Porter Cable Biscuit Joiner: Joining Made Easy

You’ve probably filled your garage or workshop with the basic tools for woodworking, which is a good thing. But you also need to invest in top-dog equipment. Here, I’ll review the Porter Cable biscuit Joiner, a machine that will smoothen your woodworking experience and make your workpieces look better and more professional. 

Perhaps you are wondering what a biscuit joiner is; this is a power tool for joining two wooden pieces together. These pieces of wood are what are known as biscuits. This incredibly important tool lets you swiftly cut slots in two attached wood pieces, which can eventually be fitted with a biscuit to hold them together securely. 

Joining wood using a biscuit takes a short while and is easier than doing it manually. For this reason, having the best biscuit joiner on the market is imperative. Besides, it helps you improve your craftsmanship. 

With that in mind, here is my review of the Porter Cable Biscuit joiner:

Porter Cable Biscuit Joiner Overview 

For a long time, woodworkers have chosen Porter Cable as their reliable and efficient partner, at least those who prioritize quality. With the Porter Cable 557 joiner, you get great results, and it even comes at a reasonable price range, perfect even for those on a budget. 

Further, it comes with a fence design that places the blade over your workpiece where you need to make the cut. You’ll also appreciate the powerful, spring-loaded motor design, which facilitates clean cuts, after which the springs revert the motor to standby. 

Specifications 

• Dimensions: 16.38 by 1 by 8 inches 
• Weight: 10.23 lbs. 
• Blade Size: 2 & 4 inches 
• Power Source: corded electric
• Voltage: 120
• Biscuit size: FF, M, D, 20, 10

What I Like 

• It comes with several accessories and attachments.
• The heavy-duty motor easily lets this machine bore through thick plywood and hardwood. 
• It features a rugged build. 
• You can tilt the fence up to 135 degrees. 
• It offers seven depth halts for multiple biscuit sizes. 

What I Don’t Like 

• Switching blades can be tricky.
• It can be challenging to set up.  

Key Features 

Top-Quality Build 

This jointer includes a quality plastic build, neatly organized, with every component strategically positioned. The components include the bottom plate, gearbox, and fence. 

The robust construction guarantees that this joiner doesn’t shake when you’re making cuts, while the front phase will remain aligned with the 2 or 4-inch blade. These two will offer you clean and accurate cuts anytime. 

With this machine, you also get a transparent plastic plate that you can mount on the mobile section of the fence. This plate will cover the empty areas in the fence, providing you with a more substantial surface area to place your wood. 

Again, connecting the plate to the joiner makes it easier to position this machine as you like. 

Besides, you do not need to worry about dust. As I was working, this biscuit joiner eliminated the dust from the dust port at the right. But to be safe, I still wear a dust mask. Similarly, not all dust will be removed via the dust port because the blade is almost entirely enclosed. 

Lastly, you will appreciate the attached dust bag connecting to the port. 

Powerful Motor 

This Porter Cable Biscuit Joiner has a powerful 7-amp motor that delivers a whopping 10,000 RPM. This is sufficient even for woodworkers who work with hardwood. Besides, as pointed out, a dust collection system keeps your workspace always neat and ready to use. 

Fence Settings 

The fence is a vital part of this power tool and functions just right! It tilts from 0 to 135 degrees, with a positive changeable stop at 90 degrees. This offers you ample versatility for a wide range of projects. 

As part of the package, you will get a 4-inch blade, but you will have to purchase the 2-inch blade separately. As mentioned above, this is a kit, so it comes with several accessories and attachments, all extremely helpful.

The thickness plate can be handy for finding biscuits in the center of the 0.5-inch stock. 

Safety Features 

The trigger includes a lock for safety, while the micro-height adjusting key ensures that your workpiece comes out neat and professional. 

Finally, you can connect the biscuit joiner to a vacuum or set up the dust collection bag included for incredible efficiency and safety while working. This is a safe, lightweight, and compact machine compatible with 2-inch blades. 

What’s in the Box?

This kit not only comes with the Porter Cable Biscuit joiner but the following as well:

• One 4-Inch blade 
• One dust collection bag
• One spanner wrench
• One chip deflector 
• A centering plate

Something else to keep in mind is that this kit is affordable, hence perfect for woodworkers on a budget. 

Who’s It For?

The Porter Cable biscuit joiner is perfect for experienced and beginner users, thanks to its user-friendly nature. Generally, you can use a biscuit joiner to attach two wooden pieces with wooden biscuits. 

You make a shallow semi-circle hole on all wood pieces. Then, use dry powder glue and apply it in the holes together with the biscuits. 

Therefore, this power tool is perfect if you venture more into the following woodworking disciplines:

• Building shelves
• Making cabinets 
• Making frame & panel wells
• Connecting countertops to cabinets.

Why Choose the Porter Cable 557 Biscuit Joiner? 

Porter Cable has a long product line, including this biscuit joiner. The 557 series comes after the well-capable 556 biscuit joiner. 

There are a few good reasons I’m recommending this one. First, the Porter cable 557 biscuit joiner has a potent 7-amp motor that delivers 10,000 RPM. Also, it has seven-speed settings, which offer sufficient control over your project. 

The fence features a handle that gives great control over this power tool. Besides, you’ll easily be able to tilt the fence from 0 to 135 degrees for incredible versatility. 

The feature that makes this power tool stand out is the fence design. It includes a pivot point, which delivers a precise height reading, while the fencing plate will help stabilize, spacing, and center the blade. 

Furthermore, there is a blade cover with a key slot hole and the spindle lock, which makes switching blades less difficult. 

While the market has many biscuit joiners, I recommend the Porter Cable biscuit joiner; it’s a high-quality power tool and the best option if you need something efficient, affordable, and versatile. 

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