Porter-Cable Reviews

I recently recieved the D-handle base in the mail, I was expecting a used one for the low price and complimentary shipping, however, to my surprise received a brand-new sealed in box item! Thanks Amazon! Regarding the extra cord length, I simply unbolted the top plastic housing and cord retention clip, removed the three easily accessible hot/neutral/ground connectors. Next, cut the old cord ~ 16" from the male end, expose the three wires ~2" being careful not to cut into each wire's insulation. Then, rethread through the cord-relief rubber, bolt down the cord clip and reconnect the wires with new connectors. Lastly, reinstall the top housing. I found a 12' black extention cord that matches the male connector in case I need to switch bases.

With the added D handle for the porter cable router- normal 2 handed routing is now easier to control with 1 handed routing leaving your other hand to aid in stabilizing the lumber being routed. The D handle is well worth the extra if you do a lot of freehand or offhand style routing.

very usefull should be the base sold with the router ! Great price and Quick Shipping too !

I just bought this nailer today from Homedepot for $229. I like that it came with the case witch is a big plus. No misfires or jams. nails are pretty eazy to find either at lowes or homedepot.

I have just recently purchased this framing nailer and have been very pleased with it. It is built tough and is very easy to use. I was worried about it being heavy but that isn't the case.

I bought one of these guns back in the beginning of 2004. I have 4 now. It's very well balanced. It drives 3 1/4 nails in lam beams with ease. As long as the preasure is right on the compressor. I like the switch on the trigger for the sequential or bump fire. And then the depth knob on the nose is handy too. I sold off my two Dewalts, two Sencos, and Craftsman framers because I never used them after I got this one. It loads like a Senco from the bottom of slide. Makes for a quick reload. Mine all have cases too which is nice. The only framer I have beside these guns is my Paslode. This gun is the right size with short magazine gets into tight spots. I have only had one problem with one them the drive broke but it was under warranty. If you want a gun that will please and take a beating at good price get this one.

I received this as part of a set of reconditioned Porter Cable 19.2 volt cordless tools (drill/driver, reciprocating saw and circular saw).

The flashlight was part of the package and I initially viewed its inclusion in the set as a marketing gimmick--you know, some marketing guy's way of making you feel like you bought four tools when you had only bought three. As it has turned out, however, I have gotten great use out of the light. It's bright, the beam is powerful, the base is stable (you don't have to hold it in your hands, you can set it down) and the beam direction is fairly adjustable.

We use it all the time. It has been invaluable inside cabinets, when I crawl underneath the house, and when our electricity has not been working.

I have dropped it a couple of times from about 6 feet onto concrete and while the flashlight body and the battery have survived in good working (but cosmetically bruised) condition, the bulbs have broken.

The bulbs are hard to find in stores so buy some extras.

I know the price is higher, but when you have power failures like we do, it is wonderful. The kids don't panic when the lights go out. When maintance men have to come to our home and they have those "whimpy" lights, I hand them my light. Their first response is "Who turned on the sun?" The battery seems to last a very long time. We have had ours for almost 2 years and have never had to sit in the dark. We also have the cordless drill,(love that to) so the batteries are always charged. A perfect gift for anyone, at any age.

First of all, I am not a big Porter Cable fan. I own many DeWalt tools. The only PC tool I own before the 19.2v hammer drill is the PC 690 router. The hammer drill experience was surprisely pleasant, very nice and powerful tool. Then I notice that the case for the drill has space for this flashlight, so I picked it up. It's nicely built too. Same color as the drill and use the spare battery comes with the drill and fits in the case with the battery on. The flashlight illuminates the work nicely and bright and stays where you put it, not like my MagLite that I always have to struggle with placing it somewhere to keep it from rolling away while working on something. The head angle adjustment clicks in positions nice and tight. It's definitely a good tool worth having.

This is my second router and replaced my ... Ryobi "Router". Once again I learned the value of purchasing a quality tool, and the pleasure of violently discarding the source of far too much frustration and wasted wood.

