Porter Cable 343K 5 inch Random Orbit Sander Kit Hook & Loop Pad

Customer Reviews

A workhorse

2008-05-07
I've use this model P-C sander in my home woodshop for years with great results.
I took advantage of a recent special on Amazon to pick up a second one.

5"PorterCable random orbit sander

2008-05-03
Anyone interested in buying a random orbit sander should read your one star reviews on this product. I did just to see if anyone else had the same troubles. My dust collector fell off almost from day one so I attached it using self-tapping sheet metal screws. I don't check it often because it rarely collects anything anyway. I only use it outdoors now in a breeeze. I am online now trying to buy a new hook and loop pad. It does sand nicely, but I wish I had never seen it.

THERE IS A BETTER CHOICE THAT THIS ONE

2008-05-01
THE PAD IS A POOR DESIGN AND WILL NOT LAST. YOU WILL BE PUCHASING MANY PSA REPLACEMENT DICS. MINE LASTED ABOUT 3 HOURS . I HAVE BEEN IN THE CABINET BUSINESS FOR 23 YEARS AND THIS IS THE ONLY SANDER THAT FAIL THIS QUICKLY. PORTER CABLE HAS SLIPPED IN QUALITY OVER THE YEARS AND IF YOU PURCHASE THIS ITEM IT IS GOOD FOR ONLY 30 DAYS AND THEN AMAZON SAYS " WELL YOUR MONEY IS OURS AND 3O DAYS HAS GONE BY, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT, BUT GOOD BYE" SO SAD , TO BAD. BUY SOME OTHER SANDER AND CONSIDER THE SELLERS POLICY AS TO STANDING BEHIND THEIR FAILED MERCHANDIES.

Super Sander

2008-04-28
The Porter Cable orbital sander is sturdy, finely made, and works as good as it looks. I've owned a number of belt sanders, disk sanders, and small finish sanders of various makes and I can say the Porter Cable orbital sander is the best for producing a fine, paint ready finish.

It is easy to use, not too heavy, and controllable. The hook and pile sanding disks go on easy and stay on. They seem to last.

The only disadvantage I've seen so far is the disk shape keeps you from getting into recessed corners, but that's just the nature of a disk sander.

In summary, it's relatively inexpensive, works easy and fast and produces a superior finished surface.

Good value

2008-04-02
Works great and good value (cheap). Dust collection is ok with the shop vac, but not good with just the canister.

What a time saver!

2008-07-22
I worked for over an hour hand-sanding a coffee table I built for our deck out of some pretty rough lumber, and was getting nowhere fast. This great little random orbital sander arrived in the nick of time, and I finished the whole table in about 15 minutes, with much better looking results. It will get a lot of use around here. As a female woodworker, I sometimes have trouble using tools that are too big for my hands. This one fits fine and was very easy to control. Love the easy clean-out feature,too. Highly recommended, and couldn't beat the price. I also ordered the multi-pack of sanding disks, and they work great.

Very happy with this product

2008-07-16
After shopping for some time for the perfect sander to fit my needs, I can truly say that the Porter Cable 343K has not dissappointed me. It's tough, quiet, easy to use, small-hand friendly, and it has made work fun! I was very impressed with it's power and handling. It made quick work of the job at hand and I look forward to using it in many more projects!

Very Pleased

2008-07-14
This sander works quite well. I have a Ryobi that I had been using, and this sander causes less numbness in my hand and might be more controllable. I would give another star, but the case bugs me. The pad holding slot only has room for one stack of pads when it could have room for two stacks. Also, it does not close very well and leaves a gap. RGGGH. So simple.

Works fine, but

2008-06-11
This sander requires 8 hole hook and loop, the old model 333 that I replaced with this took 5 hole hook and loop. They are NOT interchangeble. Fortunately the 5 hole pad from my 333 fits this, because I have about $80 worth of 5 hole sand paper and I sure didn't want to mess with trying to sell it and buy more. Also, the screws that hold the pad in place are Torx lock heads and the screw thread itself is not machined type threads (more like a sheet metal or wood screw), and they are a pain to remove. It takes about 5 times as long to remove the pad (which you have to do to replace the rubber band contraption that makes it random orbit). The good about it is that it's not nearly as loud and is much easier on your hands (less vibration) than the 333 model. The dust collector fits my shop vac better than the old 333 as well.

excellent product

2008-05-31
WELL BUILT WITH PLENTY OF POWER. I USED THIS SANDER TO FINISH A DECK AND IT WORKED VERY WELL. IT DID THE JOB IN A FLASH. THE DUST CATCHER PERFORMED WELL ALSO. WOULD RECOMMEND.