If you are looking to smooth down large surfaces, especially ones that are really rough, and are looking to purchase a tool specifically tailored to carrying out the job, then the best belt sander is likely to be exactly what you are looking for. Sanding can be an unforgiving job, and investing in a decent belt sander will save you huge amounts of time and energy.
But what is the best benchtop belt sander for your project? With many different models on sale it can be difficult to figure this out. That’s why we have put together these belt sander reviews where we review the five best belt sanders to help you make your choice.
Best Belt Sander Comparison
WEN
Features: 4/5
Durability: 3/5
The Highlight:
Belt and disc sander
Black & Decker
Features: 2/5
Durability: 2/5
The Highlight:
Front roller for portable use
Generic
Features: 2/5
Durability: 3/5
The Highlight:
Great entry-level device
Makita
Features: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
The Highlight:
Powerful, quiet device
Hitachi
Features: 3/5
Durability: 5/5
The Highlight:
Cordless
The best belt sander can be a lifesaver when there’s a lot of sanding work to be done. They save a lot of time and can be a lot tidier than other methods because they come with inbuilt dust collection bags.
They are mainly designed for higher intensity uses on rough surfaces such as flat boards and are great for removing old finishes like paint, varnish, and stains. Professional craftspeople consider belt sanders as being vital pieces of equipment for the larger jobs, but not necessarily for smaller more precision work where they would use an orbital finishing sander.
To this extent, if you are looking for an all round product for home use and don’t want to be getting two different types of sander, you may be better off buying a random orbit sander instead of a belt sander.
Belt Sander Reviews
- Two-in-one machine with a 4x36 inch belt and a 6x6 inch disc
- The belt can tilt between 0 and 90 degrees
- Heavy set iron base which eliminates vibrations
- Speeds of up to 3600 RPM
- Easily changeable sandpaper grit
- Dust collection port
- Extended blade guard to stop things getting trapped
This machine from WEN provides all the functionality you would expect from a belt sander in one neat product. You actually get two sanding tools here, with both a belt sander and a disc sander. This makes this an appealing choice if you are looking for something to sand large, rough objects or smaller, more precise ones.
The heavy base is a nice addition that holds the unit steadily in place without succumbing to excessive vibrations, and the extendable blade guard is a good safety feature that will prevent hair or fingers from getting caught up. It also functions as a wood stop, which makes the wood easier to handle.
With a dust collection port that you can attach your own dust collector to, the days of cleaning up dust and debris are over. The belt is also fully tiltable, which allows you to adapt the position for however the job requires.
Included in the purchase is a two-year warranty, so if any problems arise you will receive full support from WEN. Customer reviews for this product on Amazon are generally very positive, especially considering the price and what is included. There are a few concerns about the durability, however, and it may not be right for you if you have some particularly heavy loads to work with. This is one of the best benchtop belt sanders available.
Overall, as a multi use sander, this is a great option. It’s versatile enough to be used for a wide variety of jobs in an efficient and effective way.
- Front roller to easily reach tight corners
- Three position handle to allow precision control
- Dust collector
- Easy to change sandpaper design
- Comes with a medium grit sanding belt
If you are looking for a handheld belt sander at a reasonable price, then the DS321 from Black & Decker is a worthy contender for your needs. From a company that is synonymous with power tools, this sander is great for home improvement jobs that require sanding objects that are already in place.
The front roller allows you to take the sander right up to the edge of floorboards and perform precision movements around awkwardly shaped surfaces. The dust collector and dust bag ensure that you don’t make a dusty mess where you are working, and the retractable handle gives you full control over the motion of the device, letting you reach the trickiest spots.
The sandpaper that is included with the product is not necessarily great for all uses, however, so you may need to also buy some extra of different coarseness to optimize its effectiveness on your particular task. Luckily the process of changing the sanding belt is simple, and only requires using the belt release lever and loosening the adjustment knob.
There are mixed reviews of this product on Amazon. While many customers have been impressed by the portability and performance of the device, especially at the price, there are quite a lot of comments about tracking difficulties and it being unsuitable for heavy use jobs.
If you are looking for a well-priced device for light work, this product may be just what you need. Its portability will allow you to get into any areas you need. If, however, your needs are more heavy duty, then you may find this sander struggles to keep up to requirements.
- Tilts between 0 and 45 degrees
- Small and compact design
- Rotates at 3400 RPM
- Great for knife sharpening
- Table size of 5x5 inches
This belt sander is a lightweight, small device that is ideal for low intensity jobs such as sharpening knives and carving tools. It is by far the lightest machine on this list, and is the cheapest too.
