Porter cable cheap 20v tools ARE Black & Decker...

Trevillian

Trevillian

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last week I gave in and bought the “low end” porter cable 4 tool set on sale for $150. Good deal. I build for a living and have the high end DeWalt and Porter Cable stuff at work.

I can get specific about it but no need just yet. We’ve always used DeWalt with good results.. I decided to gamble and got the brushless Porter Cable drill n impact at $130 last year. It impressed me. Is still running strong.

I snagged the low end Porter Cable 4 tool kit last week, just for home use. Not work. then a buddy showed me his B&D he got for $100.

They are the same tools in a different color! Then I hit the inter webs and find the B&D batteries and the Porter Cable batteries are the same but have their plastic different.....,

I now have theB&D kit. So we shall run the snot out of it at home. Maybe mod it to run my Porter Cable batteries.

Idk if I feel giped or like a savvy consumer. Time will tell
 
I think Stanley owns Porter Cable. I have the same $130 drill n impact still going strong. IMO Milwaukee, DeWalt, Bosch. I LOOOOOVVVEEEE Milwaukee fuel
 
Djstorm100 said:
I think Stanley owns Porter Cable. I have the same $130 drill n impact still going strong. IMO Milwaukee, DeWalt, Bosch. I LOOOOOVVVEEEE Milwaukee fuel
Click to expand...

The company name is Stanley, Black and Decker. Dear lord do they own the world lol. I grasp the relabeling of many different name brands under the same actual maker. I just missed the connection this time.

Yes, Hilti n such is the best of the best. Locally DeWalt is as good as it gets. They are good. For the heck of it I went porter cable for a new drill/driver for $50 less to try it out for $50 less than the same kit nut DeWalt.

I’m still impressed. Many, many,details good and bad, I won’t delve into. But action to action. I can’t justify that yellow markup on that particular tool set.

Then I went screw it, take another chance. Got the PC kit as mentioned above. Then saw a buddies new BD kit, went, hmmmm. Google foo’d it. Now I have the same kit for$50 less and just found out removing some plastic, makes BD and PC batteries work in either platform.

Again these are home grade tools. I wouldn’t use the PC kit I had at work nor this same but cheaper BD kit. As my home use intentions go. Saving that cash and discovering the battery story makes me happy
 
Just a little update. Knock out a little plastic tab in the battery slot on the B&D tools, my Porter Cable batteries slide right in. So my B&D kit now has 6 batteries:D

The B&D batteries are 2.0 amp hours which is interesting. PC “red” are 1.5, I’ve sometimes seen claims that some “reds” are 2.0 even on the PC website but I haven’t seen it in the wild... The PC “black” are 1.3’s. B&D batteries seem to be 1.5’s typically but the price range is comparable to the PC “black”. One rainy day when the honey do list is low, I’m going to take one of each apart and compare them internally.

I personally don’t notice much, if any difference between the PC “black” or “red” at work so I don’t think I’m going to mod either my PC tools or B&D batteries to be compatible for now. That would require cutting off the “ledge” on either side of the lock mechanism of the B&D batteries or cutting an angle in the plastic of the PC tools.

The B&D tools are doing dandy for home use little projects. Lil circ. Saw cuts fine if I give it time and doesn’t molest batteries. Only used on 2x4’s and some scrap advantec to make some garage shelves. The sawzall may get a pretty heavy work out just to see how it does and how many batteries it’ll eat cutting out an old porch with treated 2x4’s.

I never cared for battery operated cutters in general until a former client bought a DeWalt 40v circ that took standard blades for a remote job. That thing impressed me to no end. This cheapie B&D one actually is doing ok enough that it may make it to work for climbing the ladder to make one cut or to small projects and jobs it’s not worth hauling a gen set out to.
 
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