Don't buy Porter Cable in UK!!!

[Anonymous]

My Porter Cable Router is easily the best I have come across (and I've owned and tried loads)

However, after 3 years, it was damaged when the collet lock engaged during a cut!! The main casting that holds the bushes into which the legs slide, the lower motor bearing, the plunge lock, the collet lock and other bits was damaged beyond repair.

I spoke (3 phone calls) to the company who appear to sell PC kit in the UK (plastered all over their website) and I could not get them to understand which part I needed!!!! I am left wondering if they have ever actually seen a router.

So, I emailed Porter Cable themselves in the USA and got the following repsonse

Dear Antony,

Thank you for visiting the Porter-Cable website.
Unfortunately we have no representation in Europe and do not ship overseas.

Regards,
End User Services

This is clearly NOT TRUE as I purchased a router from them and there is a UK site which appears to claim to be just that (http://www.porter-cable.co.uk/index.asp !!!!

After 2 months of phone calls (over an hour) and several emails I have come to the conclusion that unless you live in the US, don't buy Porter Cable tools.

Customer service? Sorry, never heard of it!

If you're interested, the replacement will be Trend T11 - I can get spares easily and at the end of the day, it is a Dewalt (ELU) and my Rat mounted Dewalt is pretty good.

 

[Adam]

Can't you take it back to the actual supplier who sold it to you? Say its not for for purpose, as it hasn't lasted as long as you think reasonable?

Adam

 

[Matt1245]

I think you might have problems taking it back after 3 years.

Have you tried filling out the spare parts from on the website, you can request an exploded diagram too to help identify part numbers.

http://www.porter-cable.co.uk/shopping/product/spareparts.asp

Matt.

 

[tim]

f you're interested, the replacement will be Trend T11 - I can get spares easily and at the end of the day, it is a Dewalt (ELU) and my Rat mounted Dewalt is pretty good.

I'm about to send my T11 back to Trend for the third and probably final time. It was one of the early recalls and then the bearings seized. This third one is exhibiting early signs of the same bearings overheating plus when it was in the table the other day I tried to rotate the cutter by hand (unplugged) to set a fence distance and couldn't move the cutter around at all. Thinking the bearings had seized I was about to pull it out of the table when I realised that the collet lock had failed to disengage (as happened with your PC). Anyway this is just a warning - I may be just very unlucky - but three times?? I will probably ask for my money back now and switch for a Triton.

Cheers

Tim

 

[Alf]

Doesn't Black & Decker own PC? Or have things moved on since then - again. :roll: Might be worth contacting them to see what the situation is.

Cheers, Alf

P.S. Another nicely non-emotive subject title choice, Tony... :roll: :lol:

 

[Colin C]

This is why I dont like the collet lock and wish they went back to two spanners as you also got a better feel for the collect being tight.

Had a cutter come lose on a table I was working on ( routing the under side to get it flat ) and the cutter come through the top, I had not ever had this happen with a router with two spanners.
Ps you cant miss one of them in your router :roll:

 

[garywayne]

When I was doing my furniture coarse, the tutor told us that they where sponsored by Trend, and wouldn't recommend them to anyone. I only used them for a couple of grooves. So I am unable to comment personally.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Those new fangled collets sound about as useful as the EU regulation switches. Bring back all the old Elu stuff - that lasted for years :wink:

Paul

 

[Mike.C]

Tony sorry to hear about your problem.

Welcome to www.porter-cable.uk.com. Tools from Porter cable, Fox and Powers to tradesmen and the serious hobbyist, throughout the United Kingdom and Eire.

Not just a "pile it high" web site but a website dedicated to offering technical advice, backup and service infact everything needed to allow you to get the most from your Porter-Cable tools...
If you wish to contact us direct ring 01922 644884
Thank you for visiting us...

"Dedicated To Offering Technical Advice, Backup, And Service, in fact Everything Needed To Allow You To Get The Most From Your Porter Cable Tools..."
They certainly did not provide this to you.

The thing that made me laugh was in their related links:

Related Links
power tools from Flex
Norms New Yankee Plans available in the UK
US Porter Cable Website
new yankee workshop
UK based woodworkers site with Charley Fell, reviews, plans and woodworkers forums

Our very own website.

