Sanders Reviews

This machine has many good points. It is well constructed, it is sturdy and essentially unmovable. The tables are easy to align with the sanding surfaces. It has loads of power and can remove stock amazingly fast. However, to rate the dust collection system as poor gives it a compliment. It is abyssmal. You need to be outdoors or wear a dust mask when using the disc sander for any heavy sanding. The only place on the disc that collects any dust is when you sand on the outer 1 inch of the disc. Any further in than that and most of the dust come out the other side of the disc. A little detective work showed that there is only a small vacuum inlet (about 1 1/2 by 3 inches). Any dust that escapes this vent is blown back into the shop. The belt sander is only marginally better.

I really think this sander rates 4 1/2 stars.

In a nutshell...

PRO:
-Strong Motor (and it is wired 110 volts)

-Smooth Operation - no Vibrations

-This machine is nice and heavy (so be fore warned - I'm 6'6" and pretty beefy - I probably should have recruited a friend to help me get it together).

-Well Machined Parts

-Easy Belt and Disk Replacement

-Easy Ajustments: excellent tracking under use

-Good Fit and Finish

-Good Dust Collection: I have mine hooked up to a 2hp central system (about 20 feet away) and I have no complaints.

Neutral:
-They should offer the larger table for the disk as on the closed stand version.

-The belt platen would benefit from a graphite pad like the $190 Grizzley this sander replaced.

Cons:

-The supplied belt and Disk are abysmal quality. The belt shredded in about 10 minutes and the disk's adhesive was very weak. Both were tossed the same day it was first run.

-Marginal Manual: You get the feeling the person who wrote it NEVER put one together! Here's a tip - install the motor before installing the actual machine to the stand (turn the stand upside down and install the motor). The instructions would have you install the motor (about 50# and which hangs from a bracket) on your back!

It should be noted this is the same machine as the next one up Delta's lineup. For $400 more you get a closed stand, a dust bag, the motor is wires 220 volts, and the better table for the disk. IMHO not worth 60% more in price.

Good Luck!

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.

My list of things includes those in the other reviews.

In addition:

The bosses cast into the platen casting for the adjusting bolts were NOT where the threaded holes were. Tightening the bolts only a little caused the casting to crack with a loud BANG! Grizzly cheerfully and quickly sent a replacement platen with the same defect.

The upper pulley was grossly out of balance, shaking the entire machine. The pulley bearings were also bad howling loudly. Again quick and cheerful replacement though I had already used some stick on automotive wheel weights to fix the vibration and replaced the (common number) bearings from my own supply.

The holes in the disk table were in the wrong place with the result that the table was not rigid. I remachined the trunnions to take care of the problem.

I have to keep an eye on belt tracking but otherwise I now have a smooth and highly capable machine.

If you are confident of your ability to fix such stuff, this is a great buy, and the "slow" speed is perfect for a wide range of wood and metal work.

The unit comes with sanding disk and belt installed - ready to go, but not quite. It is important to go through the entire setup process as outlined in the manual before turning it on. The one I received had the sanding platen recessed slightly with respect to the top roller. Thus when you sand a longer board, you get a gouge from the top roller. The instructions cover this adjustment, be sure to go through it before use.

After proper setup, I was impressed with the performance and lack of vibration - That direct drive pays off. I would definately recommend it.

The only down side I have found is having to remove the belt guard to change belts. It is such a bother, I mounted a piano hinge on mine so I can simply hinge it open for belt changes.

This is a solid, smooth running machine with heavy duty castings and ample power. This unit runs smoother, and with less noise and vibration compared to the Delta 31-280. The 1725 RPM speed produces less burning on sensitive woods like cherry.

Fit and finish is very good. A notch below the Delta, but outstanding considering the price. Dust collection is also very good, but you will need to improvise an adapter for the disc side.

Two issues make this less than a 5 star review:
1) The belt tracking is finicky. Once set it is stable, but it can be a bear to get there.

2) The table for the belt is mounted too high. Only 8.5 inches of the 14.5 inch platen are usable.

This unit looked like a 4" x 21" BELT SANDER. THE 3" SANDING BELT HAD OVER 1" OF SPACE LEFT ON THE SURFACE OF SANDER SIDE TO SIDE. THAT MEANS YOU WOULD NOT KNOW WHAT AREA THE SANDER WAS SANDING.If it had a 4" belt it would look OK.
Looks like someone made it with left over 4" sander parts. VERY POOR DESIGN.

