Porter-Cable 3812 Portable Table Saw

by Porter-Cable

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The Porter-Cable 3812 10-inch portable table saw is equally at home at the work site or on the workbench in your garage. Designed for bench, stand, or sawhorse mounting, this table saw delivers clean, accurate cuts every time. Powered by a heavy-duty, 15 amp motor, and featuring a large, extra-wide, 24-1/2-inch rip capacity, the 3812 makes quick work of plywood. An easy-adjusting hand wheel allows the user to set the blade height effortlessly--up to 3-1/8 inches at 90 degrees. A clearly marked blade-tilting handle provides precise angling, too, while an electric brake provides an added level of assurance between cuts, saving time in the process. And finally, under-table storage makes setup and transportation a breeze. In addition to the saw itself, the 3812 comes standard with a Riptide 24T carbide-tipped blade, premium miter gauge, rip fence, quick-release blade guard, and blade wrenches. All in all, a solid buy. --Carl Thress

From the Manufacturer

Porter-Cable 3812 Portable Table Saw

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 26 x 20 x 17 inches ; 60 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 68 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00005A1JA
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 3812
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #495,392 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid, smooth, and accurate, October 1, 2001

By 

Gabriel Keck (Flagstaff,AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Porter-Cable 3812 Portable Table Saw (Tools & Home Improvement)

I chose this saw because of the success I've had with other PC tools. I also bought the stand that goes with the saw because I wanted a compact, solid, easily transported system, and I was not disappointed. The saw itself is a joy to operate compared to the other benchtop models I've been using. When the bevel lock is loosened to change the angle, the saw dosen't immediatly flop over like the DeWalt and Mikita benchtop saws. The angle and blade height is adjusted by a smooth like butter operating gear/crank. I'm also impressed with the simple utility of the extending fence rails. Very solid and hassle free.
While the fence is accurate, it takes a little more force than I think should be necessary to lock it down. I adjusted the lockdown lever to what I was comfortable with and found that while the front of the fence was secure, the rear tended to shift. However, I re-adjusted the lever to its previous tension and have had no problems.

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A compromise,but..., November 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Porter-Cable 3812 Portable Table Saw (Tools & Home Improvement)

It got real old lugging my 700 pound Lurem multi-station around, but for years I just couldn't see spending money for the cheesy bench tops. Well the war heated up when DeWalt got going, then Bosch, and finally PC. And, I got older, and the big saw got reallly heavy. The 3812 seemed to be the best of the lot. UPS did its usual slamming and dropping, and when I opened the box,I was appalled at the packing. Only one little block of foam, and it had come off wherever it was supposed to be and the sliding fence had slammed into the edge of the table, which is a cast aluminum lip extension of the table top. This resulted in the screw for fence adjustment being bent at a 45 degree angle, and the cast edge was broken. Not only that, but the extension rails were 1 1/2 inches out of rack. Just an incredibly poor job of packaging.
None the less, when I checked the alignment, it was perfect on the blade angles, but there was no allen wrench for the adjustments, which seemed odd. I am so used to rebuilding Taiwanese tools prior to use that this was about a 1/2 hour inconvience to align, and then away we go. After about 1 day
everything got real smooth, and I have been impressed. It's no 5 horsepower Oliver, but the cuts are smooth with the right feed rates, the fence is super fast to adjust, and this thing really flies with OSB or plywood. Like all of the saws of this type, the flimsy plastic really bugs me. A heavier injection, and maybe the use of some magnesium in place of plastic for the trunion gears would help. After all, these saws are selling for what a belt driven contractor's model sold for not too long ago.
Other than that, this is the best of the bunch so far, and they have corrected all the little things DeWalt and Bosch almost got right. Other than the packing and no allen wrench, just about perfect. And, it's really easy to move room to room.

73 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars QUALITY NOT QUANTITY, August 12, 2001

By 

JOEL (KEENE, NH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Porter-Cable 3812 Portable Table Saw (Tools & Home Improvement)

I SPENT 10 MONTHS LOOKING FOR A TABLE SAW THAT WOULD MEET MY STANDARDS OF CRAFTSMANSHIP. RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX YOU NOTICE A DIFFERENCE. THE FENCE IS ROCK SOLID AND ACURATE. THE TABLE EXTENTION IS VERY SMOOTH, AND WHEN LOCCKED BECOMES A PART OF THE TABLE. LOWERING AND RAISING THE BLADE COULD NOT BE ANY SMOOTHER. ADJUSTING THE ANGLE OF THE BLADE IS JUST AS NICE. A NICE SURPRISE WAS HOW THE MITER GUAGE FITS INTO THE TABLE SO IT CAN'T LIFT OUT. I WOULD HAVE PAID TWICE THE PRICE. PORTER CABLE HAS SET THE STANDARD FOR PORTABLE TABLE SAWS. IT IS GOOD TO SEE THINGS MADE AT THIS LEVEL OF CRAFTSMANSHIP.