I have cut Maple, Poplar and Pine with it so far, and it has yet to break a sweat. I cannot imagine needing another router for what I do (no shaping..). The precision of the depth adjustment is very good and reassuring. The collet system is solid - yes needing two wrenches is a bit awkward, but worth it. Not that big of a problem really, and the overall quality far outshadows this minor nit pick.

If you don't need a plunge router, buy this.

I bought mine about a year-and-a-half ago, and have routed over FOUR MILES of wood with it on a simple home-made router table. It's been through almost every wood immaginable, and a cup of coffee or two, and yet it still works great. The only cons about it: Your neighbors will not be happy with this choice. Like most routers; it's loud. The only other con would be the hand tool bit tightening system. I guess it's not too bad, though. This was the first router I purchased. Very satisfied.

If I were recommending a router to someone just getting into wood working, it would without question, be this tool.People just cant say enough about this machine and what a fine tool it is.For the money, this is best darn router on earth. Just read the reviews and ask around, and this guy will sell itself. Now get out there and make some dust.

This is one of the best sander I've used.

I own fabrication shop and use many sanders like makita and porter-cable. If you are planning to use the sander more than 8 hours a day, then it is it.

the only downside is (1) it is 30 percent heavier than the other (2) a lot of noise (3) some of the accessories are made in plastic. Older model were made with ALL metal.

It's a sad day for the trusty ole Porter Cable 504 Locomotive Sander. I just heard that Black & Decker/Dewalt bought Porter Cable, and as part of the restructuring, discontinued the 504 worm drive belt sander. Folks this was the best belt sander ever made. The design goes back decades, and was made in Jackson, TN. Dewalt's president John Schiech said in an interview "...Porter Cable/Delta showed that while these brands are strong and highly respected, their product lines were suffering from lack of investment and specifically innovation, which is a strong suit of our company." I guess Dewalt/B&D's idea of "investment & innovation" is to import more junk from China. It looks like the legendary 725 worm drive Porta Band Saw may be next on the chopping block, most dealers are currently out of stock. Call or write Black and Decker and voice you opinion to keep Porter Cable as we know it and these great old tools alive.

I have been a woodworker and finish carpenter for thirty years.There is simply no comparison between this sander and all of the lesser pieces on the market.The weight of this sander is an asset when sanding flat work.The belts can be changed quickly.I have never seen one break.If there is any drawback,it may be the lack of a dust collection system.So,wear a respirator.This sander makes it worth it.

My Porter Cable 7335 finally gave out. I've been a serious wood working hobbist for many years and this was one of the first tools I ever purchased. As I was taking this sander in for repair, I couldn't help but think just how hard this tool has worked for me over the last 16 years. I've probably used this tool more than any other tool in my shop over those years. It's been a real work horse! It's always been there to do the job, whether it be fast stock removal or fine finishing, without leaving unsightly swirl marks. Hurray for good old American quality built tools!

I am a professional cabinet maker, we have had a two of these sanders in use in my shop for several years now. Always reliable, with the exception of brushes wearing out about once a year or so. Fast stock removal, with a good overall finish quality. We use the Stickit style self-adhesive sanding discs, after a few thousand discs, the extra cost of hook/loop discs adds up. Stay with the hook/loop for small jobs though, once you take a self-stick paper off, it won't really stick right again. Highly recommended.

this sander may not be for everyone as you can take alot of material of very quickly...but thats why i love it. it dosnt leave you with a bunch of scratches either... turn down the speed and you can do some finish sanding as well. enjoy

Received my Porter Cable FR350AR framing nailer today. I've been looking a while for a nailer, but didn't want to spend $400-$500. So I thought used would be OK for a tool that would be used for the now and then weekend project. I did the 2 day delivery and it was here at noon the 2nd day (pretty good). When I opened the box the nailer came in a new case which is very nice. What I didn't expect was to find a new nailer! If this nailer was used I couldn't find a scratch on it any wear. It did have a reconditioned label on it. So I kinda feel like I got the full meal deal-----$400 plus nailer for $159 plus some change for shipping. Thanks Amazon

Was a good deal and worked as good as new. Built a 8 x 12 shed from floor to roof and it worked great and saved hours and hours and hours of time. Not to mention several smashed fingers.And I didn't nail my self as my wife feared. I have used it several times sence I built the shed. I didn't realize all the uses for it.

