I bought the PC180DK-2 at Lowes about a year ago. Honestly, I was really impressed with this drill. I'm a machine tool technician. I use this cordless drill everyday on the job. It's main duty is removing and reinstalling screws, bolts and any kind of screw fastener. I have to say this the strongest "torquest" drill I've ever used. There were a few times when I forgot to turn the torque down (I was in Drill mode) when this thing just about broke my wrist off. The two batteries hold a charge for a long time and recharging is pretty quick.
The environment I work in can get pretty nasty. These machines use coolants and lubricants. This stuff can get all over my drill especially around the hand grip.
What I found after about 9 months was the rubber material they used in manufacturing the grip was starting to come off from getting wet all the time. This is something that happens on a lot of drills not just the PC180. I just peeled off the rubber pieces that were flapping in the wind and moved on.
If you asked me a month ago if I would buy another PC180DK, the answer would have been an absolute YES. But here it comes; in the last week or so the two batteries will not stay locked on to the drill. I examined the drill to see if something had broken off but it looks fine. I'll be using it and suddenly the battery unlocks itself and in some cases it comes right off the drill and hits the floor. It has gotten to the point where I am duct taping the battery to the drill body. It appears that the spring locks on the batteries are giving it up. The spring tension isn't like it use to be. So in conclusion, this drill would be probably ok around the house but I'm not going to buy another for the type of work I do. Porter-Cable PC180DK-2 18-Volt NiCd Drill/Driver Kit
I purchased this at Lowes a few months back for home/weekend warrior use. It's fantastic, tons of torque. As mentioned by others, the light isn't the most useful because it's blocked the chuck. Although it's handy as a quick flashlight as needed (you can squeeze the trigger just enough to turn on the light but not start the chuck turning). For a weekend warrior, no hesitation. Yeah, you're paying less because it's NiCad instead of Lithium Ion, but if you take care of the batteries (do a full discharge/recharge, unlike lithium ion which is meant to be "topped off" regularly) you should be fine.
It was rated very highly, if not #1 in its category, by consumer reports as I recall.
I'd used this drill on masonry job without problems. Good performance for good price. Would be better if total weight was lower. Good power and torque. Gear box and clutch are decent for this price class. Battery endurance is very good. Best value drill.
I'm really happy with this drill. I only have one quibble: The LED that shows your work area in the dark is partially occluded by the chuck, so there's always a little shadow. Aside from that, it's great.
This drill replaced a 5 yr old 12V drill that recently died. Having the two speeds to choose from is great so I can set the drill and torque appropriately. It's a bit heave than my other drill, so that is why I only gave 4 stars. However, I don't plan on using it over my head for extended periods of time. Used it to install an outside dryer vent cover to brick and the it cut through like butter. Also used it to hang curtain rods. Very pleased with my purchase.
Works as advertised. Nice carrying case, drill seems well crafted. Charger and batteries connect and charge well. Have had the drill only a few days so it is too early to tell how well it will stand up over time.
My old B&D drill /driver batteries gave out and it had served me well for many years. Time for a new drill/driver. I wanted one that would have a better battery life. I reviewed these products on Consumer Reports and the PC unit came recommended. I love having the led light and the unit has worked great and the battery lasts a long time. Not the cheapest unit out there but buying quality pays off in both the long and short term with more productivity and less problems.
I purchased this drill (along with the circular saw, reciprocating saw, and light) in a combo pack at Lowes a couple of years ago ($189). The drill itself is reasonably powerful for not being a hammer drill, so you can expect to enjoy a fair amount of torque for just a drill/driver. I ended up using this drill for an assortment of activities: hanging sheetrock, driving sheetmetal screws into HVAC piping, hanging cabinets, etc. For the time that I was using it, it performed well, but the forward/reverse control ended up wearing down over time, and it didn't take any special shock to break, such that I could no longer use my drill in the forward direction. On the Black and Decker scale of tools they manufacture, this drill would probably go in the middle between their cheap "Black and Decker" products, and their quality brand "DeWalt". As such, the forward/reverse control on this drill took much longer to break than a Black and Decker drill that was being used only casually.
Another note - the batteries seem to charge fairly fast originally, but after a while, they'll take longer to charge - up to a few hours. Also, the price here on Amazon is decent, but not too impressive. If you aim to get a drill, do so shortly before Father's day at Lowes, and you'll likely be able to get this same model for $39, or for the same price, you can get the drill in the set with the circular saw.
Bottom Line - If you work professionally, and are going to be using this drill a lot, don't get it. Upgrade to a Milwaukee, DeWalt, or Makita, or some equally respectable brand, because you'll end up saving money in the long run. A benefit of this kit is the wide assortment of attachments that go with these batteries (sanders, grinders, impact drivers, reciprocating and circular saws, spiral saws, etc.), so if you're looking for a cheap assortment of battery tools, this is a good bet, so long as you don't work any of them too hard. - 18 Volt - Porter-cable - Power Tools - Drill'
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