Any woodworkers?

The PC 557 is second only to Lamello. I would not hesitate to buy one, especially at that price. The lower price joiners are typically sloppy and not worth the money IMO.

 

Buy

 

Thanks guys.

Any known alternatives to the Porter Cable 2" blade, if it isn't included? Seems like they're $65 each.

 

I am sure you can get a replacement cutter from Freud it CMT for it. You only need to 2" blade for the face frame biscuits

 

Not sure why it wouldn't come with the blade still in the machine

 

My biscuit joiner is an old DeWalt I've had forever , it has never let me down

 

The older kits came with a 4" blade and a 2" blade, and the newer kits only come with the 4" blade, so I'm not sure what this kit consists of being as it's seemingly an older model.

 

2" blade seems to be available only from Porter Cable. Amazon has the best price by a few bucks.

 

Same here. I have cordless version. My PC 557 is a few years younger. I often use both as I use them for different set ups.

 

Snagged the joiner.

Won't have it in hand for a few weeks, but confirmed it's like new and hardly used.

I plan on picking up a random orbital sander as well, and because I don't have room for a table saw (and don't want a job site type saw), a good sliding miter saw so I can cut wider material. I also am wanting to pick up a circular saw and rip fence to help break down even larger pieces.. am I on the right track?

Thinking of the DeWalt 12" sliding, dual bevel miter and their 3 amp/5 inch random orbital with speed control. Input on that is welcome also.. I've had DeWalt for probably 15 years so I tend to go for that brand over others.

Any tips or input on what equipment I should really be getting from the get go? Sliding saw, circular saw w/rip fence, orbital sander, biscuit joiner, and a pin nailer is what's on my short list. When I have space I plan on a hybrid table saw (like the Ridgid cast iron) and a planer/jointer.

 

My DeWalt portable tablesaw is all I use and stores under my workbench

You should reconsider no tablesaw

 

I'd rather have a table saw than a sliding miter, I already have a fixed miter saw from DeWalt.

Most of my reading was that the job site style table saws weren't accurate enough for furniture or nicer work. I know that's your bread and butter. Which saw do you have? That was my main consideration for the sliding miter saw.

 

Table saws are only as good as their fences. I own two from Dewalt. The compact one which has a 16" Rio capacity, and the larger one has a Rip capacity of 32-1/2" . Granted, they are not a high end cabinet saw, but they work very well for jobsite use

 

If that gets me accuracy in my garage then I'm good for that.

I know the fence is super important, which maybe why they're labeled inaccurate? I don't mind extra setup time.

Do the DeWalt job site fences clamp on both ends?

 

The fence is a rack & pinion arrangement and yes you can install the fence on both side as well as run a dado head

@scocar bought the same one I have and he's too cheap to buy aluminum sawhorses

 

Which model?

 

I have 3 , all models which have been replaced by new models but they are essentially just updated versions of the ones I have

http://www.dewalt.com/en-us/product...ob-site-table-saw-with-scissor-stand/dwe7490x

 

I had a DW744 that was my site saw for over 15 years. The fence is adjustable for parrelelism to the blade. Best fence system of any on the market that I have used.

 

The fence is a big difference maker. I upgraded from a job site Makita saw to a grizzly cabinet saw. The bigger deck and fast accurate fence saves me so much time over the previous setup.

I used to have to cut most stuff with a circular saw and shop built guide. Lots of setup time.

But the Makita got me through several years and allowed me to hone some skills.

Sliding miter saw is overkill. Unless you need to cut a lot of boards 10” or wider, save your money. I have the bigger non sliding DeWalt miter. It cuts 8" boards no problem.

A drill press is another handy tool, very versatile.

Table saw, jointer, planer, router, bandsaw, circular saw, and a set of chisels will get you through all projects.

I'm also a big fan of the DeWalt line. They are turning out good products right now. Porter Cable is an industry standard as well.

 

Yeah mine are 744 and 744X's