Porter Cable Brushless Drill Impact Driver Combo Kit

Many home DIY fixers try combining drill and driver into one device. When you only use it occasionally, that will work perfectly fine. But for regular use, you will quickly find that these tools don’t do either job well to solve that problem; your only option is to get a set of power tools with each dedicated to a specific user.

That way, you will make your life much easier and always get the desired results. You might think buying the tool will cost you a fortune. And if you go for high-end commercial products, that would be the case. But with this Porter Cable combo kit, you will be amazed at its affordability.

You get a powerful brushless impact driver and a separate hammer drill. 

Both of them are cordless and powered by a lithium-ion battery. It will work perfectly fine as a backup set on a job site. And for home DIY and cabinet making, it will be a perfect addition to your work tools.

To help you understand what you will be getting, we have done all the work to bring you this Porter Cable combo kit review. You’ll understand how great this is and whether it suits your needs in just a few minutes.

PORTER-CABLE 20V Overview

 

 

This Porter-Cable tool set will make a huge difference to home DIY users. But it’s also a very suitable backup set for commercial use. It will undoubtedly stand up to some tough jobs. But you might find that by using it for many hours a day that the motor will wear out.

It is not to say that the motor is of lousy quality. But it is not designed to be used for long periods every day. There are plenty of more professional-grade options available on this site that you could check out.

The good thing is that it will probably last many years for home years. Although, of course, the brushless motor does mean it’s not the cheapest. But as a result, it will last much longer due to less internal friction.

The Brushless drill tool will work with all your existing bits, so you need to worry about adapters. There are two-speed settings which are a little bit limited. But for most jobs, the 360 UWO power will be more than enough.

The impact driver is probably the better of the two. It can run up to 3100 RPM and creates up to 1400 in/lbs torque, which is quite substantial. You’ll probably find it difficult to encounter a situation that requires more.

The handle is exceptionally comfortable. A lot of thought has gone into designing it. Even for large hands, it is straightforward to grip and hold onto for a long time.

The charger is conveniently small. But it does mean that charging times are not the fastest. Another reason why regular commercial use would not make this an ideal solution.

The only downside is that no case is included, which would have been nice. And the built-in light shines up from the handle. Most people prefer the LEDs to be in the head.

Pros:

Cons:

The Porter Cable combo kit has some pretty impressive technical specifications. For a set of tools at this price, you get a lot of power, and in this section, we’ll focus on some of those specs.

Both machines require 20 Volt input; this is important to keep in mind if you want backup batteries. Or maybe you have some and want to check if they will work. This is also plenty of power and, for many years now, has become the standard voltage.

The PCC607 drill driver has a two-speed gearbox running from 0-430 RPM and 0-1700 RPM. This gives you great flexibility, and you’ll have more precision in the lower range. Having that much more control over the speed is especially helpful for cabinet making.

The drill is also very easy to handle as it only weighs 3.2 lbs. The power you get is quite impressive. And when you have to work in tight or awkward spaces, you will likely be thankful for a light device.

The specs on the PCC647 impact driver are very impressive, given the low price. It also has two gears, one running from 0-2700 RPM and the other from 0-3100 RPM. Again, this gives you more control when you’re working. With 1400 in/lbs of torque, you can work on the toughest typical jobs.

Even rusted screws and bolts will be easy to deal with. If anything, you will need to be careful not to break them in the process.

At the base of the tool, you will find the battery gauge. Unfortunately, it is a bit unusual and means you cannot quickly check the charge status of a spare battery. You’d have to connect it first to find that out.

You also have a bright LED light on the base. Unfortunately, it shines towards the tool head and can cause annoying shadows. It’s still a handy feature, but if you’re used to head-mounted LEDs, it could take some time.

Main benefits and advantages

Several benefits of the Porter cable impact driver combo have already been mentioned. It is an excellent tool for home and light commercial use. And we’d like to take a closer look at two features that we think are particularly good. Yes, the power of these devices is excellent, but there is plenty of info on that above. So, let’s take a closer look.

