I've been using the Frestool 500 Domino maker for about 1 year now, if you don't own one or haven't tried one and you're making furniture or cabinets it's a game changer. I haven't used my biscuit joiner since I purchased it- well worth the investment.

Is it really that much better than dowels?

They are amazing. We have the extra large one too we use for door frames.

What makes it better than biscuits?

What makes it better than biscuits?

Biscuits have limited lateral strength compared to a domino tenon that has a deeper cut, self aligning with larger glue surface is another benefit in my opinion.

They are way better than biscuits

The accuracy is great

Anything festoon is great

We pretty much quit biscuits years ago except for the cap edge on a counter top, mainly we use kreg screws, dados, and mortise and tenon.

I am with Dana I, what is wrong with dowels. I have an old stanley dowel jig. Works for me......jk

If you just have a few once in a while dowels work great. If you need to tenon stuff every day it's a major time saver. One domino has the glue surface of 3 dowels. I put 100 dominos into one project. That would be 300 dowels. You can also use the domino machine at angles. The plate is adjustable.

too expensive for this hobbyist.

well this is just FRICK'IN GREAT! Now I need to buy another tool. Where do you buy the dominoes, I haven't seen them anyplace.

Finster- you deserve one!
Dominos are available online or at any Woodcraft Store, about $26.00 for qty of 300. The Festool products are available at the same sources and unfortunately- never go on sale.

With the same tool you can also cut "Knock Down" style tenons- allowing you to build a project in your shop and finish assemble at a job site if you're a contractor or have that application.

After looking into it, I think I'll wait for the patent to run out and buy one at 1/10th the price. It's a great idea but they are really proud of it. The domino's too.

You're going to wait until the "domino" falls? LOL!