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.

I have enjoyed using this sander, I am confused about a stand that allows you to use it for small parts. Overall, I am very pleased with this tool

I am awaiting the shipment of number 3. The first arived damaged in shipment and missing a bunch of parts. The packaging was in such bad shape it couldn't be reused. Number 2 the box was in great shape but the sanding face plate had a good 1/4" bend in it. So I took the 2 and made one. Well it lasted about an hour and the motor started making noise and shaking. Sure hope the third time is the charm. If not I will get a Grizzly.

I purchased this sander with the dust collector about six months ago. The tool arrived within 2 weeks from Amazon without any damage. Assembly was very simple and required putting the stand together and then bolting the sander on the stand. The motor is very strong and quiet and it has plenty of power for a home sander. There is no significant vibration. The dust collector works very well and there is no visible airborne dust.

The only negative aspect is the disc run out. The disc run out was 13/1000 of an inch on the first sander. I called Jet tools and they told me that this is excessive and they will send me a new sanding plate which I replaced. The run out was 20/1000 of an inch with the new disc plate.

I called Amazon and they send me a completely new Jet 12 inch sander with free return shipping of the old one. The run out on the new disc sander is 25/1000 of an inch. I have decided to go ahead and keep the sander and ignore the run out after all.

The people at JET Tools and at Amazon were very helpful and they gave me no hassle on replacing the Sander. I recommend this sander except for the excessive run out. I hope this review was helpful.

I'd been wanting to upgrade my (hobbyist) wood sanding capabilities for several months. I usually do a thorough research job online, then visit retailers who stock whatever I narrow down. This purchase was no exception, but $350 is a chunk of change for some of us, and my "work shop" has limited floor space.

After concluding that my belt sander could handle most 'long boards' and table tops effectively, I settled on a disc-only model, instead of a combo disc-belt model. The two features most important to me were, (1) a cast iron table that would accomodate a circle jig, and is rock steady when tilted to 45 degrees and (2) the ability to help me control dust. Horsepower was my third, and less important, consideration.

I'll tell you now, this machine is a 'hoss' in all three categories! This machine eats soft maple like a steak knife through warm butter! The table is large and quite heavy and secured by an adjustable stop (at 90) and two locking knobs on either side. It was dead on 90 degrees from the get-go (used an Incra 'Guaranteed Square"). All the hardware was there, instructions were easy to follow, parts (individually wrapped) fit nearly perfect, and setup took about 45 minutes from start to finish, including the stand & dust canister. Incidentally, Jet even includes a ground wire that clips from the body to the canister - to help prevent a flash fire, I suppose - but they're thinking ahead, none the less. The floor footprint is less than a yard square (guess-timate). The 80 (100?) grit adhesive paper was already installed on the cast iron disc plate. It's quiet and virtually vibration free.

The only minor downside (if there is one) aside from the $350 price tag, is that I expected the built-in impeller to act sort of like my dust collection system; it gets a lot of the dust but a little still escapes. Again, that was my own expectation, and not bad enough to reduce an otherwise powerhouse to a 4 star rating. The machine just drips with quality so much so, that I expect to pass this one down to my next of kin (hopefully, a long time from now).

When I saw this product on This Old House, it looked like the answer to my dreams - I only wish! When the product arrived, I assembled it and tried it to make sure it worked. My reaction was that it was slow, but the lack of dust was a real positive. At the time, I wasn't ready to use it for a project, so packed it away for a few months.

Last week, I took it out, followed the instructions for oiling (which involves trying to get a special oil they include through a pin hole), and started to use it. Again, I found that I could do the work by hand 3 or 4 times as fast, but there was virtually no dust. Being retired, time isn't as valuable as it used to be, so I continued for 20 minutes, when the unit stopped working altogether. The minimal, poorly written instructions gave some guidance for troubleshooting, which proved to be totally ineffective. Since I'm an engineer, I proceeded to disassemble it, and found pretty chintzy construction consisting of primarily plastic parts. After cleaning everything off as well as I could, I did manage to get the fly-wheel sort of contraption which drives the oscillation to spin, but only if I gave it a push to get it started. This, of course, is useless once the mechanism which holds the sandpaper is put back on. I concluded that the company gives a 30 day warranty for a reason. Mine's going in the trash can!

The shop vac part of it has some attractive features, like machine washable filters, but mine trips the GFCI circuit every time I turn it on. Since most codes require GFCI circuits in garages, basements, and shops, it requires using an extension cord to some other part of the house. No way I'd buy this poorly engineered product again.

