Porter-Cable Band Saw Model (78159) Good or Bad?

Al Launier

Member
Messages
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Location
Bedford, NH
This is my first thread & it's already a request, not what I originally intended as I was interested in re-inventing my interest in woodworking for a winter's pastime and ran across this forum.

I just caught the thread on
http://familywoodworking.org/forums...andsaw-Any-Good-14-quot-Porter-Cable-at-Lowes
and wanted to raise it to a new thread level, hopefully to catch some more attention as the other thread was getting a touch long.

All I can say is Wow! I've certainly been disillusioned by the responses to that thread, not that they aren't all valid, just caught by surprise. I searched online & locally for a bandsaw for home use as a Christmas present, thinking I could get a "reasonable" bandsaw for ~ $400. I didn't have any luck until I found one at Lowes at a distant store; nothing available at my in-town store. I'm not what you would consider a "serious woodworker", although I have worked with wood for years. My application is more of a casual undertaking, when I need to repair something, or have the urge to pursue a project. So, I thought about adding a bandsaw to my workschop which is limited to: table saw (1960 vintage Sears Craftman), a drill press, a belt & disc sander, and a good number of power hand tools. I almost gave up looking for the band saw, but finally found a Porter-Cable 14" floor model (78159) - same as referred to in the thread above. It was at Lowes & I paid $449.00 thinking I found what I was looking for.

So now I read that I may have made a poor choice. Bummer!

I wonder if the critiques of this PC is based on a professional level of use, or is it really a poor choice for home use as I described? I really wasn't looking to spend more than the $449, but if the PC really is a bad product, I'll return it & save up some more $$$ to buy a better unit, perhaps the Grizzly G055P is one to target???

Also, there was reference to wait for the new model. Will it still have the same model#, and if so, what feature/improvements will make the new model better? Any additional comments about its quality & functionality?

Thanks for your comments.

Al Out!
 
Welcome to the forum, Al. :wave:

As Tom mentioned in the other thread, chances are good the Porter Cable saw under your tree will do the tasks you're looking to do, although if you do end up expanding your woodworking horizons (and taking on more challenging projects), you're more likely to run into the saw's limitations than if you were using a better one.

Nearly all stationary power tools need a bit of tweaking and adjusting out of the box. How much of that tweaking and adjusting is necessary depends on the quality control during manufacturing. (And also a bit on the buyer's luck.) Chances are, the P-C bandsaw is coming from the same Chinese factory as many other brands, but based on the feedback I've seen, I suspect the quality control isn't as stringent as it is for some other brands. That doesn't doom it to failure, but it does increase the chance you'll need to do some fiddling with it to get it cutting straight and consistently. ;)
 
Some of that feedback may come from the price point. When you can get Grizzly's G0555 family for about the same price, other similar looking items get banged around a bit. The G0555X has a large base of very happy owners where the PC is seen as a re-badge of the Delta that was allowed to go down in quality over time. I would judge the saw on its ability to do what you want to get done. If it is working for you, then I would say it is fine.

I still run an older Orion/Craftsman 22124 hybrid tablesaw despite looking at 3HP cabinet saws that are within a reasonable price-point. The current saw does everything I need it to and unless some unbelievable deal comes along, I may run it to the tomb ;-). If the PC is working well for you, its fine.
 
Thanks for the responses. Based on the feedback, I think I'm going to try to find a local dealer & check out the Grizzly, especially since I haven't taken the Porter-Cable out of the box yet, which would make it easier to return. In the past, I've thought of PC as a reputable, reasonable quality source for woodworking tools, but coming from China makes me nervous. Where is Grizzly made?
 
Al, Grizzly is only sold via mail order or from one of their three showrooms, so they are a bit difficult to see in person before you buy. You might be able to find a local store that sells Shop Fox tools, which are essentially Grizzly tools painted a different color and sold at a higher price through the retail channels. (Shop Fox tools often have a few features their Grizzly counterparts don't, though.)

