Porter-Cable 9977 14.4-Volt Ni-Cad 1/2-Inch Cordless Hammer Drill/Driver Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this hammer drill after the death of my Black & Decker 18v Firestorm. Initially, I had considered similar products from Matika and DeWalt, wanting the additional capability of the hammer action, with the smaller bulk of the 14.4v battery. The Porter Cable GTF comes in fairly robust case, complete with a diagnostic charger, stabilizing handle, 2 batteries, driver bit and different size (S,M,L) adjustable hand grip inserts. I found the drill some what hefty, with it's balance just forward of the hand grip; which is the only reason I did not give it 5 stars.
Power
Offering 420 in-lbs of torque (50 in-lbs more than the Matika and 20 in-lbs more than the Dewalt 14.4v hammer drills) it has plenty of power and will easily snap the head off a 4" deck screw driven into a railway sleeper. The high/low settings will give you 450-1400rpm, and in hammer action 18500bpm. Battery life was excellent, allowing me to do several hours of deck work before swapping batteries. The charging unit can recharge your dead battery in approx. 1hr, it will also analyze the condition of your battery for optimal performance.
Handling
As mentioned before, I felt this was heavy drill. It does not balance as well as the Dewalt or Matika, which is probably why it feels heavier, though it certainly not unmanageable; much smaller than the enormous 18v Craftsman drill, that thing is a whopper. However, because of it's forward weight, using the hammer action vertically is really easy. There is also the option of swapping out the hand grip inserts, which helped reduce fatuige on the hands and wrists. Ergonomically speaking, fine. The stabilizer handle screws into either the left or right side of the drill which is a tremendous help when using the hammer action. Either way you are still going to develop your biceps - just make sure you use both hands.
Controls
The forward/reverse button is directly above the trigger control, as per usual. The motor has the high/low switch located on top of the motor housing. It would have been nice to have an extra third gear, like the DeWalt - but not essential. The clutch collar has variable torque setting's (22) with the drill and hammer action located next to each other. The battery is removed by way of a red button on the bottom flange of the grip. Depressing this button, the battery easily slides off. The battery is securely held in place buy this same locking button.
Chuck
All steel 1/2" ratcheting chuck lock and spindle lock. The one thing I like over the Dewalt, is the fact the jaws will easily grip a small 1/16" or 3/32" drill bit. The DeWalts chuck jaws cannot clamp on small bits such as these, because of the gap where the jaws meet.
Quality/Overall
The drill is well built and solid feeling. Fit and finish are excellent, there are one or two tiny (hair width) gaps where the metal gear housing meets the plastic body, otherwise fine. It feels like it was built twice as strong as in needs to be. I did forget to mention it has two metal clips to store your driver bits. Costing...$...less than the DeWalt or Matika, it's worth every penny. For home owners just wanting to drive screws and occasional home maintenance, there are much better less costly alternatives. However, if you are looking for a true, solid work horse for frequent heavy usage and occasional defense against bumps-in-the-night, I highly recommend it.

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Product Description:
The Porter-Cable 9977 14.4-Volt Cordless Hammer Drill kit with 1/2-inch keyless chuck is a compact hammer drill with outstanding power and torque. The 9977 can handle heavy jobs due to its 20-position clutch that lets you dial in the perfect torque level as high as 420 in./lbs. The dual-speed gearbox drives the clutch from 0-450 RPM in low and 0-1,400 RPM in high. The 9977 comes equipped with two rechargeable 2.0 amp-hour battery packs and an advanced diagnostic charger that monitors the batteries while being charged. This kit also comes with a carrying case with on-board storage for bits.

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