Porter Cable- Really??

[Dan Hahr]

Well, I was at Lowe's today and saw a Dewalt HD 1/2" 18V NiCd drill on sale for $97, down from $169. Seems like a decent deal since 2 batteries cost $119.

On the next isle endcap, I saw a Porter Cable display. Well, I know all about the ownership of the companies and all. However, I was surprised to see a combo deal including a 1/2" drill and a 6 1/2" circular saw for $109. So, that's pretty inexpensive. Well, just how cheap is this NEW Porter Cable stuff being made? Is it down around the quality of Ryobi, or even lower? I hate to say it, but the tools were fairly comfortable to hold.

Also, since the Dewalt and PC tools are owned by the same company, what is the likelyhood that the batteries are made of the same quality? Speaking of, I saw the Dewalt XRP batteries on the expensive drills and kits. Is this some new technology or are the non-XRP ones the same junk you find on the Work Force, etc. tools?

I bought the Dewalt, as I could use a cordless drill and it seemed like a deal at the time. I haven't opened it yet, I am waiting on some feedback and research.

Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks, Dan

[Pat Germain]

Basically, the new Porter Cable tools you now see at Lowe's are Black & Decker's "Firestorm" tools in a new color scheme.

Trying not to open a big can of worms, I'll say if B&D Firestorm tools are suitable for you, then so would be the new PC tools. They're pretty much weekender tools. But my woodworking buddy, Dewey, has some Firestorm tools and I haven't heard him complain.

Since you already have the DeWalt hardware, my advice would be to hang onto it and not bother with the new PC tools.

[Dave Lehnert]

Here is a link to this very subject a few weeks ago.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=93207

[Andrew Nemeth]

Dan,

I actually bought one of those kits 2 weeks ago. I am a long time PC user and I certainly have noticed a difference in the quality of some of their tools in the last few years (I have an 890 router at the service center right now being looked at under warranty). I own a previous generation PC cordless drill and the new one does not seem to have as tight a tolerance as my old one but still has a decent overall feel. For the price though, there won't be too much disappointment if they don't live up to expectations in the long run. I should mention that the PC has larger blade than a some other cordless circular saws on the market giving the saw a greater depth of cut but the tradeoff is that the saw feels a little off balanced and clumsy becuase the battery sits higher off the baseplate at the shallower depth cuts (for example 1"). If you have any specific questions about the tools feel free to ask as I use these tools for work almost daily.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
The battery design on the PC tools is exactly the same as the Firestorm.
It's so poor a design. I'd have to say it's defective.

The little plastic lip that hold the battey in place will become chewed up to where the battery will no longer be held in place by it.

I have 4 Firestom tools - drill, saw, recip saw, sander - plus 3 other 18V B&D drills - the drills w/extra battery were cheaper to but than the battery itself.

Oddly, PC copied the worst part of the Firestorm design, and left out the best features - such as the removable chuck on the drill.

I'd have to rate the new PC lower than Ryobi, due to the battery design.
You'll end up having to buy replacment batteris well before they lose the ability to hold a charge - or - lot's of duct tape to hold them in place.


Speaking of, I saw the Dewalt XRP batteries on the expensive drills and kits. Is this some new technology or are the non-XRP ones the same junk you find on the Work Force, etc. tools?

The DeWalt drill you bought will take both 18 V XRP and yet to be released Phosphate Li-Ion batteries - but - you'll need to get a new charger. The one that comes with the drill is only good for the NiCad batteries the drill comes with.
When the old batteries go South - just upgrade @ that point. It could be some time though if you take care of the originals. Don't use them the first time until you've given them a full charge - NiCad has a "memory". If you use the battery the first time w/only a partial charge, then that's all the battery will ever take.
Try not to store the drill/batteries in a hot garage and also avoid using the dill to the point where it get's hot to hold it.

In retrospect, I should have waited until this year to buy a second drill. I bought two last year @ this time because buying the second one was cheaper than buying a two pack of batteries.

I've used both of the ones I bought a year ago quite a bit. I'm 100% satisfied with them. Even though they are older NiCad technology, if excersise a little care with the batteries & plan on charging the batteries prior to use, the drill works very well.

[Rafael Carias]

I was just at Blowes saturday and I also noticed the PC kit Dan mentioned, I looked like a Ryobi counter part, I was some what tempted to buy it but then I notice how heavy it felt with the battery on. I think I'll save up and buy something else