HF 1" x 30" belt sander

[jonathan55]

I am thinking about buying one of these. It would not get heavy use but would get some. Is there a better buy out there in this catagory. I noticed that Delta makes one and it's around $100 instead of the $29.99 on sale at HF.

Thanks for any comments/reviews.
Jonathan

[sweensdv]

If by better buy you mean the same quality for less money then I doubt you'll find anything cheaper than the HF. If you mean better quality then yes there are many that will outshine the HF sander.

[John Hunter]

I have one and find I use it all the time.

[scmhogg]

I've had one of the HF 1" sanders for years. I have it mounted on a board and hanging on my wall. It is very light weight. It is great for shaping small objects.

I recently bought some very fine belts for the sander, to use for sharpening. A leather strop belt is also available.

Steve

[Popeye]

Can't speak for or against the HF. I have the Delta 1" belt with the disk. Good machine, I use it about 10 times more than I ever thought I would. Very good buy for $100 or so. Pat

[Ed62]

If you're not in a hurry, you can probably get the Palmgren disk/belt sander for $99.00. That's what I paid, and shipping was included. You just have to wait for the price to come back down. It probably will since Palmgren is getting out of the woodworking tool business (at least that's what I heard). They are primarily a metalworking tool business. It weighs in at around 60 pounds, and it's definitely not a toy. The motor is 120/240 volt. Here's a link to Amazon, where I bought it. http://www.amazon.com/Palmgren-81081...4443337&sr=1-2

Ed

[jonathan55]

Thanks for all the advice. It's hard to resist $29.99 at Harbor Freight!

Jonathan

[Pappy]

Steve, where did you get the fine belts and what is the grit? How about more info on the strop belt.

[scmhogg]

Don,

I got the belts at Lee Valley. The fine sanding belts work great for sharpening, with very little heat. I didn't buy one of the leather belts. I expect I will add one when I make another order.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...40&cat=1,43072

Steve

[wouldchuck]

I think the HF sander is a great deal. It is identical to the Woodtek at Woodworker's supply which sells for $69.99. LINK:http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPR...ARTNUM=915-240

The fit and finish on the table and platen are a little sketchy, but eminently tune-able. The motor is evidently induction, based on the 3400 RPM speed, so no worries about brushes.

I like mine a lot. I have used it for sharpening as well as for sanding small parts where I get nervous about fingers too close to my larger belt or disk sanders.

[wouldchuck]

Don,

I got the belts at Lee Valley. The fine sanding belts work great for sharpening, with very little heat. I didn't buy one of the leather belts. I expect I will add one when I make another order.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...40&cat=1,43072

Steve

P.S. Thanks for the link to replacement belts, the selection at HF is quite limited.