TRENDMortise and Tenon Jig for Perfect-Fitting Joints, Ideal for Furniture Construction, Fully Adjustable for Compound Angle Joints, MT/JIG

This has got to be one of the best thought out mortise and tenon jigs ever. Easy to set up and very easy to use.

So far one of my most disappointing tool purchases. I'd advise some caution on this. My complaints in brief:1. the guide bushing for the mortise has some play inside the slot that guides it, meaning that it doesn't cut straight mortises. The manual provides a method to fix this: loosen some nuts and move a plate. But when the nuts are loosened, the plate has no play. I reamed some bigger holes where the plate fits over the bolts that hold it, moved the plate, and mostly solved the problem, though some additional adjustments are called for. I'm doing too much work to create the precision I thought I was paying for.2. I cross threaded the lock nut for the mortising guide bushing. That's on me, though I'll say it wasn't hard to do. In the process of removing it, I damaged the bushing. I looked for a replacement, and was able to find some replacement sets for around $60.00. The sizes of the bushings in the set sounded like they probably included the one I need, but they sizes weren't specifically listed. So my option was to buy a $60.00 set of bushings in the hope it included the one I needed.3. Customer service. A complete listing of replacement parts in the literature that comes with the tool would be nice. I emailed Trend's sales department directly to inquire about a replacement bushing, but over a month of waiting hasn't produced a reply.So for now, I'm limping along with this tool. If I had several hours on a weekday to pursue this, I'm sure a solution could be found. I'll solve it eventually. I'll post an update when things develop further.

The instructions say to use Trend-specific router bits and give the part number for the router bit, but don't say what size the bits are. I'm left guessing which bits will work and then slowly creeping up to the right setup. For this price, I would expect there to be a more precise setup process.Cutting angled stock is also more difficult than it should be. there's an angled guide on the bottom plate but it doesn't "lock" into any position except 0 degrees. you have to ensure that the end of your stock is flush with a free-floating setup bar and also aligned with the pivoting (but not locked) angle gauge. Again, for this price point, I expected a more repeatable setup process.

Bought this for a 2x4 and 4x4 redwood frame. Assembled OK (clamps are a bit hokey, but they work) and all parts needed were included.Was hoping the jig could accommodate 2x4 and 4x4 lumber, but it doesn't deal with 4x4s. Turns out the claim of '4 inch maximum width' doesn't also imply '4 inch maximum thickness'. So I have a rather expensive pile of black painted sheet metal now. Haven't yet had the need to try it for smaller cross section lumber, maybe it works well for those dimensions.TREND: Please be more specific in the Amazon description about the minimum and maximum lumber dimensions your jig can accommodate!

Works great, Used this weekend. No issues.

Not ready for use out of the box. It appears that the top pieces where stamped out. The edges are rough and has dimples on the edges which require filing. You have to adjust the spacing for templates as not set from the factory. The instruction are well written and explained how to adjust this. The tilting back plate was not strait on the top. What I found was that tightening the tilt lock screws pulled the top outside corners in so when using the outside camps angled the middle of the timber away from the back face. A washer between the inner body and the and back plate fixed this for me. The F clamps must be a upgrade as they have pads on each end and the pad supplied to use the forth clamp does not fit these. They are of a high quality. I only gave four * because of the work involved to make it usable. All in all it is worth getting. Remove the clamp pad from the fixed end or the clamp will be at a angle. I had problems using the set up bar on the center line. it never came out right for me. Reverted to using a dial indicator from the back side. That must be why Trend recommends doing the tenon first. I do this by raising the piece above the table for center line fine tuning. Now that I have done all of this I am happy to say it makes a perfect mortise and tendon. I would highly recommend it.

I tried several different set ups and but sizes with this template and nothing worked, I couldn’t get any further than the tennon so I didn’t try the mortise. The templates have slop in them and all the hardware is cheap. For that price you should get prescision.

I didn't get a booklet with my unit i went on line and found a PDF and printed it.The guide plates aren't very accurate and move as you go. Not a high quality piece of equipment.Need to be an experienced router operator. after a few trial & error attempts I can get close enough to workReal carpenters wouldn't use this jig. The set-up bar is far from accurate.