# Should I buy a Porter Cable 10" Stationary Table Saw?



## DonW (Dec 30, 2009)

I am thinking about buying a 10" Porter Cable Stationary Table Saw so I can have some fun with a new toy on Easter Sunday. Lowes has one for $599. It looks great with some nice features.

Does anyone have positives or negatives to share about Porter Cable or their table saws?

Thanks

Don


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Don - The PCB270TS is essentially a slightly updated version of the Hitachi C10FL, which received mostly good, but several mixed comments from owners/users. Most of the $600 saws on the market, including the PC and the Hitachi, are capable of good work once setup properly and equipped with a good blade, but the $600 range doesn't usually get "all the goodies" in one package unless it's used. There are going to be some disadvantages with all of them, so pick and choose what's most important to you. The common knocks against the C10FL were the caliber of the aluminum fence, steel wings, and the 4 independent wheels. The PC offers an improved mobile base and a riving knife…those upgrades and a slightly wider rip capacity are the bulk of the differences between the C10FL and the PCB270TS.

Other $600 saws are the Shop Fox W1725 from Grizzly (item T21853), which is an older style contractor saw with an outboard belt drive induction motor, steel wings, no mobile base, no riving knife, and an excellent Shop Fox Aluma Classic (biese clone) fence…with the fence and the value being the key attractions IMO. $425/$519 shipped.

The Delta 36-980 is a similar style and design to the Shop Fox but has cast iron wings, a similar Delta T2 fence, and a good built in mobile base.

The new Craftsman 21833 is more similar to the Hitachi and PC, having an inboard belt drive induction motor, riving knife, steel wings, nice mobile base, basic aluminum fence, and a true riving knife. You might just find the Craftsman 22116 granite top hybrid saw on sale for < $700 on sale. There's also the older 22114 model on sale for $680…cabinet mounted trunnions, cast iron wings, no mobile base, no riving knife, and basic aluminum fence fence. You might even find a closeout price on the 22124 with Biese fence.

The Steel City 35920 is similar to the Ridgid R4511 and Cman 22116…all made by Steel City's Orion. ~ $650.

Look at as many as you can and go with the one that makes your heart beat the fastest!


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Greetings: Sounds to me like Don only asked one question about a table saw that he's very interested in buying (well.. maybe two..positives and negatives) for a Porter Cable. That's it…..he didn't ask for a complete run-down on all the rest of the saw makers. If he would have wanted to know all that info, he would of ask…
That being said, I can't help you, Don. I own a Unisaw, and no nothing about the PC saw.


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## flyfisherbob2000 (Mar 22, 2010)

I recently bought the Ridgid granite top table saw and couldnt be more pleased! I saw it at Home Depot the other day reduced to $499 now, so thats an even better deal than it was when I bought mine. Its rock steady, plenty of power…. and has a great locking mobile base to move it around your shop.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Greetings: IMO, the positives and negatives are more useful when compared against comparably priced saws. I'm sure Don will sort it out to suit his needs. Thanks for clarifying some things though.


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## DonW (Dec 30, 2009)

Thanks Knotscott for all of the info. I like learning about these things and I liked your last line about chosing the one that makes your heart beat fastest. I have been shopping around and I think I am going to try the PC. Timing being what it is, I am off to Lowes now. I am doing Easter Church tonight and then I can spend the day in my shop tomorrow with my new toy.

Thanks to everyone for their input. Sorry I didn't allow more time for others to join in. I will write a review of the PC on Lumberjocks.com and let you all know how it goes.

Don


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## Willow (Nov 21, 2009)

Don,
I'd be interested in your review, I was looking at the same saw this morning at Lowes. It was sitting right next to the Hiatachi. I thought it seemed sturdier and I like the mobile feature better than the other.


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## TomRetired (Dec 18, 2009)

Don,
When it come to a table saw, I would and get the best quality saw you can afford.

