PC 160 JT benchtop jointer from porter-cable has a two knife cutter head, a table that’s a little over 6 inches wide by about 30 inches long, and a fence that’s 4 and a quarter inches tall by about 20 inches long. The variable speed cutter head ranges from 6,000 RPMs up to 11,000 RPMs.
The depth of cut goes up to an 8 of an inch. It has a cutter head lock to help with installing new blades, a 2.5-inch dust collection port. The maximum board width that can be cut is 6 inches and the maximum length of a board you can cut is debatable. You can build some infeed and outfeed extension table sport to help you joint boards that are a little bit longer.
Porter-Cable PC160JT Jointer Review
The first thing you’re gonna want to do is clean all of the oil off of it with some mineral spirits. The cutter head guard was already installed but you need to install the cutter headlock, the dust port, and the fence.
Out of the box the tables were coplanar within about 2 thousandths of an inch over a distance of about 12 inches and that’s excellent for a jointer in this price range. The blades were set just right across their entire links. The fence on the other hand was not perfectly 90 degrees to the table and it took some fiddling to get it set just right.
To use the jointer loosen the end feed table locking mechanism adjust the end feed table height to create your desired depth of cut. And then retighten the infeed tables locking mechanism. Set the speed of the cutter head is desired and switch the machine on. You shall actually really impressed with how well this jointer performs at such a low price point.
Features and Specifications
- Minimum speed range of 6,000 RMP
- The maximum speed of cutters at 11,000 RMP
- Jackscrew leveling mechanism for easier blade adjustment
- Center-mounted fence for stability.
- Have built-in cutter headlock
- Compact in terms of size
Pros
For dust collection even small and cheap shop vac shall able to easily collect all the chips. The biggest Pros of this machine is how inexpensive it is. It’s really a great value the performance you’re getting out of this little machine. It’s not perfect but again you’re really getting a lot for your money.
Cons
There are some drawbacks to this jointer as well. The fence feels a little bit flimsy so you’re gonna have to be careful not to apply too much lateral pressure on the fence. Otherwise, you’re gonna wind up with a board that’s out of square.
The fence might weaken and become more flimsy over time but you are just gonna have to wait and see the 90 and 45 degrees top screws feel like they’re cutting into the metal when you tighten them down. And you can actually visibly see that occurring.
I doubt it’s gonna be a long-term durability issue though because they’re never gonna cut all the way through the metal. But it does make it difficult to set the stop. As you’re turning the screw and you think oh it hasn’t bottomed doubt yet I’m gonna keep turning if it may have already actually bottomed doubt and now it’s just cutting into the metal. You just have to be very delicate when you turn the stop screws.
In a Nutshell
The only thing I wish this jointer included that it doesn’t already is upgradeability to a helical head. Maybe the bird she likes people will come to the rescue. Where those small drawbacks mentioned it’s still a really great overall value. I’d highly recommend it to somebody who has their first jointer, maybe somebody who’s just getting into woodworking. I’d also recommend it to somebody who has to downsize their operation or has limited space. Again it’s really just a great value for the performance you get out of this machine.
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