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Sawdust Girl®

Sawdust Girl®

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Porter-Cable 560 Quick Jig Review

All Posts, Tool Reviews and Overviews

Best pocket hole jigBecause of the quantity of projects I build, I’m always looking for tools that help me work faster and more efficiently and I have purchased quite a few different pocket hole jigs.  I use different ones for different jobs depending on how many holes I need to drill, how much time I want to spend setting up a “pocket hole drilling station”, where I will be working and what I’m working on.  I have a small Kreg R3 pocket hole jig that is great for attaching faceframes to large built-ins that are already installed.  The R3 works for any pocket holes that need to be drilled but it only has two holes that are spaced perfectly for a 1×2 faceframe so if you’re drilling anything wider than 2″, you have move the jig to drill more than one hole.  I decided it would be beneficial for me to invest in a larger jig to use in addition to my R3.  I first purchased the Kreg K5 (see that review here) and used that for a few months before looking for something better.  I read a lot of reviews and ended up buying the Porter-Cable 560 Quick Jig.

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Porter-Cable 560 Quick Jig review

My Porter-Cable 560 only weighs about 3 lbs more than the Kreg K5 but for me, those 3 lbs make all of the difference. Some of the problems I discussed in the K5, the Porter-Cable solves perfectly for my needs.  It’s $40 more than the Kreg K5 but that difference is well worth the benefit of the better jig IMO.

The Porter-Cable 560 is constructed mostly out of metal and is solid so it stays on the table without having to use the clamps.

Which pocket hole jig should i buy

Dust Collection

The Porter-Cable 560 has a dust collection system located on the backside of the jig so it’s not in the way when you’re drilling.  It consists of a small dust collection tray that slides in, under the drilling location.  Connect your shop vac to the dust port and it removes most of the sawdust as you drill your pocket holes.  The Porter-Cable dust collection feature is not as effective as the K5 but it does get most of the sawdust.

Pocket Hole Jig--12

 

Drill into material of any length and width

When you need to drill pocket holes in larger pieces of material, remove the dust collection tray and flip the Porter-Cable on its back.  The jig back is made to the same thickness as a standard 2×4 so you can support material of any length by simply using a scrap 2×4 to support the long end.

Pocket Hole Jig-3796

Adjustable hole spacing

Porter-Cable 560 Quick Jig has variable spaced bushings that allows you to adjust the hole location for different material widths.  Adjustment is easy: simply turn the knob to

You just twist this knob an space your pocket holes to where they need to be, but that is not all, there is no need to adjust the stop collar on your drill bit with this jig, it does it automatically to the depth of your wood just lock the wood into place and you are good to go.

Porter-Cable pocket hole jig review

Material Thickness Adjustment

One of the cool features of the Porter-Cable 560 Quick Jig is how easy it is to adjust for material thickness.

Set the “quick release” clamp, put your wood in place then turn a handle that allows you to close close the jig onto the wood that is in place.  Then open the quick release to remove the wood and put in another piece.

Porter-Cable pocket hole jig review

Drill Bit

There is no need to ever adjust the stop collar on the drill bit.  The drill depth changes with the material thickness change and the included drill bit drills to the correct depth every time.

Porter-Cable 560 Quick Jig 

Screw Length Indicator

There is an indicator on the side of the jig that shows you the correct length of screw to use based on the material thickness you are using.

Porter-Cable 560 Quick Jig  review

Bit Storage

The Porter-Cable pocket hole jig has handy bit storage right on the jig.  It comes with and stores two driver bits and one drill bit.Porter-Cable pocket hole jig review Stop Block

When you are running a batch of material of same width (like faceframes), this built in stop block saves you time.  Just put the wood in the jig so the right side is butted up against the stop block and you’re ready to go.  You can easily adjust the location of the stop or just flip it up out of the way if you’re using extra wide material.

Pocket Hole Jig-3766

 

Sum it Up

I find the Porter-Cable 560 Quick Jig to be a pretty sweet tool!  It’s heavy enough to use without clamping it to the table but light enough to mover around easily.  I can drill holes into material of any width and length by simply flipping the jig on it’s back.  Changing for material thickness is a quick one-step with no need to change the stop collar on the drill bit and the holes are clean.  The dust collection isn’t note-worthy but that’s a small price to pay for all the other benefits — in my opinion.  This is my current go-to pocket hole jig for stationary use.  I still use my Kreg R3 for remote pocket holes and find having both tools in my “tool arsenal” a real convenience.

January 28, 2015 · 12 Comments

« Kreg K5 Pocket Hole Jig Review
How to install a Door Sweep – Winterize You Home »

Comments

  1. Chris says

    January 28, 2015 at 10:43 am

    Does it use the same screws as the kreg? The kreg screws are available at Home Depot which is convenient. After reading the review I wish I had this over my kreg master system.

    Reply
    • Sandra says

      January 28, 2015 at 12:09 pm

      The Kreg and the Porter-Cable both use pocket hole screws, and you can use Kreg brand screws with the Porter-Cable just make sure you use the correct length screw for your project.

      Reply
      • Bonnie Knapp Kirschner says

        January 30, 2015 at 11:27 am

        Good to hear! Kreg is the only pocket tool stuff readily available in my neck of the woods. I’ve loved, used and abused my Kreg K4. The Porter-Cable sounds like what I want in a new boyfriend.

        Reply
  2. Christina says

    January 28, 2015 at 3:39 pm

    Excellent review!!! Thanks, it’s on my Amazon wish list now! :)))

    Reply
  3. Ava Maria Davis says

    January 28, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    Thanks Sandra for your great reviews. Hubby gave me some hand tools I had on my list and I just added this one to my growing list.

    Reply
    • Sandra says

      January 31, 2015 at 2:04 pm

      You won’t regret it Ava!

      Reply
  4. michael says

    February 3, 2015 at 1:13 pm

    dang. just got the K5… and now i see this?! tool envy, its a serious disease.

    Reply
  5. Scott W. Vincent says

    May 2, 2018 at 2:09 pm

    Thanks for the excellent review! I just purchased one as my first pocket hole jig and this was one of the most thorough reviews I read that helped me settle on this model over a K5. Thanks!

    Reply
  6. Nick says

    January 20, 2020 at 4:54 am

    Not sure how old this review is but I’d like to add to it. Beware that after some time my collar on the bit moved out of its location and should be checked often. Also once fixed and made to not move I noticed that the collar itself actually was starting to “smoosh” if you will making the drill tip side a bit longer reach than where the collar was supposed to be locked down at. Long story short I love my porter cable pocket hole system but be diligent and check yourself. As of today 1/18/2020 I can not find the jig nor bits to drill with anywhere. Was in search of a new drill bit for it and have came up empty handed. Good luck.

    Reply
  7. David Miller says

    June 6, 2020 at 3:56 pm

    Apparently it is now discontinued …

    Reply
    • Sandra says

      June 8, 2020 at 10:09 am

      Which is really disappointing because it’s still the best I’ve seen. Armor tools has a kinda similar one but you still have to adjust the depth chuck so there’s a bit more fiddle factor to change material.

      Reply
  8. Holle says

    April 15, 2021 at 5:39 pm

    As Nick said in january 2020, it´s impossible to find a drill bit anymore. It kind of drives me crazy to throw away my little gem just because of that. Was searching for an adequate replacement, nothing! You can only find plastic and flimsy tools for a lot of money. They also make you measure!

    If anyone finds a 3/8 pocket hole drill with a length around 8 1/2 …

    Reply

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