Customer Reviews

Porter-Cable 343VSK 5-Inch Variable Speed Random Orbit Sander - Hook & Loop Pad

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I purchased this sander because I needed an ROS badly to finish my woodworking projects. I had a crappy B&D OS (not orbital) which worked but didn't have any dust collection. The PC 343VSK sander that I have is made in Mexico.

This PC ROS works very well, giving me very smooth sanded surfaces. It is heavier than the 333 model and has a slightly larger cap. Although it is heavier, it is well balanced and it adds some weight to the sanding. The slightly larger cap may make it harder for smaller hands to hold or grip it well. The motor is powerful and provides even sanding even when I apply a lot of pressure on the unit to sand hard.

I only had 2 small qualms about the sander. If you don't use the shopvac, and use the collection canister, the canister is not very efficient in containing the sawdust. Small particles of sawdust start coming out through the lip when the canister fills to about 1/4 full. This is because the canister is installed upside down on the sander when sanding on horizontally flat surfaces. The canister is easily removed to be emptied but it is just more troublesome to remember to check how full the canister is. Although the dust collection was reasonable without hooking up the sander to a shopvac, hooking it up to the vacuum makes sanding almost dustless.

The second qualm is that the first unit I received had a hard case that did not latch properly. No matter what I tried, the latch would not latch tightly and properly and the case would not stay locked, leaving the case prone to opening when you lifter the carrying handle. I exchanged the sander for a new one and although the new latch worked better and was closing, the design specs could be improved to give it a positive locking on the latch.

Overall the sander is an excellent unit. Would recommend it.

Update Jan 4 2008:
The dust canister kept getting loose and keeps vibrating off. Can't keep in in pace except with duct tape. Just be forewarned of this design issue.
I would drop the rating to 3 stars if I could.

The screws that attach the pad base to the unit screw into plastic. Eventually these will strip out due to heat and vibration. These should be machine screws instead. If I can't find parts, this thing is going in the garbage.

The variable speed is pointless. When turned down below the highest setting it is just about impossible to use the sander. It jumps all over the place and you can't get a consistent finish.

The dust collector doesn't do much either.

Well, this is my fourth Porter Cable variable speed random orbit sander. The three previous models, 333VS, still work and do a great job. However, I needed a new one and noted the 333VS has been replaced by this one.

First, fit and finish are slightly different than the old 333VS. The top handle cap is indeed a little bit larger, but I am able to handle it well even with my small hands. I have had to search and search for units that I can use properly as my hands are not as big as my woodworking friends. So, if you have smaller hands, this might be a consideration to keep in mind.

The dust collection is about the same as the previous model. I have had to duct tape or masking tape on the dust collector as it would continue to fall off while sanding, or the dust would find ways to escape from the canister. However, putting a hose attachment to a dust collector will take care of the majority of these issues. This is the only reason why I have given this model 4 instead of 5 stars (seems like an engineering problem).

The unit comes in a nice case. Mine is rarely in the case as I use it quite a bit. The variable speed settings only add to the versatility of this unit. I can't think of any reason why I would want to pay $20 less in order to get the same model without the variable speed function. I have used the variable speed feature in almost every job I have done and find this feature to be extremely useful. My suggestion is to get a sander with the variable speed function versus one without.

Finally, it is nice to see Porter Cable still makes a good product that will last for the consumer. I have purchased several different manufacturers versions of a variable speed random orbit sander and have never been truly satisfied. This one, in my opinion, does it all and will keep you happy.

Excellent performance at a great price. The dust collection is good as is, hook up a vacuum and it is virtually dust free. The convenience of hook & loop, dust collection, great price, hard case, and a good orbital sander to boot.

First let me say that I have been purchasing and using Porter Cable tools for 25+ years. I have electric (corded), pneumatic and cordless tools from PC. To paraphrase an old car commercial, "This is NOT your father's Porter Cable!" It is obvious that PC is moving away from the professional quality that made them the company they were toward a much more consumer oriented line. I assume this is because of the merging with Dewalt, which the big corporation seems to want to push as their pro line. In my opinion PC is just a cut, and a very small one at that, above Black and Decker. And no, I don't feel that B&D has improved in quality. PC has just fallen THAT much!

Having said all that, let me end the rant and get back to the review. This little plastic sander isn't terrible. And, if you shop carefully, is probably worth what you pay for it. The hook & loop feature is very nice. My older PC ROS didn't have this feature, and the stick on sanding disks are not as convenient as the H&L attachment. The dust collection leaves a lot to be desired if you just use the included dust collecting canister. Yes, it DOES collect dust, just not a great percentage of what is generated. That's the reason for the title of my review. However, I don't think very many other sanders with canisters are going to do much better. The concept of spinning dust into a closed canister just doesn't seem to be the most efficient method to me. There is enough dust escaping even with a shop vac attached that you will see dust hanging in the air.

My main complaint is the vibration. After about 6-8 minutes of sanding you probably will want to stop and give your hands and forearms a break. This issue is not nearly so prevalent with my older PC ROS. I assume this is mostly the difference between a metal and a plastic sander, and maybe manufacturing tolerances. Vibration issues aside, this tool does a very nice job of sanding. We are changing all the interior doors in our home from hollow core luan doors to solid pine doors. This sander does a very nice job of sanding these doors prior to staining. NOTE: I attribute part of the sand success to the disks I purchased. These are the Mirka 23-615-AP 5-Inch 8-Hole Assorted Grits Dustless Hook-and-Loop Sanding Disks, (Amazon item http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004U6A8/ref=ox_ya_os_product). NO sander is going to give decent results with poor quality abrasives.

The variable speed feature is also nice. When I move up to the finer grades of sanding disks, slowing the speed reduces the hand and forearm fatigue simply because the vibration is reduced. The plastic carrying case seems to be solid enough and has room to store a few extra sanding disks.

If you need a decent ROS for homeowner type DIY projects, this sander will likely work well.

I purchased this Porter Cable sander to replace a Dewalt unit that I simply wore out. It works well but the Dewalt seemed to have a lower center of gravity and was easier on the wrist. But the Porter Cable still does an excellent job. I've owned a number of Porter Cable tools and have always been pleased with their performance.

I bought this to replace an older Porter Cable sander. I was glad mu huge supply of five-hole paper fits perfectly on this sander. Also, one of my biggest problems with my old sander was the dust collector kept coming off, so far I've not had that problem with this one. There is a different design so hopefully their engineers solved this problem. The variable speed is also a useful option. All in all I'm very happy with this product.

This tool comes ready to use right out of the box. After reading the safety manual (yeah I know, a guy reading a safety manual?), I was delighted to find that I could attach my shop vac to the unit. This helped eliminate the dust associated with sanding. Another joy was in how easy it was to attach the sand paper to the surface. The variable speed and easy to reach on/off switch are other parts of this tool that I found useful. And the instructions weren't kidding when it said this tool can remove lots of material quickly. Be careful! I love this tool and it has made woodworking faster and more exacting for me

Works very well, has not failed on me for a few years now. Once I got used to this unit, I could not go back to a fixed speed sander.

Sometimes I find myself wishing it was a little lighter, as it can be hard to use for long periods of time on vertical surfaces. But overall, I'm happy with it.

I had the older model of this sander for many years and was very happy with it. The only problem I ever had with the old model was keeping the dust collector attached. The 343 improved that weak point, however I just found out that they changed the bearing retainer to plastic. I sanded for about one hour yesterday, lifted the sander, and the pad remained on the bench. Heat had softened the bearing retainer and allowed the pad screws to fall out. Not happy with Porter-Cable's latest attempt to save money.