Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38222 in Home Improvement
• Brand: Porter-Cable
• Model: 342
• Dimensions: 5.00 pounds

Features

• 1/4-sheet size easily gets into tight spots and corners
• Top cap design for easy servicing
• Operates at 14,000 OPM
• Measures 4-1/2 x 6 x 13 inches; weighs 3-3/4 pounds
• Included with sander: operating manual and paper punch

Amazon.com Product Description
The Porter-Cable 342 1/4-sheet Palm Sander comes with a 2.4 Amp motor for reliable power and durability in the shop. Features include improved ergonomics with a rubber top grip for added comfort and a top cap design that allows users to service or clean the unit easily. Its porous polyethylene dust canister exceeds durability of cloth dust bags and its dual dust ports accept 1- and 1-1/2-inch vacuum hoses. Operating at 14,000 OPM, this sander's pad measures 4-1/4 x 4-1/2 inches. This sander measures 4-1/2 x 6 x 13 inches, weighs 3-3/4 pounds, and accepts 1/4-inch sandpaper sheets.

From the Manufacturer
The Porter Cable 342 1/4-sheet palm sander delivers the power and durability to meet the demands of the professional shop environment with it's 2.4 Amp motor. The 1/4-sheet sander is best for getting into tight spots and corners. The sander is designed with an accessible top cap which you can remove to quickly clean out and service the sander. This newly designed unit feels more comfortable in your hand and the new rubber top grip makes the unit easier to hold. With the increased importance of controlling dust in your shop this sander comes with the POREX dust canister which exceeds the durability efficiency of cloth dust bags. The sander also has dual dust ports that can accept 1-inch and 1-1/2-inch vacuum hoses.

Customer Reviews

Excellent Quality, High Value
Porter Cable 342 Palm Sander
Cord: Long (8 Feet)
Dust Collection: Superior
Noise Level: Low
Warranty: Impressive
Quality: High
Value: Excellent

I needed a palm sander as my very old Craftsman, which I inherited, died a quite, muffled death.

I normally buy from Amazon, but did not want to postpone my project by waiting the extra time for the free shipping. The 342 was available at one of the local home centers (but not its replacement, model 342K which is about 5 dollars higher) so I purchased it there for about the same price as Amazon but had to pay a few dollars sales tax.

The 342 had no reviews on amazon but the 342K had plenty most 5 stars, a few 4 and one 3 star so I am posting this to fill the gap figuring this tool was high quality like its predecessor.

These 1/4 sheet Palm Sanders use regular sandpaper cut into 4 squares. TV's Ron Hazelton (www.ronhazelton.com) has an excellent video on his website of how to easily make a small jig to cut those 1/4 sheets perfectly every time. You just need about a square foot of plywood, a few small hinges, a few small screws and washers, and a hack saw blade.

This PC comes with a paper punch which allows you to put 8 small holes into the 1/4sheet of sandpaper for the dust collection to operate properly. You punch the holes after you have mounted the sandpaper sheet onto the PC Sander. If you don't want to use the dust collection, you just don't punch the holes.

I used the dust collector with just the bag connected and my shop vacuum. You will need an adapter unless you have a 1 inch or 1 and 1/2 inch vacuum. With just the "bag" attached (actually a thick plastic canister), it cleaned up quite well - I know this because my Craftsman had no dust collection at all.

With the vacuum attached the clean-up was remarkable. I dusted the piece off with a brush and saw just a trace of sawdust flying onto the floor, then rubbed my hands across the sanded piece and my hand did not pick up any noticeable saw dust film as had been the case sanding with just the canister.

It is easy to attach the sandpaper sheet to the unit, once you get use to it. It also holds the sandpaper firmly into place. I sanded about 9 square feet of Oak plywood and the 150 grit paper stayed where it belonged. My Sears unit would have required me to stop and reposition the sandpaper back straight onto the base a few times as it always slipped out of place after a minute or two. I am not saying anything about Craftsman power tools as the one I had may have been 20-25 years old.

The warranty is 90 day money back guarantee, one year warranty (free service), and three years limited warranty.

I wish my Craftsman had broken down a long time ago. I have to rate this 5 stars. I can't find anything wrong with it.

