In Brief.

We reviewed three different sizes of belt sanders – 2.5”, 3” & 4”. This sizing is referenced from the width of the sanding belt fitted to each machine. Motor sizes ranged from 450w – 1350w. As we expected, the higher powered machines were generally heavier & more expensive.

A clear leader in the 3” machines was the AEG HBS1000E. It is an easy to use, well thought out machine designed for operator comfort. It is innovative in its use of a smaller front wheel, allowing it to get closer to adjoining surfaces.

After that it was difficult to choose between the 3” Bosch GBS75AE & the 3”/4” Makita 9924DB. Both machines are robust, stable & well designed, & allow the operator to get very close to an adjoining surface.

GMC supplied two machines in the light duty category. These sanders rated highly in the ‘value for money’ category & performed extremely well. They scored almost as highly as some of the trade duty machines & with a big price difference too!

The 4” Bosch & 4”AEG both rate a mention. These machines are big, heavy, powerful & fast! They performed the task extremely efficiently, so we found them inseparable in terms of our overall preference. They both remove a lot of material quickly & effortlessly. You certainly know you have done a good day’s work after using either of these machines!

Belt sanders that connect easily to dust extraction equipment are a bonus for workplace health & safety. If a dust extractor is easy to connect the operator is generally more likely to do so & therefore operate in a cleaner work environment. The majority of the sanders we reviewed provided built-in ports for direct connection to an extractor. The remainder supplied adaptors; however one machine required an adaptor to be purchased as an extra accessory.

Variable Speed Control.

Two thirds of the machines tested came with variable speed control. Variable speed allows the machine to be adjusted to suit the job at hand & can offer more flexibility & control. Operating at a slower speed can be very useful if you wish to sand softer materials such as those used in the surfboard making industry.

Some belt sanders are capable of being used upside down. This serves a purpose similar to a linisher, where you would usually hold the material by hand & use the rotating belt to shape the material as desired.

Our tester considered variable speed to be a bonus, keeping in mind that the main purpose of a belt sander is to remove a lot of stock & quickly.

What We Did.

We tested the range of belt sanders on a small section of floor made of recycled hardwood timber. The nature of the recycled timber meant the floor was rough & uneven.

A belt sander would not usually be a suitable tool for sanding an entire floor - instead you would use a floor sander. Although this was a ‘big ask’ it was an ideal surface for testing each sander’s ability to remove the material quickly in order to create a level surface.