Came with nice case

As advertised, works well. I like it. A great bargain.

The batteries for this thing are ~$85 each. When you consider that, and the fact that this is an awesome drill, it adds up to an excellent deal. It comes with a smart charger so you don't fry your batteries and the thing has power that goes on and on and on. I can't wait until they get more of these in because I'm getting another one.

I bought this drill for my husband and it is great. He has worn out every other drill that he has used such as snap on, 12v porter cable, and several other drills but this one stands up to the test. I am hoping this will be the last one i will ever buy and so far i have nothing but praise for it. The batteries last forever and its great that it comes with two so there is no waiting. This drill is also a great price. I shopped around and this is by far the best deal. I just cant say enough about this drill. I hope this was helpful in making your purchase.

I am a professional developer/renovator. Working in old houses often means tough studs and hardwood floors and timbers that need some agressive power and other battery powered drills i have used failed the test, and this one has the strength and stammina to mix thin set mortor for the ceramic tile jobs we often do. This will be my third purchase of the same drill. My plan is to include this item in every work truck's tool box. If you only have one power tool, this out preforms a skill saw in use and versitility.

The first nailer I recieved didn't work properly, the driver wouldn't retract. I followed the instructions for oil, and used the proper nails but no luck. Amazon's return policy worked flawlessly. They sent me a replacement via FedEx 2nd day and I received a perfectly working nailer that looks as if it has never been used. The price was excellent and I was able to build 85 feet of fencing without a single problem. I think, based on previous reviews that receiving a gun that didn't work was certainly an exception and Amazon did an awesome job of correcting it.

This reconditioned nailer like all my past reconditioned tools that I have brought (22 in all)is Brand New! not a mark on it!
It pays off big time too buy these tools, I shouldn't tell anyone this for fear these tools will sell out too quickly.

I recently purchased the FR350R framing nail gun from Porter-Cable and have found the gun to perform wonderfully. My only complaint was how the reconditioned nail gun arrived with major scratches and no labels. I know this product was reconditioned, but it looked like it was used on a job site for many years performing heavy labor. I would have preferred to spend the extra money to have bought the new tool. I also bought a reconditioned finishing nail gun from Porter-Cable that performed perfectly as well, only that the finishing nail gun appeared brand new upon arrival.

I just received a new 9118 and the shoe plates are not flat -- not even close! I am returning it unused. Warped plates make this tool basically worthless. I've noticed a decline in Porter Cable quality and this is either indicative of it or just my bad luck. Porter Cable will not get a second chance on this one. $400 is a lot to pay for a relatively simple tool like this one. It shouldn't be hard to get it right! I make my living with my tools and I don't have time to waste on poor quality.

If you plain on hanging doors for a living, or already do so. buy this planer. it will last forever. with the finger lever you can adjust the height as you plane to help follow high and low spots.

for 3% bevels it is perfect. one other reviewer mentioned about beveling a block to help set. great idea. but it only takes a few minutes or less to adjust bevel.

I have owned it for 2 years (since 5 2003) and have hung over 300 doors.

kreg

Over the years I have tried lots of different ways to fit doors and have not really been satisfied with the end result until after buying this plane and the book "Door Hangers Handbook". The Spiral bit makes all the difference compared to my other straiht blade plane. The cuts are smooth and easy to control. The depth of cut lever is very easy to adjust. The Bevel fence feels real solid compared to other planes I've used. I bevel the sides of the doors to 3 degrees so I just cut a block of wood using my miter saw that has a 90 and 93/87 degree faces. This way I can set the plane to the bevel and back to 90 in a couple of seconds and it is super accurate. One last thing, this plane is much quieter than I thought it would be. I'm actually looking forward to doing more doors with it!