Porter-Cable Reviews

I purchased 2 of these units approx 10 mos ago and really enjoyed using them for the 1st 4 mos. It is a neat idea and saves alot of effort not having to haul a compressor and hose with you on small jobs. However, I began having problems with these units. Both units stopped building air pressure from the built in compressor and then one of them would not fire even when coneccted to external air (a neat option). Both units have now been back to Porter Cable twice to be repaired and one of them keeps coming back from Porter Cable cleaned up and said to be repaired but is non functional. I really like these units and wish Porter Cable could fix the problem but perhaps it's a poor mechanical design.
Note: I primarily use these units to install shoe molding on small jobs.

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST PURCHASES I HAVE MADE FOR TOOLS. IT IS SO EASY TO JUST GRAB AND GO WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT ANYTHING EXCEPT NAILS AND EXTRA BATTERY ( A MUST ). WORKS AS WELL AS A PNEUMATIC , JUST A LITTLE HEAVIER.

This tool is made in Taiwan, as the other Porter cordless tools are, not in USA which is stated in the Amazon info.

This nailer fired right up & worked flawlessly, and feels lighter than it looks. It is balanced quite nicely, and if you are looking to not have to set up the ole compressor or drag a hose around this tool is great. I also bought the Porter 12V cordless drill instead of another battery, since the drill comes with 2 batteries (that's $110 in batteries included with the $139 drill!) so I now have an extra battery for either tool.

Nice product. Is a shame Porter can't make these in USA too. If Makita can do it why can't Porter & DeWalt?

Solid construction, good power and features, and a good price - you can't really go wrong with this unit. The dual fittings and compact footprint come in handy in a small workshop. It is a little on the noisy side (though quieter than some) and has only tripped the 15 amp circuit in my garage twice in the last few months of use.

I have been a building contractor in California for over 26 years. This is the fourth compressor that I have bought. I have found it to to be a great value for the money.
Hasn't given us any of the trouble that our old " Emglo " unit did. ( blowing curcuit breakers, stalling, etc. )
My only complaint is its weight. Had I known, I would have purchased the next model up which comes with wheels. Weight is always a concern when moving from job to job.

Size of the tank is fine, but its really about the horsepower of the motor and amount of air motor can put out so that you don't have long period of motor running in order to build a pressure in the tank. This 3hp engine is much better than large size tank with 2hp engine.

I hate to paint so I decided to try a sprayer. I'm glad I purchased this gun because it saved me hours of labor if I painted the walls with brush & roller. I sprayed one coat of KILZ latex primer and 2 coats of latex house paint. I thinned both with 10% water. I sprayed treated plywood, OSB, and pine board. Easy to control spray and it didn't create fog inside the patio. I like the fact I could spray into the tight corners where a brush can't reach. Finish was nice and the gun is easy to clean. I used it with my Makita MAC 2400 air compressor. It worked pretty well but a compressor with a larger air tank would be better but my unit kept up with the work. It didn't seem to work well on the ceiling but walls == perfectly. My next task is to stain the deck and I think the gun will work fine pointing downward VS upward. It could be operator error because I am new to spraying paint. Don't forget to buy a nozzle that will work with heavy latex paint because it come with a small nozzle meant for stains.

I spray slightly thinned latex and oil based enamels on a porter cable jobsite compressor with fantastic results. Unit can be taken apart easily cleaned and different tips are available for different thickness liquids to be sprayed. A pleasure to use with little overspray and good control.

I have this sprayer and the fine finish sprayer. Both are excellent tools. I use the 2.2mm nozzle with very good results to spray latex primer and paint in new homes.

An earlier reviewer offered the information that this sprayer requires 8.5 CFM @ 40psi. While this it accurate per the owners manual, I suspect that this is "worst case" useage where sprayer would be in constant spray mode. This does not seem like a real world scenario based on my technique of releasing trigger at each end of a spray pass. This short lapse in demand cuts down on required air supply to the point where I can run this gun easily off my Porter Cable Job Boss compressor which is rated at 5.3cfm @ 40psi. The compressor runs about the same under this load as it would with 2 framing nailers and I have been very pleased with performance. It takes a pretty big compressor to supply 8.5cfm, so again, I suspect this figure is based on production type use where a staionary compressor would be available.

After the second day the nailer became inoperable. The trigger cover would not depress the trigger. I fiddled around with it for a couple of hours becoming more and more frustrated. I remembered a review here about the safety. I noticed a small metal flap under the trigger. I don't know if this is a safety but this metal flap was not pushing the trigger cover. I took a piece a wire and tied the flap to the cover. This solved my problem. My question...why should I have to do this on a tool I've had two days?

My other problem. In the box is a piece of paper that states call this phone number for problems before you call Amazon. I called the number(before I solved the problem). The only thing the Porter Cable person said was "why don't you return it to Amazon. What do you want me to do?" That's it. Why have that flyer in the box.

