Porter-Cable 7814 Review

What the reviewers like:
Reviews say the separate filter door and internal filter-shaker make the Porter-Cable 7814 shop vac easy to clean without getting dusty. The filter location is also ideal, mounted above the tank so it doesn't block airflow and exhaust is nicely diffused so this shop vac doesn't blow dust around the room. The 15-gallon capacity is ample for general workshop use, and the big wheels can be locked as needed. Also, reviews say it's easy to drain liquids with a hose -- you can switch from dry to wet pickup without extra steps.

What the reviewers don't like:
Compared to its top competitors, the Porter-Cable 7814 doesn't offer as much suction, and tests show it to be louder than others. The tool outlet is rated for only 6 amps, and some reviews find this tall Porter-Cable a bit top-heavy and unstable. There's no onboard tool storage, and the one-year warranty is short compared with that of other high-end shop vacs.

Porter-Cable 7814 review highlights

Reviews say the 15-gallon Porter-Cable 7814 performs very well for both general workshop use and for dust collection from portable power tools. It's slightly less expensive than the top-rated Fein 9-77-25 Turbo III (*est. $400), and an internal filter-shaker makes it more convenient to clean, but the Porter-Cable warranty is for only one year, not three. In tests, the Porter-Cable is by far the noisiest of the pro-level shop vacs.

The Porter-Cable 7814 shop vacuum is included in four comparison reviews of wet-dry vacs in woodworking publications. Of these, Taunton's 2005 Tool Guide gets the top ranking in our list, because the editors not only compare the most models, but rank them as well. Fine Woodworking tests even more shop vacs, comparing the Porter-Cable 7814 to 12 other models, but this roundup is less current, as is the excellent review at Tools of the Trade. We supplemented these expert comparative reviews with reports from owners of the Porter-Cable 7814 shop vac.

Also see full report: Shop Vacs

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. Taunton's 2005 Tool Guide
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Shop Vacuums
Editors and readers of Fine Homebuilding and Fine Woodworking
Jan. 2005

This roundup review compares the Porter-Cable 7814 shop vac with nine other wet-dry vacuums. Editors praise the Porter-Cable filter design as the best available, with the filter at the very top so it takes longer to clog and leaves more space in the canister. (Bosch and Festool use a similar design.) Editors also like the filter-shaking mechanism and the separate filter door that lets you change the filter without opening the whole tank. In both the 2004 and 2005 editions of this tool guide, editors recommend the Porter-Cable 7814 for heavy-duty workshop use, but rank it second to the quieter Fein 9-77-25 Turbo III.

2. Fine Woodworking
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Roland Johnson
May/June 2003

The Porter-Cable 7814 earns top ranking in comparison with 12 other shop vacs, based on tests for endurance, adaptability and ergonomics. Woodworker Roland Johnson praises the Porter-Cable 7814 for its well-designed filter system, diffused exhaust, auto-start feature; as well as a grounding device on the housing designed to eliminate shocks from static electricity. The reviewer notes that this filter design makes for excellent endurance in dust-collection because you can work longer without stopping to maintain the shop vac. The Festool shop vac has a similar filter placement, but the Porter-Cable has a separate door to the filter compartment.

3. Tools of the Trade
Tool Test: Wet-Dry Vacuums
Chris Kulczycki
Mar./ Apr. 2004

The Porter-Cable 7814 is the close runner-up to the Bosch 3931 in this review, which puts nine shop vacs through objective tests and also compares them on contracting jobs. Compared with the Bosch shop vac, tests here find the Porter-Cable 7814 slightly less powerful and a bit top-heavy. Both shop vacs can switch from dry to wet pickup without changing the filters, and both make it easy to clean the filter without getting dust on yourself.

4. American Woodworker
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Tool Test: Shop Vacuums
George Vendriska and Tony Caspar
Oct. 2005

This review compares the Porter-Cable 7814 with five other shop vacs, including two other tool-activated vacuums suitable for dust collection. Editors praise the Porter-Cable 7814 for ease of cleaning, but find the Bosch 3931 offers better suction and even easier filter cleaning. The Porter-Cable 7814 is also louder than the Bosch and Fein shop vacs, and offers a lower-rated 6-amp outlet for plugging in power tools.

5. Amazon.com
Porter-Cable 7814 Reviews
Contributors to Amazon.com

We only found about ten owner-written reviews here for the Porter-Cable 7814 shop vac, giving it a slightly lower rating than the smaller Porter-Cable 7812 and quite a few less expensive shop vacs. Complaints range from poor repair service from Porter-Cable to this shop vac being a bit top-heavy and unstable.

6. Epinions
Porter-Cable 7814 Review
Contributors to Epinions

At the time of this report, we found only one review here of the Porter-Cable 7814 shop vac. This owner compares it favorably with a Craftsman shop vac, finding the quieter Porter-Cable up to general workshop use despite its smaller hose. Lack of onboard storage is the only complaint.

Also see full report: Shop Vacs