21 vs 24 inch belt sanders?

[louis mason]

I am wondering what the advantages are of 3-Inch by 21-Inch versus 3-Inch by 24-Inch Belt Sanders? I need a sander to level off parts of a floor that i am recovering, but then i would like to have it useful for a woodshop after that job. Any opinions over these two models? Is the 21 inch length more universal with belt availablity?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000056NOC/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=A1SV1BYDTUK2Z5&v=glance

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000056NOD/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

Thanks you guys... IM

[leehljp]

I have had a 24 inch Makita for about 15 to 16 years. It was a US purchase and I bought my belts there, a bunch. I never had problems getting any 24 inch belts. Any place that sold the 21, sold the 24s.

I have a 21 back in the States and to me, the 24 is more stable because it has a longer base and is heavier.

[Pappy]

One of the advantages to a 24" sander Hank mentioned, weight, is also it's biggest drawback. On a horizontal surface it is great, but when you are trying to work on a vertical area it can be tiring.

I have the PC 352VS, 3x21, and it is without a doubt the best belt sander I have ever used. Well balanced, with enough weight to work effortlessly on horizontal surfaces, but light enough to pick up and use vertically when the need arrises.

[leehljp]

I have the PC 352VS, 3x21, and it is without a doubt the best belt sander I have ever used. Well balanced, with enough weight to work effortlessly on horizontal surfaces, but light enough to pick up and use vertically when the need arrises.

That is because it is a PC! Great sanders!

[cabinetman]

I also use the PC sanders. I have the 3x21, 3x24, and a 4x24. I prefer the 3x24 to the other sizes as it feels more balanced. Belts are very common.
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[JimD]

Belts for 3x24 aren't exactly hard to find but 3x21 are certainly easier to find and less expensive.

I like my 3x21 Ryobi (BE-321 Type II). FWW tested all of the 3x21s in the May/June 2004 issue and rated the Ryobi a Best Value. It removed 77g of wood which was only 2g less than the PC and 21g more than the Bosch. The Makita 9903 was one of two "Best Overall" sanders, the other was the DeWalt DW433K. Both the "Best Overall" were estimated at about $200 with the Ryobi $100. The DeWalt removed 110g and the Makita 102g. The DeWalt is 12lbs, the Makita 9.5lb and the Ryobi 7.9lbs. The Ryobi caught 94% of the dust as did the Makita, the DeWalt only caught 70%. The Ryobi looks like the Bosch - it is flat on the top so you can turn it over and use it like a little stationary sander. I find I use that feature more than I thought I would.

For general woodworking, I would not go bigger than 3x21. Bigger would be OK as long as you are on a flat horizontal surface but if you need to do something vertical or hand-held, or one handed, even a 3x21 will tire you out after awhile. If you will always use a different sander unless the surface is horizontal and/or always use two hands then a bigger sander could make sense.

Jim

[mater]

I have the PC 3 x 21 and a Bosch 4 x 24. I use the Bosch the most between the two because I like the feel of it but both are good sanders. Like the others have said both belts are easy to find.