Ergonomic Design

First, you always want to be sure that a tool will fit in your hand comfortably. That means that the handle should not just be a straight cylinder. Instead, it should be molded in a way that resembles the shape of your hand. You would think this is obvious, but this is one area lacking on many devices.

Not so on these Porter Cable options. Even if you have big hands, you can hold on comfortably.

The following important factor is balance. When you hold a tool out in front of you, it should not pull forward or backward. Even a tiny amount is off balance and will cause strain on your hand and wrist. When you use a tool for a long time, then this can become painful.

Porter Cable Brushless Motor

For the price you are paying, you get an excellent motor. Most other products in this price range would feature a brushed motor. The advantage is that brushless ones are much more efficient and wear much slower. That means you get more use out of each battery. And you won’t be replacing the tool as often due to the added internal friction.

Suitable Uses

Porter Cable power tools are very popular choices for home and DIY. They are also robust enough for commercial use. But these models will not last long enough to be viable for constant use. But, you’ll still be able to use them for all the below jobs.

Plumbing

If you’re doing some repairs to bathrooms or you’re even doing a whole new setup, then you will want the brushless impact driver at hand all the time. It is the case for removing screws and bolts that could be in place for decades. They may be partially rusted, and you don’t want to rely on your physical strength.

The same is the case for ensuring that new fittings are adequately secured. Again, this requires powerful torque, which you have plenty of with the impact driver. And because you could be facing many screws, you’ll want speed to get through the job faster.

Electricals

When it comes to electrical fittings, you’ll probably regularly use a drill. But you need to make some exact holes for the electrical type of stuff. That means not constantly running at full speed but rather slow and gradual.

The included drill gives you precisely that. In addition, with two selectable gears, you can work at low speeds for much more control over your actions.

Carpentry

This is where it shines, especially regarding precision drilling or laying out and fixing large decking areas.

When you have dozens or hundreds of screws to drive, you want to get through the job fast and effectively. You don’t want to constantly check if the screw is properly in. And you don’t want to be counting the seconds on each one. Because you get fast speeds and constant power, you will fly through even larger home improvement jobs.

Cabinet Making

This drill and impact combo will work wonders for hobby furniture makers. Precision is the name of the game. And because of selectable slow and fast gears, you will have lots of control over your actions. Any mistakes will likely be in the wrong measuring rather than tool performance.

The trigger for the motor speed is also very smooth. That means you can slowly get to an ideal speed and then keep it there for as long as needed.

Some Handy Accessories

This particular Porter Cable driver compo doesn’t come with much in the accessory area. You get a battery for each device and a small charger as well. But that’s it. When placing your order, it’s best to add a few things that come in handy.

First of all, you’ll want somewhere safe to keep them. You can get very reasonably priced cases with a hard shell; This protects the tools in transport. It also just makes it easier to move around and store away tidy.

Some might think that not getting at least a few drill bits and screw heads are strange. But to be honest, most times such things are included, they are not that great.

You’re better off investing in a small set of high-grade bits. Then, when you get top-quality metals, you’ll also invest in something that gives much more precision and lasts longer. It might be tempting to go for that set of 430 nits for $25, but you’ll quickly find that they break a lot easier.

If you’re going to be using the tools for more extended periods, you’ll also be better off with at least one backup battery. That way, you can always have another battery charging. Nothing is more annoying than running out of power just before you finish a job.

PORTER-CABLE 20V MAX any good?

Of all the product reviews on this site, these Porter Cable power tools are probably the best value for money for home users. You get high-quality and powerful motors that are good enough for commercial use. The lightweight and ergonomic design mean that your hands and arms won’t tire too quickly; it does happen if you’re not constantly using one.

At this price level, it is difficult to say anything is wrong with it. The minor issues that we found are just inconveniences. You won’t regret buying this set just by looking at its performance and suitability for the job.