Porter-Cable has been upgrading its initial line of 18V tools that are both forward and backwards compatible with their entire line of NiCad and Li-ion batteries. The new Porter-Cable PCL180CDK 18V Li-ion drill is a second-generation tool, this time compact in nature and making use of their latest Li-ion LX batteries (this tool comes with two). That’s a huge upgrade over the Porter-Cable PCL180CHDK NiCd hammer drill. We tested it on a variety of products and really liked how Porter-Cable seems to be bringing a lot of innovation from some of its sister companies to bear in its more affordable models. The result seems to be less expensive tools that have a high degree of build quality and features. While we were surprised to find it still missing some of the more common features like battery-level indicators, yet the PCL180CDK remains a very well-engineered, lightweight tool that is a great addition to the Porter-Cable 18V lineup.
Build Quality
Taking a look at the Porter-Cable Compact Drill/Driver, you can immediately appreciate the quality of workmanship that went into the tool. The 1/2-inch keyless chuck is nearly the same chuck we’ve seen on DeWalt drills and we’ve found it to be extremely easy to set and have excellent holding power. A front-mounted LED worklight does a decent job of lighting the area directly in front of the drill but does cast a shadow over the exact point of application due to the distance between the LED lamp and the front of the keyless chuck. We’ve seen two approaches to LED lighting in this scenario: shorter chucks or relocating the LED to the bottom of the handle. Either solution will alleviate the shadow cast by the chuck. The LED light goes on when you depress the trigger and you can use it without actually powering up the drill.
The drill itself is more compact than the PCL180D 18V Li-ion Drill we reviewed last year, measuring just 8.1-inches in length. Porter-Cable also reversed the orientation of the battery on this tool so that it slides in from the front instead of the back. This is a much more natural position for the battery and makes the tool more ergonomic when swapping out the 18V packs. Even though they reversed the pack orientation, they are still fully backwards compatible with the 18V Ni-Cad.
The housing itself is made from glass filled nylon – a material we’re seeing more and more of, and which has proven to be all-but-indestructible, even when the tool is dropped from a helicopter. A rubberized grip covers the entire handle, save for a small area around the variable speed trigger. The 24-position clutch was easy to adjust and had a satisfying click at each position. The two-speed switch that is located on the top of the tool is easy to adjust with bare or gloved hands. The 2-speed gearbox on the Porter-Cable PCL180CDK-2 does 0-350 RPM and 0-1500 RPM, so it’s great for both high speed drilling and applications that require high-torque. Speaking of torque, this drill puts out 424 in/lbs, which is pretty decent for a compact drill. The forward and reverse switch was located perfectly for activation by your thumb and first finger.
And now we have to say a few words about the included tool bag. In a word: awesome. It’s great to see Porter Cable throw in a tool bag that is actually usable. It stores the tool upright along with the batteries and charger and it’s convenient to both carry around and use. This is perhaps just as innovative as anything else you could ask for on a tool and we’re glad to see this type of thinking come across as more than just an afterthought for 18V tools.
Testing and Use
We pulled out the Porter-Cable PCL180CDK-2 as soon as we realized that it would be the perfect fit for a couple projects we had replacing and installing some storm doors on a house in our neighborhood. As we tend to review tools in real-world scenarios whenever possible, the job at hand allowed us to use the tool on both drilling and driving tasks in a variety of repetitive and overhead tasks. In removing the screws to an older screen door that was being replaced we found the Porter-Cable to perform very consistently and have a decent amount of speed to quickly remove the screws that were embedded in the hard wood frame. When we secured the new aluminum frame to the existing wood, the drill made quick work of driving the zinc-plated fasteners home.
In doing this job we had to lift the drill overhead quite a bit and were surprised that it was a bit heavier than other “Compact” models currently on the market (the Porter-Cable PCL180CDK-2 weighs around 3.8 lbs with the included LX battery pack). That’s not to say that this drill is heavy or unwieldy, but it felt like it was similar in size as some of the second generation hammer drills, which have grown considerably more compact in recent years. What offsets this is the position of the handle, which is very centered and delivers a really well-balanced feel. In fact, if you have larger hands, the grip, while a perfect fit for us, might actually be a bit tight. For us, the grip was secure and quite comfortable, with our middle, ring and pinky fingers taking up all the available room on the handle just below the trigger.
We loved the battery eject mechanism on this tool. When you push the button, the tool literally throws the battery at you – which is incredibly helpful when you want to swap them out quickly and easily. As we mentioned above, it was also a vast improvement to know that we didn’t have to contort our arms to replace the battery while holding it by the handle, since the front-loading slot was within easy reach. Finally, the included 30 minute charger supports both Lithium-ion and NiCD chemistry sled batteries so you can use it for all your modern Porter-Cable tools.
Conclusion
In terms of bang for your dollar, the Porter-Cable line is quickly becoming an incredible value that is really giving DIY and pro users a place to go to pick up inexpensive products that work well and last a long time. You can buy more robust tools, drills that are more compact and put out greater torque, but you’ll also pay considerably more. The lack of a battery level indicator is about the biggest ding we can give the PCL180CDK, and we hope they will adjust this in their next generation of products. This drill/driver performs well which makes it easy to recommend, even in a sea of tough competition.