I will think long and hard before I ever buy another Porter-Cable tool.

After ordering this I received the Sears flyer in the Sunday paper. Significantly better deals with greater capabilities and additional tools included for near half the price.

I bought this compresser and gun about a year ago. The compresser and hose is good, but watch out for the nail gun. Mine broke last week. It wont drive any nails to the surface, even after I adjusted the depth gauge. I wonder if it had to do anything with when it accidently slipped off a piece of wood, and I accidently fired at concrete, and then that little piece came rolling out when I got the jammed nail out. Get the compressor, question the nail gun.

It's not the absolute top-of-the-line as far as framing nailers go, but it works just dandy, 'specially for under $200. I am not planning on using it for paying work, mainly just for projects around the farm: Home remodeling, a chicken barn, a water treatment shack, and so forth.
However, I am confident that I can depend on this tool for paying work if I need to.
The fit and finish is good, the gun is not too heavy and it is well balanced. The safety works, the trigger is good in either mode, the depth adjustment works well (except it helps to have a good regulator and a compressor that's not set up so it dips below 100 PSI +/-).
It doesn't sink the nailheads very well when toenailing, which is kind of to be expected. The rubber on the grip looks like it will shred before the rest of the gun wears out. And I'll have to get back to you on the durability - I've only put 200 or so nails through it since purchase. But... no jams.

So far I like this nail gun. The biggest strike against it that I've found is the difficulty in finding the appropriate nails for it - at least without buying a huge quantity.

I am very pleased with this nailer. As a homeowner/handyman type, I have found that contractor grade tools, while more expensive, usually work better and last longer. This one worked as advertised out of the box. When I was youthful, I used to throw instructions away. Now at twice that age, I read them and follow them. There are safety concerns with a framing nailer that has this much juice, but this one has good safeguards and if you pay attention to what you are doing it does a great job. I would buy another or give one to a family member without concern. Wives, this is THE framing nailer to buy him for that next gift.

I had a complete failure with a prior jig that is sold under the Rockler, Woodtek, Jet brand names. It was absolutely aweful and I wasted 10 hours of my life messing with it. I caught this on sale for around one hundred bucks including shipping from Amazon. As always Amazon was very speedy in shipping.
The jig itself is killer. I skimmed the manual the night I got it. The following day I went out to the shop, leaving the manual inside. One thing I missed was the fact that this jig has tons of instructions printed on the jig! I didn't even need the manual! The settings are soooo much easier that my prior experience. Within 10 minutes I had completed my first half blind dovetail. It was a little tight, so I looked at the router bit depth instructions printed on the jig and it advised to slightly raise the bit and try again. Bingo. Perfection. I have heard a couple of folks say that the default setting for the 3/4" material is a bit deep and requires a slight adjustment up, so if you have to pound your joints together and squeeze all the glue out, then raise your bit 1/16th of an inch.
I have not made through dovetails yet, but it seems as simple as the half blind dovetails.
I really love the 4212. It is complete and you have to buy absolutely nothing. Well you do need to make sure that you can use Porter Cable bushings directly in your router. If not(Bosch) you will need a $8 adapter. THat can be found here on Amazon or possiably a local Woodcraft or Rockler store.

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I am relatively new to woodworking. I love this jig. It is easy to set up and use. It makes perfect dovetails that give my projects that extra look. It makes me look like I've been doing woodworking for years.

I bought the miniture template also, but haven't tried it out yet.

Purchased sander to remove boat bottom paint. Worked well, but seemed to lose power in the afternoon. I think this may have been to low voltages in the boatyard. (It was hot and there could have been a power 'brownout' - I have not yet used this at home.)
Be aware you may have difficulty find 6" hook & loop sanding disks locally. My local Lowes does not stock this size.

I am a builder I have been using the 6" random orbit sander for about 10 years. I own 3 units now and have worn out 3 units in the past. I use 60 grit paper for fast cutting of paints,epoxy or rough surfaces. I use 80 grit paper for surfaces to be painted. If I could only have one sander it would be a 6" random orbit with a vacuum attachment.

I have a 15 year old model that uses sticky discs instead of hook&loop and no vac attachment. I have many hours on this sander and it has fallen off the work bench to the concrete floor and the ground many times...nothing has ever broke; This sander takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I had to replace the pad once. It has been extremely reliable and does a great job of swirl free sanding. It really slings out the dust,so a vac-setup on it would be great,which the new models come with. I highly recommend this sander!

Let me start by saying that I purchased this saw a few days ago, used it for 1 job and have returned it for the Milwaukee 6521. The Milwaukee costs about $40 more but in my opinion it is well worth the investment. Buy it right, buy it once. As I have found in the past, Porter Cable tools typically have adequate power to perform the job but lack the finer details necessary to make them the top of the line tool. This saw is no different.

