Belt sanders aggressively act on the wood and are used for sanding wood in the shortest amount of time. They are excessively used for levelling in woodworking and can heftily remove the otherwise tedious dents on the wood. It consists of an electric motor that usually turns a pair of drums on which a continuous loop of sandpaper is mounted. This sandpaper does the all the work.
The following article lists the best, lightweight and easy to use belt sanders for daily usage. Check out this list of 10 best Belt sanders and let us know your favourite in the comments section.
10. Astro Pneumatic Tool Belt Sanders ($87.99)
This is 1/2 inches x 18-inches air belt sander and comes with a belt. It works perfect for spot weld removal and has a simple belt tension lever. The unit has a variable speed control and increased pulley speed for new thicker straps; industry leading hardness of 0.5HP. The belts wear quickly so you might want to buy multiple units. The unit allows easy to change belts, and the tracking is quite easily adjustable. Good power and neither too loud nor heavy.
“Well, built tool! Comfortable in the hand, and seems to work well for the few hours I’ve used it. Belt changes are quick and easy. As you should already know, the total usable length is less than 18″, but it’s still plenty of reaches. Keep it oiled, and this will last you a while.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
9. Kalamazoo Belt Sanders ($279.99)
This is Kalamazoo’s 32 pounds belt sander. The unit has an RPM of 1725 and has a .333HP motor. The belt measures 1″ x 42″ and has a contact wheel 4″. This unit does an impressive job in just a couple of minutes. You can sand and shape a variety of materials on the 1-inch wide belt surface, including metal, wood, plastics and composites. Portable and sturdy, this unit can be bolted down or moved around as needed. Spring tensioned rollers maintain consistent belt tension and tracking. You can also sharpen chisels, knives and other tools on the 42 inches long Aluminum Oxide belt that comes with the unit, and you can change and track belts in about 30 seconds.
“I’ve had this sander for about six months… and it has yet to disappoint me. First and foremost, MADE IN THE USA! Robust and sturdy construction, vibration is virtually nil, especially if you utilise rubber mounts like I did when I mounted it on a metal bench top tool stand. My primary use is with knife making, I don’t have the room in my 2-car garage workshop for the larger 1×72 belt sander/grinders commonly used, and this compact platform fit the bill perfectly. Belt changing and tracking adjustment is simplicity at it’s finest. Being such a straightforward design, it will appeal to the “tinkers” out there that just can’t leave well enough alone (guilty). There is a “Horizontal Finishing Attachment” (item HGA) made in the USA and sold by knifekits.com (lots of pics) that adds, even more, versatility to this sander… a word of warning, while it’s not an inexpensive accessory, I’m finding it very useful. I also bought the hinged mounting plate (item SPA-01). I can’t improve on what has already been said in the previous reviews by “tool builder” and “Wilson”, I’m just adding my 5-star vote with the others to say yes, it is that good. Also, and I can’t emphasize this enough, don’t waste your money by first purchasing one of the less expensive 1×42 belt sanders that “looks like it can do the same thing” and expect to achieve a similar level of performance as this tool… isn’t going to happen, do it right the first time and just spring for the added $$$’s needed for buying this machine.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
8. Jet – Best Belt Sanders ($399.00)
This is JET’s J-41002 2-inches by 42-inches, 3/4-HP, bench belt and 8-inches disc sander. The unit features a Deluxe mitre gauge that turns and locks for common angles (45 degrees both left and right). It has a Hinged idler wheel cover tilting table. The rugged belt does the work quite efficiently and copies a jig saw, coping saw or a hand file while removing material and finishing. It comes with an operator that gets into small openings and handles odd shapes and angles of workpieces. It can grind sand or finish large work pieces on the disc unit, fast and efficiently.
“This is my third 2″ belt sander, and they have all been junk. I saw this one, and I thought it would be good because the price was higher than I have paid before. When it came, and I saw the picture, it was just like my last one but was I amazed when I unpacked it and started to assemble it. Wonderful! Everything I hated was now different and excellent. This sander is super top quality. I think my old sander was made to fit some low price. I could not be happier.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
7. Porter Cable Belt Sander ($97.99)
This is Porter Cable’s 2-1/2-inches by 14-inches compact belt sander. The unit has a textured body which provides a comfortable non-slip surface for a firmer grip. The flush sides enable sanding on a perpendicular surface. The Metal components provide durability for working in the field. The dust-sealed and recessed switch offers accessibility while minimising unintended turn-offs. It also has an integrated auxiliary handle which can assist in two-handed operations. Recommended.
