Porter-Cable Reviews

Not happy this was sent to me in used condition, hope you have better luck.

I purchased my pole on clearance from a major home center store. Only then did I read the reviews here and experienced some concern. When I finally used the pole in a bath remodel, I experienced no problems and I thought the pole worked well for me. My expectations might have been tempered by the poor reviews I read here, but it worked fine for me, at least on that one job.

The pole seems to be OK to me, but it does not fit the laser RT-7690-2. It would have been nice to know this before I purchased it.

Instead of a PC product, this is more like a dirt cheap sand casting from a 3rd world country. The "machining" is just as crude to boot. For instance, the guide rods are not even parallel in both the vertical and horizontal planes. And those cheap thumbscrews need pliers to keep the thing from slipping. I like the router it goes on, but this thing is a complete waste of money.

Yes its an edge guide, but geese PC couldn't you have made this a little nicer than you did? This guide works, but the casting is so rough ( and flimsy ) that it makes it hard to run the router smoothly along your work's edge. It really is that bad. Compared to the BOSCH edge guide the PC is marginal at best. I modified mine with a phenolic ( polyethelene ) material cut to the same size as the guides, and used 3M double sided structural tape between the phenolic " glides " and the PC guides, and it works much better. Come on PC, I know you sell enough of the 690 series routers and accessories to justify some improvement.

I have used this edge guide on several projects. Despite the previous comments I have found it to work great for the intended purpose!

This was my introduction to biscuit joining and I bought this when other plate joiners were way more expensive. However, it was a disappointment and left me feeling there must be a better way. My 556 had a strong tendency to walk sideways as the blade entered the wood. This left the slots too wide and in some cases exposed the ends of the slot when cutting in 2 in. wide stock. I eventually bought the DeWalt model after trying it at a woodworking show and seeing how a plate joiner SHOULD work....pass it up and get the DeWalt.

Like other reviewers, I chose the 556 because it was significantly cheaper than the other "good" ones on the market. I have to admit that it has been a disappointment. As I see it, it has four major flaws: 1) It is underpowered and has trouble with every material I have used it on, 2) The blade seems to have a short life before it gets dull, 3) The fence system, while versatile, is cumbersome to setup & change and 4) The replacement blade is very, very expensive. I was quoted ... (Porter-Cable's list price)locally - yikes!! This is over 50% of the units original cost. Even Amazon's ... price, while a good price, is steep compared to buying it new. My dilemma is whether to buy a new blade or put that money towards the machine I now know I want.

Tool seems to lack power and struggles at times. Most of my slots have been in relativity soft white pine which makes the lack of power even more troubling. It does cut accurate slots, but you have to take your time. It is fully adjustable with Allen wrenches. It is not in the same class as my other Porter-Cable tools. If you plan on cutting a ton of slots you may be able to justify one of the more expensive plate joiners.

This compressor absolutely will NOT run on 15 amps. Either the motor bogs down and won't run or it will pop the breaker. This makes this compressor almost usless for me because I can never find anywhere to plug it in. And if you DO find a 20 amp circiut to run it on forget about running any other tools on that circuit.

Also it is overly loud. I was just working in a basement at the same time as a guy that had a Hitachi compressor and his was less than HALF as loud.

I have NEVER been disappointed with anything from PC... until now.

I wrote the above review a week ago... Here's an update.
The guy helping me tripped over the air hose and it caught on the little shutoff lever. This piece is connected to a plastic piece inside the electrical hosing, which broke off. This piece of plastic is about the size of a pencil lead. Now my compressor won't even shut off. If you leave it run it will pump up to 175 psi and then blow the relief valve. And I now have to go plug it in to make it turn on since the switch is broken off.

This tool is NOT made to be used at a construction site. I'm seriously thinking about just leaving this for the garbage man and buying the DeWalt Emglo compressor.

Another update...
I ended up buying a CastAir air compressor. CastAir is not a commercial brand, but the factory where they are made is about 2 miles from my house in Chaska, MN. These compressors were only recently made available to non-commercial applications (previously they specialized in huge compressors used in body shops, etc.). I LOVE my new 4 gal. twin tank. It's quiet, powerful, and SOLID as a ROCK!!! A REAL contractor grade compressor for the same amount as I paid for this PC. I have NO relationship or incentive to recommend CastAir other than I'm a very satisfied customer. Check them out if you want a REALLY great compressor.

I bought this compressor a few day ago. Well, it's quieter than 5.5 hp oilfree compressor I used to have, but still too loud for me. Also gauges do not have any protection and on/off switch is just a joke. Otherwise it works just fine. I'll get something else tomorrow anyway.

Unless I just happened to get a good one; I have had no problems w/ this compressor. It is the garage compressor and is exposed to humidity of 70% or more and temps from 33-90's. Pump shuts off at in around 150psi. I have use it to pump car tires, run air nailers,a small porter cable detail spray gun and even a ingersol rand 1/4" air rachtet. I have owned for a few years now. It would be nice if each tank had its own drain. I have changed oil once and air filter once.

I had really bad luck with this sander--I had to replace the pad twice before I finally gave it away. The pad would seperate from the sander.

This sander does just what I expected it to do. However, the dust collector quickly vibarates off, so I used a metal band clamp to keep it in place. Otherwise, it fits my hand(s) well and makes quick work of the projects I purchased it for. Light weight reduces fatigue when working above shoulder level. Would buy again -- no problem!

