Porter-Cable Reviews

I own just about every 19.2v PC tool. This is a stout product line and the Tiger Saw (I always just called them "sawzalls") from PC can cut through anything with the right blade.

You will need more than one battery, as has already been stated, but if you want lots of power, you are going to sacrifice battery life. That's just physics. This tool has lots of power, so I make sure I've got backup batteries. I have a multitude of them since I own so many 19.2 devices, so keeping a fleet of batteries charged is a non-issue for me. PC's newer chargers and batteries are better than they were three years ago, so anyone who had bad experiences with the older chargers really should contact PC for a replacement.

One recommendation: when you get the saw, it will come with a very basic blade. Keep it, but go and order yourself a couple of other blades, because the one it ships with will not impress you. I would suggest a long, combination blade for general use, a carbide blade for cutting metals, and a fine-tooth blade for more precision work.

Nothing beats a good sawzall, and this is a great one.

As a professional plumber, the sawzall is my primary tool. Almost every time I do a job, its one of the first tools to come off the truck. The only trouble was when I do renovation work. It was always such a pain to drag out the old PC Tigersaw to make a couple of cuts. Draging it in, finding a plug, pulling an extension cord, all made me think of using a hacksaw. Not really liking any of the red or yellow corded saws, I was thrilled when PC came out with the cordless saw last year. I ordered myself one for christmas and took it to work. Needless to say, I was very happy with it. It works almost as well as its corded brother with the exception of the short charge. But if you are cutting more than two batteries worth(I have the drill and saw set too), then you should have pulled out the corded version.

This is the first cordless recip saw I ever owned, and it turned out to be a great pick. I got it with the hammer/drill/driver in a combo kit. After considering what the competition offers, I bought the PorterCable 19.2V line partly because of brand loyalty, but also because of the saw's compact design and 2,900 spm speed. This saw is heavier than the Milwaukee, Dewalt, and Makita models, but it is shorter in length and easier to manage with one hand despite its weight, and has more power. It gets into tighter spaces than the others, and its speed is faster, too. Now, I cannot do without this tool. Using the right blade, it literally cuts anything, from plywood and studs, to drywall, to sheet metal and pipe, or old tires, or bricks. I have used it doing renovation work in the attic and under the house where cordless convienience and power is needed. I like to reverse the blade and turn it upside down to use like a sabre saw, pivoting on its foot to do plunge cuts. Believe me, life got easier real fast after buying this. One thing though, the saw can sap a battery quickly when doing long extended cuts in tough material, like for door and window openings. But its performance and conveinience makes up for that. I can't wait to try this saw with an aggressive wood blade for trimming trees and cutting limbs on my property. Look for more of my reviews on the PorterCable 19.2V line and recip saw blades.

The drill functions great, but from the begining I had problems with what I beleive to be the charger. It could be the batteries but I doubt it becouse at this point even the lights on the charger are completely out. Im willing to purchase another kit at $250 + s&h only becouse now Ill have two drills and four batteries.(Im hoping my batteries are fine)

Other Drills used: corded bosch hammer drill, corded hitachi, and cordles 14.4v and 18v Ryobi.

.... The first time I was using the Porter Cable, I thought someone was charging the battery when I wasn't looking. This thing just keeps going. The power is unreal. I just ordered a second one, does that tell the story?

Received yesterday and I used it putting the new Brazilian cherry floor with walnut borders at night. This is my first ever cordless drill/driver. All I have for the past ten years for drilling is a less than $40 Craftman 3/8" corded drill. It has served me well. I did a bit of research on what I will get for this cordless drill/driver. I went to stores to handle similar models, DeWalt, Bosch, Makita, etc. I picked this one for the value and quality. It is a very nice tool at first look. I wish that I had it when putting the floor in our master bedroom. It's very comfortable to handle, although it's on the heavy side. But for this class, it's normal. Well balanced. I used it drill counter sinking holes with 3/8" plugs in Brazilian cherry since the air floor nailer could not face nail it (it's so hard), I have to set nails once a while even when blind nailing. The drill operates smoothly. Love the electronic brake feature. The clutch setting for driving the screws is also very nice. I used a magnetic bit holder instead of the one comes with it, worked well. Have not tried hammer drilling just yet. Only thing I would ask for is a level bubble, not that I have to rely on that, just I am so used to with my other drill and often to get an idea how much I am off when drilling.

Excellent compressor overall with more than ample air flow and capacity to power any pneumatic framing nailer, finish nailer or medium crown stapler. This oilfree unit is manufactured by DeVilbiss for Porter-Cable. Well designed and thought out.

