Customer Reviews

Porter-Cable 9878 14.4 Volt 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill Kit

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I recently upgraded from a Mikita 12v to this PC 14.4v, and what a difference! More torque, lighter weight, more power, and an easy to understand battery charger. This drill has excellent balance, and has a smooth power band that is advantageous no matter what the task is. Add a spacious and sturdy case that offers several spaces for storing bits and other accesories and you have a complete setup for both the homeowner and the professional alike.

I recently upgraded from a 12V Skil, and also have an 18V Ryobi. The PC drill is excellent! More torque than you need, great 2AH batteries, with an advanced diagnostic charger, and a nice balance. Smooth to operate, at low or high speeds. Less weight than an 18V, but no shortage of power. An all around value, and it should last, as all PC tools do.

I've used this drill continuously on the jobsite for several months now and have had no problems. This new line of drills is a considerable upgrade from the earlier Porter Cable 12v and 14.4v models which were less than stellar in their performance. The 14.4v half inch chuck model has great power, a much better feel than its blue/green Japanese counterparts and excellent balance. In the past I generally prefered using 12v models because I didn't think the extra weight was worth it. However this 14.4v Porter Cable drill is so well done, I'll never go back to a lower voltage model.

I've been using this drill for about a month now and it is truly amazing.It has so much power. It may be a little on the heavy side but it makes up for it in power. Today i drove about 75 1/4"x3" lag screws and i didnt notice any change in the power out put.I highly recomend this drill for any one who is seriously coinsidering a professonal drill.In my opinion pc's tools are made much better than big yellow, who i have personally seen many failures with over the years.

I bought this tool reconditioned and have used it for 3 months 4-5 times a week. It has performed well in many diverse jobs from delicate cabinetry drill/driving to plunging 3/8 holes in thick galvanized steel tubing. I have had no problems with it what so ever. -The charger works great: No wait more than an hour. -Battery lock design seems very solid. -Standard weight for a 14.4 -Most power for a 14.4 -Not the lightest 14.4 but not the heaviest either.

Suggestions: -Case is too big and bulky

Overall: Great tool for a better price than others in its range. Good balance and lots of power. Couldn't see needing more power unless I was drilling very large holes consistently. The mid weight of this drill makes it the perfect all around tool for many jobs. I would buy Porter Cable again.

As an inveterate home improvement junkie, I owned a couple of under-powered Craftsmen cordless drills/screwdrivers before purchasing the Porter Cable 14.4 Volt ½-inch model about 2 months ago. To date, I have found this unit invaluable. From driving screws to drilling with brad point and spade bits, this tool has always had sufficient power and excellent battery endurance. When working with varying materials, I've found the clutch mechanism easy to use and quickly adjustable to the task. The included battery charger is efficient, and unlike a previous reviewer, I have not noticed any sounds during charging. Until completion of my shop cabinets, I found the included case handy for storing the tool. Because of this tool's excellent and totally reliable performance, my corded electric drill will probably see little use in the future.

I'm a remodeling contractor and was searching for a replacement for my aging Dewalt. I didn't want the weight of the 18v models, but still wanted all the power I could get. The Porter Cable 14.4 has 20% more torque than the equivalent Dewalt and costs $...less. What more could you ask for?
I use this drill every day in a wide variety of applications and have been very satisfied with it. While I own Dewalt and other brands of tools, Porter Cable has become my manufacturer of choice. I own and am very satisfied with their finish nailer, brad nailer, air compressor and finish sander.

I'm over 50 and decided some time ago to put together a good set of cordless tools for retirement projects - some pretty serious. Its been over 10 years since I last investigated cordless tools.

I wanted to do this right so I purchased with the future in mind. This means that besides quality, I wanted tools that I can utilize together. It becomes obvious that batteries and chargers are a major concern. So - same brand and interchangeability of batteries and charges is important.

I purchased and tested drill/circular saw combinations from Porter Cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt, and Makita. I first purchased the 14.4 Porter Cable 1/2 drill and saw. I reallly liked the feel of the grip and its looks. For a 14.4, it is certainly powerful enough - HOWEVER - I soon bagan breaking drill bits and discovered that the chuck was not straight. I also noticed that if I grabbed the chuck with one hand and the housing with the other hand, I could easily wiggle the chuck shaft back and forth. In other words, it was a poor fit and loose. This bothered me to no end because everytime I picked the drill up it would rattle. Obvious poor fit and I believe poor design.

I took the drill back and got another one. This one had was lined up a little better, but still wobbled the bits. I took it back and got another one. This third replacement drill was really loose at the housing. I took it back and the next one made a real gritty sound when the motor turned... I knew I really wanted to go with 18 volts, particulary because Porter-Cable makes so few tools in 14.4 (drills and one circular saw). I imagine that if I kept the one out of 4 drills that ran a relatively straight bit I could have used it for a long time with no problem like many of you have - but I can assure you that the quality of Porter-Cable cordless tools is below that of the other three major manufacturers. The circular saw is a joke. The safety switch is really located in a bad place and the balance of the saw is simply outragously horrible.

I will say that the battery system on the Porter-cable is great although the 2amp batteries offered are now below par also. I love all my "old" Porter-cable corded tools but none were made in Tiwan as these cordless tools are.

I don't want to ruin your day, but check how true your bits are running with a long straight bit and see how loose your drill is in the housing. I'm sure most of you won't be so happy with the Porter-Cable.

I bought my 14.4 about 2 1/2 years ago. I have NEVER been able to drain the batteries faster than the charger could keep up, including one time when I had to drill 24 3/8" holes through 1/4" steel and then screw a corresponding 24 3/8" X 3" lag bolts into a wooden beam. I've used this drill to cut 4" holes through 2X with no problems. The torque on this baby was amazing. Be careful with your torque settings for screws, they will break. It got to the point that the only time I used my corded drill was when the bit I was using was larger than the chuck. My drill worked flawlessly right up to the time when it was stolen. I'm planning on upgrading to the 19.2 Volt Hammer/Drill as a replacement. I figure this way I won't be needing my corded drill at all.

I am a carpenter who uses his drill everyday and in my opinion this drill is better than Dewalt, Milwaukee, or Bosch.
The drill is light and well balanced. The torque output is greater than Dewalt's 18v. This drill is not a hammerdrill but they do offer it (Model# 9877).I reccomend the 9878 to homeowners because they don't need the hammerdrill for around the house. Contractors will love the 9877 for light to medium concrete drilling (ie:Tapcons,thunderbolts and hammerdrives.)
The run time on this drill is excellent, more than adequate to complete any project without waiting for the batteries to recharge.
I have found only two problems. First, the head of the drill is too long to fit into small cabinets when mounting them.
Second, The battery charger will not charge the batteries when the battery or the charger are colder than 40 F or warmer than 90 f. The temperature problem was intentionally designed that way to maximize the life of the batteries because most cordless drills' batteries die before the drill and to replace them would cost almost as much as a complete new drill. Here's a tip, keep the batteries in the house when not in use. Extreme temperatures will diminish the life and capacity of the batteries.
I have owned my drill for 3 years w/out any problems and will buy another when this one eventually dies.