Porter Cable 7.5 amp Deluxe Plate Joiner Kit PB557

Pros: Porte Cable quality, good ergonomics, easy setup
Cons: Poor quality case, sloppy depth readings.

I have been using biscuits to assemble woodworking projects since I got my original biscuit joiner a few years ago. I liked using biscuits enough that I added a second tool for use on smaller projects. I recently acquired the Porter Cable 7.5 amp ...

Pros: Precise, versatile, powerful, best design of all
Cons: None

Well, I'm happy to share my opinion about this tool. I've just started making some furniture with high quality wood (read expensive) and I didn't want to use screws, nails or glue only. One way or the other, any fastening method will require you to...

Pros: Quality, fit and finish, 135 degree fence
Cons: dust bag

I read quite a few reviews of all the major players in the biscuit joiner game prior to buying the Porter Cable 557. The fence is far and away the best available in this price range. I didn't even look at anything above $220 since I am a hobbiest, so I...

Pros: Ease of adjustment. Powerful. Ergonomic.
Cons: Dust bag

I needed a biscuit joiner to install the eb-ty hidden fasteners on my new deck. I basically looked at the Dewalt and the Porter Cable. As most people who work with wood know, Norm Abrahm knows woodworking tools and you see Porter Cable sponsoring him....

Pros: Accuracy, stability, balance, small biscuits
Cons: Price

This tool does everything I want and does it with aplomb. Believe it or not this tool is so good I find ways to use it where I might not have with another one. I had a cheaper Freud before and where I had to struggle to get a good cut with the Freud the...

Pros: Smooth sliding action, fence angle adjustment and markings, small blade, handle on top of fence
Cons: still noisy, just like all of them.

I own two biscuit joiners now, a Ryobi detail joiner and this PC 557. I've owned the Ryobi for ten years and its great for little stuff. My old business partner bought the Dewalt a couple of years ago and we've used it a lot in since. I didn't ...

Pros: power, precision, versatility, stability, dust collection
Cons: none noted

The Porter Cable #557 is my second Plate Joiner. From my first machine, I learned what I liked and what I didn't like. What I do like about the #557 is the ample power, precision, versatility, dust collection and the most stable design on the market....

Pros: Best usability/functionality
Cons: GIANT plastic case

The new P.C. plate joiner, in my epinion, is the most usable/functional tool in its class. I have used Freud, Dewalt, Ryobi, and older P.C.. This new model is easier to hold, more comfortable to operate, and most accurate. The fence has been completely...

Pros: Amazing biscuit cutter/Comes with FF blade
Cons: Haven't found one yet (well, maybe this chip bag, but who cares)

I have had my biscuit cutter now for about three years and it worked great out of the box and still works great. It's a little loud, and the chip collection bag is pretty much pointless (though the chute works fine with dust collection vacuums). All in...

Pros: Accurate, easily change depth of cut for different biscuit sizes, easy to use
Cons: none

I am a hobbyist woodworker with a fairly well equipped shop in my basement. Primarily I build furniture from hardwood stock (typically cherry, walnut or mahogany).
I recently purchased this joiner primarily as an option to making mortise and tenon...

Pros: Easy to use
Cons: None noted

The Porter Cable 557 was more expensive than the others I reviewed but it was well worth the extra money. The tool is well balanced, accurate, and the dust collection bag works very well though I have since attached it to a Shop Vac. Porter Cable has...

Pros: EVERYTHING
Cons: None

This Plate Joiner is truly an excellent piece of workmanship from Porter Cable. Fit & finish, power, functionality - it is a winner in every category. I love this tool and am always looking for an opportunity to put it to use. It is a replacement for...

Pros: Ease of use, accuracy.
Cons: Price

Even though it was a little pricey, it was less than other comparable types. Easily changed to different modes and very accurate for a home shop. May be a little heavier than I liked but well balanced which eliminates the weight con in my opinion.
I...

Pros: Well built. Very fast. Multiple angles. Easy to adjust.
Cons: Poorly designed. Useless for 90° joints and therefore useless for most cabinetry. Expensive.

This plate joiner is well made, but perhaps a little over engineered and under developed. They should have tried using this thing to make common joints before putting it on the market. When I first got this machine, I was amazed at how well it joined ...

Pros: Love the height adjustment and the clever fence design
Cons: Dust port clogs like a 1.6-gallon toilet

I support all the fine things other reviewers have said--just want to add two points. (1) My joiner's biscuit size selection wheel was too hard to turn-removed it to access the spring under the detent ball-clipped one coil off the spring--problem solved! (2) Even though biscuit joiners are inherently safe, I managed to take hunks out of a finger and thumb. I held a small block with my left hand, intending to make a light cut to see how high above the base the blade cut. I had just moved up from a Freud 100 joiner, which has a much stronger spring to push against when making a cut. So, the blade was already touching the block when I hit the trigger, flinging the block to the right and dragging my hand across the blade. Yeah, it was stupid, but it's easy to turn on the 557 with its convenient trigger switch, so be careful!