Porter-Cable Reviews

This random orbit sander stacks up against the best of them. It definitely provides more power than most. Typically I wear ear protection while working with power tools, so the slightly louder performance does not bother me. I also use a wet/dry vac attached to the sander, so do not use the dust canister. I've had this sander for well over two years - and with moderate use, it's held up just great. A great addition to any busy woodworker's shop.

This sander does everything it is supposed to do. I use it primarily on hardwoods (cherry, oak) with 80-220 grit sandpaper. It has handled everything I've asked it to do without complaint. Contrary to others, the dust collection seems to work. Of course it is not as clean as using a vacuum. But there is always a substantial amount of dust in the canister.

UPDATE: This sander crapped out after only about nine months of use. The bearing seized. I was highly disappointed because I was careful to clear this sander regularly.

After having problems with other PC and DeWalt equipment, I decided that I'd try Festool. If you can afford Festool, use Festool. With the Festool vacuum, dust extraction is almost complete. Stated differently, the amount of dust left behind by this sander is huge compared to Festool. And the small, tiny airborne dust is the most dangerous.

I do finish work for a living. 99.999% of everything I do is new. So it doesn't stip layers of paint, or stain and lacquer. But when it comes to sanding woods or fillers it is a hawg. When you're working in a house and dust is floating in the air, any dust collection is better than nothing. With cannister off, a dust cloud is very evident. It is made in the USA, cheaper than competitors, and so far held up to the jobsite. It is quiter than both 1/3, and 1/4 sheet sanders I have. When I first used one, I was impressed on how effortless it was to sand with it.

I used to use a Bosch in a cabinet shop that I loved using.
Since I have a lot of Porter-cable tools so when PC came out with this I thought it was going to be more like a gray version of the Bosch I loved with improvements. Since everyone is in competition with each other it must be so.
When I had to change my first blade I was in horror. I think I have it down now but boy is it still a royal pain. I dread blade changes but I'm getting better at it. Maybe my fingers are just getting increadibly strong.
It has a lot of power and looks great.
Dust blower, nice feature, blows dust directly in front of the line you're trying to cut on.
If I have to start using this more I might sell it on ebay and get a new Bosch.

I have used my saw for several close projects. I find it very confortable to handle. With the 4 settings for the amount of blade orbiting you can get a pretty nice cut and excellant control of where you're going. The switch has good travel to allow you to control the speed of the cut without any surprises. The most difficult item with the saw is changing or taking out the blade. While it is a keyless manuver, it can be trying and you need to be careful while working to free the blade (they are very sharp).

The only complaint I paid any attention to is the dust issue. Went to Porter Cable's wesite to see if they resolved that issue. They have a dust-shield. It is part number '886775' and costs $7.05 (http://www.porter-cable.com/index.asp?e=4937). I'm Canadian, BUY NORTH AMERICAN!!

I bought my 3812 and paid $337. Feel like I got a good saw for the $. Saw was otriginally delivered damaged - Not by UPS. There was a severe dent in the front rail that jammed the whole motor housing out of alignment. No damage to the box, which means it was packaged that way and sent out! That saw was immediately returned and replaced with a new one. The second - All set-up measurements were in-line, bevel proper, miter gauge accurate. Only had to adjust the blade insert elevation. After that 15 second task - went right to work milling down lumber for door jambs. Light and manueverable taking to job sites. More than enough power. In short - no problems/complaints with operation. Only a suggestion - the 4 bolts that hold saw to folding stand .... loose the nuts/washers ....... use wing nuts.

I received my saw about 6 weeks ago and other than the lousy packing or I should say the lack of it everything has been A OK. I checked all settings and they were right on the money.Its a lot quieter than my old craftsman,which I will give to my son in law.I have ripped 1 pc of maple, some plywood and several 2x4 s.I bought the 3812 without the stand as I had one that I made. Paid 355.00 for it on amazon.They better start filling the box with more foam,as the letters I have read all complain about the damage to their saws. Mine had a 2 inch hole in one end but no damage. Bob,Upstate N.Y.

I purchased the Porter-Cable 3812 with the folding stand and within 30 minutes of the box arriving at my house, had it setup and cutting wood. The stand is very stable and bolts to the base of the saw providing good support even on uneven surfaces. The saw rips through heavy stock with little hesitation. The sawdust is expelled out the back and it was easy to rig a PVC elbow to direct the shavings into a bin. The safety guard does not flip out of the way but it does have a spring steel retaining clip that provides for quick and easy removal of the unit. The outfeed support is a worthwhile addition to provide more room for material to be fed to the blade. The stock blade is adequate but a new Freud 50 tooth combo blade will provide a worthwhile upgrade. At $355 including the stand and shipping, the saw is a good value for the money.

