DELTA 31-300 6-Inch/12-Inch 1-1/2 Horsepower Open Stand Belt/Disc Sander, 120/240-Volt 1 Phase Review

I purchased this sander about two months ago from Tool Crib to replace a Sears's stationary sander that is 20 years old. Compared to my old sander this is one heck of a machine. Very heavy and solid. Much more powerful than the Sears sander it replaced.
Pros:
Price: The least expensive sander in its category.
Heavy Duty! This is a beefy machine compared to the Craftsman. Appears to be a quality, industrial grade tool. Be sure to run a dedicated 30A circuit for this sander. I ran a new 30A, 120-volt circuit, but ran my shop vac and sander on the same circuit and tripped the breaker several times in less than 10 minutes.
Powerful! You cannot stop the sanding belt no matter how much pressure you put on your work piece. Aggressive sanding with the belt that shipped with the sander.
The 12" disk sander works very well. The tables seem flat and generously large compared to my old machine. The stand, even though having 4 legs instead of a cabinet is sturdy and stable.
Cons:
Not too much of a problem, but worth mentioning: the sanding surface is several inches shorter than the Sears sander (same belt size 6 x 48 inches) because the front roller on the Delta has a much larger diameter than my old Sears model.
There is a small tag riveted to the top of the unit, just proud of, and parallel to the sanding belt on the right side. As you move your work piece side to side while sanding, the tag won't let you move a wide board off the right side of the belt. Again, not too big a problem, just grind off the rivets attaching the metal tag and remove it. Delta should re-evaluate placing the tag there in the first place.
The tracking of the belt that shipped with my sander does move from side to side while in use, and I can't seem to stop the movement by adjusting the tracking. It's possible the sanding belt is defective, I'm going to try a new sanding belt to see if that helps. Even though the sanding belt tracks side to side, it does not come off, and I am able to use the machine. If this is normal tracking for this machine I'll be disappointed, I'd think the belt should track pretty much perfectly straight. But, like I said, it's still too early to say for sure.
The Dust collection port is sized for a 4-inch dust collection hose. I use a Porter Cable shop vacuum with a 2 1/2-inch hose. Delta does not offer an adapter that allows easy use of a 2 1/2-inch hose. At Delta Customer Support I was advised to have an adapter fabricated at a sheet metal shop. That is a dumb remedy on the part of Delta. However, the dust collection hood that was a part of my Dewalt 734 thickness planer came with a plastic adapter that works perfect. It slips over and attaches to the Delta 4" dust port, and a standard 2 1/2" vac hose slips inside the adapter. No hose clamps are needed. The adapters are available from the Dewalt web site, listed as a replacement part for the DW734 for $3 each. Delta should get smart and ship their product with a similar adapter.
Conclusion: Again, I have not used this machine long enough to know everything about it, nor have I used any other sander in this catagory other than my old Sears model to compare it to. I do have a few other quality machines for comparison, old Delta Unisaw, Powermatic 8" jointer, etc., and I think the Delta sander is close to being in that class. Over all, I like the sander, and would purchase it again if I had it to do over.

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Product Description:
The DELTA 31-300 6-inch/12-inch 1-1/2 HP Open Stand Belt/Disc Sander, 120/240-Volt 1 Phase has a powerful motor for great performance. Featuring a 1-1/2 HP induction-type ball-bearing motor, this open stand belt/disc sander will make quick work of any projects you throw at it. It features a manual thermal overload protection that prevents burn out. The tables are made of cast iron and are ribbed to prevent distortion. The tables can be tilted 0 and 45 degrees for bevel sanding. The sander is adjustable and can operate vertically, horizontally, and at any angle between. For added security, the on-off toggle switch can be padlocked to prevent unauthorized use. A miter gage accessory can be connected to the milled table slots. The sander comes with a steel stand, and has an integrated dust collection connector.

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DELTA SM500 Shopmaster 5.2 Amp 4- by 6-Inch Benchtop Belt/Disc Sander Review

Delta SM500 4" x 6" Belt/Disc Sander

I used to own one of these sanders, but sold it.Its major drawback was a serious lack of power.The motor would stop almost instantly if a decent sized piece was pressed even moderately hard on the sanding belt.Very frustrating as it rendered aggressive sanding all but impossible.Perhaps if it had at least 1/2 HP it would be acceptable, but the motor Delta puts on this sander doesn't do it.If you're only going to use the tool for very small pieces of wood, it might work OK, but otherwise, buy something else.

Click Here to see more reviews about: DELTA SM500 Shopmaster 5.2 Amp 4- by 6 Inch Benchtop Belt/Disc Sander

Product Description:
Once you add this tool to your workshop, you'll wonder how you ever did without it. The Delta SM500 Benchtop Belt/Disc Sander is a versatile, dual-function machine that can handle virtually all of your wood sanding jobs. Its 1/3-horsepower motor simultaneously drives a 4-inch wide sanding belt and a 6-inch diameter sanding disc. The belt operates at 2,000 surface feet per minute, and it can be positioned horizontally, vertically or at any angle in between. The round disc rotates at 3,100 rpm, which is the ideal speed for smoothing a wide variety of both softwoods and hardwoods.
The sanding disc is equipped with a 7- by 9-inch adjustable aluminum worktable that tilts down to 45 degrees for precise bevel sanding. The worktable has a slot that accepts the miter gauge, which is included in the package. Use the gauge to achieve perfectly square, true surfaces. For best results, apply light pressure to the disc. Pressing too hard will clog up the abrasive surface and put undue strain on the motor. And, be sure to sand only on the down rotating side of the disc.
The sanding belt comes with a handy metal stop that keeps the workpiece from shooting off of the fast-moving belt. The belt-tracking control knob allows you to quickly and easily center the belt on the platen. And changing belts is easy thanks to the unit's quick-pull tensioning lever.
Benchtop sanders produce quite a bit of fine dust, but fortunately this model has a dust port for attaching a shop vacuum; it accepts a standard 2-1/4-inch diameter vacuum hose. This compact machine can handle all small- to medium-size sanding jobs. For larger jobs that require a bit more muscle, consider the Delta 31-695, or Grizzly G1014Z. --Joseph Truini
What's in the Box:
4- by 6-inch belt/disc sander, miter gauge, metal stop, 60-grit adhesive-backed sanding disc, 100-grit sanding belt, instructional manual

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