Hitachi Power Tools SB75B 3-Inch x 21-Inch Belt Sander Review

From AW #79 (April 2000), which can also be viewed online at the American Woodworker website.
HITACHI SB 75 is an excellent 3 in. x 21 in. sander.It has the highest amp motor in the group, the dust bag works well and it has two speeds.It would be handier if the low end of the speed range were lower, but it works OK.A weak spot is the belt-change lever.It's pointy and hard to pull.Get the bench stand to really make this one versatile.
8.7 amps, 1180/1475 FPM (feet per minute), 10 lbs.

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Product Description:
8.7 Amp motor,forcible power for the toughest sanding jobs. Internal labyrinth construction, keeps bearings dust free for longer tool life and less maintenance.

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Craftsman Professional 4 x 24 in. Belt Sander, Variable Speed Review

I purchased this sander about 7 months ago and had problems with the belt tracking from the start. I could adjust it okay until I placed it on the sanding surface. Then the belt would start to come off. As soon as I picked it back up again, the belt would re-align itself. I took it to the Sears repair place and they replaced the yoke assembly but it made little difference when I got back home with it. In my opinion, the design is flawed. The tracking adjustment is on one side of the roller, thus creating a "hard spot" there. The other side of the roller is free to flex and that, I think, is the problem. When it is placed on a hard surface, one side flexes and permits the belt to move off. My previous belt sander was a Sears Craftsman 4x24 as well which I purchased in 1975 and used extensively for well over 30 years without a problem.

I did like the variable speed feature on this new one though and also the adapter to hook up the dust collection to my shop vac for more powerful dust collection.

At least, there was no problem with taking it back to Sears for a full refund, even after 7 months. By the way, the price at Sears has been consistently at $200 by comparison with $250 at other places.

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Product Description:
800-1300 SFPM sander with belt release lever and dust collection system. Includes dust bag and 1 belt. Contoured wrap handle for comfort and aluminum housing for durability.

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Makita GV7000C 7.9 Amp 7-Inch Vertical Sander Review

This tool is designed for extended-use grinding or sanding of large surface areas, i.e. wood floors or weatherboards on a house.

PROS: With a powerful motor, variable speed setting, and the universal 5/8"-11 spindle found on most other grinders, this tool is suitable for professionals and do-it-yourselfers alike.Pistol grip makes this tool easier to use on vertical applications (i.e. weatherboards) and where use of the majority of the sanding surface, not just the edges, is desired (i.e. floors.)

CONS: A little weighty at 4.4 pounds; extended-use on vertical applications can easily tire out the unexpecting.

If your project does not require such large surface areas, or you may want something a little less weighty, I would suggest Makita GV5000 3.6 Amp 5-Inch Disc Sander or the newer version Makita GV5010 Vertical Disc 5-Inch Sander.The photo of the 5010 provide by Amazon is incorrect, however.A quick look at Makita's website will show the newer model accurately.

Happy Grinding!

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Product Description:
Muscular, lightweight vertical sander makes quick work of sanding jobs. The design places the powerful 7.9 Amp motor directly over the pad for better balance and control. Variable speed lets you tailor the speed to the application. Speed (RPM): 2,500 - 4,700, Amps: 7.9, Variable Speed: Yes, Disc Diameter (in.): 7, OPM: 2,500 - 4,700

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Makita BO6030 2.7 Amp 6-Inch Random Orbit Variable Speed Sander with Cloth Dust Bag Review

I have the Bosch 3727 6" sanderand this Makita is as good as that is..it also offers an extra hole for dust collection that is placed in the center of the disc to pick up anything that collects there..I love the Bosch because of the extremely low vibration along with a nice swirl free finish and this Makita delivers the same plus it comes with two sets of six dust collection holes for a total of twelve in the pad with the option of using sanding discs with the dust collection holes either on the extreme outside rim or a little more towards the center which is what the Bosch has. I think the holes which are locatedway out on the rim are for makita sanding discs and the disc that comes with the sander has those holes and works better than my standard discs which I see on all the other sanders out there..short of buying the Festool this and the Bosch are both next in line and cost less too..

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Product Description:
Amps: 2.7, Disc Diameter (in.): 6, OPM: 4,000 - 10,000, Tool Length (in.): 12 1/8, Dust Bag Included: Yes

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3"x18" Belt Sander Review

Purchased this a few years ago for about 50 bucks at home depot. Use it occasionaly, no problems.
One thing I do like is that you can flip it upside douwn and use it as a benchtop sander if you are in a pinch.
Not so great at collecting dust in its bag. I highly recommed it if you are looking for a bargain tool that will work.
If you plan on doing a ton of work/spending alot of time belt sanding, step up to a higher quality model.

