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Porter-Cable 20V Max 1/2 In. Drill/Driver Kit PCCK607LB Review

A good choice if you are looking to save some cash over the premium models but still want plenty of power
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Porter-Cable 20V Max 1/2 In. Drill/Driver Kit PCCK607LB Review
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Price:  $150 List
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Manufacturer:   PORTER-CABLE
By David Wise and Austin Palmer  ⋅  Feb 14, 2022
70
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#10 of 23
  • Drilling - 35% 7.0
  • Driving - 35% 7.8
  • Battery Life - 20% 5.6
  • Convenience - 10% 6.8

Our Verdict

The Porter-Cable 20V Max 1/2 In. Drill/Driver Kit PCCK607LB did fairly well across the board in our tests, finishing in the upper third of the pack of best drills. This cordless drill didn't have any major deficiencies and retails for quite a bit less than the top-tier drills. It does have slightly less power than those premium products when it comes to drilling and driving but this model can usually hold its own, albeit a bit slower and with more effort required. It's not our first recommendation for someone looking for the best value. However, it is a close second, being a slight upgrade pick if you are willing to spend a bit more for more power but unwilling to spend the cash for a premium DIY product.
REASONS TO BUY
Good driving power
Solid all-around performance
Less expensive than premium products
REASONS TO AVOID
So-so with the spade bit
Slow to charge
Editor's Note: We added new sections to this review to better outline our feelings about the best drills in the group. This update occurred on February 14th, 2022.

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Price $150 List
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Overall Score Sort Icon
70
94
89
60
48
Star Rating
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Bottom Line If you are willing to sacrifice a little drilling power to save some cash, then the PCCK607LB is a solid choiceThis tool delivered excellent results across the board and is a fantastic option to complement the M18 battery systemA drill driver set capable of a wide range of tasksA great budget drill for a homeowners or DIYer and has more than enough power for moderate to light-duty tasksOur favorite compact 12-volt drill when considering overall performance and price
Rating Categories Porter-Cable 20V Ma... Milwaukee M18 Fuel... Kobalt XTR 24-volt... Craftsman V20 1/2-I... Bosch 12V Max Drill...
Drilling (35%)
7.0
9.6
9.4
6.6
5.8
Driving (35%)
7.8
10.0
9.4
6.2
4.5
Battery Life (20%)
5.6
9.8
8.4
4.4
3.2
Convenience (10%)
6.8
6.2
6.2
6.0
5.8
Specs Porter-Cable 20V Ma... Milwaukee M18 Fuel... Kobalt XTR 24-volt... Craftsman V20 1/2-I... Bosch 12V Max Drill...
Five Inch Hole Saw Test 50 seconds 15 seconds 17 seconds 55 seconds 70 seconds
Lag Screw Test 5.00 in 5.00 in 5.00 in 4.37 in 3.87 in
Manufacturer Peak Torque 270 in-lbs 1,200 in-lbs 1,200 in-lbs 280 in-lbs 256 in-lbs
Measured Charge Time 85 min 25 min 85 min 58 min 85 min
Measured Weight 3.33 lbs 4.06 lbs 4.09 lbs 3.44 lbs 2.17 lbs
Measured Length 7 in 7 in 7 in 8.25 in 6.625 in
Measured Number of Settings 23 14 22 23 20
Manufacturer Stated RPM Low: 0 - 450
High: 0 - 1800
Low: 0 - 550
High: 0 - 2000
Low: 0 - 550
High: 0 - 2000
Low: 0 - 450
High: 0 - 1500
Low: 0 - 350
High: 0 -1300
Included Battery Pack(s) 1.5 Ah Tested with 2.0 Ah 4 Ah
Tested with 2.0 Ah (not included with kit)
1.3 Ah 2.0 Ah
Max Chuck 1/2 in 1/2 in 1/2 in 1/2 in 3/8 in
Battery Voltage 20V 18V 24V 20V 12V
Drill Model Tested PCCK607 2803-20 KXDD 124B-03 CMCD700 PS31
Box Model (Kit) Tested PCCK607LB Tested tool-only, no kit KXDD 1424A-03 CMCD700C1 PS31-2A
Battery Indicator Location Drill Battery Battery Battery Drill
LED Location Above the battery Above the battery Above the battery Above the trigger Above the trigger
Included Belt Clip Yes Yes Yes No No

Our Analysis and Test Results

Performance Comparison


porter-cable 20v max 1/2 in. drill/driver kit pcck607lb
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Drilling


Comprising 35% of the overall score for each drill in our test, drilling performance is - obviously — absolutely critical for a cordless drill. To evaluate this, we tested out the PCCK607LB with a 5" hole saw in a solid door, a 1" spade bit in dimensional lumber, and a pair of twist drills (¼" and ½") in a 16 gauge steel sheet. It did decently well and feels appropriate for all but heavy-duty tasks.

porter-cable 20v max 1/2 in. drill/driver kit pcck607lb
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

This drill got off to a great start with the 5" hole saw, drilling it to the full depth in the door with only a slight amount of struggling compared to the top-of-the-line tools. It never completely stalled and stopped, but it did take a little more than three times as long as the fastest drills — 50 seconds compared to 17.

porter-cable 20v max 1/2 in. drill/driver kit pcck607lb - the porter cable didn't take long to devour the 5" hole saw test.
The Porter Cable didn't take long to devour the 5" hole saw test.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