I purchased this item about two years ago, and I am more impressed with it now than I was when I purchased it. I have used this for a multitude of chores. It has yet to let me down. I have remodeled my house, putting up panelling, to nailing studs. I have used this with a finish nailer, and framing nailer, each time it has kept the pressure at an optimum level. The instruction manual is well thought out and very understandable. It has a pressure adjustment knob that is easy to reach, and operate. I have had no problems increasing the length of air hose, it keeps up no matter what. I cannot testify to it's capacity as a commercial unit, but if you need a dependable, moderate use compressor, this is the one. I'm in total agreement with another reviewer, if given the opportunity, I would buy it again. It is truly a great buy!

I compared the specs on a number of compressors before I chose this one. That was over a year ago, and I have subjected this compressor to heavy use pushing paint. I use a HVLP unit that have done some modest jobs and this compressor keeps up. I also have many pneumatic nailers and this unit will even keep up with a framing unit. Not super light weight, but it will lug. Gotta have it at the wall plug not on an extension cord however. Simple solution - more hose. I'd buy another one. GREAT VALUE!

I'm glad I didn't buy the Porter-Cable 18 gage brad nailer kit from Home Depot.

Instead, I spent the additional $$$ at The Building Box in Mississauga, Ontario for this well-rounded kit to install our primed MDF 4-1/2" crown moulding project this Spring. This kit cost me $$$ plus 15% taxes. I guess to keep the price low, Porter-Cable outfitted this kit with their 135 psi pancake compressor, rather than their 150 psi compressor which is sold with their 18 gage brad nailer kit.

The positives of the kit are;

1) The 17 piece accessory kit with the pistol grip blower,
2) The gun has a balanced and quality feel,
3) Easy to load gun,
4) Easy to clear jammed nails,
5) Shorter and more streamlined design of gun,
6) Enough power to countersink a 2-1/2" nail into red oak,
7) Portable and reasonably light-weight compressor,
8) Very good sight line of nailing surface,
9) Value purchase.

The negatives of this kit are;

1) Noisy compressor,
2) Gun does not warn user when it runs out of nails,
3) Should have provided 2-1/2" nails, rather than the 2" nails,
4) Compressor's auto on/off lever can dislodge from the switch assembly when the lever is pushed/pulled at the wrong angle,
5) Must order the free black coloured trigger separately,
6) The gun will at the odd time spall the MDF moulding surface at the nail's point of entry (which means more caulking).

Here's the deal ...

Do you want a small, safe, easy to use, out of the box compressor / finisher kit. Do you plan on spending the [money] it would cost to piece meal this deal together? Drop the [money] and pick one of these up.

Setup - 5 stars
Ease of use - 5 stars
Noise - 3 Stars
Standard Equipment - 5 stars
Nailing in 20 minutes from opening the box - 5 stars

In a nutshell, if your a homowner with a gift for home improvement, you'll use this unit. Fill up your car tires, the kids bikes, blow out the garage, and of course nailing stuff to the wall...

I'm puting in a harwood floor this weekend and It'll go in like cake. Tested it out on some 1/4 round ... no splitting. goes straight through a 2x4 no problem. Noisy? Stick the compressor outside and use the 25 foot cord to maneuver around. It's the icing on the cake. Right up there with the table saw and the 12 inch Dewalt miter saw ...

Save your shopping time for fishing lures and just get this.

Purchased [online]. The compressor is light enough to move easily, but stays in place unless the floor has some kind of gloss finish. The nailer is light-wieght, easy to hold overhead, the exhaust duct is easy to direct and the nail depth is simple and stays in place. The DeWalt guns are nicer (more substantial feeling and heavier guage nails), but a DeWalt 15g costs as much as the whole PC kit. Trigger trip point fluctuates a little, and it's pretty easy to double nail a spot if you pull too slowly. But other than that it's a wonderful tool and a great value.

Worked great for the roofing jobs I needed it for. Still looks new and functions perfectly.

Like the reviewer below, I have found all previous orders of reconditioned tools from Amazon to result in the acquisition of a new/near new tool. That was the case with a PC FC350 framing nailer I ordered from them at the same time I ordered this roofing nailer. The framer was new in every respect, so I was eager to open the roofer. When I did, I found a tool that had lived life to the fullest, and gotten more than its share of bumps and scrapes along the way. While it functioned well, it was clearly a well used gun, so I decided to return it. Amazon was great and even paid for return shipping. I hope the replacement they send in return will meet the level of quality I have come to expect from PC reconditioned tools. But the gun itself is a great tool. This will be my third of fourth, and all have held up well under daily use, so my review will carry a 5 star rating.

You couldn't tell this item from a new one at half the cost. I bought the same item elsewhere and it was a used piece of junk. Amazon is the only place to buy.

I have owned this Reconditioned finishing nailer for almost a year now and have yet to encounter a single problem. Nailer came in perfect condition even though it was factory reconditioned. I have used many brands of nailers and would recommend nothing but porter cable.

