Customer Reviews
Just not very happy with it 
2008-07-27
I bought this vacuum over a year ago because I wanted a quiet, powerful vacuum and was willing to pay more than the price of the various ones available at Lowes, etc. Well, it is relatively quiet, but my household vacuum has better suction. Additionally, the lack of standard types of hose end fittings is disappointing, and there's no place to conveniently wind either the power cord or the very long hose.
PC 7812 - Impressive Power 
2008-06-18
I've only had limited use of the PC 7812 so far. I recently bought a house and I promised myself I'd get a *real* shop vac. Not a garage sale canister vac, not a $75 big box specail, but a proper shop vac made to be used in a real shop!
I've had two incidence where I needed the PC 7812. The first was just your basic "clean up the mess I made after drilling lots of holes" and the vac worked perfectly...but also reminded me that it didn't come with any attachements (extra expense for that kit). I could have used a small brush to help with the cleanup...much like the nice one that came with my Dyson (that I promised my fiance I wouldn't use as a shop vac...though it's *very* tempting). The second incident involved a large pet water fountain that holds about a gallon of water, and was plugged up and overflowing due to cat fur stuck in the intake. I quickly grabbed the PC 7812 and poked at the carpeting and it seemed to be doing it's job, but it wasn't until I poked the hose into the fountain to suck up water and cat fur that I really saw the power of the Porter Cable. I swear, this little box sucked up a half gallon of water as quickly as gravity could pull the hose to the bottom of the fountain! It was EMPTY in seconds! I looked over at my fiance who laughed at the magic trick I just did, making a half gallon of water almost instantly dissapear.
So I'm impressed with the power, and cleanup was easy...but for the price I'm dissapointed that it comes without an attachment kit.
Quiet, Compact, Well Designed, OK suction, Wimpy Hose, No Nozzles 2007-12-11
I'm glad I replaced my $99 Craftsman "6.0 peak horsepower" shop vac with this ($230 on sale) vac. The Porter Cable 7812 is much quieter, much less clumsy to wheel around, stores in half the space, has a filter-clearing gizmo, and other nice features. I replaced the flimsy 1-1/4 inch ID hose with a commercial grade 1-1/2" hose, and made adapters to fit standard 2" ID nozzles. The suction is good for most shop clean-up tasks, but noticeably less than the crazed suction power of the Craftsman 6HP.
Size: It is NOT 23-1/2" high as stated in the specs. It is 20-3/4" high. Width is 14-1/2". Length is about 20" plus at least 8" for protruding hose.
Suction: This unit is 9.0 amps versus 11.4 amps for my Craftsman "6.0 peak horsepower" vac. (Don't compare the stated 1.5 horsepower of this unit with the grossly inflated "Peak Horsepower" claimed by other shop vacs.) I'd say the suction and air volume are at least 25% less on the Porter Cable, but adequate for most tasks. The filter clearing gizmo helps maintain suction. Maybe it's nice that your loose fitting sweatshirt is not suddenly pulled 9" up the vacuum hose. On the other hand, when I am using a large nozzle to vacuum sawdust off my driveway, it takes just a bit longer.
Noise: It's not crazy quiet, but it's much quieter than my Craftsman 6HP shop vac. It's noisier than my (pretty quiet) Kenmore indoor canister vac, but it's not a grating sound and you won't feel like wearing ear protection.
Bags & Filters: I can't see spending $100 a year for bags (over $4 each) so I use the filter only. A filter cleaning gizmo dislodges crud when you pull a tab on the outside of the vac. I use this all the time. I hope it won't wear holes in the filter. Other vacs don't get de-clogged till they've lost 80% of their suction because it's too much mess and hassle. The top-mounted flat filter is more convenient than the cylindrical filters on most shop vacs.
Hose Replacement & Tools: The flimsy 1-1/4" ID hose provided is perfect for hooking to your belt sander or other hand-held power tools. A larger commercial grade hose is better for vacuuming floors, etc. Less air resistance. Less insult to your manhood. You'll need to track it down (get it with swivel cuffs), find or make adapters, and work out misc issues. (I used 1-1/2" ID hose. 20% more diameter means 44% better throughput. 1-1/2" PVC couplings (from the plumbing or electrical aisle) fit nicely. Some rubbery PVC tape from the plumbing dept will pad out the couplings to fit standard large (2" ID) shop vac tools available at Home Depot. 1-1/2" female threaded PVC couplings fit the 1-1/2" swivel cuffs nicely.)
Hose Diameter Confusion: If you are putting together a 3rd party hose & tool solution, beware that advertised info on diameters of hoses and adapters is often absent or misleading. This unit comes with 1-1/4" ID (Inside diameter) hose. The OD (outside diameter) is 1.56". The tapered cuff is about 1.39" at the midpoint. For so-called 2-1/2 inch hose that is standard for larger shop vacs, the inside diameter is 2" and tapered interconnects are about 2.275" at the midpoint. For 1-1/2" ID hose, the OD is 1.91" and the tapered cuffs are about 1.79" at the midpoint.