“The smaller size comes in handy when a full-size belt sander is just too big. The sander is easy to control and does an excellent job. The selection of belt grits is good, so you can find what you need. I am glad I bought this and had used it several times.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
6. Genesis Belt Sander ($63.20)
This is Genesis’s GBS321A 3-inches x 21-inches variable speed belt sander. The unit has a low profile design which gets into nooks and crannies easily. The belts are incredible to change by a single push of the lever. The variable speed has been added for versatility. You can also adjust the front handle to suit yourself. It has a flat side for fast flush sanding. It has plenty of strength and does an excellent job of cycling material away from the job. Perfect power with easy adjustments. Highly recommended. Unique News Portal
“Nice Dependable Belt Sander. I built subwoofer enclosures and needed a new sander to clean up the edges and prepare the surface for finishing. I need things to line up and a well-prepared surface and the Genesis unit worked excellent helping me get there. The power is real, adjustments are easy to perform, it has a dust collection bag and even a multi-position front handle. ” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
5. Hitachi Belt Sander ($129.00)
This is Hitachi’s 9-amperes, 3 inches by 21 inches variable speed belt sander. This variable dial adjusts speeds from 820-1475 ft/min for increased efficiency during work. The soft elastomer grip surface on the main and auxiliary handles allow comfortable and firm hold. The Tracking window improves the visibility of the sanding surface and sanding belt during use. It has a dustbag mounted on the left-side which keeps the removed unnecessary material, from moving about in the workplace and interfering with the work. Fairly heavy and well-built, this sander is fast, powerful and does the job.
“I put this sander to work immediately, as I wore out my previous sander (B&D) in the middle of a project and had borrowed a friend’s Skil. This sander is excellent. The tracking was very stable, requiring only an occasional tweak (Nice Knob). Belts were easy to replace with the handy lever. The dust collection was very impressive for a belt sander, picking up almost all the dust. My only minor complaint is that I had to empty the bag often, and if I waited too long, I had to dig the sanding dust out with a spoon. I found it easy to control, and it seemed well balanced. The speed control was in an excellent location, comfortable (but not too easy) to reach. Plenty of power and a long cord. This sander removed more material faster than either my Black & Decker or the Skil that I borrowed. The price was right, and I got free, quick shipping. What more could I ask for? I love it!” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
4. Generic Belt Sander ($64.99)
This is Generic’s 1 x 30 inches mini belt sander with a rated 3400 RPM. The vacuum diameter reads 1-3/4″. The unit features 120 VAC, 60Hz, 3.0 AMP, 360 Watt, 1/3 HP @ 3400 RPM. The integrated table measures 5″ x 5″ and can tilt by 0 ~ 45º.The unit is light in weight and tracking of the belt works well and can be easily adjusted. It comes with an 80 grit belt which is good for general coarse sanding.
“I use this as a knife sharpener and will also use it for a hobby sander for making small models. It works like a charm out of the box as a knife sharpener using 400 grit belts, and a leather belt. It is lightweight, so I can put it in a cabinet and pull it out when necessary. I was able to reshape a serrated steak knife that tore meat into a smooth steak knife that could cut paper in about 10 minutes.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
3. Grizzly Belt Sander ($128.94)
This is Grizzly’s H6070 belt and 5 inches disc sander measuring 1 x 30-inches. The unit features 1/3 HP and has a single phase motor with rated 3450 rated RPM. Both the belt and disc sanding tables tilt 45-degrees. The belt sanding table measures 5-1/8″ x 5-1/8″ and has a removable belt platen and idler roller guard. You might want to be careful with the plastic parts. The moving parts are all metals. Lots of power, less noise and well-balanced, this unit doesn’t shake or vibrate during work. It is well-built and sturdy and works ideally for daily use.
“I have been using the Grizzly belt/disc sander for a month and find it superior to the two others I used before. The problem with most of the belt/disc sanders is that you cannot get parts for them (especially the motors). The Grizzly belt/disc sander is well built and sturdy to stand up to daily, hard use. It is the perfect size to use for small items that need to be sanded. I have also found it to be excellent to sharpen knives and sharpen lathe tools. I use a leather belt to finish sharpening. So far I am pleased with the product, and I am enjoying the results.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
2. Makita Belt Sander ($222.83)
This is Makita’s 9903 8.8-amperes, 3-inches x 21 inches variable speed belt sander. The unit features an extremely low rated noise of 85DB. It has a variable speed control dial which enables the user to adjust according to his/her application. The Auto-tracking belt system tracks belt, and you don’t need to adjust every time during use. The unit has an innovative design for sanding flush to wall with nose and side of sander. The front handle is designed for using it comfortably. It comes with a dust bag and has a 16.4 ft. long power cord for easier manoeuvrability.
“This is a great belt sander! Couldn’t find a replacement drive belt for my exceptional AEG sander so I had to break down and get the Makita. A great alternative! Excellent self-alignment, runs and runs, doesn’t bog down.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
1. Black & Decker Belt Sander ($54.98)
This is Black and Decker’s DS321 Dragster, 7-ampere, 3 inches by 21 inches belt sander. The unit features innovative front rollers which allow you to reach the tightest corners with ease and has retractable three position handle for optimum control. The dust collector keeps the area clean from the removed material and airborne particles. The unit weighs 8.2 pounds and measures 15.4 x 6.2 x 6.1 inches. Super low profile and great power. Easily one of the best.
“This is a robust power tool. It works well and appears well made. For the price, you can’t beat it, but whether it would stand up in commercial, or professional use is hard to evaluate. For the home handyman and occasional woodworker as am I, it’s great.” – Amazon’s Customer Review.
Available here.
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