Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought this kit earlier this week, so the impressions below are only from a few hours of use. Also, I'm a DIY homeowner, not a contractor or professional. Because some people may be considering Ryobi's similarly-priced cordless P842 18V Nicad kit, I've thrown in a few comparisons to that as well.
By component:
DRILL: It feels a lot like a DeWalt tool. The motor section is heavy and substantial. The handle is thinner than I expected. It has a motor brake and a 1/2" metal chuck, two professional features unusual for this class. The design is closer to compact than full-size. Balance is excellent, though overhead and precision work would benefit from a lighter unit. The torque clutch has 32 settings and isn't excessively difficult to adjust. The drill has a two-mode switch, a variable speed trigger, and generally sounds refined. Both modes are powerful and were capable of driving a 3" boring bit. In torque and RPM, the high-speed mode isn't far off from my Ryobi corded drill from a few years ago.
The only negative so far is in the build tolerances of the chuck. There's about 1/16 turn of chuck play before the gears engage when the trigger is pressed, and my particular drill's chuck is noticeably misaligned. The wobble radius for very small bits can be wider than the bit. This makes it slightly harder to drill in a precise spot, though it has no effect once the hole is started. Both my corded and cordless Rybois are perfectly aligned. I've docked a star for this. On exchange, I tried two more of the same drills at Lowes. The first replacement was out of true to the same extent. The second was only slightly off, so I kept it. I also noticed a small power variance among the three.
Relative to the 18V Ryobi drill, it's a wash. They're both excellent, though I'm unsure if the Ryobi has a motor brake, and the Ryobi chuck is plastic.
FLASHLIGHT: A throwaway, but effective. It weighs almost nothing without the battery, so it doesn't tip over when one is mounted. It has a rubberized push-button on/off switch. The lamp creates a moderately narrow spotlight beam and does not articulate. The bulb is incandescent, so even if the unit could stand being dropped, the bulb would probably break. A wider LED beam would be more useful and would have better battery life and impact resistance.
CIRCULAR SAW: Really decent. It uses a 6.5" blade as compared to Ryobi's 5.5", and is therefore a much larger unit. Build quality is very good. The height and angle adjustments work smoothly with no slop, and the motor has an automatic brake when the throttle isn't activated. The included blade rotates with almost no horizontal movement and leaves a smooth, unsplintered edge with 1" pine. Its wide kerf chews up more wood than I'd like. 2" wood is well within the blade depth of the unit, but the limiting factor is the battery. It lasted for a half-hour of random cuts into 1" and 2" pine. The saw's RPM is lower than a corded model and it doesn't have the power to push through a bind, and so requires more care in how the wood is arranged. Pacing is slower. Even with two batteries, I'd lean toward a corded model for anything more strenuous than small projects, though this saw is definitely capable of cutting 2x4s. An aftermarket blade will improve battery life and cutting capacity.
RECIPROCATING SAW: Build quality on par with the other units. Not too large, not too heavy. The Goldilocks of saws. Cheap blade. Lots of slop in all directions on a dry run, though accuracy improves considerably when the blade begins to bite. I bought it to cut tree limbs outside. I sliced through five in the 1" to 3" range with minimal effort, and I look forward to doing the rest of the yard. The battery is plenty powerful for this saw and lasts for about an hour. Like the drill, the trigger is variable-speed, though there isn't a motor brake. The blade mounting system is standardized and fits almost all aftermarket blades.
BATTERIES: Lighter than the old 19.2V packs. Charges take 40 minutes and cause the battery to noticeably warm. Dismounting is spring-triggered, so changing batteries is very easy. Durability as yet unknown, but if you want nickel-cadmium batteries to last, don't charge them until they've run down completely.
BAG: Canvas with internal metal frames. It's rectangular when open and triangular when closed, like an old-fashioned purse. There are no internal partitions of any sort, nor any compartments to hold bits and other small pieces. On the plus side, you can just pile your tools in the bag instead of arranging them in plastic. On the minus, you're piling your tools in a bag. It's perhaps a statement of build quality that Porter-Cable believes they can all just bang together, or more likely, the bag was cheaper than plastic.