Regarding the "made in China" aspect, pretty much any stationary woodworking tool at the consumer level of the market is made in Asia, either China or Taiwan. You can buy a $500 Grizzly or a $1000 Powermatic, and chances are they both came out of the same factory. As I said earlier, the primary difference is in the quality control, although different brands will offer different features. In general, Grizzly makes mid-level tools that are usually a good value due to their combination of features and quality. They're not the best, but they're often the best bang for the buck.

If the price difference won't force you to eat nothing but peanut butter and ramen noodles for a month, my recommendation would be to return the Porter Cable and go with something like the G0555P from Grizzly. It's only about $100 more, shipped to your door. I think in the long run, you'll be happier with it, and the resale value should be better if you decide to sell it sometime down the road. Also, Grizzly has a good reputation for tech support and customer service should you run into any issues with it. That's something that might be a roll of the dice with Porter Cable these days. In years past, P-C was a top-notch professional brand, but they've really cheapened many of their products over the past few years to appeal to the DIY "home improvement center" market instead. Much like Sears and the Craftsman brand. ;)
 
I think you need to ask whether you need a Chevy or a Cadillac, or for that matter, would a Kia do? I've only had one of each of the many tools I have; they are mostly low-end or 'entry level'
, but they all fill my needs pretty well. I have a 30-year-old Rockwell/Beaver 10" bandsaw that I hAVE USED ON EVERY PROJECT i'VE DONE SINCE i GOT IT (sORRY, Hit the Caps lock by mistake :D) and it cost me $65. Sometimes it takes me longer to do a project than it would if I had a better or different tool, but I'm not on the clock.

Myexperience in other fields is that paying more than the rock bottom price for a tool reaps more benefits up until you go %50 to 100% higher, but after that the extra money you spend gets you smaller and smaller returns. So have a hard think about how much bandsaw you need. You'll probably find that you don't need to go top-of-the-line.
 
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Thanks for the meaningful feedback, I really appreciate your thoughts.

I didn't realize that Grizzly wasn't availabe at local retailers. And, I do prefer to look at things that I'm going to purchase. At Lowes, I was able to look at the PC after being unable to find another locally. Frankly, I was frustrated at not finding anything, anywhere. So, I was glad to review it, and it appears to suit what I originally had in mind for my application. Plus, I've always thought that PC was a good line of tools. After visiting some online forums I think I got caught up in the "fever" of getting a higher level saw. However, I am a bit disappointed to hear that PC has lost its respect. Oh well, it looks like I'm going to keep the PC and if it turns out to be less than what I expect, I'll just return it, go away smarter, and then upgrade. Time to move forward.

Thanks again for your insight.
Al
 
Al welcome to the forum. I can understand your concerns and fears but i would like to share some thoughts with you.
First the guys that have commented on this saw are really good people. Why? Because they trully care. They like me have all been burnt at some point or other buying a machine or tool of some kind.
Most of these guys have many years of hobby woodworking behind them so much so they could probably go pro.
They have been around a long time seen the machines evolve. Trade up from early beginnings and not been so mucho as to not admit when they made a mistake.
When i joined this clubhouse i came to regret i had not stumbled upon this place before spending my money. I would have done quite a bit differently.
Now since being around for a few years i have come to respect and appreciate and listen to the wisdom offered here. Its not easy to swallow some of the pills but in the end its worth it.
Money is scarce in everyones pockets but in my opinion there is no truer saying than Penny wise pound foolish. I cheaped out on so many substandard tools before i got it. The marketing with some of the big brand names is so powerful these days its hard to counter but the products from many of these big names just doesnt cut it. Porter Cable is one of these brands lately.
I urge u not to compromise and accept a tool that is gonna rob u of some of the pleasure of your hobby. It will haunt you every time u come to use it and find u constantly tweeking it to get it to do what u want.
I would add a vote for Grizzly or look around on Craigslist there are always good quality machines for sale second hand that are real good deals when someone is packing it in or upgrading.
You do not need to be afraid to buy grizzly without having had your hands on one. Most of their machines are sold this way but most important they back them up and i have experienced this in Canada which to them is International support. Like Vaughn has pointed out these machinez are all made in Asia but the vendors own quality control is what makes the difference.
Best of luck.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2
 
Thanks for the warm welcome from all of you.

