What do people recommend for portable belt sanders these days?

[Alan Lightstone]

4x24? 3x21? Advantages/Disadvantages to each?

Porter Cable? Ryobi? Bosch? None of the above? Does Festool have a dog in the fight?

Will not be using it frequently.

Thanks.

[Terry Beadle]

Porter Cable has many satisfied. I use an old Craftsman that I've had for over 20 years. Still works great but noisy as all get out.

I use hand planes for most of that stuff but a belt sander can some times be just the right tool, like for stubborn end grain cutting boards in certain grain spots.

Just my 2 cents.

[Jim Becker]

While it rarely ever gets used, I have a Bosch that works nicely. Light in weight; easy to use; has a dust port that I was able to jury-rig to attach to my Festool CT extractor to deal with that need.

[Mike Henderson]

I have an older Makita but I rarely ever use it. It works okay.

Mike

[Cary Falk]

I have the Makita 3x18 and and 4x24. The big one is good for hogging off lots of wood but it is heavy if you have to hold it to sand over your head or vertically. The small one is great for those places where the 4x24 is too big and heavy. Both are great because they have a flat top so you can lay them on a bench upside down and do some freehand sanding if needed.
http://www.amazon.com/Makita-9910-3-...18+belt+sander
http://www.amazon.com/Makita-9404-8-.../dp/B000056NOA

[Sam Murdoch]

For a truly portable belt sander I use this - http://www.woodcraft.com/PRODUCT/202...FUid4AodAyIAUw It is an excellent small belt sander that can easily be hooked up to a Vac system (Festool or Porter Cable or Fein etc.), held with one hand, and using Norton belts. It is an excellent scribe tool. HOWEVER, I otherwise never use a belt sander since owning a Festool RO125 . The RO 150 could be even more of a power house with the bigger disc. The point is that the Festool ROs are sanders that have the grinding ability of a belt sander with the finishing ability of finish sanders (with qualifiers) and much more control than with any belt sander with none of the weight, noise, dust collection or tracking issues. Other than the little Porter Cable I no longer use my 3" belt sanders. Have 2 for sale if anyone cares.

[Brian Ross]

I have a 3 x24 Makita that I have had for years. My thoughts are that the longer the belt gives a longer platen which gives you a better opportunity to get a flatter finish if that is what you are after.I don't have any loyalty to any particular brand but would buy another makita in a heart beat.

Brian

[steven c newman]

Been having a lot of luck with a B&D Dragster model, 3" x 21" sander. What sets it apart from others? That front end. The way real dragsters have a small front wheel, so does this on. I can even clamp it by it's movable/lockable "D" handle in to my bench vise. And @ ~ $40 one can afford any type of sanding belt they want.SDC13310.jpg kind of upside down, but you get the idea. got this one when they first came out. no problems yet.

[Will Rowland]

I too rarely ever use mine (PC 360 3x24) since getting a Festool RO150. My belt sander is the one tool in the shop that could disappear, and i probably wouldn't notice.

That said, were I to buy one today, I'd get one that is designed to have the ability to be mounted upside down. I wouldnt recommemd mine for that reason, plus it just literally screams when operating.

[Peter Kelly]

If you check the classified section at woodcentral dot com, someone is selling a Makita 9903 belt sander for $175. Looks like a decent deal. Seller says the sander has about 15 min total use on it.

Festool does make a belt sander but it isn't available in North America. http://www.festool.de/Produkte/Seite...schleifer_1611

[Joe Kieve]

I still use my old Rockwell 503 "locomotive" from time to time. Bought it in a pawn shop for $85 several years ago and it does what I need it to do. Very heavy duty....and very heavy too! Wears my back out if I use it for very long though.

[Curt Harms]

I have the baby Porter Cable and yes, the dust collection works quite well when connected to a good vac. I've never used a belt sander in a frame or had the need but always wondered about it. Is it significantly better for flattening a surface than a belt sander without a frame? Here is an example:

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-...der-frame.aspx

[Ole Anderson]

3x21 PC. Had a 4x24 PC, but the 3x21 just worked better. Had it for 20 years now. The 3x21 saw some serious production work while "brushing" aluminum tubing while spinning it. Probably 25,000 feet of 1.5" to 2.5" heavy wall aluminum. Changed brushes a few times and one set of bearings. When it comes to hogging off wood it can't be beat.

[Bill Huber]

I have a Ridgid R2720 and it is a horse of a sander, I have used it about 3 times. It will eat a board in noting flat, the dust collection is not very good on it even with the shop vac attached.
I also have a baby PC (371) which I use on cutting boards and it works very well for that. It does very well with the shop vac on collecting the dust, it will get somewhat hot if used a lot.

[Frank Drew]

A sanding frame can turn a portable belt sander into something approaching a precision tool, and virtually eliminates the possibility of a dig-in. Can't recommend them highly enough although they're not available for all machines. It would be my have-to-have accessory if I bought another one of these sanders.