Porter cable tool company

Catalogs from , , and The catalog is for "Porter-Cable-Hutchinson Corporation". A brochure and letter from "Porter-Cable-Hutchinson Corp. See also the entries for Hutchinson Manufacturing Co. Address Popular Mechanics : N. Salina St, Syracuse 8, New York. The Clarke Sanding Machine Company, established in , has long been a leader in the field of rental floor sanders.

The purchase of the Porter-Cable patent rights, tools, and fixtures will broaden Clarke's line so that they will now have a full line of floor finishing and maintenance machines for both the professional and rental dealers.

Transfer of ownership became official upon ratification by the stockholders of Directory of Metalworking Machinery , , pg. Our purpose is to provide information about vintage machinery that is generally difficult to locate. Catalogs, manuals and any other literature that is available on this site is made available for a historical record only.

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Index by Manufacturer. Index by Machine Type. Recent Submissions. Submit New Photo. Classified Ads. Vintage Machinery Store. Workshop Calculations. It was founded by a group of three men, two brothers and their friend to be exact, named R. Porter, G. Porter, and F. Cable, hence the name of the brand. The three of them started out by investing just a couple of thousand dollars into a jobbing machine and a small tool shop that they ran out of a garage.

In , the main focus of Porter-Cable became power tools, and in , bought a small production plant. By , the brand began developing quite a solid niche in the world of portable electric power tools, at which time the chief engineer invented the first portable electric belt sander, followed shortly by the invention of the helical drive saw.

This shift to lower-end tools did not serve the company well. You will see the irony shortly. So, here comes the ironic part. This ownership structure is still in place today.

At this time, Porter-Cable is not a massive company, but also not one of the small players either. It is estimated that in the last fiscal year, Porter-Cable had roughly million dollars in revenue, with about 3, people under its employ. Porter-Cable is indeed quite a popular and well-known brand, which is definitely true among homeowners, DIYers, and even among small-time repairmen and in other similar professions. Although Porter-Cable has done its best to market its products as fairly high-end tools, the result has not been quite in line with this strategy.

When compared to many other brands out there, the prices of various Porter-Cable tools are fairly low. Of course, this is ideal for people who just need some basic tools for occasional use and light work, particularly when a tight budget is in question.

Moreover, based on copious research and reviews, it is quite clear that Porter-Cable tools are decent or just around average. People seem to agree that these tools are reasonably functional, they are ergonomically designed and easy to hold, and they generally work well at their intended purposes. That said, what people can also agree on is that Porter-Cable tools, many of them at least, lack durability and longevity.

So, in essence, while PC tools work just fine, they might just not last that long. However, we might recommend a slightly higher-end brand if you are a professional or tradesman who needs heavy-duty tools that can last for years to come even with daily use and plenty of punishment.

The reason why Porter-Cable tools come in at fairly low prices and have around average levels of quality is that the vast majority of products are manufactured either in China or Mexico.

Porter-Cable used to make more of its tools and other products in the USA, particularly in Tennessee, but this production has gradually moved overseas, with only a select few accessories still being made in the USA. From what we have gathered, Porter-Cable offers okay warranties, although not fantastic, which is honestly exactly what we would expect from tools with this particular level of quality.

Most of the tools and products come with a one-year limited warranty. For the first year, if the tool in question breaks due to an underlying fault, Porter-Cable will perform free service on it for a full year after the date of purchase.

A select few of the tools, particularly the more expensive and larger machines may come with a limited three-year warranty. Finally, if you are not completely satisfied with your Porter-Cable tool, the brand does offer a day money-back guarantee.