I'm in the market for a nice belt sander and I'm looking for suggestions. I don't need the biggest baddest thing made, just a good balance of price and performance.
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Those sound like my requirements also. I got this one and have had no complaints. Although I recall it being more like $100.
http://www.amazon.com/Makita-9911-3-...6472223&sr=8-2 -
Two words: Porter Cable! In my opinion they are the best sanders on the market.Comment
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Before you buy your belt sander check the price and availability of the belts locally. You may find that your local store sells a lot more of one size and that it's the least expensive because of that.
That said, how you use it will make a big difference in what is best for you. If you always are going to use it sitting flat on the work piece then the larger the belt the quicker and flatter the results. If you expect to heft this about and hold it up to use on vertical surfaces or perhaps under something then light weight may make sense to you, like the little PC 371.
If like me you will use this on a ladder you may wish to consider buying the least expensive one available, as they all seem to break when dropped on concrete and you can break 2 or 3 cheep ones before you have reached the price of a good one. When I am done on the ladder I plan on getting a DeWalt like this one.http://www.amazon.com/DeWalt-DW433-2...6478849&sr=1-3Comment
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Need More Info!
Handheld or benchtop!
This will make a big difference on getting the correct answer for you!
For handheld, I do agree with the above suggestion, check for local belt availability. That for me is the kicker as I didn't get enough use otherwise to justify it.
For benchtop, the Hitachi that both Lowe's and Amazon has been selling have received good reviews lately (check the articles section).She couldn't tell the difference between the escape pod, and the bathroom. We had to go back for her.........................Twice.Comment
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Benchtop:> Hitachi SB-10Y
Handheld Light:> Porter-Cable 371
Handheld (Big, grocery-eating mother):> Porter-Cable 362VComment
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I have the B&D Dragster:
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-D...6498912&sr=1-4
but bought it on sale at Wally World for $35.00. I love the small front end for some things.
And was given the PC Compact:
http://www.amazon.com/Porter-Cable-3...6499022&sr=1-4
as a gift. I love its small size and good performance.
But you will probably get so many opinions you will be confused !Comment
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PC 352VS. Sweetest sander I ever had my hands on! Metal bodied, well balanced, heavy enough to work on horizontal surfaces without pressure, yet light enough to use on vertical panels and not wear you out.Don, aka Pappy,
Wise men talk because they have something to say,
Fools because they have to say something.
PlatoComment
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Sorry, I'm looking for a hand held sander.Comment
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I do not own a PC- I am a Dewalt guy. Most of my tools are Dewalt, and for the most part I have had good luck with them. I went with the Dewalt 433 Belt sander because it felt well balanced and solid. I was right on those two things. When it works, it does a great job, is heavy enough but well balanced enough to use vertically, etc. However, it is the one dewalt tool that I was incredibly disappointed with from a reliability standpoint. I got to use the tool for probably about 2 hours tops, spread over the course of 1 year before I pulled the tricker and nothing happened (dead switch). I found that the Amazon reviews had two complaints about this sander:
1. The switch dies regularly.
2. The sander does not do a great job tracking belts and/or eats belts.
I was shocked to find this, because it seemed like a great sander. I had no problems with #2- but #1 definately got me. Dewalt sent me a new belt sander, and the switch works great (for now at least). However, now the new sander does not seem to track belts overly well and will eat a lower quality belt if I buy them. I buy good belts and fiddle with the tracking every once in a while and it does its job....but I would recommend the PC instead. It too is well balanced and I've heard only great things about it.F#$@ no good piece of S#$% piece of #$@#% #@$#% #$@#$ wood! Dang. - Me woodworkingComment
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Purchased the PC 371K 2 1/2 by 14-Inch a while ago. Haven't had the chance to use it, but it looks cool, maybe I'll just display it, and not get it dirty.
Bruce"Western civilization didn't make all men equal,
Samuel Colt did"
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Mr. Bill,
I too like the way it feels. It's incredibly well balanced. To be honest, there is a lot about it that I like, and since they replaced mine under warranty, I still have mine and have not bought another. It just has a great balance, nice profile, good handling. I've felt the PC and it is probably the next best thing from a handling perspective, but I've never actually used it. It does an OK job, but from my bad experience it has just become the ONE AND ONLY Dewalt tool that I cannot wholeheartedly recommend.
In their defense, Dewalt did stand behind it and sent a new one (took a few weeks from the shop), and I did have another good warranty experience on their router recently. They do stand behind their tools.F#$@ no good piece of S#$% piece of #$@#% #@$#% #$@#$ wood! Dang. - Me woodworkingComment
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