It features a 5x5 inch table, which tilts up to 45 degrees, and a 1/3 horsepower motor, which turns the belt at up to 3400 RPM. Weighing in at only 1.1 pounds this is the ideal machine for you if you are looking for a device to have around the home for small jobs. It won’t take up much space, and is ready to use straight out of the box so you’ll be sanding within minutes.
This sander is very quiet, and because it is a table unit the vibrations are kept to a minimum. There is an inbuilt vacuum and dust collecting hole to keep mess to a minimum, and a protective barrier to prevent things like hair from getting caught within the mechanism.
Customers who have bought this product for light tasks have found it to be great for their needs and a very good price for what it is. Those with more intensive demands, however, have found it struggling to cope. It’s a great entry-level device for you if you are new to belt sanders, but won’t be useful for large scale renovation works.
The product only includes one medium coarseness belt, but is compatible with a full range of belts from smooth to coarse grit. This allows you to optimize the belt sander for sanding metal and most other materials.
- Dial for speed control
- Auto tracking system
- 16.4 feet power cord
- Very quiet
- 1-year warranty
The Makita 9903 variable speed belt sander is a hand-held machine designed for high performance work. It comes with a powerful 8.8 Amp motor, but only produces 85 db of noises when in operation.
There are a variety of features that should make the job of sanding as simple as possible for you such as an auto-tracking belt, a variable speed control, and a very long power cord to allow you to work wherever you need to. The front grip design makes the machine comfortable to hold, and it comes with a dust bag to make sure you don’t have to spend ages cleaning up dust after the job is complete.
Some belt sanders aren’t able to reach the edge of boards when you’re performing improvement tasks around the home, but this model is specifically designed to avoid this problem. The nose and side of the sander can reach right up against the edge to allow you to sand flush to the wall.
If you are a general contractor, carpenter, or woodworker who are looking for a heavy-duty appliance that will perform tough tasks all day, then this could be the perfect choice for you. At the higher end of the price range for such products it may not be such a great option if you are looking for a device to help in occasional home tasks, but would certainly carry them out well if you wanted to have one of the best available.
The variable speed options, a feature not available with many sanders, allows you to adjust your needs for any job, and the process of changing belts is simplified so you can alter the coarseness of belt with ease. One 80 grit sanding belt come included, so you will need to buy some more if you want to take advantage of this.
Customer reviews on Amazon are incredibly positive about this belt sander, particularly for tradespeople who have used it for large scale furniture and floor restoration projects. Particular highlights for customers include the maneuverability, auto tracking feature, and surprising quietness.
- Variable speed option
- Soft grips for comfort
- Tracking window to see work area
- Dust collection bag to reduce mess and airborne dust
- Includes one 80 grit belt
- Cordless
This belt sander from Hitachi provides you with a great deal of maneuverability and functionality to assist with projects around the home. It’s designed by use for professionals as well as amateurs, and comes with a range of features to make the sanding process as simple and stress free as possible.
The variable speed feature allows you to adjust the device for the particular needs for the project you are working on, and is a feature only available on the more expensive devices. There’s also a built in tracking window, which is handy to let you directly see the area being worked on to produce the result you want.
The 9 Amp motor gives you plenty of power to work on the toughest of materials, and the convenient location of the dust bag enables you to get right into the corners without missing a spot. This belt sander can be used for smoothing wood, steel, and removing paint.
Despite it being more expensive than other models on this list, it is built to last and comes with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and a 5-year warranty, the longest of any being looked at in this review.
With this model, Hitachi has used a special wear resistant V-belt that they claim doubles the service life of the sander. The handgrips make it very comfortable to use even on the toughest of surfaces, and my favorite feature of this belt sander is that it is cordless, so you never have to worry about working too far away from a power socket or accidentally get wrapped up in the power cord.
There are a lot of happy customer reviews of this sander. It’s about mid-range when it comes to price, but many reviewers find it far more effective than the more expensive ones. It is said to be perfect for low or moderate intensity jobs, but maybe not quite powerful for the most intensive uses. Also of note is the top-heavy nature of the product, so you need to keep hold of it tightly.
Best Benchtop Belt Sander: Conclusion
With such a variety of products being available, it can be difficult to decide which one is the best belt sander for your purposes. There’s a big difference in price between those on offer, with the more you spend usually translating into more features and a more powerful motor. It completely depends on the size of jobs you are looking to perform, with the smaller, cheaper models being ideal for simple work and a great choice for you if you are new to belt sanding.
Our choice for the best portable belt sander is the Hitachi SB8V2. It’s a great multi purpose sander that comes packed with features at a competitive price. It will perform virtually any task you require of it, and is built to last.