Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

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.

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.

I bought my first 352 (it's a single speed - before they had the variable speed and with the "Rockwell" name on it - before they switched back to Porter-Cable)and put so many hours on it I had to put new brushes, replace the shoeplate, and get it relubed. It has been flawless in it's performance. I've owned several sanders and used many, many more (I started in construction 30 years ago) and have become a staunch PC sander fan.

I have a monster PC362 4" for really heavy sanding but this one is light and easy enough to handle I pull it for my finer finishing work. The variable speed has to make it even more versatile.

It has plenty of power, doesn't run hot, and I've never known anyone personally that has ground up any body parts in one. Dust bags are annoying - period. But after using models that the bag is fixed permanently to the right side I much prefer the PC's one on the top, at least you can turn it away from whatever angle you are to the sander. I've found it very stable and sands extremely well.

There are some good models out there (Bosch has a good tool too) but for the money and the size this one is nealy impossible to beat: not too expensive, not too large, and not too small.

One of the major problems with buying tools online or mailorder is not being able to handle the tools. That really applies to this belt sander. I have used it for several years and it is a quality tool and durable to my contant abuse. The things that realy bother me are the positioning of the cord and the dust exhaust coming directly out of the top of grip and constantly getting in the way. The cord would be easy to solve if moved to the back of grip. The dust bag would be great if it had movable or adjustable exhaust ports (something like the Bosch portable planers).

I'm pretty sure everything that should be said has been said about this belt sander. I worked with the PC "locomotive" belt sander for years and that is a fantastic tool for heavy duty, continuous surface sanding. However, if you are looking for "medium range" belt sander (not too heavy, not too light) and versatile (can sand large surfaces, but is also capable of fine control for things like sanding the joints of frame and panel doors) this is the sander for you. I find this model versatile enough for all purposes even to use one handed for scribing panels, trim and moulding on site. The DeWalt variable speed 3 x 21 is too heavy for one-handed use, and the super light plastic belt sanders made by DeWalt, Makita and Black & Decker are worth avoiding.

Belt changes are simple, belt tracking is spot on, dust collection is quite good and the noise level is worthy of hearing protection during extended use. The dust bag and cord placement is fine once you get used to it, and as with any power tool don't let your mind, power cord or fingers wander (my sympathies to the poor guy who got his fingers sucked up inside... that's gotta hurt!). The clogging of the dust intake (not common with finer grits of sanding belts, but I've had chunks of wood get sucked up in there too) can be cleaned with a blast of compressed air from the outlet (where the dust bag fits on) back down. Although it would be good to have a vacuum hook-up to use instead of the dust bag, I've always found that dragging the hose around while your sanding becomes more of a pain than it's worth.

Powerful, reliable and a joy to use. Highly recommended.

I always wanted a belt sander but never had an actual need until I started a shop workbench consisting of a 2x4 laminated top. Once everything was glued and dried, I pulled her out of the box, attached the dust bag and adjusted the belt tracking on medium course sanding belt and let it rip on high speed. I was pleased at what quick work the sander made of smoothing the laminated top. Only light pressure was required for the sander to do its work. The sander fit comfortably in my hands with very little vibration. The dust bag was able to capture some of the dust being generated but just as much went airborne. I guess this is to be expected with any belt sander though. The variable speed came into play when I need to smooth some uneven edges on the cabinet carcass. By dialing the unit down to a medium-low setting I was able to control the amount of material being removed safely. Keep your eye on the electrical cord as I found out the hard way it can be grabbed by the belt and yanked up into the sander.

I have a lot of Porter-Cable tools, my dad has them too. Therefore I thought this would be a good inexpensive sander.
It's heavy which is good, it tracks well which is good, I like variable speed... BUT!
It's not balanced well. Left unto it's own weight it will favor one side over the other and sand unevenly unless you get a feel for which side needs a little more pressure. Use finer paper and take it easy. I started to develope a feel for it but never really enjoyed using it.
I now use a very old Porter-Cable 504 given to me by my dad. It's been a joy to use! $500+ new gulp! Mine's old, has been serviced and will live on.
If I were looking for a belt sander and didn't want the 504 due to preference, price, or going the used route, and I were trying to get something good within reason, I'd try a higher end PC or check another brand. I think DeWalt, or Bosch have settled those balance issues. You can feel it in your hands and hold it gently on a flat surface get an idea as to what may stay flat when the power is on.

When I purchase my sander, I debated between the 3 x 21 and the 4 x 24. Looking back, I'm glad I purchased the smaller of the two. For a much lower price, I got a belt sander that handles all of my rough sanding needs. The 7 amp motor is extreemly strong and handles quick material removal with ease. I like the swiveling dust bag and the cord on the top of the handle. This keeps the bag away from your hands and the cord up off of the work surface and away from the sanding belt. Overall, I got even more for my money that I originally thought.

I recently completed a kitchen remodeling project which involved placing new ceramic tile. With the addition of concrete backer board and the tile, I had an inch difference in elevation between new floor and adjoining rooms (5). Being unable to find thresh holds that would work, I glued up red oak and ripped the profile on my table saw. Not owning a jointer, I needed something to smooth out the saw marks and remove the saw burns. I planed on buying a Dewalt belt sander. Due to the Christmas holidays the only "quality" sander in stock was the P-C 352VS. That turned out to be my good luck. The sander tracked perfectly out of the box and made short order of smoothing out the red oak. I used it on other projects I had started and reached a point where I needed a belt sander. It has performed flawlessly. The location of the chord takes some getting used to, but over all I am glad the Dewalt was not in stock.

I've had my PC 352vs for about 5 years, and I'd agree with most of the reviews I've read here. Plenty of power, good balance, well-made, but the dust pick-up port constantly gets clogged, and the dust bag and power cord are not positioned as well as they could be.

I've found that I can unclog the pick-up port using a blast of compressed air.

After 5 years, I wore out the drive belt and the platen was also cracking slightly, which is the only repairs I've done. Within 2 weeks of replacing the drive belt, though, I trashed the new belt when I caught the power cord in the sander and jammed the belt to a stop. (Not the sander's fault - mine).

Overall, a good, well-made (and made in USA) sander that should last a long time.