I've participated in a number of online forums, not woodworking - archery, both to learn & trying to help others, but quite frankly the message I'm geting from Family Woodworking is one that is made up of people who genuinely care, who bring a wealth of experience & knowledge to the board, who are willing to share their personal experiences both good & not so good, and who sincerely want to help others. This is very refreshing after experiencing some other sites that seem to be monopolized by those whose primary interest is to stroke their egos.

I appreciate your interest and your comments and cumulatively you guys have convinced me to return the PC & get a Grizzly. I'm glad I hadn't opened the PC box. So, now I'll ask other questions.
  1. Who do you recommend as a source for buying the Grizzly saw, www.grizzly.com or a different source?
  2. Which would you recommend, the Grizzly G0555 or the G0555XL?
  3. I just talked with their CS rep & was told the G055LX is an upgrade model from the G0555, but I'd still like to hear your thoughts on the LX.
  4. Is their customer service adequate?

Thanks again,
Al
 
First a disclaimer: I have four Grizzly machines. I also have half a dozen machines of other brands. Grizzly, like many others, have machines they do very well and some they do not so well. There have been reports of customer service issues with Grizzly but, I have never had one. I personally think that in many cases, the people having issues would have had them with a Mercedes Benz as well as with a t-shirt they bought at Wal-Mart. Just my humble opinion, of course :D. End disclaimer.

1. Who do you recommend as a source for buying the Grizzly saw, www.grizzly.com or a different source?
I order online. If I have specific questions I call customer service but, generally get better hands-on info from owners here or on another forum.

2. Which would you recommend, the Grizzly G0555 or the G0555XL?
I have a larger and a smaller machine (one Grizzly, one not) and so, will let those with actual experience answer this one.

3. I just talked with their CS rep & was told the G055LX is an upgrade model from the G0555, but I'd still like to hear your thoughts on the LX.
Once again I will defer to owners but, cast iron wheels are nice :). That being said, my smaller bandsaw has fiber-composite wheels; so there.

Is their customer service adequate?
My jointer arrived with a couple of shadows in the fence casting and a bit of a dip across the face that I felt was beyond what I liked. I called customer service and a new fence showed up at my door a few days later; no muss, no fuss.
I had trouble with a motor on a unit I had run hard for 4 years. That was wayyy out of warranty. Customer service walked me through the trouble shooting, isolating and resolving the problem. This was over the course of a week or so. I called them once; they called me four times and emailed me three times including one afterwards to be sure things were still functioning correctly. That's just my experience, your mileage may vary.

I worry that this sounds like a Grizzly sales pitch which it shouldn't be. There are several fine makers of 14" cast iron bandsaws. This is just one of those areas where Grizzly has the best bang for the buck. As a different example, Delta (of all brands) seems to have the best drill press for under a $1000 that's currently available. It also happens to be under $600. Grizzly isn't the only good tool seller/maker out there; it just so happens that you are looking for a tool that they do particularly well and have priced very well. Good luck and enjoy the ride :thumb:.
 
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Greetings from New Hampshire Al. Where abouts are you located??

I have the Grizzly GO555P. It's their Polar tool line. Basically the same as their other tools just painted a fancy white. For awhile they had it on sale not sure what the price is now but I would guess about $500.00 It is a marked improvement over the Shopsmith I had before.

I hope I wasn't the one who sold the PC to you at the Amherst Lowes store :eek::wave:

The PC isn't a bad tool. Although is no where as beefy as other models it will do fine for light to medium use. I just think that it is way over priced. For half what the PC costs you could get the Harbor Freight model which is basically the same. Like the other guys have said, Porter Cable isn't what it used to be. Many of their tools have gone the way of Rockwell, Skil, & Black & Decker. Cheapened up for the home owner market.

