Unbiased Video Review of the Harbor Freight 4x36 Disc and Belt Sander

Hey Guys,

Wish I would have done a little more research before I purchased this unit. We all know HF has some good quality items and I own my fair share of them.

If you have been considering picking up a smaller belt sander, take a look. Maybe this video will help you decide if the machine is right for you.

Keep in mind before setting up my small woodshop I had a large metal shop with Burr King Sanders and Apex 3phase disc sanders so I am very familiar with Commercial Grade equipment. This video is intended for the small hobby guys. We all know the majority of HF items are not for professional or commercial use :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEOBbV032U4&t=4s

Sorry for the BROKEN LINK ABOVE

This is working NOW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ8yeUxpVFE

I have looked at this while shopping at Harbor Freight. I agree with the review.

Honestly, seeing the tittle "Horror Freight tools" was enough for me to figure "unbiased" was unlikely, so I did not bother to view the video...

I do also have "Crapsman" tools that work for me, and some Horror Freight tools as well (some winners and some losers :)). Have better stuff too...

Just thought I would mention my initial feeling upon reading the thread...no offense intended.

Bill

Umm, $75, you get what you pay for. I have a Jet A31 that was 25x more so go figure. Apologies for the arrogance but I just don't know how else to frame it.

I bought one with my Xmas coupon. Lightly used in my hobby shop, but so far so good

Thanks for the review. I have the HF 12" disc sander and it's a beast, has tons of power, great dust collection and is super heavy. It has a pretty thin and lightweight surface table though. I guess it can't be completely perfect.

By the way, how is the dust collection on your Hitachi miter saw I see in the background? I've been trying to find a chop saw that does a decent job at dust collecting without shelling out for a Kapex and I've read where the Hitachi is pretty good. Is that your experience?

Bought one and very happy with it
light weight makes it easy to store under workbench
enough power to do what I expect out of it
got a dust collection adaptor off of ebay that works great

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Originally Posted by Bill Space

Honestly, seeing the tittle "Horror Freight tools" was enough for me to figure "unbiased" was unlikely, so I did not bother to view the video...

I do also have "Crapsman" tools that work for me, and some Horror Freight tools as well (some winners and some losers :)). Have better stuff too...

Just thought I would mention my initial feeling upon reading the thread...no offense intended.

Bill

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No problem Bill. Appreciate the feedback.

The video truly was an unbiased review. I pointed out it's weak areas and who the machine would be good for and gave my overall opinion!

I agree with you, some items are absolute winners and others have their limitations! Without reviews people wouldn't know what items are good!

Happy woodworking!

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Originally Posted by Ron Selzer

Bought one and very happy with it
light weight makes it easy to store under workbench
enough power to do what I expect out of it
got a dust collection adaptor off of ebay that works great

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Like I mentioned in the video, as long as you work the machine within it's limits it has a place for someone in their shop. Glad it's working out for you. Especially for the price. Kudo's to you for finding an adapter as well! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nick Shattuck

Thanks for the review. I have the HF 12" disc sander and it's a beast, has tons of power, great dust collection and is super heavy. It has a pretty thin and lightweight surface table though. I guess it can't be completely perfect.

By the way, how is the dust collection on your Hitachi miter saw I see in the background? I've been trying to find a chop saw that does a decent job at dust collecting without shelling out for a Kapex and I've read where the Hitachi is pretty good. Is that your experience?

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Hey Nick! The 12" Sander is def a beast and one of the best things you can get from HF

So funny story on the Hitachi, I had bought that saw about 5 years ago and intended to do some projects around the house. We ended up selling our place in CA and moving to Idaho. Now I have finally set it up, and sadly I have not hooked it up to my dust collection system :(

So I can't give you any honest feedback. One thing I can tell you is the location of the exhaust port seems to be in an odd location. As far as the saw goes, I love it! I am still using the cheap blade that came from the factory. I heard this saw is still better than the newer version they released! Once I get it hooked up, I'll try to remember to come back here and give some feedback!