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.

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 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.

pbrI 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.pThere 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.pI 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.pHere'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.pDon'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!p5 stars again for Porter Cable!brp

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.pAt 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.pThe 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. br 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. br 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. br 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.

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.

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.

Porter-Cable 362VS 4" x 24" Variable Speed Sander replaces a Sears 4" x 21" Belt Sander which I’m upgrading my present inventory. I was very surprise to see how balanced the unit is. The variable speed accessory I didn’t think I would need, but I found a lot of uses to slow the belt down a bit. I ordered the Porter-Cable 48119 Graphite Impregnated Sanding Shoe but didn’t put it on yet, waiting for the original to wear out. Then I will wright a review on this sanding shoe.

I've had the opportunity to use many different belt sanders over the years. This one is hands down the best one you can buy. Superb engineering, and design, coupled with flawless manufacturing produces this gem. You simply can't go wrong with this sander. I especially like the variable speed feature. This thoughtful feature makes it possible to adjust your at load speeds which helps with softer material. An architect friend and I have used these sanders on many materials including wood. The 3X21 model is this boys little brother, which I found to be a benefit when I need to work upside down. If you're looking for a belt sander, this one will keep you happy.

I own one of the larger solid surface shops in the Washington DC market. I'm a big fan of all Porter Cable routers(we have over 40) but the design on the wisper series belt sanders(we have 12) is by far the worst so called improvement they could have made. It is quieter, however they put the bearing for the fan that cools the motor outside the housing where it is subject to every particle of dust that passes through the machine and into the dust bag. We have a life of only 2 or 3 weeks of reasonable use before we have to have it serviced for a bearing replacement. If there were other issues I might consider abuse of some sort, but that one bearing is costing me a fortune. Also the fitting for the dust bag could use some type of "O" ring to keep dust from blowing from the poor connection from the tool to the dust bag. I will be talking to my tool repair guy to see if there is a better design from another manufacturer.
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I am new to the world of sanders but when I purchase something I do research and then get the best! This sander performed great! Although I did purchase the graphite sanding thing-a-ma-bob, I did not need to install it during my first project of refinishing a real abused floor. ..I never had to increase the sanders speed to the 7 on its dial... used 5 and that was excellent.brTracking was easy to adjust and stayed where you put it.brAll-in-all I would definitely recomend this sander as one that will not only do the job, but do it for years to come!pRAD

If you need one of these, put on your knee pads and get ready for a ride. I often build stages for plays and had a 60'x40' stage on 4 levels which was going to be covered with dancers: no bouncing or tripping allowed. I got a PC 362VS from Amazon and it smoothed 2400 square feet both quickly and effectively. Wear ear plugs and bring along extra belts as this muthuh is a professional tool, but anyone who has a serious project should consider getting one.

I purchased a Porter-Cable 362VS 4x24" sander in Summer 2001 and have been pleased with my purchase. Belt changes and tracking work well and I have used the machine for both sanding and shaping. In total, I have used the sander for about 50 hours on various projects around the house, including floor refinishing. The sander did well on large tasks in which I ran the sander for hours at a time. It is somewhat heavy, but it performs extremely well.The dust collection system quit working when I used the sander on some 30-year old carpet foam that was stuck to the floor, but I guess I was asking for that. My solution was to stuff a piece of cloth in the hole for the dust bag and keep working. The sander produces more dust without the dust bag, but I took an early dislike to the dust bag (which tended to get in my way), so the lack of a dust bag is not huge loss.If you are looking for a sander that you will hold in the air or at an angle to your work (for shaping) for extended periods of time, the weight of this sander might be an issue. Otherwise, I would recommend this sander to anyone who is looking for a well-made, dependable, versatile sander.

This is one powerfull machine! I purchased this sander awhile ago and have been using it in my shop for sanding wood. I have sanded Oak, Paduk, Purpleheart as well as pine and fir. And it has always performed exteremly well. It has not bogged down even when sanding heavy on the hardwoods. While it is a big tool and I probably could have bought a smaller sander for the amount that I use it at present I bought it with the future in mind since this is a tool that with proper care will provide years of service( especialy for the weekend user). Also, the weight allows the tool to do the work! If you are looking for a belt sander this is a very good choice that will serve you for years. If your application is more on the industrial/production line than this should be your first choice!

