Biscuit jointer buying guide
Updated: October 2026
You are comparing plate jointers for a UK shed, and the listings lead with watts, stars and a photo of a case. This biscuit jointer buying guide puts the fence and the 4 mm slot first, then the depth stops and the supply you already have, so a few extra watts do not decide the basket. A biscuit joiner cuts a crescent for a compressed beech plate that keeps two faces flush while the glue cures. It suits carcasses, mitres and edge-glued panels, and it is only part of a kitchen worktop joint. The [biscuit joiner comparison](/hub/workshop/biscuit-joiner) holds the six amazon.co.uk prices. Products Compared used those listings, HSE's wood-dust note and public UK size guides, not a lab, on 19 October 2026.
You are comparing plate jointers for a UK shed, and the listings lead with watts, stars and a photo of a case.
You are comparing plate jointers for a UK shed, and the listings lead with watts, stars and a photo of a case. This biscuit jointer buying guide puts the fence and the 4 mm slot first, then the depth stops and the supply you already have, so a few extra watts do not decide the basket. A biscuit joiner cuts a crescent for a compressed beech plate that keeps two faces flush while the glue cures. It suits carcasses, mitres and edge-glued panels, and it is only part of a kitchen worktop joint. The biscuit joiner comparison holds the six amazon.co.uk prices. Products Compared used those listings, HSE's wood-dust note and public UK size guides, not a lab, on 19 October 2026.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Supply | Stated depth | Depth stops | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Einhell Einhell TC-BJ 900 biscuit jointer | 230 V mains | 14 mm | 3-stage | 8.4 | about £65.00 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Einhell Einhell TE-BJ 18 Li biscuit jointer | Power X-Change | 20 mm | 6-stage | 6.7 | about £86.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Draper Draper Storm Force 900W biscuit jointer | 230 V mains | 20 mm | Not listed as presets | 8.1 | about £61.32 | View offer |
On this page
What actually changes the joint
The joint changes when the fence is square to the blade and both boards are referenced from the same face. A dial that reads 90 degrees is not that check. Ray Girling's UK notes show how a small lean of the fence puts the biscuit out of parallel, so one face steps even when the mark lines up. Square the fence on a scrap of the same board before you trust a kitchen carcass. If that scrap slot lets the biscuit rattle in its 4 mm thickness, the cutter or the setup is wrong, and more motor power will not close the gap.
Sizes 0, 10 and 20 are the plates most UK cabinet work uses, and they are all 4 mm thick. Girling gives size 0 as about 47 × 15 mm, size 10 as about 53 × 19 mm and size 20 as about 56 × 23 mm. Lamello's H9 is 38 × 12 × 3 mm and needs a smaller cutter, so a machine sold for standard 4 mm biscuits is the wrong tool for that plate. A size 20 in thin stock breaks the face. Forty watts does not square a fence.
Corded, cordless, and what the price leaves out
A corded jointer is the simpler buy if the shed already has 230 V and you are not carrying the tool between rooms. On 19 October 2026 the Draper Storm Force 83611 was £61.32, 900 W, with a stated depth of 20 mm, a listed weight of 4.42 kg, and a 100 mm TCT blade, dust bag and case on the contents line. The Einhell TC-BJ 900 was £65.00, 860 W, with a stated maximum of 14 mm and a listed weight of 3.17 kg. Neither listing promises that the plug is a BS 1363 13 A type. Check the pins. HSE's point is that the nameplate has to match the supply you plug into.
A body-only price is the tool without the battery and the charger. The Einhell TE-BJ 18 Li was £86.99 on Power X-Change, which helps only if those packs are already on the shelf. The LIVOWALNY was £72.29 with no star line, and Makita 18 V compatibility is the seller's sentence, not a Makita line. The DeWalt DCW682NT-XJ was £277.99 and names DeWalt 18 V packs. The DeWalt DCW682B was £273.65 with a 20V MAX description that does not say a UK 18 V pack fits. That lead-versus-battery choice is on cordless or corded.
