Sanders Reviews

My machine arrived last week.
1. This is a large heavy (800+ lbs} machine. It comes on a large wooden pallet. I needed to cut down the pallet to even get the machine thru my shop door on a pallet jack and needed to do a fair amount of cribbing with an auxilliary jack to remove the machine from the pallet.
2. There were 2 problems when I got into the machine -- the motor mount shaft had lost a bolt/washer (in the farthest inaccessible corner of the cabinet) and it took an hour + to get the motor back mounted correctly. Also, a set screw was loose on the top belt roller bracket -- which led to it being ejected the first time I turned on the belt tensioner switch. It was simple to put it back in place and tighten the set screw.
3. The instructions DO NOT tell you the machine has continuous air bleedoff when you run it. The air noise is normal -- do not adjust to stop the noise -- or you will have more work to re-adjust!
4. The instructions DO NOT caution you to be careful when installing the sanding belts to make sure they are INSIDE the air oscillation horseshoe -- I lost 2 belts before I figured out what was happening.
5. The 5 hp motor DOES really require 35 amps each line 220v, even though my Delta Dnisaw 5 hp motor only needs 20 amps 220v.
6. The machine itself is 5 star quality. Belt changes are really about 30 seconds -- giving substantial time savings over any of the sanders requiring you to cut and roll sandpaper on the rollers to change grits. The platen arrangement allows the actual sanding surface to be only the 2 bottom drums for coarse sanding, the 2 bottom drums and the platen, or just the platen for fine finishing. I have found top quality Klingspor sanding belts available to fit this machine.
7. The manual is available on the Grizzly website so you can review in advance to learn more. Other than as noted above, the manual is very detailed and provides great pictures and descriptions.

I bought the Hitachi polisher because I wanted a machine that was lighter weight than the DeWalt DW849 I typically use. I also have a Porter Cable 7428 and have used the Makita 9227C. Normally the DeWalt is my "go to" polisher.

The Hitachi has the great feel and performance of the heavy duty DeWalt and adds the convenience of a bailing handle from the Porter Cable and the Makita 9227C. The light weight of the Hitachi makes life easier when polishing for hours at a time. The motor has a soft-start feature to minimize polish slinging but gets to its set speed quickly. The SP18VA works like the DeWalt in that it has a variable torque control ability which helps eliminate buffer "hop". A spindle lock, trigger lock and an 8 foot power cord round out the main features.

The closest machine on the market to the Hitachi is the Makita 9227C. Both look and feel alike with the Makita getting the nod for its smoother, more linear operation. By comparison the DeWalt works and feels like a tank and the Porter Cable is outclassed.

The only reservation I have with the Hitachi is its durability, which cost it one star with me. The DeWalt DW849 is legendary for its toughness and longevity and the Makita for its refined operation. Only time will tell if the Hitachi is comparable but as the new kid on the (detailing) block, it looks like a winner.

This is the 2"x48" Kalamazoo belt sander. It's made of sheared, folded and welded steel. It is of medium quality and medium power.

I have this sander and have been running it for about 6 months. The thing works great when you want to do a lot of consistent grinding -- as the setup of the machine is somewhat cumbersome. For instance, the same bolt that adjusts the platen position also adjust the position of the guard. You'll find you need either four (4) hands or some tricks to adjust _only_ the platen but not the guard as well. This is a real design compromise done in favor of saving the cost of a few bolts and a few extra punch-outs.

The only other complaint I have is that the platen doesn't appear to be hardened. My machine has concave sections worn into the platen in the areas I use most frequently for grinding. Count on fabricating (and heat treating) your own platen if you want to make nice flat grinds with this machine. Perhaps there is a backer plate material that can be used.

Also, the platen is painted, so plan on breathing the paint dust for the first few weeks you use the machine.

Otherwise, this is a great tool that uses the cheap 2x48 belts that come in every imagineable grit and material. I love the tool, I hate the corner cutting.

--chicago, il

I have had this router (9902) for a few months now and it has seen pretty heavy use. I'm just a hobbyist, not a contractor, but it is everything I need and more. It is very well built and so far has not had a single, even minor, glitch! The belt tracking adjustment works fabulously! It's quite heavy, bulky and awkward so probably not recommended for those delicate jobs. Then again that's not what it is for! It is meant for quick removal of serious wood and that it does. So much so > watch out! Don't let it stand still even for 1 second, it will dig itself a hole before you can blink. That also brings up a trick I learned. Use the finest paper your can find (120??) and go nuts! You will have good control and a perfectly smooth surface ready for finishing in no time at all!

Back to the router> I would highly recommend it and if it was stolen I would buy another one without question! High praise indeed! Why did I give it only 4 stars?? Probably cost, [at this price] it's not cheap but does represent very good value! Go buy, one I'm sure you will be happy!

I haven't used this very much yet, but I like the way it fits your hand and it does sand very well. I don't like the dust bag because it seems to get in the way and really doesn't keep the dust down that much. Of course, I have never seen a sander who's dust bag attachment works very well. Over all I think it's a good sander.

This sander is very helpful in finishing furniture and cabinet work...I use it for everything!

The 6078 grinder/sander with a 9" grinding wheel is a force to be respected! I've used it to clean up welds, cut metal, sand and also to buff out a boat hull. This is a heavy tool, you will feel your arms at the end of the day! Its weight along with the centrifical force generated by the 9" wheel work together to steady the cut. The variable speed comes in handy to match the tool to the job.

The Milwaukee 2.4-Volt cordless Screwdrivers are the best on the market. They have awesome power and lock the bit when off so that you can turn the whole unit like a thick screwdriver. However, skip this unit over and get the 2 speed. The small extra cost is well worth the functionality of the two speed unit.

-Mike

If you want to take a lot of wood off your project, this is the stuff. Load up both drums of a dual drum sander with this and you can take it down quick. It doesnt last as long as the purple stuff, but that only come in 50 grit, so...

I have had my Porter Cable orbital saw for 10 years and just had to replace the sanding pad. This new one is a tad softer than the previous and seems to work fine.