The table saw will be the center of your shop. I had a Carftman 10" saw for years and it served me well, but when I up graded to a SawStop I could not believe the difference in quality of performance. I am not saying that you need to buy a high dollar table saw but you will appreciate the added quality from a higher end table saw.
Good luck with your hunt for a table saw, maybe the Easter Bunny will bring you one.


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## CubsFan (Feb 23, 2010)

Hi Don,

Just curious if you got it set up and cut some wood. I'm going to get the same saw and was wondering what you thought.

Brad


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## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

I will look forward to your review. I have heard some bad reviews on the Hitatchi TS and the two look similar but maybe you will provide some positive insight on the PC. I love the older model PC tools, especially routers but I have not been fond of the their newest line of tools, primarily speaking about the 18v hand power tools they sell.


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## tblank (Apr 8, 2010)

Hi Don, you may have already bought the saw, but during these times there are some real deals on Craig's list. I needed a back up and found a Delta Unisaw 3HP. single phase 220v complete with outboard table and moveable base for $350.00!! It was in a cabinet shop scaling down from the economy and was used only for their dado cuts, run by a little old lady only on sundays after church. Joking about the little old lady, but the rest is true.

good Luck


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## DonW (Dec 30, 2009)

Well guys, I couldn't stand it. I bought the saw last weekend. It is obviously very early in the experience but so far I absolutely love it. It went together very smoothly and I noticed some details in the assembly process that gave me a sense of quality. For example, when assembling the legs to the base, they added three small holes in the legs and three indents in the base that insured proper alignment on the first try. Not a big deal but a little detail that would have been easier and cheaper to leave out. The single foot pedal casters work great and the saw rolls around on my shop floor very easily. The initial cuts are very smooth and accurate in terms of being square, but that's pretty easy to do with a brand new blade and being freah out of the carton. The fence is solid and has a micro adjust feature that I really like. Now, guys, I'm not a heavy production shop guy and this is my first table saw so I probably don't know what I'm talking about. But, so far I am really happy with my purchase. I will a full review after I had had a chance to play on it some more. Don


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Thanks for the update Don. There's a lot to be said about the experience of your first quality saw. It'll be tough to duplicate this experience. My Shop Fox W1677 3hp cabinet saw is the 4th saw I've purchased brand new. I'm very happy with it, and it's in a different league than my previous saws, but the experience isn't quite the same as when I got my GI 50-185 and Craftsman 22124 setup and running smoothly where the emotions ran and excitement ran very high. It's almost unfair, but I treat the Shop Fox like the tool it is…I kind of miss "loving" my saw!

I do hope you'll pursue a blade upgrade for it. Enjoy and be safe.


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## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

I hope you are happy. If this is your first saw then you probably have a great starter saw. When my wife and I first married, she bought me my first TS, she paid 150.00 for my saw brand new at Sears. So that should tell you something about the experience I had to suffer through in my early woodworking years. We all start somewhere but it seems you might get a good start.


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## isu1977 (Jul 14, 2010)

I just bought bought the new PC PCB270TS saw this past Saterday, after looking at many other saws over the past year. It took roughly 2 hours to assemble and was impressed with the quaity of the materials, even down to the harden steel bolts and nuts. The only adjustment I had to made was with the hair line indicator on the rip fence. So far i am very pleased with the purchase.

I couldn't figure out why this saw and others i looked at have about a 12" empty space to the right of the right extension. Why didn't they just put in a 24' extension wing instead of a 10"? I noticed other saws have the same feature. Is there a reason for this?


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## jeffski1 (Nov 29, 2008)

Don,
I as well have been looking at this table saw for some time but being new to woodworking i wasn't so sure how this saw would perform.I surely do not want a saw that is difficult to set up;alignment ect.I like the price of the Porter Cable and Lowes is two miles away.I have read somewhere that Home Depot might be offering their new redesigned table saw by mid Aug.?.Has anyone else heard this?.Well I'm glad you have offered your initial thoughts on this saw and look forward for more reviews.
Jeff


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## surfin2 (Oct 24, 2009)

Knotscott, keep up the good work, your the TS & blade KING of lumberjocks…


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## DonW (Dec 30, 2009)

Jeff: My saw has been working very well right out of the box. It went together like a dream and everything was aligned well initially. I am not a real heavy user of the table saw, most of my work is scroll saw stuff. So, if you are a heavy user I would rely on the advice of some of the others who really know their stuff when it comes to table saws. But, I have been extremely happy with my saw to date and if given the opportunity I would buy it again without reservtion.