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Product Description:
5 amp motor provides power and performance for most sanding jobs. Belt tension system maintains belt alignment during use. Tension release lever for quick and easy belt changes. Circular dust port with dust bag included allows use of dust bag or external vac to keep work area clean. Lock-on trigger for extended use.

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Porter-Cable 361 12 Amp 3-Inch by 24-Inch Belt Sander Review

I own at least a dozen of these sanders and have retired several over the last 10 years at my cabinet shop. I just purchased two more. We use them hard and they roll around in the back of trucks and yes, get dropped on occasion. Bottom line is they hold up well and they have made some good changes over the years that eliminated some problem areas. They are well balanced easy to use and have plenty of power. The only flaw that I see in them is the knob that adjusts the belt sticks out too far and gets bent if the sander gets hit or dropped just wrong.
I'm not a real fanatic about the "buy america" thing but I was disturbed a couple of years ago when I needed to replace the cord on one of the sanders. On the outside was a sticker with the red white and blue and it said "Proudly made in the USA" on it. Whe I opened it up I noticed a tag on the switch that said "made in Mexico". Did Mexico join the USA when I wasn't looking? What I don't like is false advertising.

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Product Description:
The Porter-Cable 361 Belt Sander features a huge 3 x 24 inch belt, a powerful 12 Amp motor, and an efficient belt-and-gear drive system that transfers power from the motor to the sanding belt. Remove stock quickly with the 1,550 SFPM belt speed, but don't worry about this sander being too powerful to control--the 361's motor is located over platen to give this sander perfect balance and keep you in control, and the ergonomically-designed handles are comfortable enough for hours of sanding. When the belt needs an adjustment, the fingertip belt-tracking knob gives the user a quick and easy way to fine-tune the belt tension.

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3M 81403 3-Inch x 21-Inch Purple Regalite Resin Bond 120 Grit Cloth Sanding Belt - 5 Pack Review

These are excellent cutting, non clogging, long lasting belts. I am running hundreds of board feet through before a change is required.

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Product Description:
Heavy-duty purple sanding belts have resin over resin bonded Regalite ceramic mineral construction gives an aggressive initial cut, consistant cut rate, and a long life. Faster stock removal with less heat and loading. Better leveling with a more uniform finish. Extra-heavy Y weight cloth resists tearing. Flush-joined belt will run in both directions to increase belt life. No. 81397-1: 3" x 18", 120Y grit No. 81395-7: 3" x 18", 80Y grit No. 81393-3: 3" x 18", 50Y grit No. 81403-9: 3" x 21", 120Y grit No. 81401-5: 3" x 21", 80Y grit No. 81399-5: 3" x 21", 50Y grit No. 81414-5: 3" x 24", 120Y grit No. 81412-1: 3" x 24", 80Y grit No. 81410-7: 3" x 24", 50Y grit No. 81433-6: 4" x 24", 120Y grit No. 81431-2: 4" x 24", 80Y grit No. 81429-9: 4" x 24", 50Y grit

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Porter-Cable 363 12 Amp 4-Inch by 24-Inch Belt Sander Review

I had bought the Porter Cable 4" Whisper Series Model 362 about a year ago. It is the same unit as this one, same 12 amp motor etc, but has the dust bag with it, and is variable speed. You can see the 362VS here at Amazon. For the price difference I would buy the 362VS. I had written this review, thinking that this was the model that I had, after looking at the model number on the sander, I realized it was a 362. Consequently I wrote this review first, then copy and pasted the review into the 362VS. So if you see the same review, you know why. For the sake of interest, I am letting this review stand. Here it is:
I previously used a 3x21" Sears. Did the job, but this PC is in a whole different category. Some of the more important features: Positive tracking-when you set the belt adjusting knob, the belt stays adjusted. Some belt sanders creep on you, and require frequent resetting. Annoying to say the least. Also the belt change feature is nice. A simple lever you pull out, then push back in. Quiet-you do not have to wear ear protection to use this. Hearing protection is always a good idea though. It is heavy, but to me this is an advantage. You don't have to push down on the unit, in order to get the job done. To those who mention that you have to keep an eye on the machine, because it can take away too much material too fast, that is because they are using a coarser grit than it required for the task. Finer grades give you more flexibility, and removal is more gradual and even. A belt sander is not designed to replace a finish sander.
With the larger 4" footprint, it is possible to remove a lot of material fast, without digging troughs in the work, which is possible with many belt sanders. Troughs-ridges show in the finished product. For fine finishes that are even and flat, a dedicated planer, then a finish sander, and finally a fine grade of hand sanding will give you the desired result.
The Porter Cable 4" is the best belt sander I have ever used. I would not hesitate to take on a floor refinishing task with this unit. If I was doing it for a living, I would of course persue a walk behind.
This is a no nonsense sander. Heavy duty. Lay it on the board, and hold on. Makes short of a lot of work. Feels like it will last a lifetime. Definitely a leader in the pack, and worth the money.

