TOP 5 belt grinders

The Einhell TC-BS 8038 grinder is equipped with an 800 W motor (a decent figure by the standards of household class devices). Therefore, the speed does not “sag” under load, and you can safely lean on the handles with both hands, without fear that the motor will “choke”. The reserve of power plus rather high speed of the movement of a belt (380 m/min) provide productive work. Grinding will require equipment 76x533 mm - tapes of this standard size can be bought at any online store that sells power tools and accessories for them. Consumables are changed without the use of keys. It is enough to flip the lever on the right side to remove the worn tape and install a new one.

All protruding parts (motor housing, belt drive guard, dust collector and rotating handle for pulling the belt) are on the left. And the right side of the instrument is flat. This design allows you to sand parquet close to the walls or process parts at the junction of perpendicular surfaces.

The kit includes a cloth dust bag. Its volume is chosen in such a way that every 10-15 minutes you have to pause and turn off the device (do not forget that Einhell is a household tool, and it should not work for a long time without stopping). But to connect a vacuum cleaner instead of a dust collector will not work. The fact is that the grinder has a non-standard rectangular dust outlet, and there is no adapter for it.

Inexpensive belt sanders like the Einhell TC-BS 8038 are great for the hobby shop, small home repairs, or leisurely building a summer house. But for professional carpentry and construction work, you should look for something else.

The Black & Decker KA86 machine belongs to the class of household tools. It is inexpensive and light (only 2.5 kg), but at the same time powerful enough to perform various types of grinding work. But there is a caveat: the gear ratios of the gearbox are selected in such a way that even at maximum speed the belt speed does not exceed 206 m / min. Therefore, for high-speed fine grinding, this tool is not suitable in the best way. But the machine is fully revealed during rough cleaning work using coarse abrasives. Thanks to the increased torque, it easily peels off paintwork materials, top layers of wood or rust on metal. In addition, it does not wedge if the device is strongly pressed against the surface to be treated, and this compares favorably with most other belt grinders.

A characteristic feature of Black & Decker belt sanders is the reduced diameter of the front roller. This design allows you to increase the sanding area and reduce the "dead zone" to a minimum, working close to adjacent surfaces (for example, walls and skirting boards). To prevent the tape from slipping off the rollers, the device is equipped with a mechanism for its automatic centering on the shafts.

But the dust removal system is frankly unsuccessful. Due to the small volume of the cloth dust collector, every 5-10 minutes you have to pause and shake the dust out of the bag. Separate "thanks" deserves the nozzle of the dust extraction system. It is not round, like the vast majority of other machines, but rectangular, and original adapters do not exist in nature. Therefore, it is not possible to connect a dust extractor.

Buying a Black & Decker KA86 sander will be justified if you are doing home repairs yourself and need a tool for coarse low-speed peeling (for example, removing thick layers of old paint from floors and doors). And for delicate work that requires a high belt speed, it is better to take Black&Decker KA88 Price from 3 475 up to 5 699 ₴.

The Makita 9910 grinder has legendary status. It has been produced since the 90s of the last century. Such incredible longevity is easy to explain: this is a very successful model, which, despite some shortcomings, is so reliable that it is considered practically “indestructible”. It is sometimes blamed for the mediocre quality of the casting of the body (there are uneven joints of plastic parts) and the absence of any overlays on the handles, but the electrical part and mechanics work, as a rule, flawlessly.

The machine is light (2.7 kg) and quite compact, so it fits well in the hands and allows you to work with one hand. The tool is equipped with a 650-watt motor that scrolls the tape at a speed of 270 m / min (the same grinder, but with the ability to adjust the speed in the range of 75 - 270 m / min, is sold under the name Makita 9911). Thanks to the automatic centering mechanism, the tape (size 76x457 mm) sits on the rollers like a glove and does not “walk” to the sides. It fits almost close to the right "side" of the machine, so with this tool you can grind floors at the junctions with walls. The start button has a lock for continuous operation, and the shape of the body allows you to mount the grinder on its side or upside down (for this you need to buy clamps, which can be found in our catalog of clamps under article 192694-6). That is, if necessary, the Makita 9910 easily and quickly turns into a miniature grinder for processing small parts.

