The Power And Limits Of Porter Cable Cordless Drills

While not perfect by any means, Porter Cable cordless drills are nonetheless versatile and hardy enough to be worth using in the kit of any handyman, provided you don't suffer from a manufacturing flub of getting defective parts. The different models of Porter Cable cordless drills share a common design: an ergonomic middle-mounted handle and a thick, rounded body that are weighted well and just plain feel good in the hand. But, of course, what matters more than the outside is the inside!

How does the average Porter Cable Cordless Drill perform? Keep reading to find out.

These drills have the raw power and efficient drilling mechanisms to function smooth as butter in drilling even harder materials. The batteries included with the a typical Porter Cable cordless drill is sufficiently long-lived that it can last the average user for well over a year, although of course frequency of use will cause this to vary. Unfortunately, when the batteries do finally go out, they cost a hefty chunk of change to replace, but no more so than with any other drill battery.

There is some debate on whether this line of drills is better for a casual user or a professional. Many Porter Cable cordless drills have a considerable weight to help back up the drilling power, which renders them less than ideal for lighter work. There are also claims of a lot of torque, allowing the drill to get out of the user's control if the machine is even slightly underestimated, or the user's concentration lapses. If you're not adept at keeping control of a drill even with a lot of power behind it, a Porter Cable cordless drill might just be too much for you to handle.

Of course, you'd probably be able to tell that from the weight of these drills alone! They're very solid, heavy-duty machines meant for solid, heavy-duty jobs. On the other hand, some models of these drills will wear out in various areas from overuse, in turn making them suitable for casual users! Plastic drive gears will get old and tired before the rest of the drill. In addition, very rarely, a clip that holds the drill chuck in place may become detached. The good news is that if you know a little bit about taking apart drills and putting them back together again, you can very often repair these models of drills yourself, without even having to cash in the warranty.

However, if you're not able to do that, then you might have the bad luck to get one of the higher-maintenance drills that will break more often than it's worth sending in to repair. The bottom line from both sides is that if you need a drill that 'just works,' then this isn't the drill for you. When you're buying a Porter Cable cordless drill, you're buying raw power and plenty of finickiness. Using these drills carelessly is very much like trying to ride a bull in heat without taking it seriously: you're not going to get very far. Even the cheaper of these drills will tend to run you over a hundred dollars, so if you have any doubts about it, you might want to try to test one out before laying your money down.