Manufacturer - Porter Cable

Model - PCB220TS

Average Purchase Price - $299

Overview

It’s cool to have a saw you can fold up and take from place to place, but if it doesn’t produce a great final cut, how good is it really.  We decided to run this saw through a couple different test to see if this saw is really worth the $299 price tag.  For starters, this price tag may seem high, but it’s actually on the low end of the price line.  This saw has all the features the more expensive ones have, but you wouldn’t know it with the low price tag.

Now we are not going to bore you with a mountain of stats, you can check them out under our stats tab.  However, we did want to touch on a couple important stats so you can see this is a table saw that does stack up to other saws.  First this saw is powered by a 15 amp motor that turns a 10″ blade 5,000 rpms.   Max rip to the right is 24.5″ and to the left is is 10″.  At a 90 degree you can cut up to 3″ and a 45 degree you can cut 2.5″.  Yes it does take a 1/2″ Dado.  Overall pretty impressive stats for a $299 saw, but what about portability?

The saw is easy to fold and unfold for one person.  To store in a truck or a shop, you can fold the whole saw up so the stand is under the saw and doesn’t protrude.  If you want to wheel the saw around, you can leave the bar out and use it as a handle.  However it really only works for someone under 5′ tall.  A taller person will find themselves bending down when wheeling the saw around.  The wheels could be a little bigger making it roll nicer when moving around, but all in all not too bad.  Everything on the saw has a storage place and stays put when moving the unit around.  Even the blade will full drop below the table to prevent the blade from getting damaged.

OK, the saw has good stats and is pretty portable, but how well does it cut?  Raising the blade is easy, just like every other saw we have used.  Turn the knob in front and raise or lower the blade.  To make a bevel cut, just loosen the lock on the front and turn the knob that is located on the side of the unit.  The degree markings are visible and easy to read.  Our bevel cuts where accurate.  The fence isn’t too bad.  When we locked the front of the fence, it also locks the back of the fence.  A user can adjust how tight it locks in the back.  The included measuring guide below the fence is easy to read, this was also accurate.  On the back of the saw there is a feed support that isn’t too bad, it could be a little longer.  Two very nice and well thought out features are the blade chute and stand arm.  The blade chute helps funnel all the waste material that drops below the saw, out the back of the dust ports.  This is a nice feature as it helps keep the inside of the saw clean.  One of the best features of this saw is the stand.  As you can see by the picture, the back leg is bent out.  This helps stabilize the saw when sliding larger piece of wood through the blade.  This way the saw doesn’t have a tendency to tip over.

One of the biggest down sides to this saw is the blade-guard riving knife.  While it does a great job and doesn’t get in the way, our model was extremely hard to take on and off.   Now we are not sure if it was just our unit or the actual model.  Once we took the guard system of to store it, it was extremely hard to put back on the unit, which means guess what, in a bind we would tend to by pass the safety feature.  A safety feature should be one of the easiest items to use on any tool.  Don’t make it easy for a user to pass on safety features.  Again maybe it was just our unit.

All in all this is a great saw.  For the price of $299, it is hard to beat.  Lots of power and very accurate right out of the box.  If you have a shop or you are a contractor and don’t want to pay the heavy prices of other portable saws, this is a great fit.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS

• Motor: 15 Amp
• Arbor Size: 5/8 “
• Blade Diameter: 10 “
• Blade Speed: 5000 RPM
• Max Rip To Right Of Blade: 24-1/2 “
• Max Rip To Left Of Blade: 10 “
• Depth of Cut at 45°: 2-1/2 “
• Depth of Cut at 90°: 3 “
• Max Width of Dado: 1/2 “
• Miter Gauge Groove: 3/4″
• Chip Exhaust Opening: 2-1/2 “
• Table Height: 35 “
• Table Size: 25 x 19-1/2 “
• Length: 25 “
• Width: 19.5 “
• Height: 35 “
• Weight: 73.76 lbs
• Shipping Weight: 85.46 lbs

