Jngrbrdman said:
A lifetime guarantee is worthless on a machine like the Porter Cable 7424. Mine has been in heavy use for several years and is still going strong. I'll probably get a new one just for asthetic reasons before this one wears out. It is looking pretty ragged, but that doesn't affect performance.
:lol: You know, usually I wouldn't disagree with you, but you're so dead wrong on this one that I can't help it.
A lifetime warranty is worthless on the PC? Perhaps that's why my neighbor has gone through TWO of them in 6 years, and I'm about to get mine replaced for the first time (I've had it 5 years) -- and all of this for free through Meguiar's.
The bearings go bad in them to the point that they bog down at any speed, and won't even attempt going above about 3.5 on the speed dial. So yes, they DO burn up if you run them hard enough and often enough. And no, we don't abuse them -- but they are in use for at least a couple hours on a daily basis. My neighbor uses the PC exclusively, which is why he burns them up faster than I do (I also use a rotary, so it takes some of the wear-and-tear away from my PC), but I've got mine to about the point that once winter gets here and it's too cold to work, I'll be sending it to Meg's for a replacement.
So... it depends how you use it, but from first-hand experience, I can tell you that it IS beneficial to have the warranty if you're doing any kind of serious detailing for customers on a regular basis. For the most part, mine sees extensive use at speed 6 every time I pick it up; I'm sure if I were just using it to maintain my own vehicles, it would rarely hit that speed, and thus wouldn't likely wear out as fast.
If you've had yours and have been using it heavily for "several years," I challenge you to pick up a brand new one and try it side-by-side with yours. I can pretty much guarantee you won't be comming back here and telling me you couldn't tell a performance difference.
It is nice being able to get the tool replaced when he comes to your shop.
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