Many new tools marketed as innovative or cutting-edge don’t live up to the hype. But Porter-Cable’s compact belt sander is an innovation in sanding, a lightweight belt-sanding beast that’s easy to hold and reaches into tight spaces.

At only 5 lb., this thing felt more like a bench plane than a belt sander. Its 2-1/2-in. belt is easy to control on narrow surfaces, and its short sanding bed makes it ideal for sanding curves—both convex and concave. When I used the sander to scribe a mantel to a tile wall, it rode the waves and contours like a sports car. And when hooked to a shop vacuum using the removable hose connect, sanding was nearly dust-free. One side of the sander is clear of knobs and protrusions, which allows for flush-sanding against perpendicular surfaces, such as when cleaning up a wide rabbet or tenon right up to the shoulder.

My only complaint is that the dust-sealed power switch was sometimes difficult to turn off when operating with one hand.

Photo: Kelly J. Dunton

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