# Horrible quality, not what I expected from Porter Cable



## BannorToys

If you don't want to splurge on an expensive Excalibur scroll saw then consider the Dewalt or the almost identical but a bit cheaper Delta. I own 2 of the deltas for my business and I really enjoy them. Very little vibration, good work space, smooth cut, and I run them for hours on end with very little to complain about.


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## drobertson

Thanks Jesse,

We are actively looking for a new scroll saw and I will check out the ones you recommended. At this point I really can use some advice, a bad scroll saw is causing tension in my marriage. ;-)

Doug


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## ArlinEastman

I can highly recommend the DeWalt scroll saw.


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## rad457

Looked at this Saw a few times and was very tempted, thanks for the warning. It is one of them tools that always calling out to me, but so far I can not come up with a reason to buy one?


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## RJweb

Check out craigs list, I picked up a dewalt 788 for 250.00 3 years ago, and still going strong, good luck


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## timbertailor

It is hard for me to recommend tools by mfg any more.

Companies that once shined have now transferred all their mfging to other countries.

It seems most tools are designed with the cheapest materials they can get away with to get past the warranty period and reduce shipping costs.

Names like Porter Cable, Craftsman, and others are just not the same companies any more so you almost have to preface your recommendations with when they were built.

I buy used tools that were made years ago, if I can, and there are replacement parts still available. Even that is getting difficult so I feel your pain.

You were EXTREMELY fair with your review and I wish others would wait for a decent amount of time before providing a review. Time is the enemy of most of what is made today.

I also like the in depth discussion. I think I can speak for many of us that this is a great review that is complete and in depth.

Thank you for taking time to do so. It is greatly appreciated.


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## drobertson

Hey rad457

I would suggest a scroll saw is a wonderful tool. The detail work you can accomplish with a good one is very impressive and they are just fun to use. Both my wife and I enjoy working with a scroll saw regularly.

This may sound odd, but I now use it to do fairly complex joinery cuts that you would not expect to see from that tool. A little cleanup with a chisel and they fit tight as can be.

The only thing I would not recommend is the Porter Cable scroll saw. Its quality is completely unacceptable.


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## jshroyer

I have the same saw. i never expected so much vibration right out of the box. i dont use it that much right now and am wishing i would of waited to get something else for less money or used. just annoyed with this machine right now. i am adding weight to the base to help get rid of some of the vibrations. no fun at all.


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## joebob1611

While my experience with this saw is not as unpleasant as yours, I have also had some of the same issues. I bought it because I had a project (RC airplane build) that required a lot of scroll work. The PC was the least expensive one I could find locally that was supposedly a few notches above the Skil types. The work light on mine also stopped working shortly after I got it, and I have found bolts from the stand lying on the floor occasionally. Mine doesn't get near the amount of use yours does, so maybe it will last a little longer. I do have mine up for sale right now, though as I just finished building a CNC machine and will use it to do the work I used to do on the scroll saw. Yes, it will most certainly take longer, but I like doing the designs on a computer and watching the machine do all the work!


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## OggieOglethorpe

Be aware that Porter Cable is now the middle of the line brand.

The corporation that owns all three, Stanley, stated several years ago that they planned it to go like this:

Top (Pro) = DeWalt
Mid (serious DIY, casual Pro) = Porter Cable
Bottom (occasional home use) = Black and Decker

Shop accordingly…


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## drobertson

@Oggie - It is pretty sad that they specifically decided to drop the quality of the PC products. I always associated PC with better quality than DeWalt. I guess my mind is just stuck in better times. This whole thing just reaks of nasty marketing dept tricks. ie. drop the price and quality on the good stuff and leave the customer to figure out they got screwed later.

@Joe I would love to hear about your CNC. We are considering either building one or going with a carvewright. We need to increase production on some of my wife's toys and I would rather get some automated equipment for my garage than shop it out to some third world country.


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## Tennessee

+1 for the DeWalt. I've had mine for about 12 years. Use it often. Must have hundreds of hours on it. Everything still works like the day it came out of the box.


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## timbertailor

People are just prone to gravitate to a name they recognize. Marketing 101.

Just ask Arnold Schwarzenegger or Ronald Reagan.


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## NormG

I have a Delta SS350. Purchased it in 2005 on sale, right after putting the stand together and the saw on it with the plastic bag over it, I hurt my back. It sat there never used, until just before Thanksgiving 2014. It started right up and works very well, little vibration, blades change quickly (I have big hands), nice size table, blower does a good job also


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## mbs

PC was a great brand. I have many of there old tools but I stopped buying them since they moved overseas and I had problems with them.


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## drobertson

Here is an update for anyone who is interested. I tracked down the source of the new vibration.

After digging inside the saw I noticed that the connection between the eccentric and the blade arms was extremely loose. With a bit more investigation I determined that the bushings, which are made of plastic, had completely worn through and fallen off. This left the only connection between the blade arms and the motor to be what looks like an 8-32 bolt rattling around loose in the hole.

Worse was the fact that since the bushing was gone the bolt was slamming up and down in the hole drilled into the soft aluminum blade arm assembly. There is already some serious damage there and I am worried about new wear even if I get the bushings I need.