Purchased this product to speed up the process of building a deck. This item performed flawlessly. Easy to use, fairly light weight and drives nails without splitting the wood. Love it!

I have the 250Ar, but I'm sure it's similar/same. I have not tried a lot of finish nailers, but I can tell you I'm happy with this one:

-- going from 3/4 to 2.5 inches is a wide range
-- tool requires a quick look at the manual to use the first time, then easy easy easy.
-- price is right -- and probably the best you'll find anywhere.

If you do any amount of finish work, I think this tool is worth it (though, you need to have/buy a compressor to use it!). I found that you definitely need to regulate the pressure going into this tool -- my best luck has been with 90lbs (or a bit less, though that's out of spec). Drives nails VERY accurately.

Mine came with nails, so I'm pretty happy! I've bought plenty of refurbished tools... without any problems ever. I wouldn't hesitate!

Easy to use. Clings tight to the sander, resists clogging, lasts a long time. It's a lot of sandpaper for the money.

The Big Dog Rules, Mirka is the best bang for your buck, I use alot of paper and this is the best in bulk last's long to.

Very aggressive sanding disc and lasts as long or longer than the Norton discs I've been using.

I have used the previous permutation of this model which did not use the new hooked blades. Should be pointed out that the new hooked blades are not required for this new model [you can use the older type] but it is designed to be used with these blades and, why not? It's always a good idea to obtain a supply of blades in advance, esp. if one is going to use the new hooked blades because they are not as common. Also, fresh blades make for better cuts.

The manual instructs to set the rollers that sit on either side of the blade in such a way that they are just barely touching the blade. Objective is not to create friction here but to keep the blade properly oriented. On the unit that I was shipped I found that this adjustment was nearly impossible because, when the screws holding these rollers in place were loosened, it was found that there was practically no "play" or movement in them. As a consequence, there wasn't any real need to set these rollers.

In all other respects I am pleased with the saw. It does everything that it's represented to do, seems to be a rugged tool and appears to be well made. All-in-all, a good choice.

amazon delived the blades on time and at a great price. Porter cable bayonet blades are the best, clean cut and last a long time.

Impossible to find hook shank blades at my local stores. These are much better blades than the universal blades that will fit this model jig saw.

This drill is great. I have this and the 7751 1/2" hammer drill and they are the pair of the century. This drill stacked up against every other drill I tried. The only other drill that came close was the Milwaukee, but it was much heavier. I highly recommend this one. The 2620 is tough, lightweight & powerful.

The keyless chuck version of this drill model is my right hand in the shop and I depend on it daily. It's solid PorterCable quality ready to do anything I ask of it. Put it up against the 3/8 inch Milwaukee magnum model and it will keep pace with it. The ergonomics are better for gripping than the Milwaukee and it's much lighter, too. I also have the 1/2 inch PorterCable drill model, and what a team they make. I keep them in a metal Sawboss case for easy portability to jobsites. It's PorterCable all the way for me!!

I bought this drill, and its 1/2" sibling, and have nothing but praise for them. It has good power, smooth speed control, and a very nice, heavy-duty chuck. The only thing I did not like about it was the leather chuck-key keeper; but this was easily replaced with Milwaukee's rubber version for $4.00. Before buying it, I tried out the Bosch 1005VSRK, the DeWalt DW106K, the Milwaukee 0233-21, and the Makita 6408K. The Porter Cable drill was far superior to all but the Milwaukee, and was Milwaukee's equal. (The Milwaukee had a little bigger motor, but was a little too front heavy and had more rpm's than I needed; it was built like a tank, though). The Porter Cable had the perfect blend of power and comfort. With the metal gearcase and bearing plate, it seems it will take whatever punishment you can dish out.

I have owned this half sheet sander for 2 years now and it is still going strong. I have used it to sand large areas such as steps and floors. This sander runs very smooth and has very little noise for a sander. The unit is constructed of all metal so it can take the bumps along the way. I also purchaced the attachment for collecting dust and it really helps to keep the dust down to a minimum. Paper change is a snap also. Another great product from Porter-Cable!

I retired a year ago and started working in a cabinet shop, where they used the 505 sander. This is the smoothest sander made. It does a remarkably good job on any wood. You can't harm any wood, unless you're not paying attention to what you're doing. I have used this for hours at a time with no fatigue. It's well worth the money, and will last for many years. Buy it......

I used dozens of these for years in cabinet and furiture shops. They are smooth, quiet, powerful and last forever. They are made for easy servicing when that time comes... but it take years before they need it. I used other brands of half-sheet sanders but all the others (older Bosch, Hitachi, and Milwaukee models)I've tried just vibrate too much. After a few mintes of sanding your hand feels numb from using a sander that isn't smooth and well-balanced. They needed far more servicing as well.

They're expensive but if you're looking for a large, half-sheet sander: this is the one! Porter-Cable really has the sander market in a bag.