yrs working should usually be taken with a grain of salt. Clearly he prefers the domino.
First five min. Are pointless. But I understand your desire to make a point. (Skip)
My goodness, this guy will bore me to death. Why can’t he just get to the point.
at least STEVE is a hottie. He can tickle my fancy anytime.
It was an in depth review. Dah.
Presentation a bit dead beat and boring.