Opinions on this sander....

[scrollpup]

Hi everyone.... I came across this sander on clearance at my local Sears for $199 bucks.... Has anyone got one, and if so, whats your opinion of it? It's not something I would use all the time, but sure would be nice to have when needed...

Thanks for any input,

Jerry


http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...&sName=Sanders

[wood-n-things]

I have the 1" x 6" disc It works but not very accurately..The table for the sanders are really mickey mouse...

[scrollpup]

Thanks Mike.... Outside of their mechanics tools (sockets,wrenches, etc..) I'm starting to have second thoughts about their quality... Sure was hard walking out of their empty handed though

Jerry

[Ocelot]

I don't have that one, but It looks really similar to the Hitachi 4 X 8 that I got on sale at Lowes for around $129 and I really like it. I see the Sears one is bigger than mine though. I've only had it for about 4 months, so I can't talk about it's long lasting durability, but I've enjoyed it a lot. I think a lot of these tools are made by one factory and branded to different names. This is the one I have:

Amazon.com: Hitachi SB10YI 4- by 8-Inch Belt Disc Sander with Dust Collection: Home Improvement

Ray

[unixpro]

I believe that's actually the Delta sander rebranded for Craftsman. Sears does this for a number of their tools.

I have the Delta and think it's great. Well, the belt's great. The disk stopped working a while ago and I haven't bothered to figure out what's wrong.

[Janette]

One thing to keep in mind with Sears tools (especially if they'll be discontinued) is that sometimes/usually sizes are different than the rest of the tool world so you have to get all parts and accessories at Sears. I've see countless people coming into Woodcraft looking for various accessories and/or parts for Craftsman tools and we (or anyone else) just don't carry them. Sometimes there will be an off brand that makes stuff that will fit but not generally. Ask them if they plan to always have replacement sanding belts, etc. or make sure it's a universal size.

[KtownScroller]

Jerry... Why not try Craigslist? Often times you can find real bargains in the for sale tool section. I saw a sander combination like the one you are interested in for $20 about a month ago. I would have bought it myself, but didn't want to travel 1 1/2 hours round trip to get it. Sometimes the older machines are put together better too... Sometimes... lol! Heck half my power tools are from Craigslist or hand me down fixers. They all work almost like new with a little TLC.

[JohnB]

G'day Jerry,
It looks similar to mine, insofar as it has a belt and disk
I have a Chiwnese model, 4'x6" belt with a 9" disc and I use it everyday. It gets worked to death and refuses to die. It has to be one of the most important pieces of machinery in the shed. I use it first sand boards, sand patterns of projects, flatten boxes, touch up mitres, round corners, aris edges, throw pieces of timber across the shed, all sorts of stuff.
There is nothing that can go wrong with them, they are basic and do the job they are designed to. (With the exception of bearings.) I replaced the whole 4 bearings about 2 years after I got it and it haven't looked back. That was bout 5 years ago. One bearing was a bit dickey so I just reckoned it would be easier to replace them all at the same time.
Now looking at the pic of the one you are interested in, I can see some problems, they maybe fixable, they may not.
Looks like it has a dust shroud/cover over the drive roller. Unless this is removable you very limited as to what you can do on the machine. Eg you can only sand timber that is no longer than the the exposed belt. The second thing that gives me some concern is the lever method of tightening the belt. If this has no or very little adjustment, you may find that you are restricted to brand name belts (even certain brands) that fit accurately.

[Kepy]

I have the Delta 6x48 sander that comes with floor stand. It has been a workhorse in my shop for several years. I don't use the 9" disc as often but is handy. I found that the sanding belts last about 3 times longer than the 4" sander I was using before and you can extend that life with the belt cleaner blocks.

[scrollpup]

Thanks for all the help and input y'all...I'll check out the Delta and also go look at the Craftsman again to check out some of the stuff on it and go from there. I am REALLY trying to stop "impulse" buying on tools LOL.

Thanks again everyone...

Jerry