Porter Cable 382 Random Orbit Sander Review

(This site is reader-supported. When you buy something using retail links on our articles, we may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Are you on the hunt for the perfect random orbital sander? Are you fed up with weak, slow, unreliable sanders? The Porter-Cable 382 Random Orbit Sander is the only choice for you. I have only used this for a mere few days, but those days have been productive and stress-free thanks to this lovely piece of kit.

In a rush? Click Here to get Porter Cable 382 at the Lowest Price online at Amazon

Controlled Finishing System

PORTER-CABLE Random Orbit Sander, 5-Inch  (382)

This handy premium feature helps maintain the pad speed upon start-up, avoiding unpleasant gouging to your surface, which we all hate. I have yet to find a problem with this. It helps – a lot! Unlike other sanders that go straight to full speed and soon as the switch is flicked, this is truly a professional quality tool.

Provides Maximum Sanding Speed for Smooth Finishes

Honestly, this is amazingly fast. But, while being fast? Is it accurate? We found that it is indeed accurate and fast. Making it blaze through all of your work incredibly fast. The power is transferred efficiently, allowing the pad to spin at amazingly fast OPM’s without increasing your electricity costs.

Dual Plane Counter-Balanced Fan

This is also a great feature, not exactly necessary, but it helps for avid users. This helps reduce fatigue after prolonged use. It is easily noticeable after using many other sanders. It is a great addition to this tool. It’s good to see a premium feature in a mid-range product.

Dust Sealed Switch

This doesn’t make the tool more of a joy to use. However, it does help prolong the life of your sander. Although many tools have this, I have never seen it as well-executed, as Porter Cable has done. They have out-done themselves. It is 100% secure and sealed from all dust particles, stopping dust from interfering.

Overall Build Quality of the Product

This sander feels like a high-end premium product, except it’s available on Amazon cheap. At this price range, the Porter-Cable Random Orbit Sander is one of the best in its class. Its sturdy construction, and counterbalanced fan all help to provide a lovely finish on your surfaces, with only half the time taken that using a standard orbit sander. I also found the sanding discs included with this sander seem to last longer than other competitors in the same price range.

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon

Porter Cable 382 Features and Specifications:

  • Product details: 8 x 9 x 7 inches
  • Item weight: 3.6 pounds
  • Motor – 1.9-AMP
  • Capable of 12,000 OPM
  • 90 Day Money-back guarantee
  • Lightweight and Compact for all the users

Porter Cable 382 Random Orbit Sander Customer Reviews

This product has gathered very high ratings in the Amazon marketplace. This proves that it is truly a great tool for home and business use. Some of the reviews even mention how they wish they had purchased one sooner and how they’ve owned porter-cable sanders for ten years and used them frequently with no-fault.

Customers also noted that it is an excellent homeowner tool, not for a finish carpenter that does a lot of and sanding. You need to be careful when removing the sandpaper — the pad can tear.

Click Here to get Porter Cable 382 at the Lowest Price online at Amazon

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a great priced product, with premium features. Then look no more, the Porter-Cable Random Orbital Sander is a value for money product. I simply cannot recommend this enough. The only trouble I found with it was during long-periods of sanding, dust seems to build up under the sanding disc, which isn’t too much of a problem as I change it regularly anyway. This tool is much easier to use than its competitors. Switching pads is effortless and takes a mere few seconds. The switch effortlessly glides to the position you wish. The hook and loop system also is extremely firm, holding the pad effortlessly.