Don


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## TheGuyNextDoor (Sep 13, 2010)

Hey, just wanted to resurrect this discussion. I also bought this PC saw at Lowe's the very week it came out. And I got a great deal by asking an inexperienced manager if I could get her to knock some off the price. She gave it to me for 20% off. That is 14% below Lowe's cost!!!

Anyway, I am in the market for a dado blade for it and I wondered if anyone has any experience with a dado in this saw. Ive been looking at the Oshlund SDS-0842 (http://www.amazon.com/Oshlun-SDS-0842-8-Inch-42-tooth-Stack/dp/B0012YF25Q/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1284433433&sr=8-1-fkmr0).

The arbor size is correct, and I can live with the max dado width of 13/16, but my main concern is if the 8 inch dado will bog down on my machine or if I should go with a 6 inch dado instead.

Thanks guys. Any help would be appreciated.


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## CubsFan (Feb 23, 2010)

I've been using the Freud SD206 Stacked Dado set in mine, and everything's worked ok. Haven't tried an 8 inch set though.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Hi Evan (my youngest son's name!) - I've run an 8" stack on all my saws with no issues, including a fairly humble Delta 36-600 compact saw with a universal motor. There's nothing wrong with going with a 6" , but your saw should spin the 8" without problem, and adding them to your search improves the odds of getting a great deal on a good set.


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## isu1977 (Jul 14, 2010)

I wrote earlier that I had bought the new Porter Cable table saw PCB270TS. After several months of useage now, I have found nothing that I don't like. I also bought the Oshlund SDS-0842 (8") dado Set, and have used it several times already and have no complaints about it either. The Woodsmith store recommended this set to me. i will say that there isn't alot of room to remove the nut from the shaft when installing blades, but I don't know how this compares to other saws either.


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## howard2 (Oct 5, 2010)

Have any of you guys who bought the PCB270TS got any comments about that factory insert? I looked at this saw @ Lowes this AM and the insert looked thin…I read the manual and they listed a PC brand dado insert… any comments? Are y'all still satisfied with the saw? I liked the looks of the saw, but don't have any experience with PC other than their routers, which I like. Thanx


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## TheGuyNextDoor (Sep 13, 2010)

I've had no issues with the insert. It is substantial enough for all the work I've done. As for the dado insert, I use a shopmade insert made from 1/4 inch hardboard. That way I have zero clearance when cutting dados. This helps with tearout. Plus an insert is so easy and cheap to make, that for the cost of a dado insert I bought an entire sheet of hardboard and have inserts for every size dado I will ever want to use.

I'm also very satisfied with this saw. It has been more than capable for everything I've thrown at it including an 8-inch stack dado set.

Happy shopping.


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## bobkberg (Dec 26, 2009)

Evan, If a dado slows down your saw, then you just need to ease up on how much wood you're taking out at once.


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## isu1977 (Jul 14, 2010)

I have had no issue with the insert and I am just about ready to start making some zero clearance inserts. Thanks for the info "TheGuyNextDoor" on how you made yours. Is 1/4" the max thickness that the saw will take?


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## newbiewoodworker (Aug 29, 2010)

I saw that HD has a $50 dado set… so my question is, why do you guys go with the $100 dado sets? Sorry OP, not to hijack your thread…


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## TheGuyNextDoor (Sep 13, 2010)

Actually, "isu1977", you can use virtually any thickness, then just use a straight or spiral bit on you router table and remove the thickness needed to achieve level. In fact, the first zero clearance insert I made was out of 3/4 inch birch plywood. I just cut it to size and routed out the excess with my router. And now I use it as a template for others that I make.

