When you hear the name Porter Cable, thoughts of quality tools usually come to mind; so when we heard about the Porter Cable PC180DK-2 18V cordless drill, we were pretty excited to check it out. This cordless drill/driver kit comes complete with two Ni-Cad batteries, a “fast” 60-minute charger, a carry case, and a double-ended bit. We’ve seen this kit for as low as $120 online, so it’s a compelling purchase.
Porter Cable PC180DK-2 18V Cordless Drill Features
As we began to remove the drill from its packaging, we quickly noticed its quality, like the gray hard-molded ABS plastic body with black overmolded rubber grips. The tool has a decent heft to it that seems to convey a rather robust build quality. This is a tool that is ready for business. To store the tools, there is a plastic molded case with enough room for the drill/driver, charger, and both batteries. With a 3-year limited warranty on the tools, Porter-Cable obviously stands behind its work. Porter Cable will also maintain the PC180DK-2 18V cordless drill and replace any worn parts caused by normal use, FOR FREE, during the first year.
The overall design of the Porter Cable PC180DK-2 18V cordless drill is just excellent. This drill is equipped with a high-performance motor and a 2-speed gearbox. The 1/2″ all-metal single sleeve chuck design helps hold any drill bit securely. While well-built, the chuck has 32 stops, which we found to be somewhat overkill. As we began using this drill, we noticed it had plenty of torque. From driving 2″ lags to drilling 2″ holes into PT lumber, the PC1800D drill operated flawlessly. The feature that we really enjoyed the most was the integrated LED, which is positioned just above the trigger. I never realized just how great of a feature this was until I used the drill, and I now look for this feature on all cordless products.
The biggest disappointment with this tool had little to do with its performance, but rather in the lack of Lithium-ion batteries. We find it curious that manufacturers still insist on supplying new cordless tools with outdated battery technology. We know the bottom line is to keep costs down, but we think that the additional benefits offered by Lithium-ion (less charging time, no memory,y and better power-to-weight ratio) would be a small price to pay.
For Performance, it did the job it needed to do, but it did so with huge, clunky Ni-Cd batteries. This added to the weight and limited the usable life of the tool. For Value, it has some great features like the LED and all-metal chuck on the drill. Despite having Ni-Cad, this kit is still a good value for your hard-earned cash (though we would still encourage you to pony up the extra $50 or so and get the PCL180DRK-2 kit, which comes with Lithium-ion batteries).
