RIDGID Oscillating Edge/Belt Spindle Sander alternatives?

[David Kuzdrall]

I see where this sander has mixed reviews online and wonder if there is an alternative option out there for a bench top edge / spindle sander in a similar price range?

Thx

[David Kumm]

The Rigid is a pretty good little machine for what it does. The table isn't real sturdy but for small pieces it's more than adequate. I have a big Oakley edge and State spindle sander but find I go to the Rigid more than I thought i would. I don't know you can expect much more from a benchtop unit you can actually lift. Dave

[glenn bradley]

Agreed. I use my Ridgid way more than I thought I would. The vibration is a little disappointing but, for $200 and only 40lbs, it is a great little machine. I am glad I bought it as, I thought I really needed a spindle sander. Turns out I really needed an oscillating belt. Bought a large oscillating belt machine and the Ridgid is now used less but, it is still used. YMMV.

P.s. I spent more on belts for the large edge sander than the whole Ridgid sander cost so, its really not a side-by-side comparison.

[Lori Kleinberg]

I have been real happy with my Rigid and as Glenn said I use it way more then I expected.

[mreza Salav]

I almost only use the spindle sander mode; the platen for the edge-sander version isn't quite flat, learned it the hard way after ruining a piece I was sanding.
checked a bunch of other ones and all have the same issue.
Eventually I'll get a dedicated edge sander and hopefully a bigger spindle sander, but for now this is what I can get/fit in my space and will live with it.

[Steven Hsieh]

It's great sander for its spindle and edge.

But it has some limits.
I do allot of bandsaw boxes. It barely can sand 2 1/2" thick material
Its a great sander for smaller pieces.

[Hovey Moore]

I own the rigid and a 72x6" edge sander and use the little rigid more. The rigid lacks power for heavy sanding and I doubt the motor would last long if you tried but it is cheap, works well, and is surprisingly versatile.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Ditto to those above. This is the only powered tool I have ever - and likely will ever - buy at a BORG.

I am more of a casual user than some replies, but for what I need, and for only 2 bills, I have been very pleased.

[Jason Dreyer]

Another satisfied Ridgid sander owner here. As others have said, I end up using it a lot more than I thought I would. Really handy little unit, really quick and easy to set up or change from spindles to belt. I really like how it has built-in storage for all of the accessories. It has its limitations, but for $200 you can't really go very wrong here.

[David Kuzdrall]

Well it certainly looks like it is worth taking a chance on one!

Thx

[Mike OMelia]

Well it certainly looks like it is worth taking a chance on one!

Thx

It is a good tool. But not built like grandpas tools. Fill out the warranty card and register it. Youll be glad u did

[Barry Richardson]

I'm on my second one, wore out the first one (gearbox gave out), but I certainly got my moneys worth out of it. There is nothing else to compare it to, considering the price point and versatility. I really like that it takes standard 4x24 belts which are readily available at most stores in a variety of grits. Wish someone would come out with a higher quality and better made competitor, but then again you would probably pay a lot more for it. but for $200 you cant go wrong, and it has been that same price since it came out something like 10 years ago!

[Ron Natalie]

I've got one. One of it's big points is that I can pick it up and move it to where I'm working (I used it when doing some repair work to my wooden boat). It's a lot nicer than flipping the belt sander upside down and using that (which is what I was doing).

[Bill White]

My Ridgid has been a boon to my shop. Just wish I could find belts that didn't "bump" a lot. I'm usin' Woodstock belts. Is there a better source?
Bill

[Mel Fulks]

It's been several years since I ordered any ,but had pretty good luck with Klingspor.Except once when they sent a 30 inch belt that was supposed to be closer to 30 feet for a stroke sander.Twice.

[Ken Mosley]

I have used this sander for more than 3 years and it has done a great deal of work with no problems until I triped over the cord and knocked it off the stand bending the spindle. Someone mentioned "vibration", but that was not a problem until I adjusted it with my foot. I have just about every sander made, and this one has held its own very well

[Michael W. Clark]

I have one and have been very happy with it as well. I use it much more than I thought I would.

[Peter Aeschliman]

For me, it's good enough. It does vibrate pretty badly. I wouldn't expect it to do super detailed work, but for refining curves, it works well. For $200, it's worth it. Don't expect a Ferrari if you're paying for a Kia.

[David Kuzdrall]

Thanks guys, I picked one up yesterday. I realize that this is no Cadillac, but how much vibration do your machines make? It seems pretty rough with the belt attached...

[Kent A Bathurst]

Mine's not too bad, actually.

One thing occurred to me. When I got mine home, and out of the box, there was clearly something wrong. Turned out that one of the motor mounts had broken. The box must have been dropped at some point in its life. Rather than mess around returning it, and taking a chance on the same thing again, I bolted some wood blocks as supports through the case sides. No problems after that. You might take a look at the frame and mounts, to be sure everything is tight.

[Mark Blum]

I've had mine for about 8 years or so now, so it might not be exactly the same as current models, but mine has very little vibration. In fact it is surprisingly smooth for such a lightweight piece of equipment.

[Kevin W Johnson]

I keep eyeballing this everytime I'm in a HD. $200 isn't bad for what it is, but after seeing a post here sometime back about them being clearanced at some stores in NY for $49, I keep holding out for a clearance deal.

[Mike OMelia]

I've had mine for 4 years and it sees extensive use. The other day it started to vibrate. Then, the oscillation motion stopped. I took it to HD, but they had NO idea when it would come back and whether or it was cost effective to repair. So, I sent it off and bought another. I have a big Jet disk/belt sander. But this thing is just too handy.

If it comes back repaired for little or nothing, I'll sell it on CL.

Mike

[David Kuzdrall]

I've had mine for 4 years and it sees extensive use. The other day it started to vibrate. Then, the oscillation motion stopped. I took it to HD, but they had NO idea when it would come back and whether or it was cost effective to repair. So, I sent it off and bought another. I have a big Jet disk/belt sander. But this thing is just too handy.

If it comes back repaired for little or nothing, I'll sell it on CL.

Mike

The vibration on mine is pretty bad with the belt attachment, the machine does not move around but it feels as though you are beating the work with every revolution of the drive wheel.