Porter Cable Table Saw Includes

• 40 TCT Saw Blade
• Miter Gauge
• Rip Fence
• Two Blade Wrenches
• Push Stick
• Mobile Stand
• Manual

Warranty

Tool - 3 Year

Pictures - Video

[gallery link="file"]

Rating

[easyreview title="Porter Cable Job Site Table Saw - PCB220TS" cat1title="Ease of Use" cat1detail="Setting up and folding the saw is a snap.  Adjusting the blade height and bevel angle is also very easy.  Even storing the accessories is very easy.  Attaching the blade guard was nearly impossible." cat1rating="3.5" cat2title="Features" cat2detail="The saw comes with all the main features you would expect to find on higher end models.  Overall the saw is very accurate." cat2rating="4.0" cat3title="Stability" cat3detail="Making cuts with portable table saws can sometimes be tricky as a heavy piece of wood tends to push the saw around.  Porter Cable designed a nice sturdy stand with a back leg kick out that helps make the stand more sturdy under these cuts." cat3rating="4.5" summary="If your looking for a good portable table saw that is easy to use and has all the bells and whistles, without the heavy price tag, the Porter Cable is a valid option."]

Deals

As we find deals we will be updating this page.

Notes

All of our long term notes or other information we find after this is released will be presented here.

The first thing that I thought when I saw this tool was it resembles the Porter Cable clamp saw PCL120CRC-2  design, although I have not seen the PC up close.  The DCS310 feels solid and weighs in at 3.1lbs. The kit comes with one battery, a 30 min charger, the tool, a bag and both a wood and metal cutting blade.  Of course we always like to see 2 batteries but that brings up the cost.  Currently it is $149 at Amazon it is also available in kits with other tools.  DeWALT covers this tool with the standard 3 year warranty.  We still have no 12V battery status gauges, but are hopeful to maybe see that this year.

The tool is best when controlled with 2 hands, one on the pistol grip and on one at the head of the tool to provide pressure.  The shoe pivots, but is not adjustable.  The saw accepts standard reciprocating saw blades in a right side up or upside down configuration. The entire blade assemble is encased which offers added protection. There is a handle on the right side of the head that allows you to change blades.  Rubber over molded padding covers half of the head for a solid grip.

The comfortable pistol grip trigger provides a variable speed of 0-2700 and has 9/16″ stroke length.  The trigger also activates an instant on LED light to illuminate your work. You can disable the trigger for transit via the trigger lock.  Even with the battery installed most of the tools weight is in the head.  This actually aids in keeping the saw planted on your work which helps eliminate chattering.  The 3 pivot handle helps you get into those tight areas and gives you extra control that most other 12v saws do not have. It is easily unlocked via a thumb slide switch.  The DCS310S1 is a great addition to the 12V Max line, it is compact and easy to carry around for those little jobs when a big reciprocating saw is to much!

They all seem to have a proprietary accessory system, some require tools some don’t, some are interchangeable and some are not.  Well if there is one thing I can tell you about the FEIN Multi Master is that it is one of the best if not the best Multi Tool on the market. Why shouldn’t it be they invented it in fact they invented their first tool back in 1867!  At $199 the price has finally become in reach of most DIY types.  The starter kit comes with a nylon bag, a scraper blade , Universal blade and a triangular sanding disk with 5 sheets of varying grits.  You can get more accessories with other tools for less money.

The accessories can be changed by lifting up on the top lever and pulling the pin that holds on the accessory.  It is relatively easy to change and allows for multiple angles.  The tool was balanced well and was comfortable to hold for extend periods.  Not a lot of vibration was transferred to my hands but the tool seemed wider than most Multi Tools I have used.  The variable speed selector produces 11,000-20,000 oscillations per minute.  The thumb wheel was a bit to small and hard to rotate for my liking and the speed indicators were small and hard to read.

