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If it doesn't I won't buy another PC. If it wasn't for that problem I'd give it 5 stars.I've been disappointed with the battery life on my DeWalts which are otherwise good tools; the Makitas have great batteries, I've had some Makitas over 15 years and they're still going strong, in fact I only remember having one old 9.9v go bad and it must have been 20 yrs old.I've used a Panasonic and was impressed with it. I'm a general contractor so I have a number of drill drivers including 5 Makitas (old ones), 3 DeWalts, Bosch, and 3-4 more I can't remember. I had it repaired because I liked it so much. so I've decided to get another one. I bought the PC 14.4v drill over 10 years ago.
I liked the size of it, feel and balance, it had good battery life, plenty of torque, etc. Getting back to the PC; the clutch gave out on it a couple years ago. Hopefully the clutch will survive on this one. The problem is whenever I use one of my other drills I always wish I had the PC again. Up until 2-3 years ago it was my favorite drill --- the first one I'd grab if it fit the task. Within 6 months it went out again.
I would seriously consider it down the road sometime when I'm in store for something different. so I didn't replace it.
It chuck locks to make a bit change.The drill is powerful for a 14.4 volt drill. Heres what I found. Most people don't want to pay a lot of money for a product.so customer service get's cut back.with all manufacturers. The people that write these reviews are so biased because they either did not know how to properly use the drill, broke it themselves and expected it not to break, or don't know much about drills to begin with. It has screwed thousands of fasteners, been dropped from a ladder to the ground on MANY occasions, been left in the rain, and has just been used a lot. I have been thru many batteries because NI-CADS don't last forever, no matter who you buy them from. The case is very strong and held up well despite drops to the ground.The batteries have strong cases also.Customer service is not an indicator of a good company as it will vary with each incident or rep you talk to. If you tell them you dropped the battery and it broke because it was defective, I would be surprised if they didn't laugh at you.
I have been using this drill for 2 years for renovating my home. First the negatives's: The batteries don't last as long as they should.I have gone thru a dozen and others I spoke to using this drill claim the same problem with life. The solution.buy from a reputable dealer.All drills have strengths and weakness's.find the one that has the most of what you want. They need a better battery.The drill is heavier than comparable drills.The pro's:The chuck has never had any problems.never slipped, never locked up.
Now though instead of replacing my Porter-Cable tools with more Porter-Cable, I will look elsewhere for the same level of quality.Do not get me wrong, once upon a time B&D made very good power tools, but in the last 15 years or so I have found them suspect, even the more jazzed up DeWalt, so called porfessional tool, is not what it once was. Before I found out the fact Porter-Cable/Delta had been to sold to B&D, I found Porter-Cable tools to be of high quality, and very reliable. Alas, the future is quite dark for Porter/Cable loyalists. What a mess. For now you will get no more than grown up toys not a high quality professional tool Porter-Cable was famous for.
This charger failure renders the drill/driver nearly useless. Since the broken flange did not effect the operation of the drill, I did not consider the damage to be serious. Their (we aren't going to do anything about it response) did not even say, Sorry. The Porter-Cable 14.4 Drill is well designed from a balance and handling standpoint. My drill/driver has been in use for more than three years,which I do not consider to be a long time for a $180 dollar drill/driver. Shortly after purchasing the drill one of the battery flanges broke from a minor accidental blow. I would have considered replacing the drill/driver with another 14.4 Porter-Cable if it were not for the thoughtless response that I received from Porter-Cable after notifying them of the defect. From what I have read and heard, Panasonic is the way to go for top quality.
There is more than enough torque to handle normal applications that the tool could be used for. A few months ago while placing a battery in its charger the charger's battery guides (plastic flanges that guide the battery connection to the charger) broke off completely. I have a lot of Porter-Cable tools but it may be time to move on to another make. I assure you there was no excessive force of any nature beyond normal use that would have caused the failure.
I only use it for home use so after 3+weeks of sitting I picked up the drill and the charge left in battery pack was great.A 1/2inch keyless chuck came with tool, but I'm going to change to 3/8" chuck because I mostly use drills below 3/8". I have only just recently(Jan 2006)got my drill motor. In the few times used,the balance is good and power is fine. The 1/2" does not close tight on small drills. Getting the second battery is a must.
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