When we reviewed benchtop mortisers in August 2001, we had a lot of complaints about the crop of machines available at the time. The biggest two flaws were that the slow-speed machines tended to stall too much and the devices that held your stock in place came loose too often as you worked.

Since then, Fisch has made some significant upgrades to its machine that make it a serious contender in the benchtop market. The three biggest changes are a beefier motor, a more robust depth stop and a much-improved holddown system.

The motor is rated at 3/4 horsepower (up from 1/2 hp). It still runs at the slower speed (1,720 rpm), but it's less likely to stall in white oak and hard maple.

The depth stop is now bulletproof. On the old machine we could make the depth stop slip during normal working conditions. This new version always stays put.

But our highest praise goes to the improvements made on the holddown system. Most mortisers are a pain because the hold-down's post will pull out of the fence or the forks will pull off the post at the top. When this happens, all work stops.
To fix this, Fisch added a notch in the post that secures it to the fence - it never slips. And the top forks are now attached to the post with two setscrews instead of one.

Regarding the machine's other features, the spring-loaded micro-adjustable fence takes some getting used to. I'm more comfortable with a simpler fence system (I took the spring off so it now works like I am accustomed to). However I know many woodworkers who really like this fence system.

All told, the Fisch upgrades are impressive. If you are considering purchasing a benchtop mortiser this year, the Fisch belongs on your short list.