We used the MultiMaster to flush cut subfloor under our cabinets and flush cut nail heads.  One mistake I always make with Multi tools is use them for bigger jobs than they are intended for.  I always go through blades like crazy.  Multi tools are for small odd jobs that any other saw would have no business even trying to do.  Overall the Fein MultiMaster is a good quality tool now at a reasonable price.

It has a 2 mode switch that allows for bump fire or trigger fire. When the unit is on, a white LED at the head of the tool illuminates and it also does a good job of lighting up your work area. Nail depth adjustment is simple via the thumbwheel that has a visual indicator. The unit weighs 6 lbs and overall feels good in your hand. To load nails, pull the slide back and insert the nails then slide it closed, it is a very simple system. A clear site view lets you know when your nails are running low. It drives 3 nails per second and a jam is easily cleared by just opening the slide. We did not experience any jams but occasionally got a misfire.

The Fusion comes with a 18V charger and battery that can charge 80% in 15 minutes and 100% in 45 minutes. It only comes with one battery so the 15 min charge is great to finish up those last few nails. The battery has a fuel status gauge on it so you know how much charge you have left. To hold it all, our F-18 came in a bag, not like the F-15 which came in a hard case. Personally I like the bag better, it holds more but obviously does not protect the tool like the hard case.

SENCO provides a 2 year warranty with this tool. Overall, the F-18 is a good all around tool nailer and I like it. The only dislike I have is that the plastic feels a bit cheap.  Check out SENCO here

The base is made from the same 3mm Polypropylene as the tool bags, which is unbelievably tough. When we shot up the XXL with shotguns and rifles the base withstood the bullets. It almost self sealed itself. The rest of the bag is made from 600 PVC impregnated Denier Nylon which is waterproof. Marine grade zinc rivets, double stitching and powder coated D rings scream quality. Veto covers this product with a 5 year warranty. Remember, this is a soft bag and not a hard case so if you run it over with a truck you might damage the equipment inside.

Some noticeable changes from previous bags is the lightened handle design and the hook on the shoulder strap to stow it when not in use. There are also light brown leather accents that give it a plush look. Make no mistake, you won’t find Veto Pro Pacs at Walmart, they are designed for the professional and at around $200 the LT isn’t cheap. But if you’re looking for the best protection you can get in a soft bag for all your electronics, the LT is well worth the price. I work in the IT field and the LT bag is more than just a bag for me, it is a tool. It allows my to carry all my diagnostic equipment around and easily see my tools at a glance. I can keep my service manuals in the file pockets and I use the tape measure clip to hang my DeWALT DCF610 drill from.

The bag seems to be bottomless, there is always an extra space to fit something in. The bag is heavier than most laptop bags due to it being built like a tank but I it is the only bag I trust to protect my valuable electronic equipment. Tools In Action highly recommends the Veto Pro Pac.

NOTE: In the pictures some have the TP3 and MB attached to the bag.  They are sold separately and we will have them reviewed here soon.

A portable inflator is a great idea.  You can use it for so many things like blowing up your kids pool, an air mattress, your tires or anything else you can think of.  Some models only allow you to do one or the other.  The Porter Cable is a little different.

Manufacturer - Porter Cable

Model - PCC583B

Average Purchase Price - $39 (Bare Tool)

Overview

Who doesn’t need or like a portable inflator, okay maybe Troy.  I have to say I have been wanting one of these for a long time.  My kids have a lot of things I am always blowing up such as balls, pools and more and I am tired of always feeling dizzy.  The other reason is for putting air in my tires.  I have a compressor, but it is a pain to haul the compressor out to the street to just put a couple pounds of air in my tires.  I have a weird driveway, so I can’t drive my truck back to the garage.  Now with this inflator, I can make sure my tires have the right amount of air or my kids aren’t playing with flat balls.

