PORTER-CABLE Benchtop Jointer, Variable Speed, 6-Inch (PC160JT)

00 I didn't expect much from a bench top jointer, especially since I had been using a Jet 6" jointer with a helical head for the previous 12 years before retiring and closing my shop. I was sorely mistaken. This tiny powerhouse is a force to be reckoned with. It took me about 15 minutes to set up and make my first test cut, which turned out to be just as good as my Jet 6". To a three-board glue-up, I shaved off 1/32". I got myself ready to make some end table legs. The cut was straight and clean, with a perfect 90-degree angle. 'Right out of the box' is the best way to describe it. If you really want a jointer but don't have the space for one, this is the jointer for you. This unit is a good size for a floor model, and I would recommend it. It's ideal for the weekend warrior, hobbyist, or even a retired guy like me who still wants to play. It's especially useful if, like me, you still want to park your car in the garage during the winter (St. Louis winters are brutal). I put mine on a rolling cart next to my portable table saw so that I can move it out of the way when I'm done. It's extremely convenient to have it right next to the table saw for jointing and sawing (see photo).

Azariah Browning

| Jul 06, 2021

br>br>I bought mine at Lowes for $269 and this thing is pretty darn nice at that price. br>br>I had essentially the same thing, minus some features, in a craftsman that was,,, well, over 20 years old now. br>br>I had essentially The motor finally gave up the ghost. I saw this at Lowes and decided to take a chance because it was inexpensive, (enough), and convenient. br>br>The speed control, arbor lock, and table adjustment are all features that I really like. (****UPDATE: The arbor lock's IDEA appeals to me. In practice, as many have pointed out, it doesn't quite work because it conceals the bolts that hold the blades in place. The arbor lock, in its current state, serves no purpose. ) Some have remarked that the fence is,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, It is, in a way. But here's the thing: there's a catch. The depth of cut and fence setting are rarely changed by most people who own a joiner of this size. I never changed the depth of cut or set the fence to anything other than 90 degrees during the time I had that craftsman. It was inconvenient for the craftsman, but that wasn't the point. I understand that you can face "Plane" up to 6 inches of stock on this thing, but if you want to plan wood, you should use a planer. The main job of a joiner is to join the edges of things together. Perhaps you have unique woodworking requirements, such as the need to face plane wood or join an edge at a 45-degree angle. If that's the case, I'd recommend investing in a floor model. Set up the fence and be done with it if all you need to do is join edges. I've got it set up to remove 1/64 inch of thickness at a time, and I'm not going to move it. It's not a good idea to hog wood from the cliff's edge. You want to get rid of only what you need to get rid of. To that end, with the exception of possibly moving the fence in or out (for the purpose of using different sections of the blade in my case), you CAN set the fence up to be perfectly 90 degrees to the table, even if it does take some effort. And, while I don't think I'd want to do it all the time, I found that erecting the fence was actually quite simple. The fence can be fine-tuned in the vertical plane using an allen set screw. I placed my square on the deck and adjusted the screw to prevent the fence from leaning too far in. I tightened the fence locking mechanism until the friction allowed me to adjust the fence with a little effort, then turned the set screw to bring the fence back to 90 degrees to the table, then tightened the locking clamp. That fence is perfectly square to the table, and it only took me 5 minutes to put it up. The fence flexes a little, but I only noticed it when I was actively flexing it to test its strength. The fence is sturdy enough for its intended purpose, and I've had no problems using it to join wood in the past. Some have claimed that the deck is made of steel. br>br> It appears to be made of aluminum to me. That doesn't mean I think it's a good thing or a bad thing. It is what it is. One thing is certain: this does not come close to the weight of my craftsman's work. And that's actually a good thing when it comes to moving it. It has just the right amount of weight to keep it stable while in use. The fence adjustments, by the way, are perfectly reasonable on this small bench top unit, despite being inexpensive when compared to proper floor models. There are no plastic parts, and everything is made of metal. And, once again, I've found that it works perfectly in practice; the knives can be sharpened if your town has one, but the blades are inexpensive to replace. It's around 13 dollars. There's nothing to worry about. It's also a lot quieter than my old craftsman, especially at 1 speed, where it says to set it for joining widths of 0 to 1. 5 inches. 5 inches of width covers 99% of all of the wood I need to join with. So that's a huge plus. br>br>For the price, I really like this little unit, and I had no problems with the tables not being co-ordinated right out of the box. planer. It took me about 20 minutes to complete the setup. This small bench top unit comes highly recommended by me for the home hobby woodworker. br>br>I just wanted to add one more thing to a comment I read earlier. According to one gentleman, you should adjust the fence to be out of square so that when you tighten it, it pulls it back into place. He was implying that you should continue to guess until you get it right. The "Slop" in the fence pivot mechanism is what the gentleman is referring to. The pivot mechanism, for lack of a better word, "droops" when you loosen the clamp. As a result, when you square the fence and then tighten the clamp, the "Slop" in the pivot joint is pulled out, and your fence is pulled out of square as well. I solved the problem by loosening the clamp just enough to allow the fence to pivot under pressure. If you can pivot the fence at all, it won't be easy. The pivot joint will not sag as a result of this. It's at this point that the set screw comes in handy. You can turn that set screw and force the fence to move in a way that you couldn't with just your bare hands if you set the screw to make the fence tip in too far at the top after you've secured everything else. You can fully tighten the clamp once you've squared up the fence. There is no slop to pull the fence out of square because you didn't tighten it too much to begin with. It should take no more than five minutes to set up the fence. That was with me trying to figure it out on my own. There are no instructions other than "Loosen the clamp, adjust fence, tighten clamp" that tell you how to do it. My fence has not shifted, and I double-check it before each use. I honestly don't see how the set screw could come out of square because of the way it works. The only thing that could happen is that the fence would be thrown out of alignment due to the top tipping IN. It cannot tip out at the top because of the set screw. To knock the fence out of adjustment, I believe you'd have to whack it pretty hard. But I'd be more concerned about bent metal than the clamp that allows the fence to pivot in that case.