Have had this gun for four years, and had no problens with it's performance. As a professional woodworker it gets a lot of use. my only qualm is the rubber tip. While it protects the surface you are nailing, it easily slips of the end and after tht is easily lost. Ther are times where taking it off (rough construction) is a bonus, it lives in place the majority of the time. It has never jamed, it drives commandingly and the adjustable depth of drive tip makes it a snap to consistently set the nails when changing from dense hardwoods to softwoods. If you aren't carfful it is possible to double dribe a nail, or drive two nails in advertently. The newer model of this gun has solved this problem. It is a good buy and a great gun

I have been working with this gun for a year now. I work with pine sideing a lot. There is not a better gun out there. The depth ajustment is very accurate. I have the trigger that only lets you fire once so I have never had a double fire. I highly recommend this gun and trigger.

As a professional house-builder I am VERY impressed with this gun. It shoots through the hardest oak with no problem. Like all pneumatic nail guns, it can be touchy in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use it. All nail guns will "double shoot" if not handled properly. My only advise would be to practice until you are comfortable using the gun, or stick to a hammer.

Fisrt, I did not buy this unit through Amazon, but rather Menards. I was looking for the advertised accuracy of 1/4" in 75', but upon purchase I find the bubble vial levels built into the unit are not very good, with way too much space between the bubbles and the lines for any kind of accuracy.
I also found after purchase, that in fact the factory web site at their FAQ section said this;
"Q: What is the accuracy of the bubble vials?
A: The front vial is accurate +/- 10mm at 10 meters. The left vial is accurate +/- 13mm at 10 meters. The top vial is accurate +/- 13mm at 10 meters."......

Ok, appox. 1/2" at 34', not 1/4 inch at 75 foot.
So maybe the laser is capable of 1/4" at 75' but if the level bubbles are not, a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link, and the published accuracy on the package should state this!
I called the factory 3 times today and was only able to leave a message, (could not reach Cust. Service) so I cannot find out if I can piggy-back it onto an accurate level to improve accuracy.

The switch on the other hand, while a little touchy, was not a big issue with me compared to the accuracy.

So, accuracy on package is inconsistant with factory web sight,
hard to get ahold of factory customer service, and a switch that many do not like, my suggestion is make sure if you purchase this level, you can return it, most likely I will.

Great level and features. However, the on/off switch is easily turned on unintentionally. The switch is spring loaded in the off position and can turn on when bumped or touched inadvertantly. I worry about it being turned on by accident in my tool box.

this space saving gizmo really works big time for vertical level from the spot on the floor to the 30 foot sprinkler heads.

Amzn shipping took way too long for me to give this product a positive review- I recommend purchasing elsewhere. Many eBay sites ship same-day.

This is, so far, a great little machine.
First point to address is the sticking collet. I've got a Vintage Sears, switch in the grip, and "59" Chevy dome light bulb in the base, that freezes the bit so I just leave a 3/4" straight there 'cause I use it all the time. I suspected that the PC 310 had the same type of short single split squat angle rig as the Sears which it did but thanks to the previous review I tried, (Extra Fine Graphite Powder,)" and this thing spits the bit and collet right out for the most part. I even tightened a rusty shank bit and it popped right out. With out the graphite it stuck almost as well as the Sears. I'm gonna' try the Graphite on the old Sears to breath new life in the antique.
OK. So here's the scoop so far. I just got the thing today and the first thing that was wrong was the little push pin to align the motor was broken on the protruting tip which scared the soft aluminum motor slot. I pushed the pin out with a nail head and Channel lock pliers from the base's inside, tapped the hole with a 4 mm X.75 but only found .70 mm pitch set screw at the hardware store so ground it down to a flat point and removed the leading threads to fit the slot that I dressed with needle files and now it works better than I'd imagine new. When I get my drill press set up I'll drill and tap a hole on the opposing side of the base to have a more stable run for lowering and raising the motor. There's Nothing Made by the Hand of Man that can't stand a little improving so, "Why not?"
Anyway I'm planing on getting the 3 axis Plunge Mill from www.microfence.com to turn this little Puppy into a full fledged miniature plunge router to use the above the straight bit bearing cutter for template routing pickups on electric guitars. Look over the MicroFence stuff but have your NitroGlycerin and Oxygen mask handy, (it's only Money) but we want TOOLS more.
So far I've only done a few cuts with this miniture marvel, Oh! I've got a PC 7518, 2 - PC 690 s one with the plunge kit and an Old Makita 3600B plunge router besides the Sears. I'm not just router nuts, that's pretty much the way I approach everything. There's a logic though. The 7518 is in the Bench Dog Max lift nestled in their iron wing on my Jet Contractors saw and one of the PC 690 s will reside in the WoodPecker PRL on the Jets right side leaving one PC 690 for hand work along with all this other stuff. See, it all makes sense in the end, Huhh???
OK so here's the BIG conclusion. Everything good that's been said on the other posts is probably true, if it's got a little problem, like the broken alignment pin, it's fixable but most of all, if you're having problems with stuck bits, try the Graphite powder before sending it back or dumpin' it in your wifes garage sale. Thanks for reading this and remember to be nice to each other.