I already own the 18V Porter Cable drill so this was a prefect fit as I could just get the bare tool and not have to buy extra batteries or chargers.  One item I really like about this inflator is the digital read out.  I can check my pressure and easily see what the pressure is.  I also like the fact that this unit allows the user to set a pressure, turn it on and it will stop at a desired pressure.  The second thing I really like about this is that it has a high pressure and high volume function.  So I can inflate my kids pool and their footballs.  There is a switch that allows me to control which feature I want, pressure or volume.

Another cool feature about this inflator is that everything has a place.  I tend to lose stuff all the time.  With this tool, that will be hard, however I am sure I will manage to lose these items.  Both the high pressure and volume are stored on the sides.  The pressure hose fits very nicely, while the volume hose takes a little more work to get that into the compartment.  One note is the pressure fitting, this is made of metal and not plastic.

On the bottom, the 10″ 12V power supply wraps up nicely and is very handy.  On the back of the tool there is a place where the needles are stored.  If you don’t look, it is very easy to miss.

Overall this is a very nice set up and provides ample PSI of up to 100.  While it is rather loud, so are other ones I have seen.  I do like this system because it’s small and portable and if you already own the Porter Cable 18V tools, this is a perfect fit.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS

Kit Includes

• Inflator
• Needle for balls
• Attachment for mattress inflator

Pictures - Video

[gallery link="file"]

Rating

[easyreview title="Porter Cable Inflator PCC583B" cat1title="Value" cat1detail="The system has both a high pressure and high volume outlet.  Plus everything stores nicely, all for $39" cat1rating="4.0" cat2title="Noise Level" cat2detail="This system is very loud, as most are.  However we would still like to see companies lower the noise level." cat2rating="3.0" cat3title="Features" cat3detail="Having a digital read out is great.  Set the pressure and forget.  Can be used with a Porter Cable 18V battery or 12V car charger.  No 110 power." cat3rating="4.0" summary="If you need portable air and use the 18V Porter Cable line of power tools, this is a great addition."]

Deals

As we find deals we will be updating this page.

Notes

All of our long term notes or other information we find after this is released will be presented here.

We needed a Miter for our flooring project to keep our cuts straight and tackle tight angled trim cuts.  I am terrible at making cuts on a miter, I just always seem to mess them up.  Well I can say for the first time ever my cuts were accurate every time, largely in part to the XPS system.  It lays out a shadow of exactly where the blade is going to cut.  It looks like a sharp pencil line and is better than any laser I have ever seen, but like most lasers you cannot see the line in direct sunlight.  The LED does a good job of illuminating your work area.  There is no wobble or play in the saw, it is dead on precise.

15 Amps at 3800 RPM is what the DWS780 puts out and it goes through material like butter.  The cut was smooth, straight and left a clean edge on our hardwood flooring.  For the first time in my DIY career I was able to make accurate cuts with ease.  The saw can cut up to 2×16 dimensional lumber at 90° and 2×12 at 45° and the tall sliding fences support crown molding up to 7-1/2″ nested and base molding up to 6-3/4″ vertically against the fence while easily sliding out of the way for bevel cuts.  It miters 60° to the right and 50° to the left.  The dust collection system works great at capturing most of the dust.

The unit weighs 56 lbs and we felt the need to have a mobile stand .  We chose the DWX726 Rolling Miter Saw Stand.  It is a folding Miter Saw stand with wheels which gives you a complete mobile solution.  It can support up to 8′ of material and easily folds down and stands up on its side for vertical storage.  It was easy to move around and the tall tires went over uneven terrain with ease.  The Miter saw attaches to the stand with 4 allen head bolts and an included wrench sits on the side of the stand, no quick release here.  The gas assist lift helps raise the unit into the stand position.

The stand and the saw are a winning combo from DeWALT.  For the professional or the DIY guy that has to have the best, the DWS780 truly is the king of the Miter Saws and the addition of the DWX726 stand make it the perfect mobile job site solution.