On a positive side, this saw has plenty of power and beef to demolish just about anything it touches. No doubt. Although I've seen some reviewers complain about long term issues with the keyless chuck, it seems like one of the best in it's class, especially if you keep your tools reasonably clean - a simple blow-off gun cleans it right up. The ability to flip the blade upside down came in really handy and operated without an issue.

Room for improvement. One of the most notable differences between the Milwaukee and the PC was the thrashing you get from the PC. The Milwaukee has a dampener (PC doesn't) which definitely makes a difference, especially when you have to use it for an extended period of time. The Milwaukee design is also much more comfortable in the hand - from the handle to the front grip, just a much nicer feel.

The second complaint I have is that the variable speed is controlled by the amount you depress the trigger. This is great for starting cuts but it doesn't provide a great deal of control throughout the cut. This goes back to the vibration of the saw - you're trying to control depression of the trigger while holding on for dear life. The Milwaukee allows you to set the maximum speed of the saw with a dial (at full trigger) and it also allows a slow controlled start using the VS trigger.

A few other minor details that really help the Milwaukee stand out are the keyless shoe adjustment (PC uses an allen key that is waiting to get lost) and the replaceable cord. The shoe on the Milwaukee also has a better pivot point and visibility. Spend the $40 and you won't regret it.

I've had this saw for about a year now, and it can definitely handle the work. Let me start by saying that I've never been a huge Porter Cable fan. Their tools are always tough enough, but usually lack the smaller "finesse" design features that some of the other brands seem to have. In other words, a perfect choice for a recip. saw. The blade change collar works great - a HUGE improvement over my old Milwaukee with the hex key. This saw powers through wood, nails, pipe without complaint. My only complaint is minor. The blade compartment in the plastic case doesn't hold long blades. How hard is it to mold a plastic case that can handle common parts? Overall, a great value for a saw with this much power.

Plenty of power. The blade change system is the best. A little weighty but overall not too bad. An excellent choice! The 9737 is tough, versatile & powerful.

I've used it hundreds of times now, with only 1 jam!! Some people made a big deal about the adapter u need to use for nails under 1 1/4" - I HAVE NOT USED THE ADAPTER YET WHEN I CHANGE NAIL SIZE - IT WORKS FLAWLESS WITHOUT IT! To me it's a bonus to have it shoot 3/4" - 2 1/2" nails. It also has no problem shooting nails through 1 1/2" solid red oak either! - 1 MAJOR FLAW - IT'S MADE IN TAIWAN - seems porter cable is getting alot of their tools MADE IN TAIWAN NOWDAYS. You could get better quality if you spent a little more $$$ to get american made! 3 stars for overseas construction!

I'm writing this after only one day on the job. I am installing oak trim. It seems to work great & has no problems in the 3/4 solid oak. I have to agree with a couple other reviews, though. Using 2 inch nails, had to remove the allen screw. Couldn't find the allen wrench, so drove home (2 miles) to get another one. Didn't realize that it is metric, so had to drive 16 miles to town to buy one. Also had to have a #6 metric wrench to hold the nut on the back. All told; lost about [amt] to [amt] in labor out of my day & much frustration & tension. PLEASE...isn't there a better way without needing a special tool, then worrying about losing the part once it is off? Also, had to buy new air connections to convert to the more standard & less expensive type. Today felt like a 1 star day, but I'm giving the tool 4 stars anyway, just to show good faith.
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My wife and I just bought a new house and I had to install a couple hundred feet of new baseboard, so I decided to go the easy route and buy a nailer. Got the Porter-Cable last weekend and all I can say is great tool. I had absolutely no problems with it and think this had to have been one of the best tool purchases I've ever made. This one's definitely gonna get a lot of use.

Out of two sticks (100 each) of pins shot during my first project, there were more than 20 jams per stick. Although the jams were easily removed, it was the magnitude that was very disturbing...normally you may get 1 or 2 daily...not 20-40. The pressure was set correctly and I was using the pins provided in the kit but later changed to a PK package of pins on hand but the jams persisted. Other than jamming, the other features worked well. Of all my PK tools, this is the first to fail me.

As always, I am careful to give the required pre-use prep and treatment of tools I purchase. In this case, I simply placed several drops of the supplied oil into the air connect on the rear of the nailer. I used 1" pins into hard maple custom made moldings for a 6' long salt water aquarium hood. At this time there has never been a jam or failure. On one pin I was not super careful about the angle and the grain caused the tip of the pin to come out on the side. My fault, not the pinner. My only real complaint: the end of the pins do not countersink below the surface as far as I would like, and I am using 100 psi air pressure. I realize I am asking it to countersink into hard maple, but I wish there was an adjustment on the pinner to take care of this problem.

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