Hand-held corded belt sander recommendations?

[Jim Dwight]

I have a Ryobi 3x21 which works fine but doesn't get used. It is shaped like a Bosch that has the motor between the drums the belt rotates over. My Bosch random orbit sander has the turbo mode mentioned by others. In that mode it removes wood about as fast as my belt sander and it can be near instantly flipped to random orbit mode to help remove the scratches left by the more aggressive mode. In random orbit mode it has a 5mm orbit so it still removes wood significantly faster than more typical random orbit sanders. It's only drawback is it is challenging and tiring to use one handed. But it is still the sander I use for anything very serious. I like my little Wen spindle sander which also has a belt sander capability but for hand held work, I think the more agressive random orbit sanders are the way to go.

[Dave Zellers]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F9hCPe...JlbHQgc2FuZGVy

Yeah! That's the ticket!

[Jonathan Jung]

The Makita 9404 is widely regarded, from NZ and Oz to the US, as one of the best made. I have an older one and it is great. I also have a Porter Cable 371 for one-handed use.

[Alex Zeller]

I had a Craftsman 3x21 that lasted me decades but finally gave up. In the past I used it quite a bit but not much now. I did have one large project so I got a Harbor Freight Bauer 4x24. It's a little big but has plenty of power. It was a big enough job where if I let the smoke out of it I could return it. But it easily handled course belts (Can't remember if it was 36 or 40 grit). I've used it a few more times to shape curved top chests. I'm not a huge fan of HF but I have gotten a few electric tools that are still working. If on a budget I would buy one of top HF brands. I don't think I would buy the Central Electric or Warrior versions but I have enough confidence to try the Bauer 3x21 belt sander.

[Mel Fulks]

3x21 belt sander is sometimes the only way to go , but they can “rock “ …in a bad way. 4 x 24 for wide ,flat like big cruise ship
stability…unless you want to belt-sand in , almost realistic ham -handed fake ,belt sanded “realistic” hand planing .

[Greg Quenneville]

I grew up on Craftsman belt sanders and the 1970’s equivalents. I now have a Festool BS 75 with the optional sanding frame which I find to be fantastic and reliable enough to sand 26 shop-made six panel doors without divots or high spots as (not) revealed using gloss paint. Obviously I used finishing orbital sanders for the actual finishing grits.

The Festool BS series sanders may not be available in 120v, and may have to be imported in their native 240v configuration. If I ever moved back to North America my BS 75 would be making the trip.

[Thomas McCurnin]

The Skil 7313 is a nice homeowner choice. It was designed to be able to work upside down on a bench or in a vise, and if you're lucky, you can get one with a sanding frame/sled. They are usually under $30 on eBay or Craigslist.

[Dave Sabo]

Festool has a belt sander available, but for the Euro market. Somebody contact Festool USA and see if it can be offered stateside.

good luck luck with that !



I'm in the camp with c.v.d ........................... get this instead:

https://www.boschtools.com/us/en/bos...5-6n-200696-p/