Porter-Cable Reviews

The Porter-Cable router, while robustly built, has as its primary weakness a collet that does not adequately grip the shafts of bits. I expereienced a recent incident where a properly seated and tightened rabbeting bit came loose and was propelled at a very high velocity. The bit glanced off the router base, struck the workpiece, and ended up being lodged in the ground. Fortunately no one was hurt! Previous to this "incident," the collet would fail to release bits, requiring a great amount of hand force to insert or remove the bits. Yet the same collet will not hold a bit in place during rotation.

Due to this substantial weakness in the design, I cannot give more than a one star rating of this router. Run like hell from this one. A user would be better served spending his/her money on DeWalt or Bosch. Even my cheap $80 Ryobi has never presented any safety issues like the Porter-Cable.

I purchased this kit earlier this year and have used it to build several projects, mostly lawn furniture and the like. It's a very high-quality kit, easy to use and understand. I've gotten consistent results, depth is easy to fix, and stays put. The edge guide is real time saver too.

My one complaint about routers that convert from fixed to plunge base is that the power switch (located at the top of the router) cannot be accessed without taking a hand off of one of the handles and reaching up. When you do this, your other hand is left trying to hold up a fairly heavy tool (esp after several hundred cuts) while the bit's spinning away. It just doesn't feel safe to me.

I purchased this item as a replacement for another PC product. I am very happy about the quality and ease of use. Before purchasing I had looked at other products, However I have found that for the money this is about the best deal on the market. I also read some of the reviews on this site especially the ones written by "A home improvement enthusiast". Please note that in an earlier review he made note of modification he made to the plunge base and then later stated he had problems with it and stated it wasn't safe. These routers are as safe as any other power tool if you follow the instructions and don't make modifictions like a Tim Allen wanna be. Also in another review someone stated that they had a bit come out while the router was in use. This might have been a fluke thing or if he had read the instructions he would know that you should never tighten the collet without a bit in place as this would damage it and could cause the bit to come out while in use and when placing the bit in the collet you should back it out about 1/16 inch to prevent it from being stuck. Most likely he did not follow or even read the instructions and this is what caused his problems. These two reviewers simply cannot follow instructions or they want to modify the product that has been built with safety and ease of use in mind. Most likely this is what caused their troubles. they should consider themselves lucky that they weren't injured or killed. Imagine a solid metal projectile spinning at around 27500rpm bouncing around your shop(sounds a lot like a bullet?).
These are excellent quality tools and I have never had a problem with Porter Cable tools and I would recommend them to anyone. This router has plenty of power to cut through dense wood and can also have a delecate touch with fine projects. It has a nice weight to reduce vibration. I particularly like the fact you can find accessories easily for this product. This is one of the best power tools I own.

Haven't had it for long but am very pleased with it so far. I have sanded the finish off of kitchen cabinets prior to refacing them though and no complaints. It vibrates very little, is comfortable in my small/medium sized hands, and is relatively quiet. The dust control is excellent when hooked up to my anemic shop vac. I haven't tried it with the dust canister. At this point, I would recommend it.

I purchased this sander a few years ago and use it several times a month. I like the great hook and loop (velcro style) method of fastening the paper to the sander. It is a real time saver. The dust collector works good, but I often hook this up to my small shop vac to get even more dust collection. I have had no problems with this tool, can easily find all the sandpaper for it a many stores or online. I buy the Mirka brand in bull to save money. If you need a basic random orbital sander, I really reccomend this one!

Keep It Simple Stupid. Get one. It beats anything the Germans, Japanese, Chinese or others have to offer. And have lots of children so you can pass it down from generation to generation as an heirloom.

Instruction Manual imags out of focus, pictures are to dark.

I purchased one of these 20 years ago and can't imagine how to get a better one. As a finish sub-contractor I have a need for another and haven't seen a better one. I ordered another! The tool is bullet proof unless you get careless and lift the router and let the bit cut the guides.(it happened?) I'll use the shiney new one and the hired help can use the old one. It can intimidate some on the set-up and use. Don't be scared there are pictures on the carry case! As in most Porter-Cable tools it will last a long time.