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Product Description:
The Porter-Cable 363 belt Sander features a huge 4 x 24 inch belt, a powerful 12 Amp motor, and an efficient belt-and-gear drive system for accurate power transfer. Remove stock quickly with the 1,500 SFPM belt speed, but don't worry about this sander being too powerful to control--the 360's motor is located over platen to give this sander perfect balance and keep you in control, and the ergonomically-designed handles are comfortable enough for hours of sanding. When it's time to change the belt, the quick-release belt system makes it a cinch, and the fingertip belt-tracking knob gives the user a quick and easy way to adjust the belt tension.

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DEWALT DW432 8 Amp 3-Inch by 21-Inch Belt Sander with Dust Canister Review

I upgraded from a B&D belt sander so this was quite a jump up in quality.It is sturdy, solid, well made, and has lots of power.The sanding belt tracked perfectly when in use and I was glad to not have to contantly mess with the tracking adjustment as I did on my old B&D BS.The spring loaded lever to change belts worked as designed and was easy to use.The dust collector bag and how it connected to the sander didn't work very well.A little tweaking of the bag is required to get it to fit proprerly and then the bag lock clip seemed kind of flimsy.The bag also didn't seem to collect a lot of dust.After extensive sanding, I had more dust in my lungs, face, hair, and shirt; then I did in the DC bag. I wasn't concerned about the lack of variable speed since I would rather vary MY sanding speed (and technique) instead of the sanders speed.IMHO I think variable speed in a belt sander causes more problems than it solves. All in all, I am really happy with this sander and would have given it 5 stars except for the ill fitting and ill operating dust collection system.

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Product Description:
The DeWalt DW432 8 amp 3-by-21-inch belt sander with dust canister comes with a powerful 8 amp motor designed to aggressively remove material in a variety of applications. Other features include an all-metal housing for increased durability during a drop, a 3-wheel design for a low center of gravity, and a 3-x-21-inch platen (the longest available platen for DeWalt sanders). Also included is an innovative dust collection system that's 20-percent more efficient than conventional dust bags, a dust collection shut-off to eliminate the dust stream toward users when the collector is not in use, and a top exit cord for easy use of overhead receptacles. For increased user comfort, the sander comes with a 2-position front handle and rubber grips for reduced vibration. This sander weighs 12 pounds and operates at 1,400 SFPM. The DW432 includes a sanding belt.

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Factory-Reconditioned RIDGID ZRR2720 3-by-21-Inch Heavy-Duty Belt Sander Review

The new in-line 3x21 belt sander by Ridgid appears to be a solid investment at a substantial savings over other heavy-duty belt sanders.It is attractive, well-designed, solidly constructed, well-balanced, has good ergonomics, is easily controlled, and is surprisingly quiet.The first time you pause during the sanding job and let it hang down at your side, you'll appreciate it's shape and heft, which is somehow reminiscent of an old-fashioned shootin' iron.All in all, it's a pleasure to use.
Perhaps most importantly, it is good to very good at speed of stock removal.Further, the variable speed control comes in handy and is well-placed.Belt tracking is adequate, if not stellar, the large adjusting knob requiring a few seconds of attention for a new belt to track roughly where it should.Dust collection is decent to above average so long as you make sure the exhaust port remains clear and unclogged and the unobtrusive bag doesn't get too full.In this regard, keeping an air hose handy for cleaning off the sander and cleaning out the bag both during and after use helps immensely and is a good maintenance practice.In fact, this tool is such a beauty that I'm also using a moist rag to wipe it down before putting it away.It doesn't come in a case (a real oversight by Ridgid) and will require one at least 20 inches long.
Potential buyers should understand that this review is not based on longterm ownership or heavy-duty use, but on several days of moderate, responsible use.I'm offering the review early primarily because there are no other reviews of the product that I can find, so in my case, the purchase had to be based solely on availability, price, experience and instinct.In my opinion, it seems like a good tool that ought to last a long time.As for the Ridgid product line, in general, I also own one of their reciprocating saws and have been happy with it's performance, so far.

