Stationary sander preferences

[Tom Manley]

I'm thinking it would be handy to have a stationary sander for the shop for misc tasks - nothing particular in mind. I'm thinking it'd be handy to have either

A: Belt & disc machine
B: Oscilating spindle w/disc

I would like to know what your thoughts are regarding selecting one over the other and what manufacturer(s) people prefer.

Thanks

[Greg Hines, MD]

I don't have one, but Craftsman does make a small combination machine, with a belt, disc, and OSS in the same unit. I use a Shopsmith, so I have a disc sander, but when I decide I need a stand-alone unit, that is what I will get.

Doc

[Peter Quadarella]

You'll hear about this one a lot around here: Ridgid has an OSS that switches to a belt sander. That's the one I use and like it a lot.