Wood sanding has a long history, but thank goodness the invention of electric wood sanders has made the job seem easy and enjoyable. There are many sanders out there but the belt disc sander stands out for its bench top design and efficient performance. Below we have outlined the top six belt disc sander reviews to help you find the best belt disc sander that suits your needs.
But as you probably know, sanders come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. There are compact bench top or floor sanders. There are cheap and expensive sanders. But the bottom line should be that you buy a belt disc sander that will serve your needs perfectly well. Pay special attention to the specs in the following reviews, so as not to risk wasting money on a machine that will disappoint after a few days at work.
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Top 6 Best Belt Disc Sanders
1. Wen 6502 Belt Disc Sander
The Wen 6502 is a two-in-one belt disc sander that only joined the market a few years back. However, the machine has since then gained popularity at a very fast rate. Its features resemble those of the Ryobi BD4601G, but then it is cheaper. So, is the bench top sander worth your money? View its features below before you can make that decision.
Versatile – The Wen model is designed to serve all your sanding needs at the workshop. To ensure this, the sander features high-quality belt discs that ensure you sand smoothly, easily, and efficiently. Again, the two in one sander comes with an extremely easy to change 4” by 36” belt, plus you can adjust your sanding angle from 0-90 degrees to accommodate different workpieces. Also, note that the sander features a 6* 6-inch disc and an 80 grit sanding disk to ensure you sand an even wider variety of wood pieces.
Powerful Motor – The sander features a 4.3 amp ½ HP motor which produces enough power to help you sand small and huge pieces of wood alike.
Heavy-duty construction – The Wen 6502 has an overall heavy-duty construction for an extended service life. Its base, for instance, is designed with a heavy-duty cast iron to prevent wobbling or unwanted movements as you sand.
Features a dust collection port – The sander comes with a dust port to help keep your working environment neat. In addition, the sander features an extended blade to guard to help collect all dust, long hair, or debris safely into the collection spout.
Comes with a relatively large table for added convenience. Again, the table has a miter gauge which is quite helpful to professional carpenters.
Comes with a 2-year warranty and technical support.
Features a tension release lever to make changing sandpaper grit quick and easy.
2. Grizzly H6070 Best Belt Disc Sander
The Grizzly H6070 with its unique design comes ready to offer efficient sanding services. The device is ideally made for professionals, but with its combination features, anyone could rely on its services. It is also one of the best-rated disc sanders, and as if that is not enough, the sander comes at an affordable price.
Powerful Motor – The Grizzly model comes with a 1/3 HP motor to help you sand quickly and efficiently even with contoured wood pieces. The motor actually supports a working speed of 3450 RPM, which in part means that you could handle a wide variety of sanding jobs. Again, the powerful motor helps its belt rotate up to 3150 square feet per minute, which in the end culminates into fine sanding results.
Versatile – The Grizzly H6070 is designed to serve you in numerous ways. Its disc and belt tables, for instance, are designed to tilt anywhere between 0 and 45 degrees. This helps you tap on the varying table positioning to help you work easily, quickly and also cover a lot of different jobs.
Features a combination of both belt and discs – Since the Grizzly model is a combination sander, you can sand hard to reach areas, sand smoothly in contoured wood pieces, and do lots of other sanding jobs. The disc sander itself measures 5 inches while the belt sander measures 1*30 inches.
Light and Compact – Although it is a bit big in size, the Grizzly model weighs 20 pounds to ensure you have an easy time working around it. It is also compact in shape, and this makes your working experience around the machine feel fatigue-free. The light nature can be attributed to its plastic parts, although this does not imply it won’t last for long. In fact, most of its base, blades, and some other parts are made from high-quality metal and this could help prolong its durability to many years.
3. Rikon 50-112 Benchtop Belt Disc Sander
The Rikon 50-112 belt disc sander is built to make challenging jobs feel effortless. With its high power motor and adjustable features, you can do numerous sanding jobs with the Rikon model before you feel any fatigue. When it comes to construction, the sander’s manufacturers had safety and comfort in mind. They probably also want everyone to afford their sander, and that is why it costs less than $150.
Easy to Use – The Rikon 50-112 is one of the easiest to use sanders you can find. Everything from its design to its convenience features is all designed to make your working experience great. The machine’s disc, for instance, is placed in a way that it could never protrude above the belt as you work.
Durable Construction – One of the best aspects of the Rikon model is that it is designed to last for a long. The Rikon’s disc, blade, and base are all built with high-quality materials, and this guarantees that the machine could serve you for many years.
Flexible and Comfortable – If you wish to, you can add a dust extractor to help keep your working environment extremely neat while handling tough jobs. On the other hand, the Rikon model assures nothing less than a comfortable working experience. Its base, for instance, is firm to enhance this comfort.
Efficient Motor – The Rikon’s motor is not only powerful, but it is also reliable. The motor further enhances a disc speed of 3450 RPM and a belt speed of 1900 SFPM. With these kinds of figures, the Rikon sander is able to operate faster and more efficiently than typical belt sanders in the market. Something else, the motor operates quite silently even when handling heavy-duty jobs.
