What happens when your porter cable battery stops working? You could order a replacement battery, but porter cable products are difficult to come by these days. If you have some craftsman tools on hand, you might be tempted to pair their batteries with the porter cable power tool.
Are Porter Cable and Craftsman Batteries Interchangeable?
You cannot interchange batteries unless they have the same design. Fortunately, Porter-Cable and Craftsman have similar slots and connectors. They can fit one another’s power tools. However, Porter-Cable and Craftsman have different polarities. This is why I don’t recommend interchanging porter cable and craftsman batteries.
You should only use batteries from the same brand as the drill. For instance, adding a Dewalt battery to a Milwaukee drill is unacceptable.
I am not against interchanging batteries from the same brand.
For instance, you can interchange 20V Porter Cable batteries with different 20V Porter-Cable tools. But you cannot interchange 20V Porter Cable batteries with 18V Porter-Cable tools.
You are better off using batteries and tools from the same brand and line if the voltage rating is the same. This will ensure that you get the most out of your tools and batteries. Additionally, you are less likely to damage the power tools.
However, warnings of this nature are usually disseminated by companies like Porter-Cable. They don’t want their loyal customers to use batteries from different brands because it reduces their profits.
They stand to make more money if you use Porter Cable batteries to operate Porter Cable drills. Therefore, you should take their warnings with a grain of salt.
But that doesn’t answer the question. No, Porter Cable doesn’t want consumers to use batteries from other brands with their tools. Yes, people will mix and match power tools and batteries because it is more convenient. But where does the truth actually fall?
Can you interchange craftsman and Porter Cable batteries? Will they work? You have three important factors to consider:
1). Same Manufacturer
Tools Guyd has pictures showing Porter Cable tools with a ‘Craftsman’ label. This is because the same company owns both brands. Unfortunately for Porter Cable, their brand is losing steam even as Craftsman grows.
Some people expect Porter Cable to disappear in the next few years. As such, Porter Cable batteries and tools are more difficult to access these days. Some major outlets have stopped selling them altogether.
That being said, people expect to interchange Porter Cable with Craftsman because they have the same owner
2). Same Design
Porter-Cable and craftsman have the same design. They can fit one another’s power tools.
This is not true for every Porter Cable and Craftsman battery and power tool. Some tools have notches and tabs that prevent batteries from different brands from fitting.
But if you have some experience with these tools, you can sand the notches and tabs down. They are not a significant obstacle.
Additionally, these brands have similar ratings.
If you have a 20V Porter Cable drill, you can find a matching 20V Craftsman battery. The reverse is true. You can find 20V Porter Cable batteries that can fit 20V Craftsman tools.
3). Different Polarities
Porter-Cable and Craftsman have different polarities. This is why people interchange Porter Cable with Black and Decker. They have the same polarity.
What does all this mean? The best way to determine whether or not Porter Cable and Craftsman are interchangeable is to experiment. Add a Craftsman battery to a Porter Cable drill or vice versa. Observe the response. Do the drills work?
This experiment is only viable if you have the financial muscle to buy new batteries and drills. The experiment may harm your drill. Stop interchanging Porter Cable and Craftsman batteries if you don’t want to take this risk.
Stick with batteries from the same brand. This is the safest option. You can ask the manufacturers for clarification. But it is in their best interests to tell you that Craftsman and Porter-Cable are not interchangeable.
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What To Look For If They Are Interchangeable Or Not?
The fact that Porter-Cable and Craftsman have the same owner doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t prove that Porter-Cable and Craftsman are interchangeable.
Porter-Cable and Craftsman products won’t change simply because the same company makes them.
In other fields, when two large companies merge, the individual brands remain largely unchanged. Their operations continue as they always have. In that regard, even though Stanley Black and Decker own them, Porter-Cable and Craftsman are still distinct brands.
Therefore, the factors that prevented people from interchanging them in the past are still present. Don’t use their current ownership as an excuse to interchange them.
The only way to determine the interchangeability of batteries is to look at their manuals. A Porter Cable drill’s manual will provide a list of all the batteries with which it is compatible.
Craftsman drill manuals will do the same. Some batteries have labels on their bodies showing all the brands they support. If you check a Porter Cable power tool manual, you won’t see Craftsman in the compatibility list.
The same goes for a Craftsman power tool manual. You could base your decision on the mounting system.
Technically speaking, if two brands use similar mounting systems, you can interchange them, especially if the voltage rating is the same.
But the practice is still risky. Some brands will void your warranty if you interchange their tools with batteries from a different brand. Don’t proceed until you’ve read Porter Cable or Craftsman’s terms and conditions. The last thing you want is to void your warranty by using the wrong battery.
Porter-Cable VS Craftsman Batteries – Differences
Porter-Cable and Craftsman batteries have numerous similarities, not just the sliding mounting styles but the mounting direction and release tabs. Some spring designs and buttons may vary. But the batteries have more similarities than differences.
However, you can only identify the external similarities. Their circuitry is hidden, and it may vary drastically. Porter-Cable won’t tell you because they don’t want you to pair Craftsman batteries with their tools.
As far as the brands are concerned, people prefer Craftsman over Porter-Cable. They both create lightweight tools that target homeowners and hobbyists. Porter-Cable and Craftsman products are equally functional. But you won’t find them in settings with heavy-duty tasks.
Both options hail from the US. Though, some Porter Cable products are made in Germany and China. This allows the brand to lower its costs. Craftsman is no different.
Some of their offerings come from factories in China and Taiwan. Porter-Cable has a reputation for providing one-year-limited warranties. It also offers three-year-limited warranties on some tools.
But this is why I prefer Craftsman. They have full lifetime warranties. Though, this doesn’t apply to every Craftsman product. Many of their batteries and power tools have one-year and three-year limited warranties.
But at least Craftsman offers full lifetime warranties for some of its products. They also have more variety with regards to accessories and mechanical tools. This puts them ahead of Porter-Cable.
If you are honestly tempted to buy Porter-Cable batteries, you should know that their parent company has shown more support for Craftsman.
Therefore, Porter Cable batteries will become more challenging to access in the coming years. This will cause Porter Cable prices to spike. You should stick with Craftsman. Clearly, Stanley Black and Decker have more faith in them than Porter-Cable.
What Other Batteries Will Fit Porter Cable and Craftsman?
Stanley Black and Decker own several power tools brands, including DeWalt, Porter-Cable, Black+Decker, Craftsman, and Guoqiang. The common assumption is that all Stanley Black and Decker brands are interchangeable.
However, there is a slight difference between Craftsman and Black+Decker designs. Therefore, these two brands are unlikely to fit one another. However, an experienced technician can overcome those minor design issues with relative ease. You can apply the same argument to Porter Cable and DeWalt batteries.
All 20V Stanley Black and Decker batteries have enough similarities for consumers to interchange them. Their designs are the same. But you cannot ignore the difference in polarity between Craftsman and Porter-Cable. This won’t keep you from interchanging the two if you have a suitable adapter.
Is Craftsman and Porter-Cable The Same?
Craftsman and Porter-Cable are not the same things. The same company owns them. Some Porter Cable power tools have the Craftsman label because Stanley Black and Decker has prioritized Craftsman over Porter-Cable.
In fact, some professionals in the industry have argued that Porter-Cable will die out in the next few years. Stanley Black and Decker have discontinued the brand. They no longer make Porter-Cable tools. Stores are selling the inventory they have. Once they deplete it, porter Cable will focus its attention on woodworking.