Factory-Reconditioned Porter-Cable 3812R 15 Amp 10-Inch Portable Table Saw

This is good portable table saw, and the reconditioned one I received was in perfect condition except for a minor scratch or two.

Plusses: It has standard 3/4" slots for its full-size miter gauge, a solid table, and a real throat plate that can be changed to accomodate a dado up to 11/16". It has an excellent splitter/guard. The elevation mechanism is solid and fairly smooth. The extensions to 24-1/2" work smoothly and they're fairly solid. The fence will stay parallel after you you take it out of the box if you do an initial, simple realignment. There's very good storage on the base for all the parts. It mounts on a pair of sawhorses. Setup is easy.

Minuses: The fence isn't as easy to set accurately as the superb rack & pinion-driven fence on the DeWalt Model 744 portable saw, and the base is plastic, like the other saws of this type. The packaging was too flimsy for surface UPS handling -- this thing ships at 74 pounds and it needs a stronger box and more foam -- there...Read more

The first shock I got when I opened the package was that the entire base of the saw is a very thin plastic, including the mounting structure. I have looked at a lot of table saws (other brands) in stores and they usually have very sturdy cast iron or aluminum bases. I could break a piece out of the base without even straining at it.
The second was the missing parts: assembly screws for the table insert, blade wrench, handle for the blade height adjustment and a small spring which holds the table insert was bent and useless.
As it is I can't start it up due to the loose table insert so I don't know if it really works without ordering missing parts.
I'm not happy about this!