WEN 10-Amp 4-by-24-Inch Variable Speed Combination Handheld and Benchtop Belt Sander (HB424V)

THIS THING IS A BEAST. WORTH THE $. HAS A KNOB ON SIDE FOR YOU TO ADJUST PAPER MOVING AROUND ON ROLLER WHILE USING. ONCE YOU GET THAT FIGURED OUT, IT WORKS GREAT AND USES LESS PAPER. USED THIS TO SAND HALLWAY AND BEDROOM. ACTUALLY SON USED IT FOR HIS HOUSE TO DO THOSE AREAS AND HE NEVER USED A SANDER AS MUCH AS THIS ONE. HE LOVED IT AND IT WORKED GREAT. I USED IT TOO AND IT IS A WORKHORSE.

So I'll admit that I don't actually have a Makita, but from what I can tell, that's the gold standard for belt sanders. And in my imagination, they're trouble free and easy to handle/use. In comparison, this Wen is actually pretty good! The unit is very heavy, and feels well made. The handles are well placed, and the trigger is easy to press and lock. The dust collection is ok - half the dust comes out around the belt and not in the bag, but it's a sander, it'll make dust. And the tracking seems fairly good. It does require the occasional tweak of the tracking knob, but for the most part it stays put. I've used it for maybe 200 square feet of sanded board area, and no issues so far. And the best part is that I can buy 6 of these for the cost of one Makita. I'm guessing that if you're a professional, it pays to get the Makita, but for a weekend hobbyist like me, this is all I need and is perfect.

Light weight and easy to use

preforms as described .... but a little on the heavy side.

I bought this to sand some rough cut cedar boards. So far it does a good job. A very good price as compared to a Makita which would cost 4 times as much. I noticed that it weighs just as much as the Makita does which is a good sign. It tracks well and the motor sounds smooth. Hopefully it will last a long time. It comes with a pad so you can turn it upside down and use it to sharpen tools such as a machete. I haven't tried that yet. Since the price is so reasonable it seems that the 4 x 24 inch model is more heavy duty and a better buy. Perhaps more likely to hold up longer. ......One month later......Just want to add that I have been giving this sander a severe workout and the sander is doing great. I have sanded about a thousand feet of cedar boards that were cut with a band saw so they were quite wavy. You have to sand off a lot of material to get them flat which is a lot of work for the sander. On the belt sander with me it seems to work best to sand the boards down with 60 or 80 grit belts until they are flat and then use an inexpensive 1/3 sheet sander with 120 grit paper to get them smooth. They sand down smooth very rapidly with the sheet sander once they are flattened with the belt sander. The hard work is getting them flat. I like the variable speed. If you slow the sander down a bit the belts seem to last longer and it makes less dust. Anyway for the price I am impressed how well the sander has held up to what I consider a severe workout for the sander. Reviewed in Panama not the USA. I use a mail forwarding service in Miami to receive items from Amazon but that is not where I live.

Works well but not so great dust collection

I just had a ryobi 21” belt sander that finally died during a project I was working on recently. There is a time and a place for high end tools but I have found Wen perfectly suitable for many of my needs lately including this beast of a belt sander. I’m building a grill station so I’m leveling 2x6 boards and wanted the biggest and most affordable belt sander I could find quickly. I went with the 24” belt sander by when and I’m glad I did. First off this thing is big and this thing is mean. A great belt sander does one thing well and that’s remove lots of material quickly and this sander does it perfectly. You can turn this upside down on a work bench and also use it as a stationary belt sander by using the included clamps and pad. I’ve changed the belts twice since buying it and the tracking adjustment knob works perfectly and the belt changes are simple and fast. Again there are times when high end is the answer but if you need a reliable, tough and affordable belt sander I would highly recommend this one! At these price points you can get the 21 and 24” models for less than a makita.

this sander works great very heavy duty unit