I gave a real harsh review of my loveless orinally .But to get better suction i removed one of the filters .it still not loaded with suction But ; it is dustless and does real nice for drywall .hook it to my power tools also .smoked two other vac doing this but doesn't seem to bother the loveless.not buying filters ,just wash these if needed .so in perspective it does alright .i have a 50$ sears one for general cleanup.oh and mine has never popped a breaker .

I would highly recommend this item to everyone, this Love-Less vacuum is totally dustless and very easy to use. This is one tool that I am very glad that I invested in, it cuts your job time in half, it works wonderful on sheetrock. You will wonder how you every got along without it!!!

I've had this model for 3 plus years although I don't use it all that much. On the plus side: nice size, great finish, have had no problems with it. Dust collection is adequate if not 100%. On the minus side: Square (4.5"x4") hook and loop sand paper is becoming nearly impossible to find. For this reason alone, I recommend against buying this particular model. If it weren't for that, I'm sure I'd buy it again.

I am very pleased with this sanders performance, It produces extremely smooth finishes, but it is designed as a finishing sander, so either a random orbit or belt sander should be used first to sand off the rough spots before this precision tool comes in to play. As the usual in Makita's products; excellent build qaulity. I compared this sander to the DeWalt. The Makita has 14,000 orbits per minute compared to DeWalts 13,500 orbits per minute. Makitas motor= 1.6 amps; DeWalts motor= 2.0 amps. The Makita is just a bit louder than the DeWalt, but both sanders have very comparable vibration characteristics. it just came down to the feel and Makita won, but not by much.

After my fathers 40 year old finish sander died, I went on a quest to replace it. The Makita fills the bill nicely and more. I had the equivilent Porter Cable for a day, but returned it. A critical point is the material of the foot pad. The Makita uses a firm felt (which my dead 40 year old one had). The felt lasts forever, gives a firm FLAT surface to sand with and keeps a square corner to get into inside corner surfaces. The Porter Cable used a nylon surfaced soft foam pad which bent around edges causing rounding of edges that I wanted hard and square. Also the PC pad was easily torn, in my one day of use, it already had a rip.

The Makita's dust collection is okay, nothing grand, but better than nothing. A bit noiser than the PC, but vibrates less (I had a numb hand after 10 minutes with the PC). Good comfort, good power, seems well built.

Paper mounting is excellent Much better than the others. Easy and quick to attach and remove, and holds very tight.

With better dust collection, I'd give it 5 stars.

Nothing comes for free, if you pick free shipping they will make you wait until you are old and grey.

This heat gun is ultra fast-to-heat-up and stays put at your set temperature because of its high-tech thermo-reactive properties. It has an ultra-accurate, cool-looking, bright green temperature LCD display on a black background, which makes it visible in the dark. It is located in the ergonomically correct location (on top). Three different air-flow settings allow for ultimate control and air pressure/heat ratio exertion.

The intuitively-designed shape includes separate temperature control (by 10 degree increments) and fan speed control buttons. Unlike most variable guns, the integrated stand allows for a fully erect stance--when needed--with optimally located trigger controls located side-by-side on the handle.

The double-insulated, ceramic-encapsulated heating element is safe and efficient. If you vaporize herbal substances such as tobacco using a heat gun, you want a ceramic core so that it doesn't give off toxins. Moreover, this product has a stunning five-year warranty, partially because ceramic heating elements last longer.

I highly recommend this item to everybody ranging from heat gun novices to legendary heat gun users. It has great controls, a sturdy feel, and a long warranty to back its obvious integrity. Enjoy the control of a professional product with luxury features. A lot of thought went into the multi-faceted, ergonomic design and I am a proud owner.

This heat gun is all a heat gun should be. Its reliable, provides even controlable heat for many applications. The gun provides three different air flow settings along with an infinitly variable temperature selector. The digital readout is a very nice plus which first indicates the set target temperature and then shows the increments until it hits the target. This kind of control opens up the amount of uses to more temperature sensitive applications. If you must have the best this is it; though i wish it had a case! As mentioned below it took a few weeks to ship because this product is not normally stocked. The previous reviewer should of figured this out...