Separately, it should be noted the high efficiency of dust removal. Almost 90% of the chips and dust fall into the cloth dust collector, and if you connect a vacuum cleaner, then even more (by the way, it is recommended to use a vacuum cleaner for long-term work, because its traction improves the cooling of the electric motor). But it should be noted that when processing raw wood or fibrous materials, internal air ducts can become clogged (they have a complex shape and not very large cross section), and they will have to be blown with a compressor to unlock them.

The Makita 9910 grinder is a “workaholic” that tolerates heavy loads well and is able to work for a long time without stopping (it is also worth mentioning the fairly quiet operation, thanks to which the user is less tired and can also work without interruption). This tool can be used for joinery and carpentry work, as well as for sanding floors or treating wooden surfaces for painting. But for large volumes of work, it is better to choose more powerful and productive equipment, such as Makita 9404(1010 W) or Makita 9403(1200 W) grinders.

The Bosch PBS 75 A machine belongs to the DIY segment, but is of decent quality. It has a solid construction with aluminum alloy parts and a good 710W motor, thanks to which the device copes with loads perfectly. The right side of the machine is completely flat (the dust container and drive belt are on the left), so you can sand close to the walls. The upper part of the case is flat, which is ideal for stationary installation in an inverted position (there are special grooves on the case for mounting).

The device is equipped with an automatic centering mechanism. It is very effective and convenient, but worn cheap tapes still have a tendency to slip off the rollers. Therefore, it is important to use quality sanding belts of the correct size.

The plastic dust collector collects dust well, but clogs up after 10 to 15 minutes of operation. Fortunately, it is possible to connect a vacuum cleaner. Complaints are caused only by the system for removing heated air from the engine. It is made so that the air flow is directed to the face. Therefore, left-handed people like this machine more than right-handed people, who have to wear goggles.

The Bosch PBS 75 A machine will not cope with rough carpentry work, but it has few competitors in the domestic segment. Alternatively, consider only the identical model Bosch PBS 75 AE 06032A1120 Price from 7 200 up to 8 172 ₴, which is equipped with such a useful feature as speed control. And for serious professional tasks it is better to take Bosch GBS 75 AE Professional 0601274708 Price from 10 350 up to 14 129 ₴ from the "blue" series (but it costs three times as much).

The Metabo BAE 75 grinder is well made, as it is “sharpened” for professional tasks. It is durable and suitable for long-term hard work in almost non-stop mode. It has a very powerful engine (1010 W), a solid metal-plastic body, steel guide rollers and a metal sole on a cork backing. Although the machine is frankly heavy (4.7 kg), it is very comfortable. It does not need to be pressed during operation (the own weight of the device is enough) and it is easy to guide along the surface thanks to the ergonomic handles. The front handle can be removed or repositioned to customize the instrument.

The machine is characterized by high productivity due to the high maximum belt speed. The speed preset function (implemented using a wheel located on the handle) allows you to adjust the belt speed in the range from 240 to 450 m/min. The selected revolutions are maintained automatically, so all areas of the surface are processed in the same mode, regardless of the resistance of the material.

The design of the device immediately provides for the possibility of its installation in an inverted position. Moreover, the package immediately includes a special bed for stationary installation and a longitudinal stop with a variable angle of inclination (only clamps are missing to securely fix the bed to the table, they need to be purchased separately).

The cost of the Metabo BAE 75 machine is quite high. It is understandable, because this is not a household tool, but a professional model. Such a device is suitable for those who want to buy a powerful and high-quality grinder for intensive use in a workshop or at a construction site. But it is surprising that, despite the far from the budget price, the manufacturer stinted on a plastic case necessary for storage and carrying. Luckily Metabo tool boxes can be purchased separately for a low price.

By the way, AEG has a belt sander AEG HBS 1000 E, which is a complete copy of Metabo, but it costs a little less due to a simpler configuration (no bed and stop).