As for the $50 dado set, I'm relatively new to woodworking so the pros on here may have a better answer. I spent a lot of time researching dado blades (cost, sizes, types, uses, functions, performance, etc.). And I determined that since I'm wanting fairly smooth and "flat" dados, and I will be producing them relatively frequently, I needed something with substance, but not so much substance as to anger my wife.


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## Liberty (Oct 9, 2010)

Hello, To all the LJ's just wanted to thank everyone for all the input and questions both are very helpful to anyone doing research. I come here often to do resrearch and to get leads so to speak. I just purchased the PCB270TS. I have been looking to upgrade to well a better saw for my needs. I was using the P C model 3812 bench top model. The 3812 just wasn't tough or accurate enough. I consider myself to be a rookie still at ww (started about 2 years ago). I purchased the 3812 about 2 years ago on clearance through rockler after almost having my baby Ryobi BTS10S (my first TS currently collecting dust) run scared because of me trying to get decent rips with 8/4 red oak. Like many newbies quikly found out that just wasn't going to happen. The 3812 did a bit better. So then the research began jumpin here and there online. Finally stumbled into this site about 6 months ago been lovin it since then. I like furniture work but am doing a lot of smaller things (bird houses, frames ect…)at this point to get use to my tools and build my skills. My goal is to have a Grizzly 3hp cabinet saw one day but after some research decided to go with the PCB270TS. There was alot of good deals on used contractor style saws but I really wanted something new and this saw was really the most I could afford and still have a bit left to make some immediate upgrades (blade, throat inserts and outfeed support to start out with). Also the more I read the more I felt it would be a plus to have a riving knife and this saw does. Well time to put it together can't wait to try it out. This will be my first TS of this type and power, in all honesty I am more than a bit excited. Thanks again for the help.


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## CubsFan (Feb 23, 2010)

Anyone have any good ideas for ZCTP for this saw? It's got a pretty thin throat plate (1/8"?), and from what I can tell there's no way to hold the plate in except for the little tabs. Is it safe to make a throat plate that just sits in the recess and isn't attached? I wouldn't have thought so.

Thanks!


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

*"I saw that HD has a $50 dado set… so my question is, why do you guys go with the $100 dado sets? Sorry OP, not to hijack your thread…"*

If you're careful, you'll get what you pay for. Not all blades are created equally. Spending more doesn't guarantee that you get more, just that you've spent more, but typically spending more helps improve the odds of getting better precision, long life, and smoother cuts. There are cheap carbide sets from HF for $30 that likely at least as good as the cheap "Avanti" set sold by HD (note that Freud is no longer associated with the "Avanti" and "Avanti Pro" line sold at HD…instead, the new HD Avanti line is poorly made Chinese made knockoffs hoping to cash in on the reputation of the former discontinued Freud Avanti line). I doubt that either the HF or the HD set are on par with a good $75-$100 set like the Freud, Delta/DeWalt, CMT, or Oshlun set either, but if you want a cheap set, I'd rather spend $30 for the HF set.

HD Avanti set for $50:









$30 set from Harbor Freight:


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## Liberty (Oct 9, 2010)

CubsFan: I am no pro or expert. But what I plan to do is use half inch thick MFD board. Use the regular plate as a template. Then take the newly dimensioned ZCTP use a router and straight bit to route away where the tabs are for the plates and any other spots that need to be cleared but just deep enough so as that the new plate is flush with the table. If need be I can drill some holes in the MFD where the tabs are and use the screws the saw came with. Although I myself have never had a problem with the throat plates just sitting without any screws to hold it down. I hope this might help you out a bit.

