portable belt sander
- Thread starter stefano
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acer66
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What are you planning to sand?
I have a Porter Cable 3” for the lighter stuff and then the bigger Makita 4”.
One inch might not sound like a lot but the Makita is a beast when it comes to power and weight compared to the PC.
So I use the PC more for free hand sanding while the Makita gets used to flatten things out like floors etc. where I do not have to hold it.
I hope that helps.
I have a Porter Cable 3” for the lighter stuff and then the bigger Makita 4”.
One inch might not sound like a lot but the Makita is a beast when it comes to power and weight compared to the PC.
So I use the PC more for free hand sanding while the Makita gets used to flatten things out like floors etc. where I do not have to hold it.
I hope that helps.
True that if you tell more about the intended uses of the bet sander, you may get better suggestions.
I have had experiences with two belt sanders only: the B&D and the SKIL (3" x 18" 6amp). I bought the SKIL last year after a couple of online reviews put it either on the top or second from the top. It was very affordable ($60 Cdn or so -https://www.rona.ca/en/product/skil...motor-lock-on-button-trigger-7510-01-19835531).
I use it mostly for aggressive removal of materials and shaping, starting with 40X to 80X. (After that, I'll use the PRO5 LTD sanders with 100X and above.) That's too much for the micro-filtration cartridge, so I use it with the CT15.
Other than the dust collection, it was a 5 out of 5 for me, including the weight, balance, pressure sensor and the price. But I'm not aware of another brand of belt sander that will do very well in dust extraction when removing stock using the 40X paper.
Edit: Use of ear protection is a must as the sander and dust extractor together scream!
I have had experiences with two belt sanders only: the B&D and the SKIL (3" x 18" 6amp). I bought the SKIL last year after a couple of online reviews put it either on the top or second from the top. It was very affordable ($60 Cdn or so -https://www.rona.ca/en/product/skil...motor-lock-on-button-trigger-7510-01-19835531).
I use it mostly for aggressive removal of materials and shaping, starting with 40X to 80X. (After that, I'll use the PRO5 LTD sanders with 100X and above.) That's too much for the micro-filtration cartridge, so I use it with the CT15.
Other than the dust collection, it was a 5 out of 5 for me, including the weight, balance, pressure sensor and the price. But I'm not aware of another brand of belt sander that will do very well in dust extraction when removing stock using the 40X paper.
Edit: Use of ear protection is a must as the sander and dust extractor together scream!
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The glass industry uses silicon carbide belts exclusively and belts in all sorts of sizes are readily available. I have belts for my1 and 2" x 42" stationary sanders, my 1" x 18" Makita and also 3/4", 1/2", 1/8" x 18" Milwaukee band sanders. The latter are especially useful to commercial hardware retro fit and installs. Their are also silicon carbide sleeves for sanding drums for contours.
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stefano said:
For flat work you'll definitely benefit from a sanding frame. I have a DeWalt which was a good sander but had some issues. IT seems they had some design flaws and DeWalt chose to take off the market rather than fix it. It started eating belts and when I sent it in for repair was told parts no longer available so they sent it back and refunded my money.
I miss that sander because the sanding frame worked very well and there was a stand to let you setup the sander as a benchtop unit. Dust collection was decent for a belt sander and it had plenty of power. I still have it packed away hoping I come across another to scavenge for parts but it's been a couple years now and I should probably trash it and move on.
I'm only bringing this up because if anyone should come across one for sale I would say stay away from the DW433
Cheese
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stefano said:
The Festool belt sander is killer, I've been thinking about importing one from Europe. It's a proven design originally brought to market by HolzHer about 30 years ago. AEG, Metabo and I think Bosch have also been licensed to produce it. The 4" Festool model was discontinued just this year but the 3" model is still available. The sanding frame is the key.
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Michael Kellough
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About twenty years ago after buying my first track saw the local Festool sales rep came by to address my concerns about the weird sounds my ATF-55 was making (just the normal speed control). When he saw my twenty year old AEG belt sander he told me that Festool had just bought HolzHer. I was so glad to know that parts would be available to keep the sander going. Very disappointed that neither sanders or parts ever became available to North American woodworkers.
I’ve found the few essential replacements available (brushes and belt) on eBay and I’ve acquired a few more sanders there including one that is still-in-the-box-new. It’s even harder to find sanding frames but at least they don’t require a transformer if imported from Europe.
I’ve found the few essential replacements available (brushes and belt) on eBay and I’ve acquired a few more sanders there including one that is still-in-the-box-new. It’s even harder to find sanding frames but at least they don’t require a transformer if imported from Europe.
I own the Makita 4 inch sander mentioned by others in this thread. Owned it for about 25 years now. Its a MAN sized sander. You got to have a whole lot of muscles to pick that thing up. Its really heavy. You don't need no dumbbells if you got that sander. If they were around back in the Revolutionary War days they could have substituted for cannon balls. I rarely use it. For flattening wood I have hand planes of every length and an electric planer and jointer for prepping wood. I only use the belt sander for sharpening my lawn mower blades. Clamp it upside down in my workbench vise. Very easy to hold the blades on the big wide flat plate on the bottom of the belt sander. As others asked, what do you think you need a belt sander for? I admit a belt sander is useful, for a few very specialized things. But for the vast, vast majority of things, not used.
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"Thanks a lot for your help I'll give a look to the DW433 with its frame."
My advice is stay away from the DW433. If you find one it will be at least 8 years old as they have been out of production for about 9 years. There are no parts available, and they have a bad rap for eating belts.
Just say NO to the DW433. It's a shame because when it worked it was great, but that didn't last long.
My advice is stay away from the DW433. If you find one it will be at least 8 years old as they have been out of production for about 9 years. There are no parts available, and they have a bad rap for eating belts.
Just say NO to the DW433. It's a shame because when it worked it was great, but that didn't last long.
Michael Kellough
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The best sanding frame is the Festool/HolzHer version but it only fits those sanders. The stiff bristle contact surface in addition the fixture/adjustment mechanism make it superior.
There are some sanding frames that have flat shoes (inferior to the above) but they are far better than using belt sander without any sort of frame.
There are/have been craftsmen who could get good results (make a broad surface flat) without a sanding frame but that’s not me.
There are some sanding frames that have flat shoes (inferior to the above) but they are far better than using belt sander without any sort of frame.
There are/have been craftsmen who could get good results (make a broad surface flat) without a sanding frame but that’s not me.