Noel Russo

| Mar 30, 2021

Since purchasing the jointer, I've run several hundred board feet through it and am very happy with the results. I've run six-inch soft wood (pine) and hardwood (oak) through the jointer with no problems, and it produces far smoother surfaces than the Wen 6552 planer I bought at the same time. Because of its small size, I don't recommend cutting to great depths. Each pass usually results in a 1/16th-inch shave or less. br>br>I've only had two minor complaints with the jointer, both of which have had no effect on its performance. First, when the blade guard was delivered, the plastic cover for the swing mechanism was broken. This isn't a major problem. Second, none of the vacuum hose adapters I own (and I have a lot) fit this jointer. I needed to go out and buy a converter. You should also get the POWERTEC 70148 Dust Control Flex Cuff with Hose Clamps, 2-Pack if you get his jointer. 1/2- Inch. If you don't have a vacuum attached to this jointer, it will quickly bog down. The dust collection, however, is excellent once you connect a vacuum. br>br>Please note that, as mentioned by an earlier reviewer, this jointer has been discontinued. Replacement blades must be purchased from a third-party vendor. PorterCable, on the other hand, is likely to release an updated version with some minor differences from this one. So I'm confident that getting new blades won't be a problem.

Lennox Decker

| Apr 21, 2021

Overall, I've had this jointer for about two months and have used it to build a table and bench out of rather raw walnut. It's a good jointer; the cuts are smooth, and the wood is flat. The thing I don't like about it is that it performed okay when dealing with long and heavy pieces. I understand that it is an entry level machine, but it was too light weight to properly handle those. It was possible, but if you need to mill large and long boards, this isn't the machine for you. You'll like it if you only work with boards under 40" and only need a jointer once in a while.

Robin Williamson

| Mar 23, 2021

I've been a woodworking contractor for 45 years (not 45 years old!). ) I bought this machine for portability and for the job site after receiving it, I started fine tuning everything when I noticed the fence guide foot was slightly bent, which must have been a factory issue before powder coating the part, so I quickly found the part online, ordered it, replaced it (thus the four stars), and everything is perfectly working now I am especially impressed with the quality of the parts, performance, and operation, I have edge and surfaced planed 5" Jatoba and I just wish someone would make a helical spiral head cutter head for it, then you'd have the ideal mini machine!.

Belle Farrell

| Sep 04, 2021