Which belt sander?

I need some advice. I have a very old Porter-Cable 3x21 sander. It is very old and it needs some parts like rubber tires, etc. that are likely NLA.

Should I go with a new 3x21 sander or should I go with a 4x24" sander?

If I go with the 4x24" then should I go with Porter-Cable 362VSK or should I go with the Milwaukee 5936? The PC is variable speed and the Milwaukee is not. Is it really worthwhile to get the VS sander? No point in getting something that is of little to no usefulness.

If a 3x21 is better then should I get the PC 352VS?

I dont use the belt sander all that often but maybe I would use it more often if it would sand flat.

Reply to
R. Pierce Butler
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R. Pierce Butler wrote: > I need some advice. I have a very old Porter-Cable 3x21 sander. It is very > old and it needs some parts like rubber tires, etc. that are likely NLA. >

I've burned up more belt sanders than I can remember.

The Porter-Cable units in your post are garbage, I've burned them out repeatedly.

Got to the point P-C would no longer rebuild them under warranty.

If you truly need a belt sander, then the Porter-Cable 50* (with or without dust bag), chain drive unit, is the ONLY one worth having.

It is the most expensive unit out there, but it is also the only one that will survive hard service.

If you build a lot of tops, a belt sander makes sense.

If you don't, not sure why you would want one.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

Lew Hodgett wrote in news:H4oCg.5891$xp2.3350 @newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:

I do some tops but not many probably due to the lack of a good belt sander. The belt sander is useful for quick removal of material.

Reply to
R. Pierce Butler

If you have Fine Woodworking #170 (Or online but Membership Required) Choosing and Using Belt Sanders by Scott Gibson

These aggressive tools are unmatched at rapidly flattening panels and shaping curves. Belt sanders have long been a mainstay tool for tasks such as flattening glued-up panels, removing mill and burn marks, or evening up two joining surfaces. In this overview, Scott Gibson, a regular contributor to Fine Woodworking, sorts through the different sizes and features of belt sanders available to woodworkers, and tests models from seven manufacturers-Bosch, Makita, Craftsman, DeWalt, Hitachi, Porter-Cable, and Ryobi-examining the effectiveness of dust collection and stock removal on each. Also included are tips for shaping curves and flattening stock, and a look at sanding frames, which add stability when sanding flat panels.

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Reply to
topbs1

As long as you use a belt sander as a stock removal and not a finishing tool, you will be happy with the "Choo-Choo".

It is a beast that comes to do heavy work, not play games.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

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