Clayton, who reviewed a number of Porter Cable 18V cordless power tools for us, noticed that his local Lowes has clearanced out most of their Porter Cable 18V offerings.
I went to Lowes last night to pick some lightbulbs up, and I usually swing by the tools to browse around and scout for any deals. Unfortunately, I found that my local Lowes had the entire 18V Porter Cable tool line on clearance.
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There were some were very good tool deals (mostly things I already had), and others were just minor discounts, but it was fairly obvious that Lowes is coming closer to removing the 18V line from their stores. They had no 18V Lithium batteries in stock, and only a single pack NiCad that costs 75% as much as the 2 pack. I had noticed this somewhat the other week at a different Lowes, but at this store, the situation was fairly obvious – the demo tools were even off the shelf.
I stopped by my local Lowes and saw about the same – that most of the Porter Cable 18V offerings were being clearanced out. This isn’t good news for tradesmen or home users that bought into the 18V platform thinking it would be around for years to come.
Back in early 2013, I was told that the 18V and 20V Max lines would exist concurrently, as the 18V platform was still extremely popular with users. It seems that this has changed, now that the 20V Max line has a fuller range of products.
A chat with Porter Cable product manager Wil Granger helped clear up what’s going on.
Essentially, the emphasis will be on Porter Cable’s expanded 20V Max lineup moving forward. The transition will be gradual, and replacement batteries, chargers, and select bare tools will continue to be available at least through 2015 and into 2016.
This makes sense. Lowes has limited shelf space which they could fill with Porter Cable’s 18V products or 20V Max products, but there’s not enough space for both. We have seen a similar transition with Dewalt’s product lines, as retailers shifted emphasis from Dewalt 18V and 20V Max tools and components.
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Porter Cable will support the 18V lineup with replacement battery packs for years to come, but the bare tool selection will likely be limited to the most popular models.
It’s easy to be disappointed by news like this, but such transitions are inevitable. Since Lowes was Porter Cable’s major retail partner for the 18V lineup, the transition will likely be swifter than Dewalt’s 18V to 20V Max transition. On the bright side, we can probably expect to see greater availability of the 20V Max tools in stores.
Jeff
The sad thing for consumers who bought the 18v tools is that the 20V Max tools are actually 18V when you use them. Porter Cable could have easily just stayed with the 18V line and not left those customers behind. 20V Max is misleading to customers. The tag line should legally be “20 volts unless you use it.” That’s what happens when getting a marketing edge is more important to a company than being honest to your customers.
MT_Noob
I snagged an 18v scroll saw and angle grinder at the local Lowe’s yesterday. One of the stores had a clearance price on the 18v lithium battery that I grabbed but the other stores were cleared out already. Now I am just waiting for them to drop the price a little further on the last of the Bessey vise’s they still have left.
Clayton M
You should be happy with that jigsaw and grinder – I thought they worked great for what they were.
Yeah, I have been swinging by to see if they drop the price of the 6″ Bessey vises any more. I snagged a 4″ vice from them for a fantastic price ($15), but would really prefer the 6″.
Allen
I hope to keep my 120 V tools going a little longer. Just put new bearings in my Porter-Cable 690. Seems the support is still there for that platform.
(Appropriate smiley here)
Ktash
I was just in Lowes and the prices were not great on the 18v tools there. Actually, they had better deals on the Dewalts. Lowe’s stores, even in the same town can have differing prices and different things closing out from my past experience. The Bessey clamps at Lowe’s are done. Looks like Home Depot is selling them instead. I got some great deals on some clamps they closed out, though.
mnoswad1
nobodies really surprised by this right? You’d be better off buying into the 18volt Ryobi from home depot 15 years ago.
Since 18volt and 20 volt are the same, they could have made the battery packs cross compatible as they are both slide packs. As should they also have been compatible with B&D, Bostitch, and the other Stanley “sub” brands.
Suckers for buying into a new tool platform, this should have been seen by most power tool users, esp the ones that check out this site.
Jerry Spinazzola
The question begging to be asked that I couldn’t find yet, here or elsewhere, is: Is PC abandoning customers who have 18v multi-tool kits by making the glam new tada! 20v batts incompatible & powerless after the 18v Lowe’s selloff, when their batts die & their chargers won’t accept the new possibly obsolescense planned kids on the block?? Are we supposed to trash our 5 or more toolkits, or buy factory priced batts if they even stock them. I just bought a 2 batt pack of 20v at a buy 1 get 2 at a Lowes last nite & scanned the fine print, incl the nominal 20 actual 18 clause, & the clerk said unconvincingly: “you should be ok” re backward compatibility, but won’t open the pckg without the rest of the story i came here for. Anyone else in my shoes?
Stuart
The new 20V Max batteries are NOT compatible with the previous 18V tools.
The nominal voltage is the same – 18V for both – but the new tools and batteries were designed differently.
If you have Porter Cable 18V tools, those 20V Max batteries you bought will NOT fit.
zzinglish
Guess there’s no braindrain figuring out why they did this – making a 20v batt that isn’t in a bright red new plastic case that’s very deliberately non backward compatible so this group i’m part of that bought into a multitool 18v package will be left powerless once the originals die or pay factory prices. PC could easily have made them fit both, but that would be a mortal sin against capitalism, so now we can just go get all new tools to do the next year or so til the 24s come out with a “radical” new design designed mainly to ensure profits. No wonder the PC website won’t tolerate a customer asking a question they can’t dress the answer up in “progress” outfits. If I could still find those old 7.2 or 9.6 stick batts at decent prices they’re good enuf for most jobs & still use Ryobi 7.2s from the 1980s
“Progress was ok for awhile but it’s been going on for too long,” – Steven Wright
And it’s too expensive
CT
If they are indeed dropping this line of tools it will be the 3rd platform Porter+Cable discontinued in the past 10 years. The other two being Porter+Cable’s long running 18v line that ended in 2008 and a short-lived Delta Machinery cordless line that was sold from 2003-2004 when PC and Delta were still the same company. The Delta line was dropped when they were bought by Black & Decker in late 2004.
Dave
Can the batteries from 20v packaging be removed and placed into packaging for existing 18v? I know there are threads on using harbor freight batteries as an inexpensive battery source.
Dave
Stu48
I have Porter Cable 18V tools and even though I have had no problems with the tools themselves, I will not buy another PC battery powered tool. Why? They eliminate replacement batteries to force purchase of new tools. There are no 18V Lithium batteries for PC anywhere. There are Ni-Cad and NiMH battery packs but they are no where near as long lasting and efficient as the Lithium.
I was at Lowe’s recently and noticed heavily discounted 20V PC tools. Not going to buy one because I figure Porter Cable is getting ready to discontinue the 20V line and replace with something else. So I wonder how long 20V battery packs will be available.
CJ
P.C. just lost a very long time user. Was going to add to my 18 v multi tool kit until I saw that Li replacement batteries can no longer be bought. New cordless tools will be DeWalt, which still supports my 20 year old 12v drill with batteries. Stupid move P.C.
leo
18 v tools where good changer are junk they discontinue them I call then no chargers I bought one 6 months ago i been a porter cable tool guy for a long time no more never will buy one again they know there chargers are junk
Roland
just bought a pair of 18V knock-off batteries through Amazon. 3.6 amp-hours, about $32. Seem to work ok.
John Gaudioso
The porter cable name is been bought and sold and the tool quality will noticeably begin to suffer. Same with most of the others. It’s a branding game anymore only. Makita still makes decent stuff and Milwaukee for a little while longer. But they too will be chineesium crap before long.