Have used this product for the last 12 years in production.
Like Lee Iacocca says " If you find a better one buy it".

First I will start by saying PC makes a good compressor and we have two at the company I work for. I finally decided to buy my own as Amazon was giving really good deals on price and shipping. The first C3551 showed up with the roll cage dented in two places, the air filter post bent, scratched everywhere and the big problem something metal was loose in the engine and you could hear it banging around as you moved the compressor around. Oh well stuff happens so I sent it back for an exchange (Amazon made this really easy). The second C3551 that showed had a dented roll cage also but the big problem was more metal clanging around in the motor. What's up with that? I sent this one back for a refund. I called Porter Cable and they said it was probaly droped in shipping. Now for my real gripe, Porter Cable you really need to start packing your product better. The only protection for a 90lbs. compressor was two flimsy pieces of cardboard on either side of the unit. How about some foam? You need to take a lesson from Bosch when it comes the packing tools. I think all of my problems could have been solved with better packaging and Porter Cable would have kept the sale.

My old dual tank wheel barrow-style compressor that I bought at Truitt and White Lumber in Berkeley lasted for ten years of moderate but daily use in my remodeling business. When that finally broke down I bought a pancake compressor as a quick fix, since I was doing more and more design work and gradually easing my way into retirement.

But then my wife and I decided to move to Southern California and build a timberframe house which would be wrapped with a stud frame. So I decided to purchase this mid-range compressor.

As described below, the compressor is not the most durable. Nothing has gone terribly wrong, but the wheels are loosening after a year on a very rocky site, and the pull handle doesn't slide in and out very well. The pressure adjustment dial still sticks and comes off when you pull it out to adjust pressure. Nor does it click back down very easily. But overall, it's been a good handy compressor that I would recommend for anyone who is not engaged in heavy duty framing and running the thing 8 hours a day for months and years on end. For that you need the old double-tank wheelbarrow style compressor.

I've been using this compressor for about 2 years of daily remodeling work in Colorado in all weather conditions. I bought it because I was tired of lugging around other compressors that didn't have wheels. The rolling design of this compressor is very good because it can easily go up and down stairs as well as over typical construction site obstacles. That said, here are the following quality problems I've had to deal with so far:

The wheels were attached poorly and fell off on a few occasions. About a year ago I put some mad leverage on the nuts that hold the wheels on, and they've been secure ever since.

After a few months of use the tank pressure gauge failed, and Porter Cable sent me a replacement.

After a year of use the motor kept tripping breakers, so I took the compressor in for service and it received a new compressor and motor. Fortunately it was still covered by the warranty.

Presently the regulator has been drifting a bit, but it hasn't annoyed me enough to get it fixed.

I work on job sites that have ancient compressors that continue to function flawlessly (but they're really heavy to move around), so I'm a bit worried by the problems I've noticed in only 2 years of use. I have the feeling that when the warranty runs out I'll be left high and dry.

Because this compressor is oil lubricated, it does get sluggish in the winter. It also cannot supply as much air as the oil-free version. A trim subcontractor I know has the oil-free version and he has to rebuild his compressor annually with a $40 repair kit, so oil free isn't entirely without issues. But the oil-free version isn't affected by the cold.

If you already have a compressor you like, I'd bolt some good wheels onto it and weld a nice handle onto the frame. That way you'd have all the advantages of the Porter Cable Job Boss without the durability problems.

I bought this Router and it worked just fine, until I had to do some real work. It lasted about 3 weeks.

I was routing a 1/2 inch wide by 3/4 deep rabit on a piece of red oak, using the router in a table. I had four bords to rout. I was almost done with the second board when the router started to make rude noises. A few seconds later, it just quit, leaving large amounts of ozone tainted air and a very frustrated user.

It turned out that both brushes were gone, totally burned away. One of the brush contacts on the spindle was entirely fused off. The router is now scrap.

I would buy, and am now, a router with more horsepower if you intend anythin else but occasional weekend work. Do not expect this router to last under anything other than ossasional use.

I have had this product for about 5 years now. I had a craftsman router of the same class I got as a gift 1 year prior to this purchase that crapped out on me after 6 small uses. I am very pleased with this product. It is user friendly although I can't seem to become good at the plunge base. It has plenty of power smooth start up as well as what I feel will be a long life. Ignore the price tag on this one it is irrelevant. I'd pay more for this quality. This is my favorite tool in the shop.