I may be wrong, but didn't Brimarc used to import Porter Cable tools?
Because if they did, maybe Martin Brown might able to put you in contact with someone higher up in the US who can really help.

I hope that you get the router sorted out.

Cheers

Mike

 

[woodman]

Hi Tony,

Have a look at www.maxtool.co.uk they have uk support service for Porter Cable.

As for Porter Cable uk, they are not the genuine uk part of the parent company and as for their terms and conditions it falls foul of both uk and euro laws. Any defect in a product within its warrenty is the responsibility of the seller not the manufacturer and to say 30days is all you get.............

Hopefully Maxtool will sort you out.

 

[Matt1245]

as for their terms and conditions it falls foul of both uk and euro laws. Any defect in a product within its warrenty is the responsibility of the seller not the manufacturer and to say 30days is all you get.............

I can't find reference to this on there web site. In the terms and conditions it says that there is a 12 months warranty, if the tool develops a fault within 28 days it will be replaced, but if the tool is older than 28 days it will be repaired. Seems pretty standard to me.

Matt.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys (and Gal :wink: )


The router came from Rutlands but they stopped selling them ages ago and asking rutlands for help.......

Interesting about the T11 Tim, thanks for the warning and hope you get sorted. As is the way if the world, my new T11 arrived today :roll: thanks to very fast service from D&M

Alf, I thought of you as I wrote the title :lol: I decided to make this one stand out as anyone who buys Porter Cable in the UK needs to do so with eyes wide open - the manuafacturer isn't prepared to support them.

Just to clarify, the router was spinnning at top speed for about half the cut I was making and then suddenly the collet lock engaged itself, hence the damage. The collet clock didn't stick in when I tightened the cutter.

 

[Matt1245]

Which model is your router Tony?

Matt.

 

[woodman]

Matt

It`s not theirs to choose to repair after 30 days, if the customer wants his money back having bought faulty goods he has that right by law.
During the 1st 6 months of purchase the seller has to proove the goods are not faulty not the buyer.
Porter Cable uk are trying to impose their own rules regarding faulty goods which is not acceptable.
I certainly would not give anyone my business with kind of attitude.

 

[Matt1245]

Woodman,

After 7 years of selling power tools i have never come across that before. The information, concerning warranty, on the porter cable (uk web site) seems pretty standard, even generous compared to some manufacturers (hitachi will replace if it's upto 14 days old).

Also are the porter cable tools made for the european market (CE marked), if not then i think the european laws won't count for them.

Of course i don't know everything (far from it :lol: ), so if i'm wrong i apologize.

Matt

 

[engineer one]

if you are selling anything within the uk as a business then you have to abide by the sale of goods act. a number of american companies try to impose american rules, but although the government has given away our criminal rights, so far not the commercial ones.

the rule of thumb is what is it reasonable for the customer to assume.

with a tool then, it should be fit for the purpose for a reasonable period, and that is open to some dispute but a professional tool should last more than a couple of years.

actually the initial responsibility is that of the retailer, and they cannot actually fob you off, although they try. there is some doubt expressed about selling to tradesmen, but i believe that if you are self employed, you are entitled to argue that your rights are covered by the sale of goods act.

paul :wink:

 

[Losos]

I think Alf might have spotted what is going on here. If PC have been bought out by B&D I suppose all the PC output probably IS going to US addresses, one of those addresses is B&D.

B&D might then ship them anywhere (Including UK) and possibly have been responsible for that dot UK website.

It's all a bit confusing :? and PC /B&D are not the only multinational that engages in this kind of deception, :x but what the heck can the poor end user do about it :?: :x

 

[Jorden]

Musings:

Black and decker own DeWalt which appears to be the basic design of the Trend routers. If B&D also own Porter Cable, doesn't this just mean that the Trend router is likely to be another PC router in a different coloured case? :?

Sorry to hear of your problems Tony, it seems you and routers are destined to walk a rocky road

Dennis

 

[woodshavings]

This may be useful

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/you ... s_go_wrong

Good luck

John

 

[devonwoody]

I thought spare parts had to be available for 7 years on manufactured items. Perhaps if you contact your credit card (if used) company they might cough up!!!!!!!!!!!111