DEWALT Biscuit Joiner, 6.5 Amp, 10,000 RPM, Retractable 45 Degree Notch, For Depth Spots (DW682K)

I replaced all our home's windows and so had to build all new window casings. My house has 13 windows, but I built casings for only 12 because we're remodeling that last room. Each window has four corners requiring 2 cuts each corner. So I made 12 times 4 times 2 cuts. That's 96 cuts not including test cuts when I set the thing up. It's made a horrible racket since the first time I pulled the trigger, but it's the first biscuit cutter I've owned so I assumed that was normal. WRONG !But it worked great for me and I made every casing totally without incident. I was completely happy.After several other unrelated projects I dusted it off to make some decorative panels. It made the usual racket for the first 2 cuts then the blade stopped turning with the motor. The motor sounded fine and the blade spins, but not with the motor. I took it apart and found the large bevel gear was half stripped. Half stripped after less than 100 cuts. Obviously I was shipped a unit with a defective gear right up front. Thus all the noise. The gear appears to be made of less than metal although it is magnetic. I'd guess some kind of pressed metallic stuff.Apparently this is a problem because most online sources are saying the replacement part - the entire case with the gear pressed in - is "out of stock". I bet.The tool is out of warranty, but I called DeWalt anyway to see what they'll do for me. After a long wait (with highly over-amped noise some might call music), giving all my information, being placed on hold several times (oh yay - more "music") I was promised an email that I could submit a warranty claim providing a copy of my receipt. It's been over half an hour since we hung up. No email yet. They have my information. I registered the thing when I bought it. I offered him my serial# so he look it up. He didn't want it.I'll update this if/when I see what happens.UPDATE: After several hours of calls/chats I finally finished a warranty process. The person gave me an order# and confirmed to me that although the replacement part is out of stock (with an expected date of "00/00/0000") I can expect it to ship within 8 to 10 business days. We will see. Then I will update this post again. I might even give them a star.UPDATE (Part Deux): I unexpectedly received a delivery today from DeWalt. Yup. They didn't just send me a replacement part. They sent me an entire new jointer (and carrying bag) ! I guess I should have expected that since we live in a throw away economy, but I was surprised none the less. Of course the first thing I did was open the box, plug it in and give it a spin. Clearly my original unit was trash from the start. This one sounds so much better. I told my daughter about the replacement jointer and she said I could now sell the old one and let someone else figure how to get the replacement part. I told her "No way". I'm keeping this one for parts since it's exactly the same as my old one. She accused me of being a hoarder. Fair enough. But I come from a time when we t least attempted to fix things before we threw them away. Plus I have entire shop to keep it in. (The land of the misfit tools !)So I changed the title and upped the stars to 4. If I had received non-defective unit from the start I would have given them 5 stars. I really do like this tool. Now I'm gonna head out to the shop, check that it's square, set it up for the cuts I need to make in the current (interrupted) project and get back to it. I'm happy with my choice of DeWalt again.UPDATE (Part III) What a difference ! This tool is great ! It cuts clean and fast. I've only used it for a few dozen cuts, but it's way better than I expected having dealt with the first unit. I'm so happy I changed my 4 stars to 5.

So I'm just getting in to making items with wood that are actually nice to look at. I grew up watching Norm and always admired his skill and his TOOL collection!On to my review - my first project with this was a deck box to store outdoor cushions and I used an assortment of 1x6, 1x4, 1x3 to make the sides, bottom and trim, plans were developed in the head, on the fly.Initial impression was good - the device appears to be well constructed, is pretty well balanced and the adjustments appear pretty easy.First use - On some scrap wood I put a few slots in it and it took a bit to figure out how the biscuit depth/size (0,10,20) was registered on rotating adjustment, once I figured this out, it was off to start joining boards, once the locations for the joint are identified, lineing up and maintaining the joiner on the spot on the wood was very easy. There is a springloaded abrasive (I don't know the technical term for it) on the face of the tool where the blade retracts that once the device is held tightly against the work surface, it holds the joiner in place for the duration of the plunge and cut. It does generate a good bit of dust and depending on your position it can end up towards your face. Eye protection is a great idea (as well as ears) when using this or any power tool. The cuts that it made (I've used it to make about 100 slots now) have all been very clean and accurate.For someone that it just getting in to woodworking, this is great tool, and I doubt that for my use (limited weekend/evening use) I'll ever exceed it's capabilities/useful life. I've got several Dewalt power tools that are 17 years old now and still function like new and I have had good experience with with their products. I am not a "DeWalt" only tool person though, I have Red, Blue, Orange, Yellow and Grey tools in my garage.Update 4/14/2015 - I've had the biscuit joiner for about a year now, and it's still operating as as new. I'm very happy with the purchase. I've since made drawers, cabinet doors and large surfaces with several boards running lengthwise. It's functioned with ease and I'm still on the first cutter blade with no discernible degradation in cutting performance (blade or motor).

No change in motor rpm when using on both oak and maple. Quickly and easily adjusts between #20 biscuits and #10 biscuits.Some people have complained about it not cleaning all of the shavings out of the groove, but I have found that if you just plunge twice, when you have the joiner in place, the groove will be dust free.As to the dust bag, the sawdust does tend to plug the chute between the blade and the dust bag. It takes a lot of cuts for it to clog, but if you take the dust bag off and clean the chute, the first time you see shavings coming out the front of the joiner, it is very easy to clean out. If you take the dust bag off and attach a shop vac to the joiner, there is no problems with the chute clogging.The design of the joiner is very ergonomic, the front handle works very well for holding the joiner both flush and square.Once you become familiar with the adjustments, it is pretty easy to make miter joints and frame joints..I am very happy with this Joiner!