The sander is light and compact – This sander is designed to make your efforts fatigue-free thanks to its light and compact nature.
4. POWERTEC BD1500 Woodworking Belt Disc Sander
The Powertech BD1500 is ideal for any woodworking projects you may have in mind. It comes with a 1/3 HP motor, to start with, and supports up to 3450 RPM non-load motor speed. But that’s not all with the sander. When you compare its less than $100 price tag with the services it can provide, you would be wrong not to at least check it out before buying your ideal best benchtop belt disc sander.
Flexible and Versatile – The Powertech model is designed to help you power and use it easily and comfortably. On the other hand, the sander comes ready to help you out on whichever sanding jobs you may have at the workshop. Its tilting and flexible disc and belt tables, for instance, ensure you have a wide area to position and sand your materials.
Efficient and Reliable motor – The 2.5amp motor the Powertech sander comes with is powerful enough to handle all typical sanding jobs you may have at your workshop. And since it also features a high running belt, you could sand the contoured and rough pieces of wood and plastic with excellent smoothness.
Convenient – The sander is a combination machine. In addition, it has a disc and belt features tables that can be tilted for extra convenience. To be specific, you can tilt these tables up to 45 degrees wide and work conveniently. The machine’s belt is also made to operate efficiently well thanks to its adjustable tracking mechanism.
Easy belt replacement – The machine’s belt comes with a backplate and roller guard to help ease belt replacements
Features two 1.5 inch dust ports to help keep your working environment neat.
The sander is generally light at 17.6 pounds and comfortable to use to help you sand for long hours without feeling fatigued.
5. Powertech BD4600 Woodworking Disc Sander
If you would love to tap on the strengths of a belt and disc wood sander, consider buying the Powertech BD4600. With this machine, you will enjoy the convenience that comes with tilt-able disc and belt machines, the versatility of what the sander can handle, and its power as well. Again, the Powertech BD4600 is one of the top belt disc sanders in the market at the moment. It has high ratings even when it doesn’t cost that much.
Powerful 4.3amp motor – The sander comes with a 4.3amp motor, which ideally provides more than enough power to handle the sanding jobs at an average woodshop. To DIY lovers especially, the machine’s power could seem so reliable and efficient since you probably don’t handle multiple tough jobs.
Durable Construction – Though not often talked about, the machine’s high-quality construction is evident from your first look at it. Its base, for instance, comes from a cast iron construction while the blades and other parts are equally made from high-quality materials.
Convenient and Flexible tables – The sander’s disc and belt tables are not only big but also flexible for your convenience. The working table measures on average 6.5*8.75 inches, the disc 6 inches, and a belt measuring 4*36 inches. Flexibility, however, comes in when you need to tilt the tables up to 90 degrees for comfortable sanding.
Efficient belt and disc – In addition to being convenient, the sander’s disc and belt are designed to operate efficiently. The machine’s belt speed is 1900 FPM, while the disc’s speed is 3600 RPM. These figures when translated to efficiency would mean that you could sand a wide variety of wood pieces faster and more smoothly. You can also change these belts easily, partly because the machine features a belt tension lever.
The Powertech model is designed for comfortable working and a fatigue-free experience.
6. Rikon Power Tools 50-151
The Rikon Power tools 50-151 is a top of the line easy to use sander every woodworker should check out. It features a 110V 1/3 HP motor, a combination of belt and disc sanding technology, and a cast iron construction for maximum durability. Basically, this Rikon model represents everything you would probably ask from a wood sander. Its speed at removing stock, reliability, and many convenience features would certainly impress you. And because of this, the machine is a bit more expensive than typical sanders.
Efficient Machine – The Rikon model has a 5-star rating in multiple online reviews especially when it comes to efficiency. Its powerful motor plays a big role in this efficiency. However, its high running and reliable belt also ensure that you could sand whatever wood pieces you have with utmost efficiency. Again, its 5 inch 3450 RPM disc is also designed to add efficiency when you need super-smooth pieces of furniture.
Two cast iron tables – The machine’s tables are strong enough to hold any material you may hold and also support tilt-able designs to help you with convenience. The table can also be adjusted from 0-45 degrees for a wider positioning area.
Quiet Operation – The Rikon model operates flawlessly with no vibration from the discs. In fact, most of the machine’s customer reviews always praise it for its quiet operation, which is the opposite of what many sanders offer.
Strong and heavy-duty construction – Despite weighing 19.5 pounds, the sander has a heavy-duty construction. Its tables, for instance, are made out of cast iron materials, whereas every other material has a strong metal construction for maximum durability. However, the sander’s design enhances great comfort as you work. Its base, for instance, is protected by rubber feet for great stability while its tool-free knobs are easy to use.
Features two 1-1/2 dust ports to help keep your working environments neat.
