need a new hand held belt sander

[LCHIEN]

I may need said belt sander.
This is the first time and I generally don't use them.

Lowes has a Skil for $50 and a makita for $99
HD has Makita also $99, Ryobi $50, and B&D $70

PC and deWalt and Milwaukee out of the price range.

What do you suggest?

[Pappy]

Give up a few more $$$ and get the PC 352VS. Best belt sander I ever owned or used.

[LarryG]

Ryobi 3x21

I have the Ryobi 3" x 21" model that retails new for $99. Bought mine used off eBay for about half that. I don't know the exact model number.

Like you, my need for a belt sander is infrequent and this particular one seems more than adequate for my needs. And hey, if it's good enough for David Marks ...

[LCHIEN]

so what's the advantages of a 3x21 vs. a 3x18?
1.5" more straight, flat length, sandpaper lasts 16% longer between changes?

VS any help?

Anything else to look for? Seems to be a straighforward device to me.

[monte]

I would opt for the Makita for $99 or like Pappy said. Spring a few more $ and get the PC. Both are excellent belt sanders. I personally try to stay away from Skil products.

[ryan.s]

I have the PC and that thing is a tank, will last a lifetime.

[vaking]

I had a 3x18 skill sander. Never again. I could not make the belt stay straight on a sander for more than 2 minutes no matter what I did. After that I would not bother with 3x18 at all. I now have the Ryobi 3x21, used to be around $100. Nice tool. There were also identical or nearly identical models from Craftsman and Bosch. Craftsman I think was made by Ryobi, Bosch was more expensive and had a removable front handle. I even made a mounting bracket for my Ryobi sander and I use it instead of a stationary belt sander (I don't have one). Generally, I use the belt sander as stationary or to sand decks, for fine work it is more of a shaper tool, not often used.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Makita

My vote is for the Makita 9910X. If you want to go VS then Makita 9911 @ $121.01 @ amazon.

Much like yourself I don't use a Belt Sander very often, typically using VS ROS and detail sander. I only use Belt S for heavy removal from stock. All finishing done with ROS. I guess that is why I didn't get the VS. The sander has an excellent power/weight ratio and is suprisingly quite (thinking back to early childhood and my Dads Craftsman . . .that thing was loud!).

If you want power then PC is the way to go. Just make sure whatever you are sanding is horizontal cause it is heavy!

Re : Skill and B&D, well you already know what you generally get with these folks. I ran across one of my very first power tools, a B&D 1/4 sheet sander. It is only about 5 years old. I gave it a whirl. I am donating it to Habitat for Humanity.

[jAngiel]

I did see a couple on the clearance shelf at sears, maybe $49. Not sure what the original price was though. I looked at it briefly but have tendancy to shy away from Craftsman. Just thought I would let you know though.

[Boomer_01]

I have the Ryobi 21" variable speed belt sander. Bought it at HD.

I use all the time as both a belt and a stationary……it works well as both. But it is LOUD!!!!!!!! Use ear protection with this or your ears will ring for days….

Boomer

[jarhead]

I think the most recommended models on the forum were Bosch 1274DVS and the Ryobi BE-321. Both models are flat on top and can be flipped over to be used as a stationary sander or flatten the chisels.

http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuild...ges/h00050.asp
http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuild...h00050_pe1.asp

[JimD]

Loring,

I will place another vote for the Ryobi 3x21 variable speed. I ordered mine, a rebuilt, from Cummins for about $60. I have a FWW review somewhere at home. The Ryobi was the best buy. I think they also liked the DeWalt and Makita better but they were about twice the price.

A 3x21 has a much longer platten, the flat part that forces the belt against the wood. For that reason, it sands much quicker than a 3x18. The belts are also much more common. There are also 3x24 and 4x24 sanders but they are, again, much less common. The 3x21 is generally judged to have the best combination of "don't want to spend all night" sanding speed versus "wears my arms out" weight and power. Smaller is handier but you have to wait a long time. Bigger is more tiring.

The Ryobi has at least one advantage over the PC other thay price. It is flat on the back so it is easy to turn it over and use it like a stationary sander. I have no stationary sander so I use this fairly frequently. Works well.

The Ryobi 3x21 tracks well (not a given on inexpensive belt sanders), the belts are easy to change, the dust bag gets most of the dust (not a given regardless of the price), and it has adequate power while not being overly heavy.

Before getting another belt sander (LOML drove over my Craftsman) I bought a big DeWalt right angle grinder style random orbit thinking it would be fast enough. I was wrong. There is just nothing like a good belt sander (or even a fair one that is working right) at doing things like flattening a big table top. You need to develop the nack of moving it around enough it doesn't dig in but once you have that down, it is a great tool to have around. It is possible to do pretty delicate sanding with it but, at the start, it's probably best to use the belt for the rough sanding and a random orbit for the finner near final sanding.

In this tool, the Ryobi is closer to the DeWalt and PC than to the B&D and Skil. Ryobi makes tools at both ends but their 3x21 variable speed belt sander is one of the good ones.

Jim

[DaveW]

In case there haven't been enough people saying it, my vote's for the Ryobi BE321 - it's handled everything I've thrown at it.

[mschrank]

Loring

FYI-Sears has this one on sale online.

While I'm not usually a big Craftsman fan, it's probably not bad for occasional use

[just4funsies]

I'll second the warning about the Skil... I've had one for years. It won't wear out, because I WANT it to! (Also because it spends much of its time turned off, so I can re-center the **** belt!) NO amount of adjustment helps. It's just POSSESSED!