This is one really great tool. It makes sanding large projects a dream and quick. Can't say enough good about it and I've only had it a couple of weeks. Yesterday I ground down 32 each 3/8th in. dowels flush with the surface. It took minutes to do all of them. Powerful and the dust bag works surprisingly well also. It fills up quick too. I was expecting clouds of dust without a dust collector.

This is a beast of a sander but it is still very manageable. I am still amazed at how quiet it is (you still need earplugs) compared to some other belt sanders that I have used. The controls are very well thought out and easy to operate.pThis sander is POWERFUL! Don't accidentally set it down while is running or you might very well sand a hole through to China!pIf you want to remove a lot of material, this machine is for you.

Porter-Cable 362VS 4" x 24" Variable Speed Sander replaces a Sears 4" x 21" Belt Sander which I’m upgrading my present inventory. I was very surprise to see how balanced the unit is. The variable speed accessory I didn’t think I would need, but I found a lot of uses to slow the belt down a bit. I ordered the Porter-Cable 48119 Graphite Impregnated Sanding Shoe but didn’t put it on yet, waiting for the original to wear out. Then I will wright a review on this sanding shoe.

I've owned this sander for a couple years, but not being a big fan of belt sanders it has spent much of that time wishing I would notice it. Sporadic use made me feel that it was a worthwhile addition to the toolset, but it wasn't really tested until recently. Retired now, I volunteered to install an unfinished red oak floor in my son's family room, and having the time I decided to use the PC 362VSK for the sanding phase. I consider this a serious use of a belt sander. Here are my thoughts so far:
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br /The tool is heavy (as we all know), so its weight (combined with the proper belt grit) provides the necessary "pushing down" force. Belt change is easy. Belt tracking is also easy to set and even if tracking wanders (not often) the easily-accessible knob makes it a non-issue. The balance seems to be good. After doing the entire floor (3 grits) it was still going strong.
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br /Now for the negative, no stars (not even a glimmer) ratings: the dust collection is pathetic. That useless bag sticking up there getting in the way, coupled to the tool with an ineffective ball thingy that's difficult to use (and has no seal) is..well...pathetic. The dust bag will eventually fill, but this is purely coincidental...not to be confused with a dust collection system that actually works. And as far as I can see the port isn't designed to be connected to a separate vacuum...I duct-taped the hose of my Fein vac to the port and that worked well, but c'mon...duct tape?? (BTW if you take this route also tape the power cord to the vac hose making it essentially one unit...much easier to manage).
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br /The other major issue is the sanding shoe...it warps, as another reviewer reported. Mine became convex, so the sander "rolled around" on the platen digging in and not sanding flat. Some time ago I had purchased some carbon impregnated fabric from Woodworker's Supply that was designed to be used on sander platens, so I took the metal shoe off, fitted a piece of this stuff to the cork shoe, and it worked fine. I wouldn't recommend this machine until PC includes the carbon shoe as standard. If you do buy it get the carbon shoe at the same time and send the metal one to PC with some appropriate suggestion as to what they might do with it.
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br /This tool can do the job, but out of the box I don't consider it ready for a serious sanding project. You have to figure out how to deal with dust collection because Porter Cable hasn't, and you have to get rid of the metal shoe. It's probably one of the best 4x24s out there apart from these issues, but if mine ever goes to the boneyard I'll be tempted to try the Bosch.

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.pBy 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.pWith 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. pMy 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.pOverall, 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!

Out of the box ........good balance and good access for dust collection, but I noted after several moments of use that the front idler (for the sanding belt) was significantly out of round. The unit wobbled noticeably and sanded accordingly. I called their service # and after 3 tries with different people found someone who thought they understood the problem. Initially they recommended my taking it to a service center......but I refused and instead asked for a replacement idler, which they agreed to. The first box sent contained a drive belt???? Not sure how that was arrived at. Another series of calls eventually produced the correct part. I changed out the idler and the unit now works fine. The defective idler appears to have been cast but never turned or trued up. Too bad something simple casts a negative shadow on a otherwise good tool.
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I own a 3 X 21 Porter Cable belt sander and it is by far the worst belt sander I have ever owned. It's heavy, bulky, case get's very hot after only 8 - 10 minutes of sanding. The dust bag is constantly in the way (you can't see what your doing and it bumps into everything close by. The power cord has a natural tendancy to get [pulled] into the rear of the belt guard. That takes quite a bit of time to un-jamb. I DOES collect dust a bit better than others I've used. I have previously owned Black Decker, Craftsman and DeWalt.