Porter Cable 352VS 3 x 21 Variable-Speed Belt Sander

I have three of these P-C sanders all of which have been repaired over the last three years: on one the switch broke, on another the bearings had to be replaced, and on the third the fan broke off from the armature. The positive side:

1) The sanders can clean off rough lumber like nothing else; they are very powerful; the belt tracks very well; hearing protection is a must, and dust collection is ok.
2) While I expected to replace the bearings and switches will fail, the impeller fan (cools the motor and shoots the dust out of the sander) should not break off the armature after 18 months. The armature/fan combo costs about as much as a new sander so you are looking for a new sander.

I have also used Makita, Skil and Ryobi before the last two became a low end brands. It's a terrific sander as long as the fan stays in place.

This was a gift for my son-in-law who specializes in trimming out new houses in the Madison Wisconsin area. Some of the other 5 guys he trims with use and really like this Porter Cable 352 3x21 variable speed sander so I got him a used one here on Ebay. He's really happy with it!

I purchased this sander because it was a great value, including shipping. I initially purchased it to replace a worn out Skil sander that I had for many years. My brother-in-law (builder) suggested Porter Cable( as a matter of fact, he wants to buy it from me). He has a 4"x24" Porter Cable belt sander he loves. Porter Cable makes the best dollar value belt sander on the market. They have always been very reliable. I love the pivoting dust bag. It moves out of the way when sanding. I do not like the heaviness but you do not need a lot of applied pressure when sanding large areas, either. I compare this to the DeWalts, Makitas and Skil sanders but I prefer the cost of the Porter Cable over those.

I love my Porter Cable 352 VS belt sander. It was delivered very fast. The sanders runs smoothly with
the belt tracking well. No problems encountered thus far. I would recommend this sander to my friends.

I love this new sander. I decided to buy because it is one of the tools that I have wanted for a long time. Well built and very similar construction to several older Rockwell Manufacturing Co. sanders I own and still run great. After each use - blowing alittle compressed air on the unit to clean out any wood dust and shavings helps it's performance. Some TLC helps it to run like a new machine. Like any tool - you take care of it and it will take care of you.