Porter-Cable 552 13 Amp Production Pocket Cutter

by Porter-Cable

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

You simply can't beat a pocket hole cutter for production work. And this Porter-Cable is fast, accurate and helps you create a really strong joint. Perfect for kitchen and bathroom cabinet face frames as well as other furniture building, the machine has two motors that operate a router and a drill, and produces a routed pocket with a perfectly placed pilot hole in literally two seconds. The sleek six-degree angle doesn't allow for shifting, so you won't even need to clamp your work, saving you even more time and effort.

This model cuts a 3/8-inch wide pocket and then drills a 9/64-inch pilot hole in one smooth operations. Keep in mind that it works with stock that is 1/2-inch to 15/16inch thick, but within that range, you'll need to use a shim with stock that measures 1/2-inch to 5/8-inch. Minimum stock dimensions are 1-1/2 inches in both length and width, but it works equally well on a wide variety of materials, including hard and soft woods, laminate, medium-density fiberboard, melamine and even particle board.

The process is amazingly simple: Line up the center of your workpiece with the center notch on the clamping device. Tighten the clamp down, and with one smooth push and pull of the lever, you've cut a smoothly routed pocket and drilled a precisely placed pilot hole. It couldn't be easier. If you haven't used a machine like this before, give yourself a few tries on scrap until you get the hang of the movement needed to make the cuts. If you're too fast, you'll get a rough cut; too slow and you'll burn your bits.

Should you be working with a wider workpiece, there are notches 3/8-inch to each side of the center notch that can be used to make two pockets with their centers spaced exactly 3/4-inch apart.

The only maintenance that this machine wants from you is a little housecleaning after use – the chips really accumulate quickly in the machine. A breath of fresh compressed air will clean out the debris and keep your motors running cool, and thus, longer.--Kris Jensen-Van Heste

From the Manufacturer

Porter-Cable 552 13 Amp Production Pocket Cutter

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 51.5 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000022417
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 552
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #277,629 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great product !, June 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Porter-Cable 552 13 Amp Production Pocket Cutter (Tools & Home Improvement)

I build cabinets part time and was looking for a better, quicker way to make cabinet face frames when I saw this pocket cutter on a T.V. show. I ordered it and was very surprised at what the pocket cutter consisted of: a rigid metal box, a heavy duty clamp and two porter cable router motors to be mounted inside of the box. A trim router plunges into the wood for the screw pilot hole, and a standard 1.5 hp router motor plunges in at an angle to cut the pocket. It makes quick, tight joints, but is only for use on 15/16" to around 3/4" material. If you plan to do a lot of this tye of work, I highly recommend this product.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great machine if you can get one, January 17, 2007

By 

Tool Tester - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Porter-Cable 552 13 Amp Production Pocket Cutter (Tools & Home Improvement)

This unit was on factory back order for months. Some Assembly required, both motors are separately boxed from the unit. Great packing job no damage to any parts.

There was one little problem with this unit, the pilot hole drill motor was tapped for an 8mm x 1.25 screw and the machine is setup for a 1/4 20 "oops maybe thats the reason for the back order". So you must come up with a countersunk 8mm screw and drill out the mounting plate for the larger screw. You also may need to re-index the motor housing if the power cord is in the way of the mechanism.

After set up the machine does a great job!!!!!

I can only give it four stars because you should not need to modify a brand new machine to make it work. I still Highly recommend this unit as most bang for the buck..........

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars face frame mania, February 26, 2008

By 

D. R. O'Docharty - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Porter-Cable 552 13 Amp Production Pocket Cutter (Tools & Home Improvement)

This tool beats any handheld product on the market. It makes building faceframes for cabinets a breeze. I would recommend this tool to any small cabinet shop that is looking for a way to shorten and simplify the cabinet making process.