I have a Ryobi wds 1600 that needs a transplant to survive a critical condition.

[Saber]

My Ryobi wds 1600 is one of my prized tools but the drive unit for the feed belt went bad. I find that all the parts for 1600 are discontinued but I can't get myself to give up on it. It's like an old friend.

Is there any chance that I can find any parts left over somewhere or is there a similar part on a different brand or model that would help me bring my old sander back to life? So many of these units a so similar, there must be one that I could modify to put it back to work.

[Jim Frye]

My Dremel 10" bandsaw belts are not available since the model went out of production many years ago. I took the broken belt to a local belting & gear drive shop. They fixed me up with a Gates belt. Actually, I bought multiples, so I will never have one fail again since I have replacements.

[Brian G]

Could you be a little more specific about the "drive unit for the feed belt went bad?" That can mean a lot of things to me. If the drive motor itself failed, I suspect any of the 16/32 versions might work. The Steel City 16/32 was a near clone of the Ryobi 16/32, but I don't know whether parts for the Steel City model are available. If the circuit board failed, that might be the death knell, unless a circuit board from a clone works. I don't know whether the gearing is identical between clones. You'd have to compare parts manuals to have a better idea.

I know that wasn't much help. I treat my WDS gently because it's so useful and parts options are scarce. I bought mine used about 15 years ago for $350. I had a drive gear strip about 10 years ago and got lucky finding a replacement.