The first shock I got when I opened the package was that the entire base of the saw is a very thin plastic, including the mounting structure. I have looked at a lot of table saws (other brands) in stores and they usually have very sturdy cast iron or aluminum bases. I could break a piece out of the base without even straining at it.
The second was the missing parts: assembly screws for the table insert, blade wrench, handle for the blade height adjustment and a small spring which holds the table insert was bent and useless.
As it is I can't start it up due to the loose table insert so I don't know if it really works without ordering missing parts.
I'm not happy about this!

This is good portable table saw, and the reconditioned one I received was in perfect condition except for a minor scratch or two.

Plusses: It has standard 3/4" slots for its full-size miter gauge, a solid table, and a real throat plate that can be changed to accomodate a dado up to 11/16". It has an excellent splitter/guard. The elevation mechanism is solid and fairly smooth. The extensions to 24-1/2" work smoothly and they're fairly solid. The fence will stay parallel after you you take it out of the box if you do an initial, simple realignment. There's very good storage on the base for all the parts. It mounts on a pair of sawhorses. Setup is easy.

Minuses: The fence isn't as easy to set accurately as the superb rack & pinion-driven fence on the DeWalt Model 744 portable saw, and the base is plastic, like the other saws of this type. The packaging was too flimsy for surface UPS handling -- this thing ships at 74 pounds and it needs a stronger box and more foam -- there were loose parts that could have fallen out of the split corners of the box. Minor complaint -- the manual tells you how to check and adjust most misalignments, but not how to to realign a misaligned pointer for the tilt angle.

Advice: I looked at 5 or 6 portable table saws at stores before I bought the reconditioned Porter Cable from Amazon. No portable table saw is as solid as my big old Delta contractor's saw, but the Porter Cable a lot more solid than the cheaper Sears, Delta and Skil portable table saws sold by home centers, and better designed and somewhat more solid than the Makita. (The DeWalt and Bosch available from Amazon are tops.) If you need a small saw and/or portability, this one is a good value, although I would bet that a reconditioned DeWalt or Bosch would be good values as well.

Nice hefty medium service tool, however when received this tool was dripping with oil. Soon learned that it only functioned in high speed due to a broken switch. Returned the drill and re-ordered based on good experience on many other PC tools. The return procedure was extreamly easy - very helpful/plesant rep. on the telephone.

I've run my hammer drill very hard and it has just kept performing. For it's function, it's a very good tool. I drilled hundreds of holes into old concrete with it and it's held up very well. However, it's not really intended for this abuse because you will have to work hard to push the drill through the concrete. (I really should have gotten a rotary hammer for what I was doing.) I have two gripes about the design. First, the auxilary handle can slip down if you press on it hard. Second, the depth gauge doesn't work for every position of the auxiliary handle. Other than that, it has held up well and not given any problems.

I very much like the drywall sander and attached vacuum; and I also liked the original sanding pads that came with the 7810. I understand the decision to revamp the design by PC but it did not work. The new disc pads seem to separate between the sanding disc and the velcro pad in the box before I've even had a chance to use them. This forces me to create my own. My other complaint would be that I'd like to see a washable,resuable filter for the vacuum (#7810). I'm having quite a time finding a filter for a #7810.

The previous review is three years old - maybe things have changed. I have used both the hook and loop and the foam backed pads and have not had a problem with either. The hook and loop pads are easier to change and are tightly attached when I change them. The abrasive is a complete disk, as opposed to the ring used on the foam backed pads - maybe an advantage, but the abrasive on the foam backed pads may last a bit longer - I'm still on the fence about this.

My only complaint is the cost of either style abrasive. Of course, the manufacturers make easy money on consumables, so now that I have some hook backing pads, maybe I can find some more affordable loop abrasive.

Lasted 3 hours before the generator stalled and electrical problems. Key parts, the stator and rotor burned up and are no longer available. You will be left with a $600 Tecumseh 10 hp engine.

I own one of these bought from Home Depot. Price was EXCELLENT. May not be a Honda, etc.. But for 400 it is an excellent back up generator. It is made in the US. Starts EVERY time, runs nearly the whole house including the furnace.(No AC) (Will run Window AC). I keep the gas treated, run int once a month or so (As you should ANY gas engine, unless winterized) It is a purchase worth the money.

Another "bad charger" review. Like others, I will not be buying PC equipment from now on. The charger just blew out one day, blew a breaker, and never worked again. Now I'm stuck getting another charger for my drill and saw. And PC won't acknowledge the problem, and offer new chargers to folks with bad ones. Very poor business choice, as their customers are drifting away.

Hey Amazon, how come there isn't a '0' star rating. That's what this charger deserves.

My second charger failed with just over a year of use. Lasted just long enough to get out of warranty. Have never had a bosch, dewalt or makita charger fail. I do not understand why PC will not admit there is a problem and fix it. How can they afford to lose their customers? Has any one tried the new charger that charges multiple voltage batteries with better luck?

Like the other reviews, after about two years of light use around the house, the drill and batteries are great but the charger quit working. I contacted Porter Cable about this and their response was,

"Our chargers hold up as well or better than the competition in all the testing we have done. Average charger life is approximately 1-1/2 years for all makes of batteries including Porter Cable. Obviously, battery life and performance are dependent on many variables. We do not have any type of exchange program for these chargers."

In the future, I will consider PC for other products but not cordless.