Porter-Cable 352VS 8 Amp, Terrific, Powerful Sander

Overall Rating4.54.54.54.54.5

Terrific, Powerful Sander

After purchasing — and returning — the Makita 3X18 belt sander, I bought the Porter-Cable 352VS (eee my review of the Makita). What a difference!This sander is powerful. I sanded three layers of old paint off a door in about 1/2 hr. The body is constructed of metal, giving it a nice solid feel. When sanding, you can simply glide the sander back and forth, without having to push down at all. Porter-Cable came up with a design that gives you a lot of power, but at the same time control over that power. This is what a belt sander SHOULD be like.The position of the front handle makes sense — it is up higher than the front of the machine, so you get a good position relative to the sanding surface. The handle is also designed to give you a lot to grab onto.The dust bag is designed well. You can swivel it in any direction to get it out of the way while you’re sanding, and it holds the dust without spilling until you’re ready to empty it out. Also, it does a fair job collecting the dust, but you should never expect any dust-bag system to be perfect.The meachinism for loading and unloading sander belts is very good. It is easy to place the belt in the sander and then tighten it up securely.The tracking system really holds the sander belt in place. I placed the belt on the sander, held it upside-down, running the sander until the belt no longer shifted left or right. Then I began sanding, and for the whole time I worked, the belt did not move from center at all. Because the housing is made of metal, even if the belt DID move, it would not damage the sander, as it would on machines with plastic bodies.All told, this sander is a great combination of power and ease of use. PS: The 3X21 sander belts that Porter-Cable makes (the purple ones) are excellent.

Update (5/19/2012): This item is currently on sale here for the lowest price I’ve seen.

The featured review for this product, Porter-Cable 352VS 8 Amp 3-Inch-by-21-Inch Variable Speed Belt Sander with Cloth Dust Bag Tools & Hardware, was written by Matthew Schenker.

The average rating for this item is 4.7 out of 5 stars, according to 3 reviews.

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Reviews (2)

Matthew Schenker

April 25th, 2010 at 6:57 pm    


Overall Rating55555

Terrific, Powerful Sander
Rated 5 stars.


Larry

April 25th, 2010 at 7:27 pm    


Overall Rating44444

A Workhorse at a Great Price
I used the 352VS to sand a very large deck (45′ X 18′), and it performed well. Here are my observations:Positives: - the sander is well-balanced and well-weighted. I did not have to apply too much pressure unless I wanted to get down deep. - changing belts was easy, and using the adjustment control was equally easy. - the handles are well-positioned and ergonomically designed. - overall performance was consistent and even.Negatives: - the dust bag was often in the way, regardless of the its ability to be swivelled. Additionally, it captured only a small portion of the overall dust. - it is quite noisy. - while its metal casing adds durability and structural strength, it became extremely hot during use. I burned my wrist on it more than once. - it was difficult to handle and maneuver in small, cramped spaces. - the design of the top of the sander prevents it from being turned over and used as a stationary, counter-top unit.Overall, I think its price here on amazon.com makes it a good buy.


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