Porter Cable Floor Drill Press: How the Range Breaks Down

All Posts floor drill presses Noah Carter Last updated on January 11, 2026

A floor drill press is the step up that changes what a shop can do: more swing to reach the center of wide work, more spindle travel, and the rigidity that comes from a full-length column planted on the floor. Porter-Cable offered floor presses as an accessible path to that capability, and they still turn up new-old-stock and used, often at Lowe’s or on the secondhand market. If you are weighing a Porter-Cable floor drill press, the useful thing is to understand how the range breaks down and what to check, since several of these machines are now discontinued. Here is the breakdown.

What a Porter-Cable floor drill press is

A Porter-Cable floor drill press is a full-height stationary machine built on the standard layout: an induction motor driving a stepped-pulley belt for multiple speeds, a spindle with a keyed chuck, a quill with a return spring and travel for drilling, and a cast table that raises, tilts, and locks on a floor-length column. “Floor” means the column runs to the ground rather than sitting on a bench, giving more swing, more travel, and better rigidity than a benchtop unit. Porter-Cable positioned these for the serious home and light-commercial shop that wanted floor-press capability without industrial pricing. The chuck typically rides on a Morse-taper (often MT2) spindle.

How the range breaks down

Porter-Cable’s floor presses sort mainly by swing and speed count:

15-inch, 12-speed floor press (PCB660DP). The best-known model, a 15-inch-swing machine with a 12-speed belt drive and an 8-amp motor, a genuinely capable home-shop floor press, now discontinued.
13-speed floor models. Variants offering a 13-speed drive for a slightly different speed spread.
Lowe’s-sold floor units. Porter-Cable floor presses were commonly stocked at Lowe’s, so parts and used examples often trace back through that retail channel.

Across the range, judge the specific machine by swing (spindle centerline to column, doubled), the number of speeds, spindle travel, and motor rating, and note that most are out of current production.

Where a Porter-Cable floor press fits

Let me be direct about the fit. A Porter-Cable floor press is a strong choice for a serious home or light-commercial shop that wants real floor-press capability: enough swing for wide work, a broad speed range, and the rigidity a floor machine gives over a benchtop unit. The 15-inch 12-speed PCB660DP in particular is a well-regarded machine that owners keep running. What it is not is a current-production or industrial metalworking press, so most buyers today are shopping used and should factor that in. Matched to serious home-shop drilling, a sound Porter-Cable floor press is a lot of capability.

What to check on a used one

Since most are discontinued, buy carefully:

Spindle and quill. Turn the spindle for smoothness, check quill play, and check chuck runout.
Return spring. Confirm the quill returns smoothly; a weak or slipped return spring is a common, fixable complaint.
Belt and speeds. Check the belt condition and that all speed positions line up on the pulleys.
Table and column. Make sure the table raises, tilts, and locks, and the column is straight and rust-free.
Switch and motor. Confirm the switch works and the motor runs smoothly. Note the full model number and type for parts.

Parts for discontinued machines

Here is the honest picture. Because most Porter-Cable floor presses are out of production, some model-specific parts can be intermittent, and a type designation can change which part fits. The good news is that the wear items, the belt, chuck, key, and return spring, are generic or documented, so routine service is easy. Note the full model number and type, use Porter-Cable’s parts service and the wider parts-diagram resources, and match the chuck by taper. Buy for the solid machine it is now, not on the assumption that every internal part is a quick order.

Tooling and replacement parts

Keep a Porter-Cable floor press running with standard tooling. Fit a quality keyed drill chuck with the matching MT2 arbor to restore accuracy, keep a fresh drill press V-belt on the shelf, and fix a weak return with a drill press quill return spring. Add a drill press vise and keep a spare drill press chuck key. Confirm the taper before ordering an arbor, and match model-specific parts by model number and type.

The verdict

The Porter-Cable floor drill press range breaks down mainly by swing and speed count, anchored by the well-regarded 15-inch 12-speed PCB660DP, with 13-speed variants and units commonly sold through Lowe’s. These are capable floor machines for the serious home and light-commercial shop, giving real swing, a broad speed range, and floor-press rigidity. Since most are discontinued, shop used carefully (check the spindle, return spring, belt, table, column, switch, and motor), note the model number and type for parts, and accept that some model-specific parts can be intermittent while wear items are easy. Fit a good chuck and belt, and a sound Porter-Cable floor press serves well. For heavy industrial metalwork, a dedicated metalworking press is the next step.

Takeaways:

Porter-Cable floor drill presses are full-height machines giving more swing, travel, and rigidity than benchtop units.
The range sorts by swing and speed count, anchored by the 15-inch 12-speed PCB660DP, with 13-speed variants and Lowe’s-sold units.
Most are discontinued, so shop used carefully and note the full model number and type for parts.
Wear items are generic; some model-specific parts can be intermittent, so match by model number and type.

FAQ

What Porter-Cable floor drill press models are there? The best-known is the 15-inch 12-speed PCB660DP, alongside 13-speed variants. Many were sold through Lowe’s. Most are now out of current production.

Is a Porter-Cable floor drill press good? Yes. These are capable floor machines for serious home and light-commercial shops, giving real swing, a broad speed range, and floor-press rigidity.

Are Porter-Cable floor drill presses still made? Most are discontinued. Buyers today are usually shopping used or new-old-stock, so inspect the machine carefully before committing.

Where do I get parts for a Porter-Cable floor press? Wear items (belt, chuck, key, return spring) are generic or documented. Some model-specific parts can be intermittent, so note the full model number and type and use Porter-Cable parts service.

What should I check when buying a used one? The spindle and quill, the return spring, the belt and speed positions, the table and column, and the switch and motor. Note the model number and type.

What swing and speeds does the PCB660DP have? A 15-inch swing and 12 speeds through a belt drive, with an 8-amp motor, a capable home-shop floor press.

What chuck and taper does it use? A keyed chuck on a Morse taper (often MT2). Confirm the taper by removing the chuck before ordering a replacement arbor.

References

Porter-Cable, drill press support, manuals, and parts service: https://www.portercable.com/
Sears PartsDirect, Porter-Cable floor drill press parts lookup by model and type: https://www.searspartsdirect.com/
Lowe’s, Porter-Cable floor drill press product references: https://www.lowes.com/