I own two to these kits. I am able to move and set this jig to match any exsitstent hinge mortise with great accuracy. I have even had to bore my own holes on the bars just to match a certain postsition. Have been in the business for 30 odd years. If you are a good craftsman this is a good templet. Bought a second just so I could hang ten foot doors. I am yet to have a problem. If you can read, then read the directions, and there is no flip floping of the jig. If you think you can hand chisle faster than this jig, and hang more than one a day being nice and clean I will sharpen my chisles more. For those who think this is a bad jig has not worked on a door over 6'8". And for those who like pre hungs, well I think it speaks for itself. My only complant with the jig is, are the pins that hold the jig away the correct distance from the jamb. They will loose their correct position after awhile. That could be improved to be more ridged. Well thats my two cents.

The 690 has great power ,moter can easily can spin right off it's base under a router table. Now pc has designed a new base lock haven't tried it yet .

There is nothing inherently wrong with the router, but the router is unusable out of the box. The base plate supplied with unit will not allow you to use a number of conventional bits- I was not able to use a .375" rabbeting bit- the hole is too small. The plate is set for use with the bushing set that sells separately for about [dollar amount]. Porter Cable will sell you a second base plate for [dollar amount]. Also, the on/off switch is a toggle swith on the top of the unit. This location is unsafe- to shut the unit off you have to hold it with one hand & reach around for the switch. You can buy a different base with a trigger switch (standard on most other routers, Sears, Hitachi, Ryobi) for [dollar amount]. I bought the second base for [dollar amount] but built a foot switch for [dollar amount] to use with the router rather than pay [dollar amount]. But the real question is why do we have to buy all these extras just to use the router when other brands supply them as a matter of course? Craftsman sells a 1/2" collet, 2 hp unit for [dollar amount]with a trigger switch & usable right out of the boxx

I've owned one of these dandy little routers for some time now - I also use a 2 hp variable speed Bosch. The plunge base works with both routers, and has proved to be very handy...The quality of this tool and its rugged construction far outweigh the placement of the switch or the fact that you use two wrenches to change bits...A router (like any tool) should be judged primarily by the quality of work it is capable of, and that's where this little baby shines....

Bought this to finish up the trim on the tool shed and I was disappointed to see how fussy and flimsy it is. Before I could use more than a few sticks of nails (it comes with a box of 1000 nails), it stopped driving nails. After looking at it for a while, my tool expert friend figured out that the two shaft rails that hold the contact head were slightly bent. No idea how it got bent. Normal use. So he carefully straightened the rails and got it working again.

Then, about 2 or 3 sticks of nails later, it jammed on the last nail of one stick, with another stick right behind. No problemo, it says in the manual, just flip up the easily accessed jam remover cover (oops, why do I need this?), but the nail turned out to be jammed so hard it could not be removed without disassemling the head. After a little more precious time down the drain, set this unit down and off to HD to buy some other brand.

(This is all too bad, because my other nailgun is the Porter-Cable coil framing gun. It is a fabulous, reliable, heavy duty tool. Not a relative of the DA250, I guess.)

In the end, I got a Bostich D51275K 15 gauge nailer, which has already outlasted the Porter-Cable. Visibly sturdier and it has a few nicer features, as well.

Before I purchased the DA250B, I used strictly "glue and screw" construction. A lot of time was spent drilling pilot and countersink holes, turning in the screws, and covering the gaping holes they left. Looking for a better way, I did a lot of research and settled on this Porter-Cable tool. It has exceeded my expectations. The DA250B has power to spare, driving a 1-1/4" finish nail so that the point protruded two stacked 3/4" pieces of oak... and the depth setting was far from maximum. Toenailing? No problem with this bad boy. Not one jam, not one problem - nothing but reliability and power to spare. This one is a real winner!

