Porter Cable Routers

[Roger Chandler]

I have 7 routers, 5 of which are PC, and were made in Tennessee. I happened to be in a local hardware/tool store yesterday to get a can of Wipe-on-Poly, and noticed the PC routers that were on display. Seems they are now made in Mexico....at least from the manufacturing tag on the ones I looked at.

Has anyone noticed any difference in the quality of the ones made in Mexico? I know that my 3.25 hp model 7518 that is underneath my router table is rated the same in horsepower as the one on the shelf I looked at from Mexico, and they both are also 5 speeds.

Just wondering about the quality here? :confused:

[pat warner]

Used to be a PC vendor. Am well in tune with all models.
Had a theft, had to get a 7518 and 690 PK.
Still as good as ever, a pity they're not made in Jackson any more.

[Ben Rivel]

Huh, Ill have to check where my 7518 was made. Might be a pain to check the label though as that router lives in my router table.

[Robert Parent]

My 8902 made in Mexico is a piece of junk....

I have a couple of older trim routers and they are Ok, not great, but not bad.

Robert

[Ray Selinger]

I have a new Made In Mexico #690. The reviews on this model mention overheating and burning out. It makes sense, they draw more amps and weigh less. Thinner windings. I've seen the same problem with expensive German mini grinders . I would not use it in a router table for heavy cuts. It's good enough, it replaced a Craftsman, good riddance. I have a Dewalt 625 and a Bosch 1617.

[Mike Kees]

I currently own-use 3-4 PC 690 routers and one 7539 plunge router. All my 690 are made in Mexico,great routers. One rides full time in my tool trailer and gets used to cut OSB out of window and door openings framing houses and has survived ten years of framing crew abuse. Mike.

[Martin Wasner]

The only thing I've noticed is the cords on the newer ones are stiff and crappy.

I curse DeFalt daily for screwing up a perfectly good company like Porter Cable.

[Bruce Wrenn]

The only thing I've noticed is the cords on the newer ones are stiff and crappy.

I curse DeFalt daily for screwing up a perfectly good company like Porter Cable.Don't forget Delta Power Tools, which they TRASHED!

[Larry Edgerton]

I curse DeFalt daily for screwing up a perfectly good company like Porter Cable.

Ditto. I had at last count 27 PC routers. Tried one of the new ones designed after Dewalt, gave it away.

[Ray Selinger]

It's Black and Decker, not DeWalt. B&D bought DeWalt out in the late '50s or early '60s. They had to use a different name, at the time even their best Industrial B&D line was just third or fourth in quality. The homeowner B&D left a foul taste. The PC line is now a cheaper line.

[Tim Bueler]

I curse DeFalt daily for screwing up a perfectly good company like Porter Cable.

+1 on that. They also majorly screwed up Emglo...turned em into cheap POS's.

[jack duren]

I curse everyone complaining about the prices over the last 15yrs on tools. Many wonder why there made cheaper.

I like DELTA and Dewalt tools. Wonder why their stuff isn't that great anymore? Read first sentence....

Diy killed it...

[Martin Wasner]

I curse everyone complaining about the prices over the last 15yrs on tools. Many wonder why there made cheaper.

That's exactly it. Why spend $600 on a belt sander that will last the rest of your career when you can buy this lump of crap for $125, and it will last 18 months.

[Martin Wasner]

It's Black and Decker, not DeWalt. B&D bought DeWalt out in the late '50s or early '60s. They had to use a different name, at the time even their best Industrial B&D line was just third or fourth in quality. The homeowner B&D left a foul taste. The PC line is now a cheaper line.

DeWalt being the flagship brand of mediocre tools is the reason they discontinue the industrial stuff and dumb down what is left though.

I'm still blaming DeFalt.

[Warren Lake]

I never complained about pricing on stuff. The first Lamello machine I bought cost 75 percent of the car I was driving at the time. My Rockwell belt sander is almost 40 years old, was abused and works fine just replaced the on off switch thats it. at some point porter cable started making them they went downhill from Rockwell stuff, Rockwell stuff I have weighs more than what it became in Porter Cable. sounds like now more notches down. I think I paid 400.00 for the belt sander lot of money for it at the time like the Senco staplers however they are all still working fine so how much was it really.

[jack duren]

I never complained about pricing on stuff. The first Lamello machine I bought cost 75 percent of the car I was driving at the time. My Rockwell belt sander is almost 40 years old, was abused and works fine just replaced the on off switch thats it. at some point porter cable started making them they went downhill from Rockwell stuff, Rockwell stuff I have weighs more than what it became in Porter Cable. sounds like now more notches down. I think I paid 400.00 for the belt sander lot of money for it at the time like the Senco staplers however they are all still working fine so how much was it really.

Senco gray is still good. Senco "RED" not so good. Look at the nose of the 1/4 stapler on gray and then red.