I just purchased this router and have been greatly impressed. Sure, there may be better routers out there in terms of more HP or finer plunge adjustments and so forth, but they are alot more expensive. I've learned to be realistic with my tool buys. I'm not a contractor, carpenter or professional woodworker. That being said, I try to spend my money wisely on tools the fit my hobby - weekends spent in my little home shop building funiture (tables, bedframes, picture frames, etc.) for myself and friends.

That being said, this is really a great router. The double base is wonderful in that I know I won't have to purchase another router for a long time. I don't find swapping the bases to be that big a deal at all. Bits are easy to change in and out. The only thing that concerned me was that it was only 1 1/2 horsepower. I thought I should get a beefier router at 2 or 3 HP. But after using this router for several projects now, I have learned that 1 1/2 HP is clearly enough power for nearly any job out there. I've not had a single hiccup or hesitation. The motor moves through the wood like a knife through butter.

I've used this router for detail work, like cutting details into picture frames, and for grunt work, like etching out mortises for a bed frame, and it handled both with ease.

For all my fellow weekend warriors, I'd highly suggest this router.

I had this thing for awhile before I really started to use it. I bought it based on the reviews I read here. I used it to sand spackling off plaster walls, about 5 rooms worth. Then the motor ground to a buzzing halt.

The variable speed dial became nearly impossible to move toward the end of its short life.

I'll buy another sander, but it sure won't be a Porter Cable.

This machine does a fantastic job of making my cars look their best. My only complaint doesn't even involve the machine it'self. But, the fact that I had to search all over for the accessories to use the machine. Once I got everything together I am trilled with the results.

Curt DoBraska

Since I wrote my original review for this sander in 2001 (take a look), I have upgraded my table saw, bought 3 vibratory sanders and 3 circular saws. No, 4. I have killed and buried 3 cordless drills. (I have TWO Milwaukees now; highly recommended.) Bought a power mortiser, a portable planer and a drill-press.

This is STILL my best power tool. I STILL don't lend it out.

Biggest project I did in that period was a new kitchen with custom cherry cabinets. This sander did EVERY cabinet, door, and drawer in the kitchen. I went through 4 big boxes of sanding disks in several grits down to 220. I was a sanding fool.

Besides the kitchen, I've built several sets of speakers, a couple of tables, a big garden shed, three workbenches, an "heirloom" cherry sewing kit, a dollhouse, and innumerable cabinets for tube amplifiers. This weekend, I am stripping paint from our old wooden garage doors with 60 grit disks. I guess I've used it quite a bit, since every piece of wood I've bought in the last 9+ years has met my Porter Cable sander.

Now that I think about it, I am on my FOURTH foam sanding disk for this sander, or about one every 2-1/2 years.

Today, I only use TWO power sanders: This one and the FEIN triangle sander. If the work is small, or there are interior corners, I use the FEIN, otherwise I use the Porter Cable. I haven't used a belt sander since I've owned this tool, as I find them tempermental, expensive to keep in paper, and difficult to control compared to the P-C.

I have not had any problems with the switches as described by other reviewers, but ironically I HAVE had those exact problems with the FEIN. I strongly suspect that sanders in general are subject to "fouling" of the electrical switches from all the fine dust. Perhaps I've been lucky with the Porter Cable, or maybe my work position (hand over the switch most of the time) shields it, or maybe very frequent use keeps it healthy. Dunno.

As in 2001 I STRONGLY recommend the 6 inch version of this tool, particularly for sanding large panels; it's much easier to avoid rocking off the edge, and it wobbles much less than the 5 inch version.

At the same time, you have to be careful with veneered pieces to use fine grits and low speeds, because the 6" version makes VERY fast work of most jobs, even with fine grit papers, and you don't want to sand through your nice veneers. Easy does it.
OTOH, put some 60 or 80 grit on there and you can chew-through most anything, fast and flat.

Best illustration of this sander is glued-up solid-wood panels (like table tops); do your rough sanding (150 grit or rougher) ACROSS the grain rapidly, both sides, to true the surface. Use a nice long straight edge (like a machinist's 36" straight edge) to find the high spots. Then finish with the grain using fine papers. Works fast, works great.

Five Stars in 2001 + Five Stars in 2005 = 10 Stars.
I fully expect we'll get to 15 stars in 2009. See you then.
Right now, gotta go sand some more.

Average price, It just saved time running out to get them.

They fit well, they arrived well packaged with no swelling, and at this price, they're almost a steal

Used with recent purchase of joiner. The best value of anything I found in the store. The purchase of much smaller quantities at the local homestore was more than all off these cost. Great bargain and quality all around.