I can't think of a single thing that I would change about this gun. It loads easily, it is well balanced and not too heavy, the drive depth is easy to adjust, and it has never jammed even though I drive mostly 2-2.5 inch nails. I also have a 2 inch brad nailer and that may be sufficient for most people who are only going to nail molding. But for applications that require a 2.5 inch long nail or more structural support, this nail gun is perfect. I bought mine reconditioned for about a 20 percent savings and it has worked flawlessly and looked brand new.

Aside from the other reviews, and the product def:

1. The broad beam which one reviewer experienced was most likely caused by the laser not being purpendicular to the surface it was scanning. In other words, the laser will be broader if the unit is not at a 90 degree angle with the surface it is marking. This will be the case with any laser level. In some cases it can't be avoided. If possible, you should try to avoid using it at the edge of the "envelope". Keep your spans as narrow as possible for better accuracy, or split up your surface into smaller "segments". The closer to 90 degrees, the more narrow the beam - thus the more accurate (especially on the "Y" axis/plumb). Also, it helps to use the center of the beam as a reference instead of the edges.

2. I ordered this item from Amazon. It was the best price I could find $520. People on e-bay were purchasing used units @ near the cost of this new one.

3. The detector is fantastic. It makes this device a real winner in most outdoor applications. I'm not sure that you can get much better, for the price, with an "auto" rotary.
The detector also has a feature which allows you to use a tape measure as a grade stick. Very nice. The visibility is fantastic in doors and the detector is not required.

4. Accuracy is dead on @ <50'. The unit can be calibrated pretty easily.

5. Tripod is extra, I am able to use the tripod from my old level so it saved me $99. I did not price shop the tripod...

6. The item only got 4 stars from me because the first unit I got was DOA. The X axis would not scan, the head had failed from the "get go" 5 stars to Amazon though, they had the replacement right away, no questions asked. Suprisingly easy!! I'll post an update on reliability if anything comes up. So far the replacement has worked like a champ.

Check out the site www.robotoolz.com, and other feedback on this page.
This level is very feature rich and the applications are endless. Its worth the 500 bones it cost me, and has paid for it's self in the first use. ROI is best realized when working solo.

Owned my own business for 10 yrs, Union carpenter for 20 yrs. I don't recommend a tool lightly but I recommend this laser without reservation. In the Last 2 yrs I've used this to remoddle 2 Stop and Shop stores, 1 school, and Electric Company switching station and a Health Care Clinic. The companies I work for usually have several different lasers on the job but everyone tries to get to the toolbox first for the Porter Cable. Best value for the money. It's definately on a par with any laser out there. Don't waste your money buying a more expensive unit.

Pros; Price
Accurate and "repeatable" marking up to about 100'
Remote allows for easy one person setup and to turn unit
on only when needed saving battery life
Dither mode
Good case
Pendulum lock for transporting
Operates off 110 or batteries
Bright laser beam



Cons;
Button layout allows you to accidentally change position
of laser after it's been setup.
Doesn't come with rechargeable batteries
The remotes all use the same frequency so if you have more
than 1 unit on the job you may be adjusting more than
your own laser

I used this unit for constructing sound proofed music studio in the NYC loft. I can't imagine I could finish the project without this useful equipment. Remote works perfectly, battery lasts reasonablly long. Accurate enough for my project. Needed some adjustment to make it perfect working condition. Adjustment is straight forward but took an hour. After adjustment it worked very fine until the project is over.

I am a professional handyman and I find using a hand chisel to square the router made radius type corners to be a minor annoyance. Simply put; this tool does what it is designed to do and it does it well. I've only used it on a few doors but I think it is built to last and has a little more design to it that one would think at first glance or even after using it a couple of times. I actually found myself turning the thing up side down and looking at how it works; it's cool, it works, it's built to last and the price is right...buy it; I think you will like it.

