Lumberjack ToolsIndustrial Series 2 1/2" Tenon Cutter (TTA2500)

I've never really felt so disappointed in a tool to write a critical review.I have plenty of experience with tenon cutters, but this is my first experience with the Lumberjack brand. Maybe I got unlucky, and got a bad one, but I was disappointed with the effort involved with being able to get a halfway decent tenon.First, the adjusting of the blades is a poor design. It can be tricky to get the blades just right so you end up with the right size tenon and not just tearing the wood.Even more troubling is that when you do get the blade depth set correctly, right out of the box, the blades need sharpened to get a tenon that is even remotely smooth. The tenons I got with the blades as they come were so raggedy that I about sent it back right then. After cooling down(I was a little ticked) I took the blades over to the Tormek and got a new edge on them- that was a big improvement. The tenons it makes now are usable, but still not the clean, smooth tenons that I get with my other cutter(Bosworth/Barker).Tenon length. The fact that there is no adjustment for length of tenon short of putting a bolt in a slot or by looking throught the slots is a poor design, and not consistent or feasible for high production,Overall design. I feel that overall it is just a cheaply made tool. The aluminum is thinner, the arbor/shaft is lightweight and I can see that being an issue needing replacement much sooner than with other cutters.I hate to be so brutally honest, but I am looking at it from the perspective of someone who uses tenon cutters regularly in their business, and I have to call it as I see it. Unless I got a bad example(but the underlying design flaws do remain) I really don't see how anyone who has ever used a differently designed tenon cutter could possibly be happy with the results produced by the Lumberjack, especially right out of the box.If you've never used a decent tenon cutter before, you would probably be happy with it, but if you have anything to compare it to, you probably will be disappointed. I can't recommend this tool as it is.The 3 tenons on the left side of the picture show the cutter before sharpening the blades, the long shows the results after sharpening, and the tenon on the right side shows a tenon made by my 2" Bosworth tenon cutter

You will need to either drill a 2 1/6" hole for the 2" tenon to fit or sand the Tenon cut down to fit a 2" hole. leaves a pretty rough cut for what I am doing..I just finished 266 tenon cuts on various size juniper trees which is 270 ft of fence, I don't know what I would have done with out it. Set your log in a vice, you do need a strong pipe drill 500 rpm, and you better hang on to that drill it will pull the log out of the vice. My bit is still going, but will soon need to sharpened the blades, I think I have maybe 80-100 more cuts left then I will have to sharpen the blades. Also use lock tight on the screws to set your blades.

This is one of these tools that takes some practice to get to work correctly. You need to have a SLOW drill - 500 rpm is the recommended maximum but 300 is more like it.Getting it to peel off chips (vs. chattering) takes practice and a powerful drill. Only using one cutter helps, especially if your drill is under-powered. If it is peeling chips, it will self-feed on you. It will cut knots but your drill is likely to stall/slow down each time it tries.Getting it to start/run centered on the log also takes practice - it's probably better to point the log by hand so it's well seated when you start up the drill.There is a maximum cutting diameter of about 4.25" (for the 2" tenon cutter); if your log is bigger, you'll need to whittle it down before you start, not a big deal but does take time.Make sure you keep the blade screws tight - I have one somewhere in a chip pile! The supplied 1/4" long button-head cap screws are a little short for my taste but the holes are tapped deep enough that a 1/2" cap screw will work.Be prepared to smooth off chatter marks with rasp, Surform or whatever.The slots in the side to show you how long the tenon is don't work very well when the drill is spinning (you can't see the end). Better to put a plug in if you want a bunch of shorter tenons. I wanted 2" and it will cut 3" tenons, so a 1" plug did the trick.You do need to have your log well anchored, both to keep it from twisting and to manage chatter.

Used to make about 1500 feet of three rail western fence. When first purchased did not seem to work very well without allot of.pressure to make tenon, called tech at Lumberjack explained my problem suggested something wrong with blades promptly sent out replacement and it worked like a charm. Would not hesitate to buy from them again. Excellent product, great company.

We install 3-rail lodge pole pine fencing as a business and we love it! It's perfect for when you need custom length rails in the field. Careful that you don't let it dig in too deep or you can wrench your arm.

works perfect for spinning post for a porch railing system

You must be certain to come up with a REALLY secure clamping system before trying to tenon a log with this beast. It does a pretty nice job for a single task tool. I wish the actual tenon came out a bit smoother and didn't occasionally go a bit crooked. Overall it has allowed me to do some unique log work and that's what I was looking for.

We make log handrails with this tool. I prefer the 60 degree taper shoulder to the radius shoulders. You need a big 1/2" drill and hang on! I've also made a log bed for my daughter. The straight blade on this style allows you to sharpen it unlike the radius blades which I have to send out to a shop. You'll be surprised by how big these cutters are, these are very substantial. Happy building.

I use the 1 inch version of this to make lobster trap posts . Had it adapted by a machinist to fit a 2hp 1750 rpm motor .I have been using it for 3 months now . The biggest learning curve is getting the blades sharpened even with their sharpening guide .I also had to make a spacer guide to set the blades to get consistent 1 inch tenons . My usual production day is around 1500 posts , so 3000 tenons per machine . It does a pretty good job but the blades need more frequent sharpening than my previous cutters . It leaves a fuzzy tenon which is better for gluing but not necessary in my application. The radius shoulder cutters hold their edge longer if you don't need the tapered shoulder. They seem to be built to last and yes I will be buying it again. I already have 3 and will get a few more as extras in case one should fail which I doubt it will.