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This belt sander seems to have plenty of power and the belt tracks well. Once you set it, it stays.
I have found that some sanders are not like that. I have to say, this sander is the best thing out there. I purchased a new foot pad, and it was even again. the tracking is pretty good. Once you adjust it, and place the sander on the wood, it won't move. the difference between the two was remarkable.The porter cable felt like a luxury sander. She took the porter cable, and i got stuck with the craftsman.
The balance was great. initially the belts were wearing unevenly, but that was my fault. I used this to remove paint from maple floors. Whenever using it, make sure the tracking knob is not too tight. If it is, the belt release will not work properly. place the belt on, hold the sander in the air, turn it on, and then adjust. For some reason, the front of the sander blows up at your face when you hold it at the wrong angle. That's why its a four star.
I purchased a Craftsman 3X21 sander so that my wife could work with me. That's what makes the Porter Cable the best out there. The belt release lever is great. It is made out of metal, and is very sturdy. One of the negatives is that the dust collection system sucks. I tried cleaning it, it just don't work.
This was purchased to replace a stolen sander. I have used others andnone compare to Porter-Cable for ease of use and durability.
Plenty of power- doesn't bog down. The variable speed is handy and is a separate wheel control as it should be. Long lived. in shops I've worked in PC was the sander of choice.Belt tracks very well. At this price and the full warranty it's a no brainer. You could pay more and get a lot less sander.
For starters, it never bogs down. I set the machine down (this part is embarrassing) forgetting to turn the trigger off. This is good because it doesn't need a lot of extra force to remove a lot of stock, and the weight helps to keep it on track. It purrs like a lion to this day. That was the main problem with other belt sanders I have used.The sander also has some heft to it. It is not a light weight machine. After trying several belt sanders on the market, I was extremely happy to come across this one. It bounced a couple of times and continued across the floor before pulling the plug from the outlet.
It can be swung around, though, to the left or right out of the way. When I plugged it back in, it pulled itself across the bench and onto the floor before I realized what was happening. Also, the dust bag forms a rub hole, right at the top where the aluminum tube ends inside the bag. Although the "elsewhere" sanders won't work as well.This sander is tough. No matter how much pressure is put on the platen or how long it runs, the motor never bogs. There has been other times when it has been dropped or stepped on and has never had any problems.The only drawback, and the reason I gave it only 4 stars, is the dust bag.
If weight is a concern for you, you need to look elsewhere. I was sanding a faceframe one day when my partner accidentally unplugged the machine. It gets in the way sometimes when working on other than horizontal surfaces. I've sealed it with clear silicone which works fine.
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