Customer Reviews

Porter-Cable 362VS 4-Inch x 24-Inch Variable Speed Sander

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Tough choice this - the Porter Cable 362VS or the Bosch 1276DVS. Both are powerful machines that demand some practice and your undivided attention as they sand so quickly. Deciding factor for me was that the variable speed adjusting wheel on the PC had detents (click stops) while the Bosch just felt like the adjustment could move on it's own accord. Minor differnce for sure as either tool is up to any sanding job.

I bought this sander to refinish my hardwood floors. After many hours using it, both on the floors and on another project, this tool has become somewhat of an old friend. It has plenty of endearing attributes, but...

First the good points:

1. It is nicely balanced. It is easy to control as you move it over your work.

2. The dust collection bag is astonishingly effective. (However, the narrow channels through the sander body clog quickly at very coarse grits and can be somewhat hard to unclog.)

3. The belt tracking screw is both easy to use and effective.

4. Changing belts is trivial.

Unfortunately, I ran into one major problem, and that was with the sanding shoe. The sanding shoe is a thin sheet that keeps the belt in contact with the work surface. Continuous sanding of hardwood floors gets the sanding shoe very hot. Under these conditions, the original equipment steel sanding shoe warped remarkably quickly. After about two hours it was visibly warped. After twenty hours, it was horribly cupped. It would seem that the tension of the belt would help keep the sanding shoe flat in operation, but that is not the case. The result is that the belt is pushed against the work surface in an uneven manner that produces deep, cupped gouges. A replacement steel shoe went bad just as quickly.

So, I bought the graphite impregnated sanding shoe. This shoe lies completely flat. (Provided that you don't let sawdust get behind it or the cork pad. This is more of a problem with the original shoe, but could be a problem with this shoe as well.) The graphite impregnated sanding shoe completely solves a very real problem. If you don't care about the finished surface of your work (if, say you are shaping counter tops to fit walls), then you do not need the new shoe. If you do care about the finished surface of your work and you will be using the sander extensively, do yourself a favor: get the graphite impregnated sanding shoe and install it immediately.

Some may find this sander too heavy. It takes strong hands and arms to hold on to this sander when it is running at full speed. This powerhouse sander will do the heavy sanding you need to accomplish and in short order. I have used it to shape wood. I have used it to do flooring and decks. It is an excellent sander and will not waste sand paper. The belt tracks very well, all the time. It is of high quality and is American Made.

I needed a sander that was capable of fixing uneven surfaces over a large, flat area, and I didn't have the budget for a drum sander or a wide-belt sander. I had heard horror stories about the difficulty involved in using a belt sander, too... so I was a little apprehensive about buying one. The philosophy I followed was to buy the best one made, and from all I'd read, that was the Porter Cable 362VS.

There are two types of problems that one can encounter when using a new tool... the first is a problem with the tool itself, the second is a problem that the tool creates (e.g., gouging the wood is a good example). With this tool, I've never encountered either type of problem. The 362VS is a brute, however... it's heavy (which is good), and it wants to "walk" across your wood... so you spend a lot of time pulling it toward yourself. In a VERY short time, however, you'll master the technique, and the results are spectacular.

I made some checkerboards where the dark wood was 1/16" higher than the light wood. This would have meant a lot of sanding with the random orbit sander. It's the kind of task you always see the drum sanders doing in their advertisements. The 362VS can take one of those boards down to dead flat in about 1 minute. It is amazing... not just the speed of the task, but the quality of the product.

Here's an opinion and some advice... If you've wanted a belt sander for belt-sanding tasks, this is the one to get. If you've been eyeing those drum sanders that cost more than twice what the 362VS costs, you might want to consider the 362VS as a great alternative that can do not only the same task as a drum sander, but is also much more versatile and consumes very little space in the ol' shop.

Don't cut corners, however. Don't read this review and then go out and buy a cheap belt sander... get the one that can handle the job... get the quiet one... get the one with the best tracking... get one with plenty of power... get the 362VS!

5 stars again for Porter Cable!

This moose is possibly the best tool on the market for large, flat surfaces. Use it for table tops and counter tops. It works especially well for flattening self-edges for plastic laminate work.

At over fifteen pounds, it's too heavy for delicate work or small projects, but get it on a large area and it floats effortlessly across the surface.

The new whisper series feature is a treat and the dust bag works very well. All in all this tool gives the most bang for the buck in it's class. But do yourself a favor-buy a couple of little sanders to keep big boy company.