You may remember we did a review of the Wall Buddy that has the same concept expect the Wall Buddy has a utility knife attached.  Both are very nice, but they do take time to get use to working.  Just wish there were small wheels that would help guide the square down the drywall, but again, not bad once you get use to using it.
The square is 24″ with 1/8″ thick tempered anodized aluminum blade.  There are perforations in 1/16″ increments for scoring.  The square is backed by a 1 year warranty.

If your cutting drywall and want a faster way to make cuts, the Johnson is a great addition.  Just remember it does take time to master this tool.  Don’t expect to get the tool and be an expert right away.

If I could replace my eyes with thermal imagers I would!  It is absolutely amazing what this new sense of perception allows you to accomplish.  It makes you feel super human.  A thermal imager can diagnose problems before they happen and find things you would never see with the naked eye.  Later in this article I will show you some of the cool things I found with the M12 Imager.

As you know Milwaukee is always expanding the M12 line with new tools.  Milwaukee wants to dominate the contractors tool bag and lately has been doing a really good job of doing so.  The 2260-21 M12™ 160 x120 Thermal Imager is part of their Test and Measurement line up which has produced some impressive tools like the innovative fluorescent light tester.  We had a sneak peak at the imager last year at the 2011 New Product Symposium and instantly fell in love with it.  It was made to diagnose and report, one pull of the trigger not only saves a thermal image to the the included 2gb SD card but it also takes a regular picture for reference.  Temperature Range is: 14 to 662 Degrees F with a refresh rate of 60 times per second.  You can change between iron, rainbow, gray color palettes, I found rainbow to be the best overall and gray was awesome at night vision.  The 3.5″ screen was big and easy to read, it is especially good when you need multiple people to look at the problem.

I am going to keep this review relatively simple and try not to overcomplicate the tool because it really is extremely easy to use.  It literally takes less that 5 minutes to become familiar with the 2260-21, the interface is simple and intuitive.   5 buttons and a directional pad allow you to navigate the menu options.  Check out the video for screen menus.  The pistol style grip has rubber over molding for a tight grip.  The imager is power hungry and we were surprised that it only included 1 Redlithium battery.  An XC pack would have been a lot better here for longer runtime and better tool balance as the head of the tool felt heavy.  To protect the imager lens it has a camera style flip lid that locks in both the open and closed position. It also focuses like a camera, just twist the lens ring.  On the right side is a protective rubber cover that houses the SD card and USB port.  Overall it is well built, rugged, has a IP54 rating and an awesome 5 year warranty.

For dark locations the imager has two bright white LED lights on the front.  When in grayscale mode it works great as a night vision camera.  I actually could see animals in the woods at night with this tool.  I dropped my iPhone in the lawn and could not find it with the naked eye, but found it within seconds with the imager.  It can even spot airplanes.  I found the tool awesome at checking electrical panels for overworked circuits and looking for thermal leaks.  The only downsides we noticed was that every minute or so the unit calibrates itself which causes the screen to freeze for a second or 2 and when you pull the trigger to take an image it freezes the unit for about 15 seconds, hopefully they can speed up the picture saving process in future firmware updates.

There were so many cool things we could do with a thermal imager, here are some things we did:

Server Room A/C

Cat

Clouds

Reciprocating Saw

Light and Smoke Detector

Neon Sign

Fire Pit

Hot Water Pipes

Electrical Panel with Hotspot

3 Deer

Lost iPhone in grass

Dog

Airplane flying over

Recently driven Van

Weird glass door reflection

Cats have cold noses

Cat leaving warm paw prints

Light bulb out

Cats laying out

I do not own a Windows PC, so I had to pass the article on to Eric who wrote the following:

Milwaukee M12 Thermal Image Software

Well you may have one of the cooliest tools around, but if you can’t show your clients or boss your thermal finds, what good is it really.  Not only did Milwaukee make the tool easy to use and navigate, they even made the software very easy.  Now you don’t have to install any software to use the tool, but if you want to run reports and keep a history, the software is a must.  What is that, your a Mac lover.  Well bad news, the current software that comes with this tool doesn’t support Mac.  The kit includes everything else you need to get started such as a 2 gig SD card, thumb drive, a install CD and a cord to hook up from the imager to your computer.

