HotRdd wrote:
Found myself pulling the old Ryobi 21" belt sander out of the bgox yesterday
and noted that's one of my tools that really, really needs to be replaced.
It's served me well for several years but is really starting to sound bad.
SO, in the hopes of getting a new one what models should I look at for
general use and what features are helpful?
Right now I do not have variable speed?, A quick change of the paper is nice
and ergonomics are a major factor. What are others using that they like?
There really aren't any that I like very much for the ergonomics any
more. I am partial to 3x24, though, so that is somewhat a limiting
constraint on my own choices.
The best choice I found for my purposes when replacing the old (as in
20+) B&D was the Makita lower profile although I can't think of the
model and it probably isn't made any longer, either, anyway since
everybody seems to think they have to introduce new and kill old models
at the drop of a hat anymore...
Anyway, it is ok -- balance isn't as good as the old center-mount B&D,
but not nearly as bad as the side-driven models and lower for clearance
than many.
Variable speed is also an "ok" option, but certainly note a make or
break one (again, other usage patterns could conceivably make that a
bigger advantage).
Paper change is good as is tracking and dust collection adequate.
Biggest "gotcha" for 3" these days is that virtually all 3" machines are
made from 4" chassis w/ nothing but the rollers and platen swapped out
for narrower ones. This usually means the machine can't reach an inside
corner as the platen doesn't reach the edge of the housing even on the
open side and contributes a lot of bulk and heft (and imbalance) for no
useful purpose.
If it came in a 24" version, I'd give the 3-wheel DeWalt a whirl. It
surely appears from pictures to have an opportunity to be much more
amenable to handling than most of the other current designs, much in
keeping w/ my old favorite B&Ds (may the rest in the parts bin in peace
while I keep wishing for a way to remake the drive gears at a reasonable
cost)...
HTH...
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