Review: PORTER-CABLE 371 2-1/2-Inch by 14-Inch Compact Belt Sander

>> Click here to see pricing, ratings, and reviews on Amazon.com. <<

Porter-Cable is known worldwide as the premium manufacturer of cordless and corded industrial power tools for high performance.

The belt sander is one of the specialist industrial tools that are provided for excellent horizontal or vertical surface finish.

Having the Porter-Cable compact belt sander is a first step to an impressive finish.

The Porter-Cable 371 has a textured rubber grip as a solution for slippery surfaces, while the metal components extend durability of the sander.

The sander can be controlled with one hand, but if need be, a detachable auxiliary handle can be installed for two-hand operation.

It becomes easy to sand almost any given surface for a perfect finish with the 80-grit sanding belt.

The belt’s powerful motor makes it ideal for a wide variety of applications such as smoothing metal edges, removing paint, sanding vertical woods, and sanding the floor surface.

Sanding awkward angles with this belt sander has become a cinch.

And to keep the work area clean, the dust port is included for the job.

It helps you track your progress as you sand your surface with this lightweight professional tool.

In case it gets damaged, Porter-Cable offers a one year free service contract to help you with that.

In addition, there’s a 3-year limited product warranty.

>> Click here to see pricing, ratings, and reviews on Amazon.com. <<

Frequently Asked Questions

My Porter-Cable belt sander fell on a vertical surface and broke out. How much can it cost to fix it?

If you bought that belt sander within a period of 12 months, it is still covered by the 1 year free service contract from the company.

So, you can simply communicate with the company and address your problem.

Well, if the free service contract has elapsed at your side, you can contact your local dealer store to enquire about that.

It depends that which part has been broken.

I am a furniture manufacturer using soft wood. Can this belt sander be effective for my commercial uses?

Yes, the Porter-Cable belt sander is powerful enough for DIY and professional applications.

On debut, it comes with the 80-grit belt, but for finer finish you will need to procure higher belt grit.

Can a beginner use this belt sander?

Certainly yes.

The manufacturer provides the operator manual to guide every user.

So, by carefully familiarizing yourself with how it operates as well as the cautions will certainly help any novice belt sander user.

Is the dust bag included?

Unfortunately, only the dust port is available.

You can find your own dust bag and attach it to the dust port to help remove the dust from the dust port.

Jerry's Take
Porter-Cable belt sander is compact and light-weight.

For me that is an ideal industrial tool to tackle smaller jobs in tight spaces where the bigger ones can struggle to reach.

Although it comes with the 80-grit belt, I can simply adjust or change the belt to fit in my desired grit for finer treatments of surfaces.

I like the inclusion of the textured rubber grip because it gives one a good control of the belt.

>> Click here to see pricing, ratings, and reviews on Amazon.com. <<

Pros:

• Compact and lightweight with 5 pounds of an overall weight
• Textured front grip for a one hand control as well as the detachable auxiliary handle for two hands operation.
• Comes with the 80-grit belt that can be adjusted or changed if need be.
• Can sand vertical and horizontal surfaces and reach tighter spaces
• Metal components to enhance durability

Cons:

• No variable speed dial included.
• No dust bag provided. Only dust port provided, so you must find yours.
• Too small for big woodwork projects
• Can be noisy

Porter-Cable 371 compact belt sander is a great and portable companion for DIY and professional applications.

It has all key features needed to sand horizontal and vertical surfaces on your own.

Its weight of 5 pounds makes it possible to travel with the belt sander for all your projects.

Good Luck!

>> Click here to see pricing, ratings, and reviews on Amazon.com. <<