Customer Reviews

Porter-Cable 9884CS 19.2 Volt Cordless Drill/Saw Combo

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I got my PC 19.2 kit home , I was stoked. I couldn't wait to put it through a good torture test. I didn't get to though. The charger wouldn't charge. I must have gotten the lemon of the bunch. I've never had any trouble with any porter Cable tools before. I loved my old 12v magnequenches. Well my second kit worked fine. We used it side by side with the Makita 18v kit for about two weeks. Here is what we found.

The PC's (MADE IN TAIWAN) are powerful, but considerably heavier,especially the saw. They are also less refined. The saw is has more gear lash ,and lacks an electric brake.The safety switch is a little awkward. It has a very front heavy balance to it, putting more strain on your irreplaceable wrist. The drill is powerful , and well balanced. The motor fan really screams though. PC uses those awful bushings on both tools to support the motor instead of ball and roller bearings like in their corded heavy duty tools.

My crew of three plus myself all preferred the Makita's . They are lighter, perform better, have higher torque, are more refined, run smoother and longer per charge.They also run more quietly. Both tools have a very effective electric brake. The saw has a larger blade, and seems to glide through the cuts better. ( even with a much older blade) Both tols have a metal gear case and large ball bearing construction, which scream heavy duty.

When my second charger quit , I decided not to keep the PC combo kit. I'm sure it was just a fluke. They really are nice tools for the price , but they are not the best available.

Wow is this review old now. Guess I can update it with a little more info after six years. The drill locked up and died after 5 years of steady, but not constant use. Not bad for a product lifetime, but certainly not great. Bad news about it was that the saw still worked, I needed a drill and I had two batteries and a charger left over from the set. So I replaced the drill minus the battery to save on cost. Big difference in the chuck and I am not sure for the better, but it is not for the worse just different. I still like the set and would buy it again. My intuition about the saw blades being tough to find has turned out to be true, but they are still around just not on every corner like a 7 1/4" would be. All the original comments have held up over time and I can add nothing new to them. The rating has not changed either - I doubt if you buy it you will be disappointed.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
This combo set struck me as a well-made offering and I am glad I bought it. I have used both tools less than 8 hours total so far, but have already come away with some impressions that may help others trying to decide. As already mentioned in another review, the saw lacks a brake. I think this is rather poor since the drill has essentially the same motor design and it could have been incorporated. The saw also did not come with a rip gauge - an incredible annoyance and very chintzy since the metal and manufacturing costs involved could not have together added up to two bucks. The safety switch is awkward to get used to but the balance feels right. The runtime with a fully-charged battery did not seem all that good and I doubt I could have run through the 100 2x4's claimed, but the recycling time for a charge was very quick indeed (under one hour). I could not find a selection of 6" blades anywhere and can only hope PC and the blade manufacturers step up to this. Overall the saw is well-made and I liked the fact that it was designed with the blade on the left even though it takes a little getting used to.

As for the drill, it too had a few drawbacks. It lacked a 'continuous-on' setting which is useful when doing things like mixing paint. It did have an electric brake, but as also mentioned in another review it is rather loud when running. I agree that I would not want to be holding it over my head all day but for most uses the weight and balance should be fine. The torque is tremendous and the clutch has 20 different settings. The overall design of both tools is excellent and the grips feel very comfortable. I very much enjoy both tools and think they are good competition for the others, let's see who can one-up PC on the next go-round.

I HAVE USED BOTH THE DEWALT AND PC. THE PC WINS IN EVERY CATEGORY HANDS DOWN. THE SAW CUTS BETTER AND LASTS LONGER. THE DRILL HAS MORE POWER, FEELS LIGHTER AND WITH THE 1/2 INCH CHUCK CAN BE USED IN MORE APPLICATIONS (ONLY WISH THEY HAD A HAMMER OPTION). YOU MAY PAY MORE, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY WORTH EVERY PENNY. THE BATTERIES CHARGE VERY QUICKLY, ALSO.

More and more quality tools are coming out cordless. I even own cordless nail guns. The biggest problem has always been longevity. In as much as this is really two tools, let me address each one individually.

First the Drill. I bought one of the first cordless drills ever made eons ago. I have owned many since then. Finally a quality drill with power to spare from a company that is without question top of the line. Just visit any upscale cabinet shop and ask them what name in tools they rely on. These are not light weight tools. Those are available from others on the market. These are ready to do real work. It not only gets the job done, but it was well designed as a sharp looking tool also.

The Saw. I own one of the first cordless saws ever made. What a joke. Can't even cut a 2x4. This one cuts it and spits it out. If you are serious about a tool for getting the job done, this saw can cut it. I know!

If value is important, try pricing these tool separately. This is a real good deal for top quality tools.

I have just recently bought the PC combo kit. I must say I am very impressed. The drill put out a substantial amount of torque, but is a bit heavy. The clutch is wonderful, with twenty diffrent speeds. The saw is wonderful as well. It cuts through everything in its way. These two tools also felt very comfotable. I shopped around and out of dewalt, B and D, skill, bosch, this felt the most comfortable. It was a little more but well worth it. The only draw back is the battery. I wish the run time was longer. Is not a issue with the drill, only on the saw. This kit kicks but!

Bought the PC combo one week ago to replace a 18v dewalt with a burnt out motor, since then, my crew and i have put this through what i consider a torture test. The drill fell two stories onto a concrete driveway and other than a broken drill bit, came through fine. the saw began to loose power after 50 2x4's or so and was recharged in about 45 min. i am very happy with it except the saw has no measurement gauge on the toe.

Having had owned a dewalt for many years, this feels better in the hand seems to hold a charge longer, though i havent owned it long enough to be sure.

Turn on the Dewalt and then turn on the PC. The PC wins the gear noise crown hands down. The PC will also cut a 2 X 4 @ 45 degrees and the Dewalt will not. More volts = longer run-time. Buy the PC unit, you will be very happy!

I built a gazebo roof with my Porter Cable tools. The saw made clean, quick diagonal cuts through pressure treated 2x6's and the battery lasted a reasonable time. I'd say about 25-30 cuts before there was a significant loss of torque. The drill dropped off the roof a couple of times and it still works fine. I do, however, wish there were a better selection of saw blades on the market.

I must say I have been an avid fan of DeWalt cordless tools, but Porter Cable has surpassed them with this set. They are all that they are cracked up to be, tough, rugged, agile, and long lasting. The saw shreds wood, and the drill with its' 1/2" chuck has an immense amount of tork. These tools get the job done!

After owning Dewalt 18 and Makita 18 volt drill drivers, I felt that the Porter/Cable 19.2 has much more power to drive and excellent performance.... But, I am a little disapointed in the usage time between charges...the other brands did last longer..