Review of Porter-Cable 352VS 8 Amp 3-Inch-by-21-Inch Variable Speed Belt Sander with Cloth Dust Bag

After purchasing -- and returning -- the Makita 3X18 belt sander, I boughtthe Porter-Cable 352VS (eee my review of the Makita).What adifference!
This sander is powerful.I sanded three layers of old paintoff a door in about 1/2 hr.The body is constructed of metal, giving it anice solid feel.When sanding, you can simply glide the sander back andforth, without having to push down at all.Porter-Cable came up with adesign that gives you a lot of power, but at the same time control overthat power.This is what a belt sander SHOULD be like.
The position ofthe front handle makes sense -- it is up higher than the front of themachine, so you get a good position relative to the sanding surface.Thehandle is also designed to give you a lot to grab onto.
The dust bag isdesigned well.You can swivel it in any direction to get it out of the waywhile you're sanding, and it holds the dust without spilling until you'reready to empty it out.Also, it does a fair job collecting the dust, butyou should never expect any dust-bag system to be perfect.
The meachinismfor loading and unloading sander belts is very good.It is easy to placethe belt in the sander and then tighten it up securely.
The trackingsystem really holds the sander belt in place.I placed the belt on thesander, held it upside-down, running the sander until the belt no longershifted left or right.Then I began sanding, and for the whole time Iworked, the belt did not move from center at all.Because the housing ismade 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 agreat combination of power and ease of use.
PS: The 3X21 sander beltsthat Porter-Cable makes (the purple ones) are excellent.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Porter-Cable 352VS 8 Amp 3-Inch-by-21-Inch Variable Speed Belt Sander with Cloth Dust Bag



Buy NowGet 40% OFF