Checking if $_FILE isset for an array of file upload metaboxes

I have been struggling with this for almost 2 days with no avail. I have a custom post type of PRODUCTS that has a group of metaboxes for uploading PDF files in the wp-admin. I’ve created the metaboxes in the admin. Here’s the code for my metaboxes:

//PDF upload Meta Boxes
$meta_box_pdf_uploads = array(
    'id' => 'products-pdf-meta-boxes',
    'title' => "PDFs",
    'page' => 'product', //attach to products custom post
    'context' => 'normal',
    'priority' => 'default',
    'fields' => array(
        array(
            'name' => $prefix . 'pdf1',
            'desc' => 'Product PDF',
            'id' => $prefix . 'pdf1',
            'type' => 'text'
        ),
        array(
            'name' => $prefix . 'pdf2',
            'desc' => 'Product PDF',
            'id' => $prefix . 'pdf2',
            'type' => 'text'
        )
    )
);

For now there are only two pdf’s to upload. Here is the code to show my metaboxes in the admin menu:

function products_pdf_uploads_show_meta() {
    global $meta_box_pdf_uploads, $post, $prefix;

    echo '<table class="form-table">';
    echo '<p class="description">Upload your PDFs here</p>';
    foreach ($meta_box_pdf_uploads['fields'] as $field) {
        // get current post meta data
        $meta = get_post_meta($post->ID, $field['id'], true);

        echo '<tr>',
                '<td>',

                    '<input type="file" style="width: 700px;" name="', $field['id'], '" id="', $field['id'], '" />',
                '</td>',
             '</tr>';
    }

    echo '</table>';

}

All of this works until I try to check if the file upload field has a value or not. Here is what I’m working with now as far as the code to save the meta (there’s tons of debugging code so you’re aware):

 //Upload PDF files
    foreach ($meta_box_pdf_uploads['fields'] as $pdf_field) {

        //Make sure field isn't emtpy
        if(isset($_FILES[$pdf_field['name']]) {
            //var_dump($_FILES);
            print_r ($_FILES[$pdf_field['name']]);  //debugging
            $pdf_type = $_FILES[$pdf_field['name']['tmp_name']];  //debugging, can't get this to return any value
            wp_die('Passed! '. $pdf_type); //debugging
            //Setup File type allowed

            //Get the file type


        } else {
            //var_dump($_FILES);
            print_r ($_FILES[$pdf_field['name']]);
            wp_die('Nothing was passed: ' . $pdf_field['name']);  //debugging
        }
    }

Now even if I don’t add a file to the upload field, my first condition is still met here:

if(isset($_FILES[$pdf_field['name']]) {

I know it’s because it’s returning an array of the $pdf_field. I’ve also tried check if the error was 0 using $_FILES[$pdf_field['name']['error'] but I can’t return any of the $_FILE array values.

When specify a field to upload and I do a print_r ($_FILES[$pdf_field['name']]) it returns:

Array ( [name] => 1testpdf.pdf [type] => application/pdf [tmp_name] => /tmp/phpF7HQnJ [error] => 0 [size] => 8278 ) 

Which is correct, but it also does this when I dont’ specify a field, only all the arrays values are empty except for the ERROR which equal 4 (no file specified).

I have been pulling my hair out over this. What is the best way to do this? I think if it was a single metabox and i could call it like $FILE['name_of_file']['error'] it would work. Why is using a foreach messing this up?

Thank you!