New Belt sander for the budget minded

I have wanted one for a long time, but the prices always scared me off. Picked this up at Lowes and they took off 10% for military. Not nearly the level of some of our restorers, but for a guy with not much room and not much money I am liking it pretty well. 4X36 belt, 8 inch disc. The set up was extremely easy and it is surprisingly quiet. None of the scales were correct, but squaring those is a piece of cake.

What the???? Lets try that again

I'm liking it. Looks like the disc and the belt are running off the same axle. What are the motor's specs?

Vwry nice. I think you'll like it a lot.

5 amp motor and yes the disc and the belt run off the same axle. Have just barely used it but everything is very simple so far. Changing belts is a snap and the tracking is simple and responsive.

Thanks for the follow-up. I have one of the Craftsman cheapos back in the States, and it does the trick for me with a smaller disc and a lower motor amperage. Here in France, everything is given in watts. I'm always wanting one of the smaller models where the axle is unified between the disc and the belt. A lot of the present ones are separated, meaning the motor is driving two axles, or needless stress for it. In one of the local big box stores here, I've come across a similar model to what you've shown--8" disc paired with the 4" x 36" belt, with the requisite increased motor output. Also had a nice length-wise guide for the belt, but in spite of the decent price, the tracking adjust was just horrible. Yours seems far better in comparison. In the end, I opted for a smaller 6" disc model similar to what Harbor Tools has been selling.

Good luck with it!

Alum I am new to this sort of machine and would love to know your favorite brand(s) of abrasive belts and discs.

very cool!

Brianskeet said:

Alum I am new to this sort of machine and would love to know your favorite brand(s) of abrasive belts and discs.

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Can't really say I have a favorite. It's pretty low, grunt-end work I use that sander for. There, I've pretty much stuck with the 80x belts found in my local Sears, the rest being done by hand. Also used it for flattening out-of-whack stones, and it brings things to point where lapping compound afterwards is a breeze.

One thing that is really helpful is to have a large block of beeswax belt-cleaner on hand. When the belt or disc becomes charged with sawdust or stone dust (I wear a mask for this), start the machine and then drag the block across them while running to remove the material. That will bring new life to them many times.

Beyond my local Sears, I've ordered belts from Lee Valley and Viel Tools. There, I think Klingspor with the cloth backing is the brand name in question.

Very nice !!

Very nice. Should serve you well.

Nice machine. Mine gets the most use in my shop.

Not sure about the up/down belt configuration though. Is it adjustable?

Alum of Potash said:

Can't really say I have a favorite. It's pretty low, grunt-end work I use that sander for. There, I've pretty much stuck with the 80x belts found in my local Sears, the rest being done by hand. Also used it for flattening out-of-whack stones, and it brings things to point where lapping compound afterwards is a breeze.

One thing that is really helpful is to have a large block of beeswax belt-cleaner on hand. When the belt or disc becomes charged with sawdust or stone dust (I wear a mask for this), start the machine and then drag the block across them while running to remove the material. That will bring new life to them many times.

Beyond my local Sears, I've ordered belts from Lee Valley and Viel Tools. There, I think Klingspor with the cloth backing is the brand name in question.

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Thank you! I have plenty of beeswax on hand. Bees wax is handy for all kinds of stuff. I ordered some belts and they are on the way.

Doc226 said:

Nice machine. Mine gets the most use in my shop.

Not sure about the up/down belt configuration though. Is it adjustable?

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It is adjustable and uses an allen screw to the left of the belt to provide tension to keep it from moving. Used it some yesterday and can't get over how quiet this thing is. I was expecting much more noise.

Cool. Have fun!
grizzly has a similar machine, 5 amp, 4" belt but a slightly smaller disc around $130.00. Shipping may negate the advantage of having a lowes nearby.
i only mention this as I just got their catalog I day as I have several of their machines.

Grizzly tools get fantastic reviews. The real test for mine of course will be how it holds up over time. but I am happy so far.

Good for you.
I recently got one from Harbor Freight. Cheap.
But it does not really work. Not well at least.
The engine is not strong enough (3/5 amps) to move the belt due to internal friction.
After WD40 and some adjustment I got it to roll, but still not well.
If I had gotten it from a Brick and Mortar place, I would have returned it.

With the harbor freight sander, You have to loosen the bolts holding the motor to the base, pull the motor away from the end with the power switch (to tighten the belt) and retighten its bolts while pulling the belt tight to get it to work well. It makes a big improvement. Its still possible to stop the belt if you use too much pressure, but it becomes a useful tool for smaller items. The belt tensioning would be much easier with help from a second person

totorlekiller said:

Good for you.
I recently got one from Harbor Freight. Cheap.
But it does not really work. Not well at least.
The engine is not strong enough (3/5 amps) to move the belt due to internal friction.
After WD40 and some adjustment I got it to roll, but still not well.
If I had gotten it from a Brick and Mortar place, I would have returned it.
View attachment 513199

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I have this one and it works fine. Like Chaloney says, you have to adjust the belt tension to take it out of a bind. I use mine for flattening scales, carving pipes and shaping, cleaning edges. Works great. I also have a 1" Ryobi belt sander fro more precision work.

I have a half inch thick 1 foot by one foot slab of stainless steel that lives on my workbench. It is handy for a solid flat surface to hammer on without denting the wood bench. I used my sander yesterday to chamfer all the edges and round the corners. It got pushed pretty hard without ever slowing or stalling. I am pretty impressed with it so far.