Wasted $300 on a cheap domino joiner from Amazon

Tbh I thought I was being smart saving money on a knockoff biscuit joiner. Ordered one of those no-name brands for around $300 because I figured how different could it be from a real Festool. First job I used it on, the alignment was off by like 2mm and it chewed up the MDF edge something awful. Took me three tries to get one joint right and I still had to fill gaps with wood filler. The fence kept slipping even after I tightened it twice. Honestly I should have just spent the extra money or rented a better one. Has anyone else had luck with those cheaper joiners or am I the only one who got burned?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyatt521mo ago

Is that really a huge deal though?

phoenix3311mo ago

Yeah I've been noticing this kind of thing popping up more and more. It's like people get used to a little issue and then suddenly nobody questions it anymore.

the_hugo17d ago

Man I used to be the guy saying "just buy the knockoff, it's the same thing" but after trying to fix that same Amazon special joiner for a friend I totally get it now. The fence on his was so sloppy you couldn't even trust the depth stop, and the dust collection was basically a joke. I had to sand down half his joints because the cutter head left weird chatter marks that looked like a washboard. Made me realize sometimes the cheap version just isn't the same tool at all.