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Shout Out To Porter-Cable

Bum said:
I am a former Dewalt user; My brother introduced me to Porter Cable several years ago, and I have not looked back since. :thumbs:
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PC is making a move back towards quality.

I can see it in a lot of their newer tools.
 
RetiredUSN said:
That 10" Ridgid R4513 portable is a great saw although many of the tool junkies prefer the Bosch and a few other brands.

I like the working area of the table on the Ridgid over the others.

Check the fence for "square" every day and "let her eat"
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I can’t remember the model number, but I splurged on a RIDGID contractor saw about twenty years ago. It replaced a Ryobi, which I’ll describe in the next post.

The RIDGID had open extension wings for weight. It was a belt drive and had a weird looking mobile base. It was a great saw, selling for around $700. It really wasn’t that portable, but I used it as a home unit. I replaced it with a Sawstop cabinet model.

ttwtt78640 said:
I had a Ryobi portable 10" table saw before that, but it's plastic base eventually (after over 10 years) got brittle and cracked. The saw still worked fine, but became impossible to mount to the portable stand. I have more problems with bevel adjustment "creep" than with keeping the fence square with the Rigid portable table saw.
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The above mentioned Ryobi was my first table saw. Thirty years ago, I knew very little. The saw had a mount for a router in one of the extensions. The fence was weird and the cross-cut fence was more a sliding type. I got a lot of use out of that saw and found a buyer a couple of years ago. The lift mechanism was not well thought out and I had to get parts for it more than once. It had adjustable feet and wheels mounted an inch or so above the floor level. You had to pick up one end of the unit to have the wheels engage.

Sawstop is the cat’s pajamas!
 
RetiredUSN said:
Harbor Freight has some hidden gems for sure.

I have 2 of their drywall lifts and they are about 12 years old now and still working fine.

The small tire changer is a good buy.
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I’m thinking it is the same model I have used. If you look at the big wheel and the cable, you say, there is no way this works. I bought one to do the ceiling in our basement years back. I think it was $200. If I had rented one, I’d be under the gun. I sold it for about a $50 loss after finishing the job.
We rebuilt an out building about ten years ago and i was going to drywall the ceiling. I bought another unit and the price had come way down, by then, maybe $150; it’s still in the attic of the garage ......The unit is genius..
 
Rexedgar said:
I can’t remember the model number, but I splurged on a RIDGID contractor saw about twenty years ago. It replaced a Ryobi, which I’ll describe in the next post.

The RIDGID had open extension wings for weight. It was a belt drive and had a weird looking mobile base. It was a great saw, selling for around $700. It really wasn’t that portable, but I used it as a home unit. I replaced it with a Sawstop cabinet model.



The above mentioned Ryobi was my first table saw. Thirty years ago, I knew very little. The saw had a mount for a router in one of the extensions. The fence was weird and the cross-cut fence was more a sliding type. I got a lot of use out of that saw and found a buyer a couple of years ago. The lift mechanism was not well thought out and I had to get parts for it more than once. It had adjustable feet and wheels mounted an inch or so above the floor level. You had to pick up one end of the unit to have the wheels engage.

Sawstop is the cat’s pajamas!
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A lot of people hate SawStop for their lobbying, but they make a awesome table saw.

Here is a video of Roy Underhill making sport of a SawStop.

 
RetiredUSN said:
A lot of people hate SawStop for their lobbying, but they make a awesome table saw.

Here is a video of Roy Underhill making sport of a SawStop.

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I bought mine in DE, no sales tax and we were visiting the in-laws. The packaging and instruction manual were like nothing else I have seen. The manual has plastic pages in a spiral binder. All the fasteners and hardware are in separate bubble packs on card, from start to operation, I was impressed. I had occasion to see the beast in action; I was using a box joint jig made with aluminum and i figured a little tight. I about crapped myself when the cartridge went off and the blade sank outta sight. Cost a $90 cartridge and a blade, and some new skivvies.......
 
RetiredUSN said:
Harbor Freight has some hidden gems for sure.

I have 2 of their drywall lifts and they are about 12 years old now and still working fine.

The small tire changer is a good buy.
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Their riding mower/ATV jack is decent (mine is 6 years old and still works fine). Since I leave mine outside I wasn't going to spend a lot on one anyway. I bought a Vulcan convertible ladder there and it is garbage. I have an air powered narrow crown stapler which was bought there (I got it barely used for $15) and it works fine, but it I haven't used it much. Some of my carpeting tools (kicker and stretcher) are from Harbor Freight and they work OK.
 
Rexedgar said:
It pays to do some research, especially the cordless brands. I have Dewalt drill that had the batteries fail. I went online looking to replace the batteries and found the was a recall on the batteries and the charger. Dewalt sent the replacements at no cost.

Replacing two batteries usually costs more than the initial purchase of the tool or combo, batteries and charger.
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I will get refurbished batteries or refurbish them myself. It lowers the cost and more important tends to improve the performance of the battery and hence tool.
 
ttwtt78640 said:
When battery circular saws first came out they used 5 3/8" or 5 1/2" blades - barely (if at all) able to cut through (wet) pressure treated (nominal) 2" lumber. They now seem to use 6 1/2" or (standard) 7 1/4" blades which are more readily available, less expensive and much more useful.
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I have a twelve volt Milwaukie circular saw. That little bastard can eat wood and fiberglass and steel like there no tomorrow. The thing loves 2x4's 2x6's and 2x10's. Impressed me. I just got it because of one project and it was compatible with my system. Turned out more useful than I would have thought.
 
PirateMk1 said:
I have a twelve volt Milwaukie circular saw. That little bastard can eat wood and fiberglass and steel like there no tomorrow. The thing loves 2x4's 2x6's and 2x10's. Impressed me. I just got it because of one project and it was compatible with my system. Turned out more useful than I would have thought.
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My point was not a lack of power, it was the lack of adequate depth of cut. A smaller diameter blade will not cut all the way through a 1 5/8" thick board even at 90%, much less so at 45%.
 
ttwtt78640 said:
My point was not a lack of power, it was the lack of adequate depth of cut. A smaller diameter blade will not cut all the way through a 1 5/8" thick board even at 90%, much less so at 45%.
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I see. I am a simpleton when it comes to circular saws. I use the M12 to cut lumber for mold making reinforcement on occasion and for rough cutting fiberglass flanges. Oh and it does metal with a metal cutting blade which I love. I think I cut more metal with the thing than anything else now that I think of it. I just liked the fact it was a small very portable and it worked good. I had my doubts, but its lot more convenient than schlepping a corded big boy about.
 
PirateMk1 said:
I see. I am a simpleton when it comes to circular saws. I use the M12 to cut lumber for mold making reinforcement on occasion and for rough cutting fiberglass flanges. Oh and it does metal with a metal cutting blade which I love. I think I cut more metal with the thing than anything else now that I think of it. I just liked the fact it was a small very portable and it worked good. I had my doubts, but its lot more convenient than schlepping a corded big boy about.
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Yep, having a power tool which does not require connection to an electric cord or air hose is very handy.
 
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