Depending on where in NH you are located feel free to drop my house by and take a look at my Grizz. Just send me a pm if you are interested.
 
Sounds like the Grizzly rep is steering you in the right direction, Al. Looking at the features and prices, I'd take the G0555LX over the G0555P. The cast iron wheels are an upgrade, in my opinion. The LX model is very similar to my Shop Fox. The only difference I see is the base on mine is enclosed, like the one on the G0555X Extreme Series. (And for your needs, I don't think the upgrade to the Extreme Series would be worth the extra money.)

...I hope I wasn't the one who sold the PC to you at the Amherst Lowes store :eek::wave:...

Ha! Now that would be funny.

...Depending on where in NH you are located feel free to drop my house by and take a look at my Grizz. Just send me a pm if you are interested.

That's an offer that's well worth taking if you can, Al. :thumb:
 
Done!

PC returned to Lowes & the Grizzly G0555LX purchased. For several reasons I now feel relieved, comfortably look forward to a nice Christmas present, and anticipate years of woodworking enjoyment with a "good" band saw.

Thank you, you've all been a big help. Hopefully I can return the favor.

Al
 
Hi Al! :wave: Welcome to the Family

The G0555LX is on my christmas wish list...if santa is nice to me I'll be ordering one soon too! :thumb:
 
Greetings from New Hampshire Al. Where abouts are you located?? Hi Bob, thanks for the welcome! I'm from Bedford
I have the Grizzly GO555P. It's their Polar tool line. Basically the same as their other tools just painted a fancy white. For awhile they had it on sale not sure what the price is now but I would guess about $500.00 It is a marked improvement over the Shopsmith I had before.

I hope I wasn't the one who sold the PC to you at the Amherst Lowes store :eek::wave:
Not unless you wear a skirt! LOL Actually, you could have been the first person to offer help, but when I inquired about buying the floor model at a lesser price, you(?) requested a woman contact someone regarding my question who then called the sales Mgr. over to negotiate my offer. I ended up buying the last crated saw instead, not the floor model.

The PC isn't a bad tool. Although is no where as beefy as other models it will do fine for light to medium use. I just think that it is way over priced. For half what the PC costs you could get the Harbor Freight model which is basically the same. Like the other guys have said, Porter Cable isn't what it used to be. Many of their tools have gone the way of Rockwell, Skil, & Black & Decker. Cheapened up for the home owner market.

Depending on where in NH you are located feel free to drop my house by and take a look at my Grizz. Just send me a pm if you are interested. Thanks for the offer Bob, that is generous of you, but as noted in a previous post, I bit the bullet & bought the G0555LX. With all of your recommendations I now feel comfortable with this purchase. I had a nagging feeling that wouldn't leave until I returned the PC & went with Grizzly. I had never heard of Grizzly before, but after reading all the positive reviews/comments online I realized I'd made a mistake with the Porter-Cable purchase. I'd always thought PC was a quality product, but apparently things change over time.
 
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Personally, I think you made the correct and best choice. I'm not a fan of Grizzly (had a run in with them several years ago that I need to get over), but if I could afford it I'd upgrade from my Ridgid bandsaw to one of the Grizzly ones like you purchased. My Ridgid as done every thing I have asked of it so far, but I really think that Grizz is a great saw and I'd like to have one.
 
Personally, I think you made the correct and best choice. I'm not a fan of Grizzly (had a run in with them several years ago that I need to get over), but if I could afford it I'd upgrade from my Ridgid bandsaw to one of the Grizzly ones like you purchased. My Ridgid as done every thing I have asked of it so far, but I really think that Grizz is a great saw and I'd like to have one.

Thanks Paul, glad to hear your reinforcement & hope you can find peace with Grizzly.
PS I like your hat & your signature!
 
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