Depth, angle and the case
Depth stops matter more than a headline millimetre when they land on the biscuits you will push in. The Einhell corded listing states 14 mm and a three-stage stop. The Draper states 20 mm and does not spell out presets, so that depth field is not a size chart. The cordless Einhell states 20 mm and six stages up to size 20. The DeWalt 18 V bullets name presets for 0, 10 and 20. The LIVOWALNY claims six settings and those sizes, plus Simplex, Duplex and Max, without a maximum in millimetres. The corded Einhell states tilt to 90 degrees and does not state a stop at 45 degrees, so prove the angle on scrap.
A photo of a case is not a case in the parcel. The Einhell TC-BJ 900 contents line lists a case, and several UK reviews say it was not there. The DeWalt 18 V bullets include a T-STAK while another line says the bare unit only, and the page prints a weight of 1 kg, which is the listing figure. The LIVOWALNY components line says the jointer only, and the bullets also claim a bag and biscuits. When two lines disagree, do not average them.
Dust, the plug, and a check before you buy
A dust bag catches some chips. It is not extraction. HSE's wood-dust guidance is to extract the dust, not to sweep or blow it, and to use at least a class M vacuum for clean-up. A bag that fills after a short run leaves the crescent packed and the next plunge short. Before you add one to the basket, confirm five things. You can lock the fence and you will square it on a scrap of the real board. The stops match sizes 0, 10 and 20, or you only need the sizes the listing names. The supply is a 230 V nameplate for a household socket, or a battery platform you already own, and not a 110 V site lead unless the plate says 110 V. A cutter near 100 mm by 4 mm is in the box, or you have budgeted for one. The price is the bare tool if the title says body only, and a listed case is something you will count on delivery. Who should leave each listing alone is on the best biscuit joiner page.
Common questions
What should I check before I buy a biscuit jointer?
Check the fence, the depth stops for the biscuits you use, and the power source, in that order. A square fence and a true 4 mm slot change the joint. The 40 W between the 860 W and 900 W corded listings here does not. Then check whether the price includes a battery, a charger and the case in the photo, on the amazon.co.uk page you are about to buy.
Do I need biscuit sizes 0, 10 and 20?
You need the sizes that fit the board. All three standard plates are 4 mm thick. Size 0 is about 47 × 15 mm and size 20 is about 56 × 23 mm. A size 20 in thin stock can break the face. H9 is a 3 mm plate and needs another cutter, so a standard jointer is the wrong machine for that biscuit even when the fence is good.
Is 900 W better than 860 W?
Not on its own. The Draper is 900 W and the Einhell TC-BJ 900 is 860 W, both 230 V, both around £61 to £65 on 19 October 2026. Reviewers do not describe the extra 40 W as the thing that made the joint flush. Buy the fence you can check, on a supply you already have.
Is a dust bag enough?
A bag is a start, and it blocks up. HSE expects wood dust to be extracted, not swept or blown, with at least a class M vacuum for clean-up. The bag on these listings is not an HSE approval. If the chamber fills after a handful of slots, the next crescent is cut in packed chips. Fit a hose when the tool has a port, and empty the bag before it is tight.
What is a Lamello, and why is it not the next model up?
A Lamello Zeta with a UK plug is a four-figure trade tool, and plates such as the 3 mm H9 need their own cutter. It is not the step above a £65 corded jointer. The trade corded machine shops put next to these listings is closer to the Makita PJ7000/2, which Screwfix had at £229.99 including VAT. That Makita is outside the six tools compared here.
How do I spot a listing that contradicts itself?
Read the title, the included-components line and the bullets as three sentences. The LIVOWALNY components line says the jointer only, and the bullets claim a bag and biscuits. The DeWalt 18 V title is a bare cordless unit, one technical field says the power source is ac, and the weight is printed as 1 kg. The 20V MAX DeWalt page does not say a UK 18 V pack fits. When two lines disagree, believe neither until you have checked the nameplate or asked the seller.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison, read on 19 October 2026.
- HSE: Wood dust (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE: WIS23 Wood dust – controlling the risks (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE: Electrical equipment (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Ray Girling: Plate joiner sizes and fence (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- B&Q: How to fit a kitchen worktop (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Screwfix: Makita PJ7000/2 240 V biscuit jointer (retrieved 19 October 2026)