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Product Description:
Factory Reconditioned - 1 Year Factory Warranty

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DEWALT DW433K Heavy-Duty 8 Amp 3-Inch-by-21-Inch Variable Speed Belt Sander Kit with Dust Canister and Case Review

I bought this sander 5 months ago so I have put it through various sanding jobs from finish sanding to surfacing material off with 40 grit.First off, changing the belt is a snap. Pull up on a trigger and it releases nicely.The balance is great and allows a gouge free surface.(all belt sanders will go gouge crazy if you let them)The cord exits off the top of the machine and over your shoulder for a "snag free sanding experience".I allways had gouges from my last sander when the cord would pull back on the unit and cause a wheelie across the work!Only had dust blowing in my face once, and that was because the dust bag was full to the brim.Emptied the bag and problem was solved.Other than that the amount of dust depends on what you are sanding and the grit of the paper. Belt sanding is dusty work no matter what.Noise is not nearly as loud as most sanders I have heard either. The three wheel design really gets the center of gravity low so it handles great! I bought the kit version that comes with the blow moulded case that has plenty of room for extra belts and misc. hardware you want to store. Overall rating.......solid tool!!!!!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: DEWALT DW433K Heavy-Duty 8 Amp 3 Inch-by-21 Inch Variable Speed Belt Sander Kit with Dust Canister and Case

Product Description:
The DeWalt DW433K Heavy Duty 8 Amp 3-by-21-inch Variable Speed Belt Sander with Dust Canister and Case comes with a powerful 8 Amp motor designed to aggressively remove material in a variety of applications. Other features include an all-metal housing for increased durability during a drop, a 3-wheel design for a low center of gravity, and a 3-x-21-inch platen (the longest available platen for DeWalt sanders). Also included is an innovative dust collection system that's 20-percent more efficient than conventional dust bags, a dust collection shut-off to eliminate the dust stream toward users when the collector is not in use, and a top exit cord for easy use of overhead receptacles.
A variable speed dial is included to optimize belt speed for specific applications (850-to-1,400 SFPM). For increased user comfort, the sander comes with a 2-position front handle and rubber grips for reduced vibration. This sander weighs 12 pounds and includes a sanding belt, a dust bag, and a heavy-duty case.

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Bosch 1276D 12.5 Amp 4-Inch-by-24-Inch Belt Sander with Cloth Dust Bag Review

If you need a 4" belt sander, and you can get this one for under $100, just buy it.Plenty of power.If you bear down it will burn the wood.Dust bag works ok.With a vac I see no airborne dust at all.(But I am sure there is some.)Very coarse dust is not all taken in by the vac.

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Product Description:
Item #: 114-1276D. Magnesium transmission housing reduces overall tool weight
Adjustable front handle folds away for close work
Exclusive adjustable belt tensioning allows use of non-woven belts up to 8mm thick
Replaceable wear inserts protect housing from damage

Belt Length = 24 in
Belt Width = 4 in
Paper Size/Voltage = 115.00 VAC, 120.00 VAC
Voltage Frequency = 60.0 Hz
Amps = 10.50 A
Machining Speed = 1550 ft/min
Length = 13.800 in
Control Type = On/Off
Applications = Sanding
Handle Type = Back D-Handle/Front D-Handle
Type = Belt Grinder/Sander
Wt. = 13 1/2 lb

Complies to OSHA standards|UL listed
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Bosch 1274DVS 6.6 Amp 3-Inch by 21-Inch Variable Speed In-Line Belt Sander with Cloth Dust Bag Review

This is an extremely well-designed and well-built sander.I have used many sanders and been disappointed by poor design and bad belt-changing clamping systems.Its variable speed eliminates the need to press harderor softer on the sanding surface, cutting down on the chance of gougingmaterial or cutting divots in the surface.Changing the belts is easy: pull on the side lever and the belts slip on and off.There is an beltalignment adjustor which I set the first time I used it and haven't touchedsince.The front handle is removable for sanding up to obstructed edges. The dust bag actually works, and the sander can be hooked up to a dustcollector. Most importantly, there are two accessories for the sander whichmake it versatile.The sanding stand turns the sander into an upside-downbench-mounted sander, and the optional fence provides a way to easily andaccurately sand endgrain on wood.It's built in Switzerland and it looksand feels like it was made by Swiss watchmakers.

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Product Description:
The Bosch 1274DVS is a 3 x 21-Inch Variable Speed Belt Sander. The Bosch tool features a magnesium-and-plastic housing thats lightweight yet durable. The tool is balanced, comfortable and easy to operate-important features in a tool thats often used for long periods of time for removing large amounts of stock. The Bosch 1274DVS comes with a cast-aluminum platen-so theres none of the warping that affects stamped-steel platens-and it sands perfectly flat right out of the box. The motor is aligned with the belt edge to allow flush sanding into corners. Features:3-by-21-inch dustless variable speed belt sander with compact in-line design Features powerful 6.6-amp, 550-1,100-sfpm motor, removable front handle, and quick-release belt change Graphite platen pad; cloth dust bag; ball-bearing construction Includes sander and 1 sanding belt 13-4/5-by-7-3/4 by 3-inches; 7.8-poundsWhat's In the Box:Bosch 1274DVS Belt Sander

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