Score!

[Karl Brogger]

Just got a Porter Cable 504 belt sander used on an online auction for $425. Its $75 more than the max I wanted to pay, but they don't make em' anymore and after owning one, I can't go back to a "normal" belt sander.

Also got a Porter Cable 301 laminate trimmer and a Porter Cable 690 router for $180. Not a great deal, but they both look pretty lightly used.

[Larry Edgerton]

Cool! I have a PC Locomotive, mine is really old, is 2.5" and has a wood handle. Still works just fine, and I just make the belts out of 3x21's.

[george wilson]

Klingspor makes custom belts,Larry.

[Karl Brogger]

The one I currently have, and the new one should both be 3x24" belts. Nothing uncommon about those. Was there a weird size in the older ones?

edit- 2-1/2". Duh. I can't read sometimes...

[Rick Fisher]

You should post a picture of it. I cant picture it and $425.00 for a belt sander seems steep..

I get the feeling that I just cant picture it..

[phil harold]

These work horses sell new for about 1200
Heavy and durable, but balanced, great sander!

[Dave Mura]

Congrats on the purchase :)

[Andrew Joiner]

Good for you Karl,

What a classic.
I bought one new for about $400 30 years ago. I was a cabinetmaker in St Paul Minnesota at the time not far from you Karl. Larry is close in Michigan. I think we should start a cult!

Remember to change your oil every 500 miles or so. I think it's every 100 miles if used in dusty areas for short drives and left idling a lot!

[Karl Brogger]

Well, went to pick it up from the auction place. Fortunetly a buddy of mine, (who also owns a cabinet shop), talked to the owner of the shop that the auction was at and he was told that it was junk. So I went there, found it, plugged it in. Sounded fine, but the belt didn't turn.:( I talked to the auction people and told them that I wasn't going to pay a premium for a broken tool. I told them that I would be willing to pay half, as I know replacing the worm gears is about $150 in parts, and another $50 in labor. But, they didn't want to deal, so I left with just my two routers. I think I can cool it for buying routers now, I'm up to eleven I think. Nice not having to change bits too often.

Disappointing, but thanks to a bit of networking I found out ahead of time. The hunt is back on. The one I have now I paid around $800 for 5 years ago. The few remaining I can find online are $1100 to $1300. I'm so disappointed in DeWalt for cancelling what is with out question the single best belt sander ever produced. I'm sure they didn't sell many, as that quality comes with a premium price tag, but like I said in the first post, hard to go back to a normal belt sander after owning one.

[Bruce Page]

These work horses sell new for about 1200
Heavy and durable, but balanced, great sander!

There was a guy selling one on CL for $500. I thought he was out of his mind, I had no idea they were so pricy. :eek:

[Larry Edgerton]

Karl, hang tight, I think I know where there is another one, all restored, for a lot less. It may take me a couple of days to swing around there, its a thirty mile jog........

The same guy has a "PERFECT" old speedmatic saw with the flip guard, and the screw elevator, polished to perfection with a gold saw blade for $185. I may buy that, even though I have one with the modern guard.

Oh, and I have twenty one routers, all Porter Cables.:)

[Peter Quinn]

Please educate me. What on earth makes a hand held belt sander worth $1200? Or $500? I love old PC tools, did a small job last year as a trade for a port-a planer that hands down makes every other portable planer I have used seem like a toy or a joke. But what about this belt sander warrants that cost in your estimation? I'm not a huge belt sander fan generally, but should I be looking for one of these? WIll it change my mind about belt sanders?

[jim carter]

good deal. i just got an amazing deal recently also. i was at a friends house who is a mechanic. i was telling him i need to get a planer. he told me that 4 years ago he was coming home from work and saw a small wooden crate on the side of the road. he pulled over and loaded it into his car. when he got home and opened it, he found a Makita 6 1/8" portable planer. he put an add in the paper for 1 month and got no calls. it sat in his garage until that night i was there. he broke it out and i asked if he wanted to sell it. he said yes because he isnt a woodworker and has never used it. i asked how much and he said $50. i gave him $60. going through the box which contained 2 new blades, stone, blade holder for sharpening, fence attachment, manual and a paper saying it was bought in lake tahoe in 1977. whoever owned took great care of it and it works and sounds brand new. im building a table for it so i can use it as a table planer

[george wilson]

I love the looks of the old belt sander,and have seen some nice ones on Ebay. However,I am not a fan of eating dust,so I never bought one. I'd have to machine out an aluminum dust chute that I could plug my Fein vac. hose into,and screw it onto the rear end of the sander.But,I hesitate to do that to a classic design.

[David DeCristoforo]

"Please educate me. What on earth makes a hand held belt sander worth $1200?"

Simply that the 504 (and it's counterpart, the 503 which shares the same specs and construction, adds a dust bag but does not have the cool looking rounded snout) is (was) the best hand held sander ever made, bar none. My 503 has been in service for over 20 years without a hiccup. There is a down side though, that being that the very thing that makes these sanders so desirable (the massively heavy duty construction) also makes the so heavy that they are really not much good for anything other than sanding flat surfaces at waist level. Don't even think about using one overhead or on a vertical surface, not unless you are really "ripped".

BTW, these guys still have them in stock if you want to pay full price...
http://www.just-price.com/porter-cable-heavy-duty-sander-with-dust-bag-503-item_1639.html

[Karl Brogger]

"Please educate me. What on earth makes a hand held belt sander worth $1200?"

Simply that the 504 (and it's counterpart, the 503 which shares the same specs and construction, adds a dust bag but does not have the cool looking rounded snout) is (was) the best hand held sander ever made, bar none. My 503 has been in service for over 20 years without a hiccup. There is a down side though, that being that the very thing that makes these sanders so desirable (the massively heavy duty construction) also makes the so heavy that they are really not much good for anything other than sanding flat surfaces at waist level. Don't even think about using one overhead or on a vertical surface, not unless you are really "ripped".

I'm not a fan of the bags, they never seem to work well enough to justify the hassle, but to each their own. What I don't get is they want $1219.76 for the one without a bag? Goofy..
You are 100% correct about the usage though. They are a horrible tool for installing. I hardly every use a belt sander on jobsites anymore. Just about the only thing I use them for is scribing in wood-tops, and for coping really big crown (which I don't get to do very often).

I use a belt sander alot. All finished ends get belt sanded before hitting them with an orbital. All of my shelves that go behind doors get sanded with just the belt sander. $1200 is alot, but its a bargain for what you get in my estimation.


Karl, hang tight, I think I know where there is another one, all restored, for a lot less. It may take me a couple of days to swing around there, its a thirty mile jog........

If you could keep me posted I would greatly appreciate it.

[David DeCristoforo]

"I'm not a fan of the bags,..."

Me either. I just happen to have the 503 which has one. Really what it's good for is that when it eventually fills up it can add a few pounds to this otherwise lightweight sander ;)

[Larry Edgerton]

Ok Karl, may head that way today.

I have one of the 3X24 Whisper Series, and I have to say I grab it most often at the bench. Its just more pleasant. I have a few 3X21s around as I like the balance and the way you can flip them around on other than flat apps, and I have always used them so I know what to expect.