I had bought the Porter Cable 4" Whisper Series about a year ago. I previously used a 3x21" Sears. Did the job, but this PC is in a whole different category. Some of the more important features: Positive tracking-when you set the belt adjusting knob, the belt stays adjusted. Some belt sanders creep on you, and require frequent resetting. Annoying to say the least. Also the belt change feature is nice. A simple lever you pull out, then push back in. Quiet-you do not have to wear ear protection to use this. Hearing protection is always a good idea though. It is heavy, but to me this is an advantage. You don't have to push down on the unit, in order to get the job done. To those who mention that you have to keep an eye on the machine, because it can take away too much material too fast, that is because they are using a coarser grit than is required for the task. Finer grades give you more flexibility, and removal is more gradual and even. A belt sander is not designed to replace a finish sander.
With the larger 4" footprint, it is possible to remove a lot of material fast, without digging troughs in the work, which is possible with many belt sanders. Troughs-ridges show in the finished product. For fine finishes that are even and flat, a dedicated planer, then a finish sander, and finally a fine grade of hand sanding will give you the desired result.
The Porter Cable 4" is the best belt sander I have ever used. I would not hesitate to take on a floor refinishing task with this unit. If I was doing it for a living, I would of course persue a walk behind.
This is a no nonsense sander. Heavy duty. Lay it on the board, and hold on. Makes short of a lot of work. Feels like it will last a lifetime. Definitely a leader in the pack, and worth the money.

My old commercial Craftsman broke, and I needed a replacement fast. Amazon.com came through... Loading the sanding belt is so simple, at first it caught me by surprise. Part of the job required removing an existing floor coating on one floor area, and taking at least one sixteenth of an inch off the surface on the new pine area. The variable speed made it a snap to keep the belt heat down by reducing the speed over the painted area, and increasing speed to cut fast over the new area - all without stopping. The 362VS is rugged, well balanced, and most important, easy to control. It did not try to run a way. You could actually switch between two-handed and one hand operation (to move the power cord or something else) without loosing control or affecting the quality of the cutting. This is especially important sanding near floor moldings. Likewise, you can sand very close to vertical edges, within 1/4 - 3/8" no problem, with control, and without touching (or marking) the vertical surface. Be careful not to touch the wall/molding with either belt drum. It will leave a black mark or more.

By keeping a little pressure on the open or loading side while sanding cross-grain, the 362VS maintained a smooth and flat surface. My old machine would often dig in and gouge the surface with the belt edge. The 362VS is much less prone to do this. Controlling the gliding action takes very little effort.

With the 362VS you can nearly stand on it to cut fast, and although lots of heat builds up it keeps a steady speed, an even cut, and it does not wear you out as fast.

My old machine produced dust all over the place. The dust collection system on the 362VS kept the dust to very low levels. It really works well, and the bag is easy to clean. Although it fills fast, it's not too fast. The fill interval made for good rest periods.

Overall, I put the 362VS through a serious trial. It cut a flat, smooth surface, over adjacent belt-clogging paint and new wood with a twist of the speed dial. It was fast, not too tiring, produced very little free floating dust, and once you set the belt adjustment where you want it (for open sanding, or close to walls) it stays there. No need to make constant adjustment, like my old machine required. Another nice feature of the 362VS is its ability to stay off the power cord. A major and annoying issue with other units, which try to eat the power cord. In summary, a GREAT BUY!

The Porter-Cable 362VS is by far the ultimate in belt sanders. It is perfectly balanced for ease of control, power variable for each job, and quiet. I'm refinishing my oak plank floor and the 362VS does an exceptional job. It feathers veneers and takes material to the depth you want right up to the wall edge with no mistakes or gouges. Performance is nothing less than Porter-Cable has ever created. I'm a grandmother with arthritis in my shoulder and neck and experienced no problems handling this unit.

I have had alot of experience with the Porter Cable sanders. My previous job requiered laminating and the use of a good belt sander was a must. the only product we used were the Porter Cables. At that time they were still the same size and shape but lacked the power and the variable speed. a great addition to a nearly perfect sander. Since working at that job I have used many other brands of sanders and can easily say that if I had not started with the Porter Cable I would probably not have ever purchased one for my own use. The smaller brands 3 inch models lack the foot print to get a good surface area and tend to have a bad design with the motor. For starters. The motor should be centered so that the unit does not wable when used. The Porter cable is the only model I have found that does not have this problem. Secondly, it may appear nice to have a light tool, but in acutality the weight does two things. It keeps the unit flat and allows the sander to do the work for you. In other words, with the light units force must be applied to the sander to perform a even job. this is difficult if your product is very large. The Porter cable's weight allows the sander to apply the pressure for you. The other great benefit of the Porter Cable is the belt guide. It keeps the belt true to the frame. a serious problem with many other sanders. I have had over three years experiance with this tool and will say that it is deffinately one of my favorite purchases. Spend the extra money and be satisfied with the results you can achieve with a good belt sander. ...

This machine really is a BEAST! Plenty of power - you'll need to concentrate hard as you flip the switch. If you're not careful it will remove a lot more than you want it to. However because it's heavy, it's extremely stable so it's tough to tip it over on an edge - (clearly something you do not want to do). So long as you keep the platen moving it works fast & effectively.