Knottscott: Had a question for you a bit late (becuase I already purchased it today in fact) but you seem have alot of knowledge about ww tools and such. What do you think about the Ridgid 10" 60 tooth carbide saw blade item # R1060C? I plan to use as a general pupsose blade mostly with hardwoods (ash, cherry, ect..) on my table saw (PCB270TS) Thank You


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

The R1060C is made by Freud, and is very similar to their LU88R010….a very nice blade. It features a dual angle edge grind, which gives it a more polished edge. It's listed as a crosscut blade, but because it has a 15° hook angle, it actually rips fairly efficiently to upwards of 5/4", which makes it an excellent general purpose blade for most common thicknesses. Be sure the saw's alignment in spot on, and the cuts will be better if the wood is flat and straight, because the dual edge grind of the R1060 will make it a bit more prone to burning if the wood binds or your feedrate is too slow. You'll still want a decent 24T to 30T rip blade for ripping thicker stuff (like the LU87, Diablo D1024, Infinity 010-124, or Forrest 30T WWII), but you should find that the R1060 is a very versatile and clean cutting blade….excellent choice IMHO!


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## jbert (Jan 13, 2011)

This topic and all the great discussions finalized my decision to buy the PCB270TS. Starting today for 4 days Lowe's is offeing 18 months no interest. So I decided this saw and a Kreg MKaster jig system would fit right in their plan. Therse will be a great start towards building some cabinets in the near future.


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## jbert (Jan 13, 2011)

Hi DonW,

Bought the TCB270TS from Lowes. Follow instructions to the letter and all goes up really smooth. I agree with you. This saw is more solid than I expected. Checking alignment after all up and ready and it was more than acceptable. Now I would love to fine a homemade sled for the mitre slot so squaring my wood if needed would be quite easy.

As with any product there has to be a slight negative and here is mine. The back rail is 2 pieces of steel angle iron. When the fence passes over the spot where the 2 bars meet it catches for a bit. Really not a biggie and will work on a solution.


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## anderson0196 (Feb 14, 2011)

Jim,
I just set my saw up and could not figure out why it kept catching until I read your post…Have you figured a solution?

This is my first TS and setup took me longer than expected (around 4 hours). A few questions for those of you with more experience on the saw:

- I was unable to get a perfect fit between the wings and the main saw table. It is very close but there is still a small lip that can be felt with a fingernail. Is this to be expected?
- Getting the right amount of tension on the caster assembly also challenged me. Too tight and it was very stiff to the point where it could not be operated with my foot. Loosen a bit and the table kind of slams down when the pivot is released….Should there be a happy medium?
- Is there any tuning outside of what is covered in the PC manual that I should be doing prior to using the saw?

I have an Incra miter express/1000SE combo on the way and from what I've read I should be looking to upgrade the stock blade ASAP (maybe the R1060c recommended above?).

Anything else I should be looking at?

Thanks all
Jim


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## Sawsall12 (May 24, 2011)

I bought this saw last year as my woodworking projects had outgrown the capabilities of my cheesy Ryobi TS. There have been complaints about the fence, but I have had great results. The motor is strong and smooth. The casters allow me to move the saw around the garage with ease. I absolutely loved this saw until last week. A new project requires me to use the miter slots. I checked the alignment to the blade and found it out of adjustment by 1/16th of an inch. The manual makes no reference for this adjustment. After a 30 minute discussion with a customer service agent reading from the same manual, I was told there is no way to adjust it, they would make a note of my complaint, and hung up on!!! I found a forum online discussing the same issue, with no resolution. Another site claims that the saw is not made by Porter Cable at all. It is made by Rexon who purchased the rights to to use the PC logo. This saw has so much potential, but without that adjustment, it is essentially useless. This oversight in conjunction with poor customer service has ensured there will be no more Porter Cable tools in my shop.


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## isu1977 (Jul 14, 2010)

I just made 4 insert plates (1/8, 1/4, 3/8 & 1/2). Just as "TheGuyNextDoor" mentioned above from 1/4" stock. I too was a little worried about them flying out, but never had a problem with that happening. To be on the safe side, however, I epoxyed a small strip on the bottom back side of the insert that catches on the underside of the table much like the original insert.


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