[Warren Lake]

they were grey when I started, two above from the old guy are even older.

355664

[jack duren]

The problem with the Senco's you are showing were the the drivers.. The newer SKS models were much better..
.355726

[Warren Lake]

they all still work fine, mine are 37 years old the ones above even older think it says 73 on the side, ive had no failures with any of these old Sencos but have with newer ones plus dealers have had to deal with issues as well.

[Curt Harms]

That's exactly it. Why spend $600 on a belt sander that will last the rest of your career when you can buy this lump of crap for $125, and it will last 18 months.

But that $125 'lump of crap' might well last a DIYer a lifetime. I guess there weren't enough Pros buying real pro quality tools for the old time manufacturers business model to work. Kind of like old time cast iron machine manufacturers. Once they produced so many machines that would last a lifetime, there simply wasn't enough demand for new machines for them to maintain their high volume business model. It seems like the high quality manufacturers - Italian band saw manufacturers, Felder, Martin etc. have a fairly low volume high margin business model, opposite of what the old line U.S. manufacturers had. Far East seems to have the mediocre quality high volume business sewed up. At least those products might wear out and be replaced somewhat quickly.

[Mike Manning]

I search about a month ago for any threads on router recommendations. As I recall the latest ones were about 5 years old. Reading this and about all the company buyouts and takeovers, it seems it's time for a new router recommendation thread. I don't have a router and it sure doesn't sound like I can trust the old recommendations as a model that was once great could now be a POS to avoid. Yes, no, maybe?

[Art Mann]

. . . it seems it's time for a new router recommendation thread.

What you are reading here is anecdotal information. You can't always go by anecdotal information, even on forums like this one. Remember - typically only unhappy owners ever post about a tool or brand. Satisfied owners like myself rarely post positive stories. The strongest motivation to post about a tool is disappointment. My experience is wildly different than many here. I have used a a DeWalt model 618 for at least 10 years and it is, by far, the best hand held router I have ever owned. I have owned several. I have a CNC router that uses a Mexican made Porter Cable model 892 router. There are days when I run it continuously for most of the day. It has at least several hundred and possibly over a thousand hours of run time on it. I was troubleshooting a problem the other day and measured about 0.001" run-out on the spindle.

I am not saying the people here with bad experiences are making stuff up. I am just saying their experience may not be as universal as it sounds.

[Ray Selinger]

Mike, if you read Amazon's reviews, checking dates, and if there are enough, you can get a handle on the product.

[Martin Wasner]

But that $125 'lump of crap' might well last a DIYer a lifetime. I guess there weren't enough Pros buying real pro quality tools for the old time manufacturers business model to work. Kind of like old time cast iron machine manufacturers. Once they produced so many machines that would last a lifetime, there simply wasn't enough demand for new machines for them to maintain their high volume business model. It seems like the high quality manufacturers - Italian band saw manufacturers, Felder, Martin etc. have a fairly low volume high margin business model, opposite of what the old line U.S. manufacturers had. Far East seems to have the mediocre quality high volume business sewed up. At least those products might wear out and be replaced somewhat quickly.

There certainly seems to be a hole for every peg. I've made the mistake far too many times buying the lesser quality items only to regret it later though. But you are correct, the needs of there homeowner are dramatically different than those of the full-time tradesman.

[William Shelley]

That's exactly it. Why spend $600 on a belt sander that will last the rest of your career when you can buy this lump of crap for $125, and it will last 18 months.

Who the hell spends $125 on a belt sander? I bought a piece of crap model at home depot for like $30 (think it's a black & decker), and it has lasted me for about 4 years now.

[Van Huskey]

Who the hell spends $125 on a belt sander? I bought a piece of crap model at home depot for like $30 (think it's a black & decker), and it has lasted me for about 4 years now.

The same people that would react the opposite way about a $30 belt sander...

[Art Mann]

I have two perfectly good Craftsman hand held belt sanders. I bought the 4X24 to refinish flooring. I inherited the 3X21 one. They both work great. Either one will last me a lifetime. I have no use for either one of them.

[Martin Wasner]

Who the hell spends $125 on a belt sander? I bought a piece of crap model at home depot for like $30 (think it's a black & decker), and it has lasted me for about 4 years now.

People who don't know there's better options out there?

The last one I bought new was $800. In 2004. I've picked up a couple on eBay, I want to say $500 & $600 for those.

[Bill Graham]

The problem with the Senco's you are showing were the the drivers.. The newer SKS models were much better..
.355726


Hey, I've got one of those but mine came without the safety thingie. Works great, you just have to be careful where it's pointed when you pull the trigger!

[Jerome Stanek]

I have a couple of Sencos I bought back in the 70s that just won't quit. Just have to rebuild with new o rings and replace the drivers when they wear down