Best Belt Disc Sander Buying Guide
Whether you love sanding or not, there are times when you must sand your pieces of wood or plastics finely. If you especially hate sanding, you need the best sander that can handle the work for you while you exert minimal effort on the job. Belt disc sanders are certainly good candidates for any professional who appreciates excellently sanded wood but don’t want to do the job. But then, how can you find such a machine?
Determine why you need a belt disc sander
There are quite a wide variety of sanders in the market. But why do you think a belt sander will be perfect for your job? If you handle big wood pieces but you still want fine finishes from your machine, then you need a best belt disc sander. If not, consider a handheld or smaller sander.
Selecting the Belt Disc Sander
Belt disc sanders offer the benefits that come with disc sanding and belt sanding. With belts, you can remove stocks easily but has the problem of leaving sanding marks on the way. Fortunately, the discs in these sanders help eliminate these marks and provide incredibly smooth finishes. Unfortunately, there are many more factors you need to consider from a belt disc machine, some of which include:
Motor Power
Belt disc sanders are typically run with the help of a motor. A good machine will come with a 2.5-5amp motor that in turn helps run the belt and discs appropriately. With the powerful motor, the machine’s belt is able to rotate super-fast while removing every stock on your wood pieces. On average, these belts rotate at a speed not less than 3200 RPM, which is in turn too fast not to take precautions on. The discs in these machines also run faster than normal disc sander do so that they can keep the pace of their belt counterparts and produce smooth surfaces.
Construction
While most of the top-rated sanders have strong metallic constructions, there are a few low-quality models you should keep off. Only stick to the top-rated machines, therefore, and pay special attention to their constructions. Great sanders, for instance, have their bases made from cast iron construction, while the blades and tables are also made from high-quality materials. Good construction also implies a machine that stands stable while you operate. And because of this, don’t overlook the general machine’s design. The best sanders will come with a compact design that is also light in nature. This, in turn, helps keep your fatigue level low even when doing lots of sanding in a day.
Flexibility and Convenience
To professional wood operators especially, pay special attention to the flexibility factor. Select modern sanders whose belts are easy to change. Check for such features as a tension release lever. When it comes to convenience, buy a sander whose tables can be tilted. A good sander should hold a table that can be tilted from between 0-45 degrees or from 0-90degrees for maximum convenience. The ability to tilt tables also comes in handy when you need to sand hard-to-reach areas or if you are at a confined place.
Price
Most of the top-rated belt disc sanders come with competitive prices, and this should come to your advantage. Basically, only pay for a sander whose value can be seen in its operation. If you are not sure whether the sander you have in mind offers great value, consider checking out customer reviews in the top retail stores. Otherwise note that great sanders come at price ranges of between $80 and $300, with the most expensive machines having more convenient features or stronger motors.
Benefits of Belt Disc Sanders
When you combine the benefits of a belt sander with those of a disc sander, you get to see how convenient and helpful a belt disc machine can be. All in all, here is a few of these benefits.
1. Fast Action
Belt sanders are known to be aggressive and fast stock removers. That doesn’t stop when you include a disc into their system. In fact, belt disc sanders run at faster than average speeds; which in turn helps them remove stock, paint, or sand faster than typical machines. Belt disc machines are also powered with the support of powerful motors that can handle a wide variety of materials.
2. Convenient
Because of their fast speeds, strong construction, and multiple features, belt disc sanders are very convenient. You could remove stocks, make soft metals smooth and tackle plastic materials with the same machine and get excellent results. Some of these machines also come with table surfaces you could tilt and sand your materials from different angles. Others have miter gauges to make the works of a professional even easier.
3. Comfortable
Unlike handheld machines, belt disc sanders are placed on bench tops. This means no risks of getting hand cramps or swollen fingers while working. Fatigue is also less while operating belt disc machines. This is in part due to the long belts and big discs which simply sand bigger pieces of wood at a faster period of time. Adjustable belts also help you sand different sized materials easier.
4. Multifunctional
As opposed to handheld or simply disc sanders, a belt disc sander can serve many functions. To start with, you could provide rough stock removal, do soft metal finishes, smooth corners or renovate old furniture with the same machine. Ideally, the fine finishes are achieved from the disc while the rough stock removing is handled by the belt.
5. Value for money
Among the biggest benefits, you get from a belt disc sander is value. On average, a good belt disc machine costs less than $150 but offers both the benefits of a belt and disc valve sander. In addition, most of these machines are designed to last for many years with only little in maintenance expenses. And as if not enough, buying a belt disc machine means working with comfort while also not dirtying your working environment with dust. These machines also operate rather quietly and have few efficiency flaws.
Conclusion
A professional woodworker needs the best belt disc sander to get great results. There is no doubt about that. However, it always seems a little bit difficult trying to buy a sander that can flatten large surfaces and achieve smooth finishes. However, that shouldn’t be the case for you after you read our belt disc sander reviews. All the six reviewed sanders are designed for a professional for you. But you need to reevaluate your expectations from a sander, your budget, and then select that machine that best suits your needs.