When I first looked at this I thought, "How can it know the exact corner?" But it does. When routing out a template guided area for example, leaving a rounded corner, you park this in the corner, one decent whack with the hammer, and to my surprise, a perfect corner. It is a very simple device. It's a 90 degree blade that slides along a very thin outer shell-guide.
No more chisel-chisel-chisel, and difficulty getting the exact angles. It works as advertised. Saves a lot of time, and does a superb job. Highly recommended.

If you've ever installed door hardware with square latches and latch plates in a house where all the doors arrive with radius mortising, you'll recall how much time you lost chiseling out every corner of every mortise. Buy this tool. It's cheap and simple to use and is definately not a gimmick.

Porter Cable's 19.2 Volt line has major flaws. I bought the driver and saw kit and the hammer drill kit. In the first year I replaced the drill/drivers three times...while under warranty. The saw worked well and the flashlight was the best part of this kit. Now it is a couple years old and the batteries are dead and at $90 each I am not replacing them. I bought Hitachi this time with a five year warranty. I wasted $600 on the Porter Cable junk.

General contractor from california, I have had the PC 19.2 kit for 3 years, the tools have fallen from ladders and been beaten badly and they still work great when the batteries want to work , i ve been through three chargers ... Yeah I am thinking that my next kit will be a BOSCH. PC makes a good tool but youd think they would get the battery and charger thing together. All I can say is thank GOD uncle sam allows tools for a business expense,

More often than not, a 110VAC outlet will be unavailable where the work is on a ranch. I have owned AEG and Makita battery powered tools. When this Porter Cable set went on sale, I figured it was time to give it a go.

For serious work, I'll grab the Milwaukee walking saw, hammer drill, etc. and toil on a project within reach of an extension cord. Repairing a feed bin or setting H's and fence corners, this Porter-Cable kit fits the bill perfectly.

Two years have passed since that day of purchase and I am still a satisfied customer. Considering the hours of useage, one of the batteries does take quite some time to recharge.

Shopping for powercells may induce stickershock. It appears all are seemingly over costly; but for the convenience, I'm still hooked. Milwaukee and Porter-Cable remain my first choices in powertools with Makita in third place.

We have purchased five (5) Robo Lasers, and just because we have made that many purchases of it should let you know that there is something we like about it. It works well and the fact that it is self leveling and remote control, makes a one man project out of most line setting. The "bad for the pro" as formentioned comes from the experience that we have had with it. It is kind of like a hologen light..... it is great to have when you need it, but knock it over just once and you just as well throw it in the roll-off dumpster. My crew find themselves working outside in the breeze and sometimes wind quite frequently.... the laser on the tripod and a brisk breese = no more laser level... be prepaired to treat this one with kid gloves.

At the last cabinet shop I worked at we were thinking about a laser level but never purchased one. I went to work at a high end cabinet shop and they have three of them. the owner said he wished he would have purcahased them when he was installing! we use it to find the high and low spots in the room to set our toe kick to. we make our marks then snap a line for reference, then use the stabila levels to fine tune. I was just on a job and I let the tile guy use it and he was very impressed ! he will be carrying one soon !!!

I purchased by robolaser last year (without the line generator and tripod) and have used it on several projects. I have been pleased with its performance. I have never had to recalibrate it though I treat it gently. For example, I am always sure to shut the slide over the "eye" of the laser as this locks the mechanism to prevent damage. The tool has worked for me and I would recommend it to others. Be aware that this tool eats batteries and I always travel with spares in the case to avoid having to stop and go buy more.

I recently purchased a laser pole for interior work and a tripod is a great idea for exterior work.

good product worked fine just took forever to get them...would have been easier getting at local tool store

Aurangzeb should pack some of these nails on his way to Mitchell Bros. for protection from, shall we say, the elements. Besides being totally wood-compliant (!), these nails would make for a great conversation starter at Mitchell Bros. for both Aurangzeb and Trenton.

B&C Eagle B18-58 are the Brad Pitts in this marketplace. Women definately love to use these nails. Keep them in the cooler for parties and crucifictions. Aurengzeb and Trenton spend lots of money at Mitchell Bros