Power Tool Outlet - Trigger: Seems nicely designed. The owner's manual has loads of electrical precaution boilerplate but avoids the one thing you'd like to know: How many amps can you draw from the tool-trigger outlet? Theoretically, 15 amps minus 9 amps consumed by the vacuum = 6 amps. You might get away with more, but I don't think you'll be using this outlet with your table saw.
Transport: Very easy to wheel around and carry. 7" rear wheels with small front swivel-casters are the perfect design. Easily carried with top handle as the vac is only 14-1/2" wide. You'll suddenly realize how much you hate your traditional shop vac with the 4 protruding swivel-casters.
Other: The beefy 22.5 foot cord is water resistant 3x14ga. with 3 solid prongs. This vac feels like quality. The head is assembled with stainless steel screws, for example.
Porter- Cable 7812 Vac 2007-12-03
I am generally happy with this product. It has good suction, it's relatively quiet and easy to use. I like the auto tool turn on feature. Three things could be improved -1.The hose is small diameter[1.5"]and seems flimsy 2. There is only a hook on the back of the machine to store the long power cord 3. There are no attachments included with the machine and the attachment package is very expensive [$61.00].
Old Timer 
2007-11-18
I have owned this product for nearly 10 years. During that time, I have used it heavily with the PC drywall sander, as well as routine heavy pickup. I don't baby my tools, so it has seen some action.
Others have commented on the "flimsy" feel of the hose. Yes, it really does look cheap, but it has held up well.
I recommend you either buy the accessory kit, or do as I did, get an adaptor so you can use more 'standard' accessories (such as Shop-Vac brand) you may pick up.
I still love it, no complaints. Check back with me in another 10 years.
Don't get "hosed" with this vacuum 
2007-11-16
Vacuum delivers 99.85% to 2 microns filtration efficiency - great for fine particulate pick-up, like drywall or solid-surface dust; Built-in outlet for use with power tools - vacuum starts automatically when tool is turned on; Includes 15 seconds vacuum overrun to clear hose when tool is turned off; Dual filtration system with washable automotive-type paper filter and 2-ply ten-gallon paper filter bag for dust pick-up; Corrosion resistant polypropylene tank; Large wheels for easy maneuvering; Convenient flat top surface tray for holding tools while working; Includes vacuum, hose, and owners manual
Reliable and quiet. 2007-09-20
After my shopvac died during a drywall sanding job, I decided to buy something better. This unit is designed for drywall sanding. Since I do a lot of woodworking, the tool triggered start function on this Vac also really comes in handy. Cheaper than the festool ct-33 and fein products, this unit still has a HEPA filter and offers similar performance. I have been especially impressed with the quiet operation. The suction is good and the filter works great.
My only dislike is the hose, which is cheap plastic... but that's probably why this unit is so much more affordable than the festool (which has a heavy duty anti-static hose). Also, don't expect any sweeping attachments- you don't get any.
I have always been impressed by porter cable's no-nonsense design and rugged construction, and this vacuum is no exception.
Dust Free 2007-08-17
The vacuum arrived a month earlier than Amazon had predicted. It's been in use in the shop since and so far, I'm very pleased. I connected it to my Porter-Cable random orbital sander to see how well it collected the dust. To my surprise, it collected it all - there was no dust that escaped. It also has worked perfectly with my plate joiner and I expect that it will also work as well with the belt sander.
I also bought the accessory tools, which in my opinion should have been included with the vacuum. The floor attachment has kept the floors dust free. The bristles on the brush that came with the set are a little stiff, I think that softer bristles would clean surfaces more quickly.
After using it for some time, I checked the HEPA filter, which is installed in addition to the vacuum bag. The filter had no visible dust on it which means the vacuum bag is holding all of the dust.
The shop vacuum this replaced was so loud that ear protection was required. This noise from this vacuum is more like a regular home vacuum. When it is running at the same time as a tool, I've had to physically check it to verify that it came on when the tool was turned on, so the sanders are louder than the vacuum.
I'm quite impressed with the vacuum and kick myself for waiting so long to purchase it.
Porter-Cable 10 Gallon Vacuum Review 2007-08-10
I have owned this vacuum for over two years and it still runs good. It is quieter than most and has enough power for whatever task I've thrown at it. It is exceptional for capturing drywall dust and sawdust with the Shop-Vac fine dust bags which hold more than the Porter-Cable bags and keep the filter clean. I use a Mr. Nozzle hose to prevent clogs. Overall a great vacuum.
quiet, not that powerful 
2007-05-12
very quiet and reliable unit, however, better for very fine particles. it does not have a ton of power to pick up large shop debris. also, the filter fills very quickly.
