There is nothing wrong with a Makita mortiser. It's kind of a get what you pay for scenario I think. If you have little money and more time, use a manual boring machine like a millers falls or Boss double eagle, $300-$800. There are pluses and minuses - slower speed, but very accurate, portable, no noise, no electric cord needed. The Makita costs about $1500, requires electricity, Throws a lot of sawdust so you need eye protection and hearing protection. The next step up is something like the Mafell mortiser which is often preferred by more production shops. It's faster, more accurate, and has the chain 90 degrees to what the makita does. It lets you cut the width of the mortise in one shot as opposed to the length in segments of the Makita. It's faster than the Makita at about $5000. So just make your choice. There are trade offs for each. IT just depends on what you are after.