A Powerful Finishing Sander
I have four daughters. One of them spilled a bottle of nail polish on our brand new kitchen table before I had a chance to put a sealant on it. So, I bought some sand paper and a sanding block and removed the entire surface of the table. We then stained it with a Minwax Red Oak stain. (Don't get Minwax). It was terrible. So, we investigated what to do. When I learned that the best solution was to resand the entire table, I decided to buy a new sander. (My Black & Decker iron shaped sander just wasn't very good). Because I've had a good experience with a Porter Cable biscuit joiner, and because of good reviews on the 342 model, I decided to get one.

Let me talk about this Sander. First of all-it's not a 1/4 sheet literally. That's just a name. It takes almost 1/3 of a sheet of sand paper. So if you are planning a project, count on three pieces per sheet, not four. Some people complained about how to cut a sheet of paper and put the sanding paper on the unit. Honestly I figured it out without reading the instructions in less than 3 minutes. It's very simple. But to save you the 3 minutes, here's what to do:

Just take a ruler and mark off on the back of a sheet of sand paper at 4 3/8" by 5 7/8". Then cut it with a pair of scissors. Push the levers in a bit and then swing each side up. Slip the sand paper into each end and swing the levers back to their original position. There should be no slack. Then use the hole punch form and punch holes in the sand paper. IF you do this, you will have virtually zero dust in your project.

This unit has a palm grip that is very comfortable. It also had more oscillations than the other sanders I looked at (14,000 OPM vs 12,000 OPM). It also has a 3 yr limited warranty (the box doesn't say this on the outside-but it has a pretty impressive warranty for a small hand power tool). Instead of using the dust bags that can leak more easily, a hard plastic cannister slides onto and twist locks onto a plastic connector that attaches to the back of the sander. This connector slides onto a well designed vacuum port that has an o-ring to keep the dust from leaking. My unit did not leak. However, the o-ring came a little loose before I slid it on, and I had to press it into position for the unit to work correctly. No big deal at all. I like the o-ring idea. Good engineering concept. A cannister has the advantage of not dropping down onto a table when you turn off the power. It's virtually leak proof. I thought I would not like this feature, but now that I've used it, I prefer it. the port could also have a vacuum hose to a vacuum system or wet-vac hooked up to it, but I love the little cannister.

This unit is so powerful, that I would not recommend using it with one hand, although a pretty strong person could do that, it tends to wander if you use one hand for me anyhow. So use two hands. The power cord is a bit heavier gage than most power tools of this size. I appreciated that too. It's about 8 feet long, but it does not have a grounding connector. I don't like the two prong connectors that many tools have recently come out with. What's up with that anyhow?

This unit also has a 3 screw access panel on top of the handle. This makes it easier to access the unit for repair or cleaning. The screws are recessed so you cannot feel them when using the unit. The rubber grip is soft yet strong. Excellent material.

The vibration on this unit is pretty quiet compared to other tools with a similar number of strokes per minute. For example, it's a lot quieter than my well loved Dremel tool. It's about the same volume of noise as other finishing sanders.

For my project, I found that 100 grade sand paper with this tool did not take all the stained wood off. I need a bit rougher paper with this sander. So I recommend using a 60 grade to start with. If you are working on veneered finishes, I wouldn't use a belt sander. I would use this sander. It doesn't cut too deeply. It's smooth, very clean (you can use it in a regular home without creating a sawdust storm), and worthy of a five star rating.
It uses only 2.4 Amps...so any power line in your house or shop can service this tool and several other things at the same time.

This tool's a keeper. Glad I have it in my shop!

Porter-Cable 342 1/4-Sheet Palm Sander
I bought this to help with my daughter's home rennovation project...used it to smooth large spackling areas. It is easy to handle, and does a great job. I cut flat sheets of sandpaper into 4 pieces, punched holes with the little stand and went to town. We plan to use it for corners on the oak flooring and stairs.
Do plan to use your earplugs, mask, GLOVES, goggles, and extension cord: but that's just part of the fun.
Putting the paper onto the sander really dries my hands, hence the gloves. I am a 55-year-old Mom; this is my first sander and I will never start another painting project without one.
I did lots of research before buying this, and my husband says I did very well!!