I probably had less than 30 minutes use of this thing before knowing it was junk. I wrote a note to Milwaukee about it and they offered to fix it. Not what I wanted because I knew alrady it was never going to be good. But sent it in and they put $45 in parts. Believe it or not but since I have used it hours and still hate it! But has not given any more mechanical problems. Only worst engineered tool Milwaukee probably ever made. I don't think any other random orbit sander has no brake system! I used a De Walt many hours before buying this thing and only reason for not buying De Walt is that I don't like their products. Biggest mistake yet! I recommend the DE Walt!

This sander is a replacement for my old Porter Cable. I am very impressed with this unit. It has more than enough power and the vibration from the unit is very minimal. With my old Porter it would take twenty minutes after sanding to get feeling back in my hand. The only downside to this product is the housing. The plastic used for this is slick and shiny. I am hoping after continued use it will wear a bit. This sander is already my favorite over my Mikita and Porter Cable.

I bought this sander about 8 months ago to replace an old Makita pad sander. I've used it frequently and have had excellent results. It starts very smoothly, runs quietly and virtually vibration-free and does a great job with all grits and on every surface I've used it on. I've used it all types of wood and even some metal. It leaves no swirl marks, even when pressing down hard. About the only minor issue I've found with it is that it gets pretty warm right on top where your palm rests. It's not a big problem and it's really just a very minor annoyance and doesn't detract from the sanding capabilities in the least. This is a great little addition to any serious woodworker's shop.

This Milwaukee 4.5" gringer is the tool for me. I just trashed a couple of nonames gringers.

Milwaukee Electric tools are the best power tools available. This grinder is awesome, very comfortable to use and it has plenty of power. This is a great deal since it includes the metal case. Don't waste any time looking at the other brands, this is the cream of the crop.

Milwaukee's tools have a great reputation for toughness and longevity. This grinder is all that and more. Its steel case is a big help in keeping the garage neat and the flexibility in choosing handle positions as well as the lock-on switch are more useful than you would initially think, allowing you to work in many more positions.

In addition to making short work of nearly anything metal, just strap on a sanding disc and have at any wood surface you please, making this a really useful tool to have.

This tool would make Tim Allen go "Oook ook ook".

DO NOT buy this product from this company. I received this product this evening, opened it up out of the UPS box and immediately saw that the Milwaukee box had been opened up quite a few times. I took the Impact Wrench out of the box and it had scratches and dust all over it. This had clearly been used and I couldn't believe it. BTW, this tool does not come with a charger or battery, that cost extra.

This Milwaukee 18 volt impact wrench is unreal!!!!!!

I have owned it for three months now and I have yet to find
its limmit. Tire lugg nuts are a joke evan on a 18 wheeler!
I have driven 3/4 inch by 10 inch long lag bolts with no pilot
holes, straight thru 4x6 beams into stucco and thru the wall studs no problem!!! Yes I said with no pilot holes.
And just for fun I drove a one inch by 12 inch long lag bolt into
the end of a pressure treated 4x6, with ease.

I removed a rusted 7/8 inch nut that was imposssible to do by hand. The tool is big and heavy no doubt about it but not too
big or too heavy. It does have excellent ballance and is extremley rugged. This much power in a tool does have its down
side, after removeing 4 tires and replacing them the battery is
showing signs of fatigue and after 4 of the 3/4 inch by 10 inch
lag bolts the battery is dead. (those are huge bolts)

If you do this kind of thing often your better off with a corded
impact gun. But I have found the cordless to be very handy.
If the tool stands the test of time its a huge winner!!!!!!

This Milwaukee 18 volt impact wrench is unreal!!!!!!

I have owned it for three months now and I have yet to find
its limmit. Tire lugg nuts are a joke evan on a 18 wheeler!
I have driven 3/4 inch by 10 inch long lag bolts with no pilot
holes, straight thru 4x6 beams into stucco and thru the wall studs no problem!!! Yes I said with no pilot holes.
And just for fun I drove a one inch by 12 inch long lag bolt into
the end of a pressure treated 4x6, with ease.

I removed a rusted 7/8 inch nut that was imposssible to do by hand. The tool is big and heavy no doubt about it but not too
big or too heavy. It does have excellent ballance and is extremley rugged. This much power in a tool does have its down
side, after removeing 4 tires and replacing them the battery is
showing signs of fatigue and after 4 of the 3/4 inch by 10 inch
lag bolts the battery is dead. (those are huge bolts)

If you do this kind of thing often your better off with a corded
impact gun. But I have found the cordless to be very handy.
If the tool stands the test of time its a huge winner!!!!!!