Porter-Cable 557 7 Amp Plate Joiner Kit | Save Money On Shopping
View Product Details Features about Porter-Cable 557 7 Amp Plate Joiner Kit Go. ». I love this tool. Read More Customer Reviews about Porter-Cable 557 7 Amp Plate Joiner Kit Go. ». This is the only joiner I have ever purchased so I don’t know how it compares to other brands but I can’t imagine any other joiner being easier to use. The micro-adjust height sets this tool apart from the other plate joiners I considered. This is my first plate joiner and even with that it was simple to set up and use. With the precision this tool is capable of, if there’s room for the slot, and you’re familiar with the tool, you can put a biscuit in it with no problem, right down to to 1 1/2". You can use the fence and adjust it to center perfectly, but then both the work piece and the tool need to be hanging off the edge of the table. This really isn’t a problem as long as you note to cut both pieces you’re joining from the same direction so that the 1/32″ offset lines up — otherwise they’ll multiply and your piece could be off by double that. The factory setting for depth of cut was set too deep and had to be adjusted. Creating pockets in birch plywood and MDF is so smooth it almost feels like like cutting through butter. However, chip evacuation with the included dust bag could be better especialy when cutting through low desity wood like ceder. I found the tool to be very easy to adjust and use. However, if you need precise height ajustment for different boards in your project then this is definitely the tool to get. If you are doing production work where you do not have to make height setting adjustments, then a less expensive model will suffice. If both the wood and the tool are resting on a bench, the hole seems to be about 1/32″ too high. Plus the fact there is no need to make your wood pieces any longer than the finished size, like a tenon. The 7 amp motor powers through rock maple and other high density woods very well. Can’t think of anything I don’t like about this tool. Low desity wood produces long stringy chips and will clog the exhuast port when the dust bag is attached. I used it on a project right out of the case and didn’t even practice with it as I probably should have.