If you are getting extra vibration in this saw this is one of the first places I would look. I have no idea what the engineers were thinking when they designed this. The plastic part was doomed to fail shortly after the warranty expired and a metal bushing would not have been an expensive addition.

I am getting more and more disgusted with this machine as I go. These decisions were not just about cutting costs, they were terribly bad engineering. You don't use a cheap plastic part on the mechanism that transfers the reciprocating force of the saw to the blade. There is no way it will survive.

I keep getting the impression that this saw was designed to fail.


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## Lee77

Doug, I purchased one, a couple of months ago, to replace a Hitachi scroll saw, and I was totally blown away how bad the saw is. I paid about the same for the Hitachi and could not tell by the quality of this PC saw. Unfortunately, my motor burned up and Hitachi doesn't make or supply parts for the scroll saws, any longer. I haven't had to use the new scroll saw much, so I didn't return it. But I wish I did. It is a piece of junk. Vibrates, blade falls off, you name it. And it just looks and feels cheap. That Hitachi was 10 times a better saw. I had it for about 10 years, and did use it pretty often. If I used this one that often, it wouldn't make it through 2 years!!


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## frank100

I just bought this scroll saw ( Delta SS350)yesterday because my old one's motor went to the cleaners. It was a Dremel model. First I tried it on a job I was finishing when my old saw broke. I used the blade that came installed in the unit on opening it. Mistake!! It was to large for what I was doing and I got squiggly lines and couldn't seem to control the cutting path. The blade was in tight. I replaced the blade with a #7 and it worked great! 
The only issue I have so far is the cheap plastic insert gets chewed up when pressure is applied to the work piece. This is a normal push pressure I am used to at cutting into 1/2" poplar. The blade was tight. I would love them to redesign the insert so it is metal and also the way the access hole is designed is not good because the back of the blade rubs up against it when pressure is applied during cutting. I would prefer an open space behind the bade to eliminate this problem. For now I will just cut off the key on the insert and rotate it to my liking. I might have to make my own insert. They could also improve the stand assembly instructions as I still had to scratch my head a few times trying to figure out the dinky drawing they provided. But I got it together and it good!


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## Ocelot

I don't have a scroll saw. I have heard that Hegner is an excellent brand. I think scroll saws is all they make.

Unfortunately, they are pricey!


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## drobertson

As an update to my original review post. This saw has gone from bad to worse to just terrible. Several more pieces including the mechanism that keeps the table from tilting has died. You now need to literally balance you work on the table and the slightest push will send the table off at a tilt.

At this point we no longer use the porter cable scroll saw for anything serious. It has been pushed off in the corner and is waiting for me to dissect it for parts for other projects. Once in awhile my wife uses it for sanding strips while she is working on a project.

We got very lucky and one day while I was browsing in a Woodcraft store I met a couple that was buying a new Excalibur. After a little discussion I made a trade for their used Excalibur EX-21 scroll saw. For a few bucks and a Rosewood log I wasn't using anyhow we got a really great scroll saw. This machine is a world apart from the POS Porter Cable. Aside from a few minor issues we are very happy with our new used scroll saw. Maybe I will post a review of it in a few months.


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## daddydave

Holding my breath. Just bought the 18" PC sister to your 16" lemon. Two days use and no problems as yet. No vibration and runs quite smoothly. Think I better go back and get the 1 yr. extended warranty.


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## drobertson

@daddydave I wish you the best of luck. I have seen the new PC models and they look a bit better. Hopefully, they have evolved a bit.

My 2 cents is to not get the extended warranty. Set the money aside for investing in your next scroll saw.

You should get a good feel for the good and bad aspects of a scroll saw with the unit you have. When, and I hope it is a long time from now, you need a new saw, you will have a much better understanding of what you want.

I can't imagine going back from the Excalibur that we use now. This is a great scroll saw for us. With some time you will figure out the right tool for you.

Also, never underestimate the power of Craigs List and just dumb luck. I have lucked into more tools that I can even count. The woodworking community is extremely supportive of people who show interest and a bit of initiative.


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## daddydave

Well here it is a week later. Kinda felt I'd be back. The PC is still working okay, but decided to take a deeper look into it and glad I have. Got it at Lowes and will be taking it back while still under warranty.

Have difficulty tightening the blade enough to get the proper tension. So running it as tight as it will work. Measured the slop between the lower blade holder and the upper. Realize a scroll saw needs a little slop to account for blade misalignment; but do believe 5/16" is just a little too much. So for right now with max tension I can get out of it she cuts passable, but when I discovered the blade holders being held on with roll pins and then the holder itself had no bearing whatsoever it won't take long to wallow out. Can foresee replacing both blade holders in the near future. That is if the rest of the saw holds up. Hopefully I can get enough saved in the near future to get a good saw.

Like some of you, did my homework in selecting this saw, only problem was I was too late finding this forum before the Black Friday sale.


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## WannaBBetter

Seems like everyone else here I thought PC was a good name. Bought one at the big box store just before Christmas.
Glad I didn't put the stand together tried it out for about 45 minuets before taking it back. Just a feeling I got I'm sure you all know THAT feeling. Found a used Dewalt DW788 on craigslist, gave the man $200 the rest is history.


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