It also did very well with the standard twist drills and the steel sheet. It took almost no time at all — 1.8 seconds — to drill a hole with the ¼" drill. The PCCK607LB didn't struggle at all with this, not even binding up when it punched through the sheet into the wood backer board we were using. It did take a little longer with the ½" drill, mainly due to the fact that it took a little time to get the hole started, but it still took less than 10 seconds in total for the PCCK607LB to drill through the steel with the larger bit.

porter-cable 20v max 1/2 in. drill/driver kit pcck607lb
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Unfortunately, we weren't quite as enamored with the PCCK607LB's performance when it came to drilling through the 2x12 with a 1" paddle bit. The PCCK607LB seems like it has plenty of power to make it through the board, though we could tell that it was a little underpowered compared to a handful of the others. However, it was the fact that the Porter-Cable tended to stall right as you were punching through the last bit of the board and would violently wrench the handle to the side that caused us to lose some enthusiasm for this tool. Despite that, it still offers a solid all-around drilling performance — as long as you are cautious about it catching as it finishes drilling a hole.

porter-cable 20v max 1/2 in. drill/driver kit pcck607lb - the porter cable powering through the lag screw test.
The Porter Cable powering through the lag screw test.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Driving


Moving on from drilling holes with the PCCK607LB, we next ranked and scored how it did at driving in some screws, which also accounts for 35% of its final score. The Porter-Cable did very well, setting 5" long, ½" lag screw and 3" long, #9 wood screws to join dimensional boards together.

We started off with the easier of these two tests: #9 screws. We used the PCCK607LB to drive tons of these screws into a pair of stacked 2x12s. This drill handled this test with ease, quickly and easily driving the screws with plenty of power to fully set the countersunk screw heads flush with the surface of the board. You can do a gentle controlled drive near the end to ensure you don't set the heads too deep and the PCCK607LB has more than enough power to stop and restart if you don't set the head deep enough at first — it doesn't need the momentum to drive the head in at the end.

porter-cable 20v max 1/2 in. drill/driver kit pcck607lb
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

The PCCK607LB also did quite well with the 5" lag screw, though there was a significant increase in the amount of protesting to get it to the full depth. We drilled a pilot hole through a 2x4 into a 4x4 for this test, then set the tool to work on the ½" lag screw. This drill had more than enough power for the start and the middle of this test but did begin to stall out and struggle towards the end when there was about ½"-1" to go. However, we were able to eventually drive the screw to its full depth, it just took a bit of convincing on our part.

porter-cable 20v max 1/2 in. drill/driver kit pcck607lb
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Battery Life


After drilling all those holes and driving in all those screws, it was time to assess the battery performance of the Porter-Cable. We did this by comparing the effective runtime, the time it took to recharge a dead battery, and the number of batteries included with the drill. Altogether, this trio of evaluations is responsible for 20% of its final score. We tested this model with the 1.5 Ah batteries that came with the package we purchased.

This cordless drill includes a pair of 1.5 Ah batteries, though we did find they take a little longer than average to recharge. It took around 85 minutes to recharge a completely depleted battery with the included charger in our test.

To compare and score effective runtime, we used each drill with a fully charged battery to drive in 16 of the 3" long, #9 wood screws to their full depth and then to drill a trio of 1" holes using the spade bit. We then repeated this until the battery died, awarding points proportional to the number of sets completed. The best drills made it through 10 or more set, while the PCCK607LB made it through six full sets and a partial set, able to drive in all the screws of the seventh set but died halfway through drilling the first hole.

porter-cable 20v max 1/2 in. drill/driver kit pcck607lb
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Convenience


Our last series of tests focused on the various features, functions, and capabilities of each drill that improve their ease of use and productivity. In total, these all account for 10% of the PCCK607LB's final score.

This drill is about average in weight, weighing in at a little less than 3.5 lbs., and includes a belt clip that is mounted near the back of the battery — quite handy when working on a ladder or scaffolding.

The chuck on the Porter-Cable can accommodate a ½" bit or a bit with a ½" shank, and this drill has two different speed ranges or gear ratios. It also has an integrated LED light on the bottom of the drill that does an excellent job lighting up your work area. It stays on for about 20 seconds after releasing the trigger and doesn't create any shadows from the drill or your hand to obscure your view of the hole you are trying to drill or the fastener you are trying to drive in.

porter-cable 20v max 1/2 in. drill/driver kit pcck607lb
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

It's fairly easy to swap the batteries on this drill, with a locking mechanism that engages or disengages quite easily. However, it can take a little force to slide the battery in or out. We also really liked that this drill has a status indicator on the battery so you know how much charge you have remaining.

Should You Buy the Porter-Cable 20V Max?


Overall, we were quite happy with the performance of the Porter-Cable 20V Max 1/2 In Drill/Driver Kit PCCK607LB. It didn't do that much worse than the very best high-end drills, all while maintaining a lower price. While it still might be a little too expensive for a budget-conscious, it's a great option for anyone who is willing to pay a bit more for better performance but is still looking to save some cash. The PCCK607LB is a decent value overall, striking a good balance between a more affordable price and a top-tier performance.

What Other Drill Should You Consider?


There isn't anything wrong with the Porter-Cable, but it isn't a standout and there are likely better options in the bunch depending on your goals. While it is somewhat less expensive than the top-tier, it isn't that much cheaper to make the savings all that worthwhile. Consider the Craftsman V20 1/2-In. Drill/Driver Kit CMCD700C1 if you're looking for an affordable but well-performing drill.

David Wise and Austin Palmer