Before you get started, you have to install the software.  Just insert the CD and the software will guide you through the process, very easy.   Once you have it installed, just open the icon and your set to make yourself look like a pro.

The above picture is the screen you get when you open the program.  As you can see it is designed to be used by anyone, even a dummy like me can easily navigate this.  Do you want to load the pictures from a thumb drive or right from the camera?

Once you click the location, it asks for a customer name and job. This is the information that will be used in the report and if you ever need to go back and look at the history.

Now it will show you what images will be loaded.

Once the images are loaded, you can go through each one.  Here is where it gets pretty cool.  You can now see a side by side comparison from the thermal image to a standard picture.  On the bottom you can name your picture and include other important information that will show up on the report.   But this is what is really cool.  You can move your mouse all around the thermal picture and it will show you the exact temperature reading.  Click on your mouse and it takes a reading.  It puts an icon on the picture and logs the reading on the bottom right pane.  Plus this shows up on the report.  So in this example you can see how the temperature changes when hot water runs through a cast iron heater.

Now that you have described all your pictures, listed any problems with solutions, you can build a nice looking report.  Milwaukee lets you choose different templates and font.  Plus you can include your own logo.

The last item is running and viewing the report.  Here is where you can double check everything.  If you like, you can now export it to a PDF or print the report.

Below is an example of a PDF you can create.  As you can see it has a very nice layout.  Picture quality could be better, but you can easily see the pictures.  Again this is just an example so we didn’t put much into the report.  The reports are great because they help tell a story.  As you can see with the first cast iron, the heat is great, 127 coming in and 119 leaving.  However the second heater is showing 119 coming in and 94 leaving which is awful.  Here is where you can pinpoint problems and tell your story.  In this case it there are no problems, the heater just wasn’t running long enough to get up to temperature.

Boiler – Tools in Action  – PDF Report Example.

WOW that was a long article.  So to wrap it all up, we are happy to see a thermal imager added to the M12 line, but the $2500 price tag make it out of reach for most users.  We would like have to seen 2 XC batteries included instead of the included single red lithium.  However it is feature packed, rugged and invaluable to some contractors.  The ability to run professional reports with your logo can save you time and make you money.  The 5 year warranty is awesome.  DeWalt recently announced a 12V Max imager for $999, it will be interesting to compare the two.

Check out Milwaukee Tool

The 450 e-series weighs in at 11.3lbs and puts out 3.2 hp.  It is easy to start thanks to a button that releases the compression and an all in one auto return stop/run/choke switch.  In our tests it usually started on the 2nd or third pull when cold.  The X-Torq engine provides plenty of power to drive the 18″ chain while releasing less emissions and sipping less fuel . I am not sure how they gauge fuel consumption, perhaps it’s trees per gallon!  The engine is well covered by the saw’s plastic body which is easily removed to allow access to maintenance items. The X-Torq uses a 50:1 mix and has a capacity of just under 1 US pint with a clear site gauge. The chain oil tank holds just over half a pint. Both tanks had big openings which helped prevent spills when filling.

I was impressed by the control and balance of this saw.  We talked with some local tree experts about the saw and got positive feedback on the Husqvarna brand.  We cut down some thick brush and a few trees as with chain chaw always wear safety gear.  The power band was strong and vibration was minimal, I could easily see using this saw all day without fatigue. I was really quite surprised at the comfort level of this saw, it just feels right.  One of my favorite features is the tool-less chain tensioner, it is simple to adjust and a must have.  Always check your tensioner before cutting and make sure it does not come loose.   Overall the Husqvarna 450 is a great 18″ chain saw that will do the job every time.  Check out Husqvarna for more information.