PRICING AND VALUE: Lowes currently sells this kit for $129. The drill/saw combo is $90. I believe the reciprocating saw is the second most useful tool here, and therefore find the more expensive kit a better value. Ryboi's kit sells for $20 more at present. Between the two, and given that the Ryobi circular saw isn't as good, I'd choose Porter Cable unless Ryobi's larger selection of 18V accessory tools is a compelling factor. PC's lithium batteries are backwards-compatible with this kit, so upgrading power sources requires only a new battery and charger. DeWalt replacement batteries are three to four times more expensive per unit. I'm not convinced that even a serious DIYer would require a more professional set of tools.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Porter-Cable PC418C-2 18-Volt NiCd Cordless 4-Piece Combo Kit
Product Description:
The Porter-Cable PC418C-2 Four-Tool combo kit provides the tradesman with a starting set that includes a drill/driver, a circular saw, a reciprocating saw, and a flashlight, along with two NiCad rechargeable batteries and a fast charger. These batteries can power all the tools as well as others in the Porter-Cable Tradesman line.
The Porter-Cable Four-Tool Combo Kit:
Includes cordless saws, a flashlight, and a drill/driver.
Features both a circular and reciprocating saw.
Includes two 18V NiCad battery packs and a quick charger are included.
Get started on any project with this kit. View larger.
Included are two battery packs and a quick charger, which can be used with other tools in the line.
The PC418C kit includes everything you need to complete many projects. Drill/Driver Handles the Toughest Jobs
The drill/driver features a high-performance motor and two-speed gearbox that will deliver enough power and torque to get even the toughest jobs done quickly. The low gear setting offers high torque for heavy duty screwdriving, while the high gear provides optimum RPMs for quick drilling. The drill has a metal, single-sleeve half-inch chuck, which provides secure bit retention and solid durability. The drill/driver also includes a convenient, integrated LED work light that makes working in dark basements and dimly lit corners easier. An over-molded, contoured grip keeps your hand comfortable even during heavy and prolonged use.
Two Saws for Different Cuts
The PC186CS 6-1/2-inch circular saw features carbide tips that let you make long cuts with ease and efficiency, and the PC1800RS reciprocating saw features a compact size that allows it to be used in tight spaces.
Handy Flashlight Illuminates Dark Work Areas
When you work long hours into darkness or in a dimly lit basement, the PC1800L flashlight will conveniently light up dark work areas, letting you continue until the job is done.
Convenient Cordless Operation
Thanks to the tools' cordless design, you can work safely and efficiently. The included NiCad battery packs work interchangeably with the tools, as well as with other tools in the Porter-Cable Tradesman cordless line. Additional batteries can be purchased separately. The included fast charger minimizes downtime by recharging batteries in under an hour.
About Porter-Cable
Since its inception in a garage in Syracuse, New York in 1906, Porter-Cable has earned its place as one of the most trusted names in power tools today. As a subsidiary of Black & Decker, and sister company of Delta Machinery, Porter-Cable designs, manufactures and distributes a wide range of electric and cordless power tools for the professional woodworking, commercial/residential construction, plumbing and electrical markets.
At the forefront of power-tool innovation, Porter-Cable introduced the first 12-volt cordless drill in 1989, and has since been awarded with many industry accolades and awards, including Time's "Top Ten Products of the Year," Popular Science's "Best of What's New," and Popular Mechanics' "Design and Engineering Award." In 1996, the Smithsonian Institution honored Porter-Cable's history of innovation by establishing the museum's first collection of archived materials from a power tool company, and in 1999 the company received one of the highest manufacturing honors when Industry Week selected Porter-Cable as one of the "Top 10 Manufacturing Plants in the United States."
Today the company continues this long tradition of innovation and quality by using state-of-the-art CNC machining centers and motor winding cells to produce the highest quality components possible. Aluminum components are carefully machined and processed to provide close tolerances and surface finish to assure proper fit and function. Critical gears and pinions are meticulously fabricated from select cut steel and then heat treated for long lasting product life. And heavy-duty series universal motors are professionally designed and processed to provide maximum horsepower as well as optimum balance to result in a smooth running product. Supported by world-class manufacturing principles, Porter-Cable continues to embody a value system that drives its industry-leading objectives in priority of safety, quality, delivery, and cost through every process in its operation.
What's in the Box
PC1800D 18V Drill / Driver, PC186CS Circular Saw, PC1800RS Reciprocating Saw, PC1800L Flashlight, two PC18B NiCad battery packs, PCMVC Fast Charger, a soft-sided carrying case.
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