WEN Benchtop Belt and Disc Sander with 4 x 36 in. Belt, 6 in. Disc and Cast Iron Base (6502T)

Recently bought this WEN benchtop sander to replace an old one from Harbor Freight, it is definitely an upgrade.The base has some weight to it which is nice, and it's super stable. There was limited assembly required and all went together very easily. Changing sanding belts on this thing is very quick and easy, everything seems to fit together well and operate great.I would absolutely recommend this for a lower end budget. Will try to update when I've put more hours on this machine

Even the brand names have similar designs. So if they are all manufactured in a similar factory (if not the same), then get this one.I had a Harbor Freight similar sander, but it was NOT built as good and was an older design. It was made of sheet metal for the frame (that's bad). Worked great for an occasional use home garage unit, but not for woodworking. But not for more than 15 minutes of use at a time (I found out later).So I bought this WEN to replace it after only 3 months of my new woodworking hobby. I have now used this unit for 2-years - several days in a week and several hours each time.Likes: Better fence (than most), can be aligned to run larger width boards across without hitting the disc sander or the fence mount (you can if set the gap too high). It's been reliable, after a year, I did notice some bearing noise - so a little lubrication maintenance and thorough cleaning are needed from time to time (as all should). Easy belt changes (no screws to remove or covers). There is one pivot bold to loosen to get the belt off when in the flatbed. That was not the case with the crappy Harbor Freight sander, 6 screws, and more...shrouds to remove each time. Do you know how many belts it takes to sand wood from 80-320 grit??? (makes a huge difference)!Dislikes: all brands are like this: the fence is too high up on the bed, could get 2 more inches (in many cases). I ended up salvaging my harbor freight fence to gain 1 inch on the length of wood I could sand, but then the fence frame is in the way for wider pieces. I'm likely will have a custom fence made with the extension length to give me the full length of the flatbed (but WEN's fence is better than most I've seen). The disc sander deck can get out of alignment easily (only one mount/angle adjustment screw) and the cheap miter gauge and is not accurate with the loose track slop (like most brands-all too cheap). I could use a better dust collector inlet for use as a flatbed sander - but that would likely impede the vertical sanding configuration. The inlet probably works great for vertical sanding...but not as well for woodworking sanding in the flat configuration.But the other thing I like about the WEN is the reality that all the other major brands have the exact same model (design) - even the big national high-end woodworker brands (just different color plastic parts, but virtually the same plastic parts-so obvious). Maybe they have a nicer miter gauge or a thicker metal fence or thumb screws for adjustments, but the differences are little. So I would not pay 2x the cost.Overall, I'm happy with it since I'm not seeing much better designs even from the national high-end brands. I would rather replace this unit 2x than spend the $ on the same design as the others brands. I might still overtax this unit at times, but it has held up so far. One day I will update to a 6" x 48" sander, but for now, this 4" is working out fairly well. Now can I just get a 12" sanding surface out of this one at times? I would recommend this model for this sander design and never recommend the Harbor Freight version - this one is worth the few $ more (but not that much more).

Works like it should. It a little louder than my other ones but not bad. I like the heaver metal it made with.

I bought the older, cheaper ($99) version of this around eight months ago, but they sent me the updated version anyway, without extra charge, so I guess I’m reviewing that. I mostly need it for the belt sander, not the disc part. I like the unit. It has a not unpleasant operating sound, doesn’t vibrate, is easy to connect to a 2-1/2” vacuum hose and the vacuum/dust collection arrangement is reasonably efficient. Still, you need to wear a mask. I use it to sand small kitchenware objects made from soft maple, and the power is quite adequate for that, so I never come close to bogging down the motor. The aluminum table for the disk sander can be redeployed to work with the belt sander when in the vertical position (with used of an Allen wrench provided). The table itself is sort of flimsy and coarsely ground, but adequate to hold square or an angle if you use it lightly. I didn’t like the coarse grind of the table surface, so I resurfaced it to a finer surface with sandpaper, though for most purposes, it’s fine as is. The belt tracking works well and the belt tracks straight and doesn’t need constant adjustment. The belt provided is coarse grit. Changing belts is not difficult, and finer grade Diablo belts from HD fit and track perfectly. For my uses, I find nothing to complain about.

I would buy this machine again in a heartbeat. Hopefully, I won't have to as it is very sturdy. I love that you can use it as a disk sander or a belt sander and even angle the surface and stand up the belt portion if necessary. It is very versatile and affordable. This was a great help for my woodworking project. Very happy with this purchase.