Small handheld belt sanders

[LAGrunthaner]

Anyone using the cordless or the wired models? I just realized this small handheld belt sander would come in handy for some of my metalworking projects so I can get into small areas. But if I buy a Milwaukee cordless to work with my batteries they cost over $250. If I get a corded model I can bring the cost down to under $50. which might be the better option. I do love the Milwaukee cordless model and as some here know I just love tools for all they do for mankind. I just need to justify yet another jem in my tool bag.

Some women carry handbags some carry toolbags. Mine is much more functional.

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/products/2482-20

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[Cusser]

[finster]

I had a corded black & decker powerfile a couple of years ago. it was a useful tool for rust removal in narrow areas but using it as depicted above caused the sanding belt to wear a groove in the rubber drive roller. the result was it kept coming off and the rubber drive roller is not a spare part I could have searched for alternative rubber sleeves and bodged it but the whole thing was binned.
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[photogdave]

Milwaukee has sales on bare tools fairly often. I was able to get the M18 sander for around $100 Canadian this year. Love it!
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[zerotofifty]

Battery tools have one big problem besides running out of juice when you need them, and that is the batteries eventually fail, and as is oft the case the battery pack is no longer produced, or maybe you can get an inferior battery pack from an aftermarket brand. I have several battery powered tools with failed batteries that are out of production. If after market are available they are often well over half the cost of a brand new battery and tool. many aftermarket packs are inferior, with lower battery capacity than factory stock packs.
battery packs age out and die, if you dont use the tool a whole lot, the tool will still be in great condition and the battery pack(s) will be dead, or maybe the battery pack will only be able to be able to take a partial charge, they oft suffer a slow death with degrading performance they will die even if never used, they age out. if you run them to full discharge, that shortens their life span


if your need for the tool is near a source of AC power, then go that route, corded. That is my advice.
for me, a belt sander will be used fairly infrequently, I am a hobbiest, it wont be used daily, and will be always be used where I have a source of AC power. thus for me the corded one is my choice.
For me a corldess hand drill is nice, I will be buying a new one as my battery pack for it is dead and after market packs are low capacity and pricey I also have corded hand drills. say I want to drive a screw or drill a hole on my backyard fence, the cordless is nice, no long cords to layout, but in my garage corded is fine.
but for sander, I will not go cordless. usually the need for a belt sander is with a welding project, and I assume it is arc welding, thus you have AC power for the welder anyway, so go with a cord sander.
If you is doing gas welding projects out in the field with no AC power, then a cordless sander makes sense. Otherwise too many disadvantages to cordless


That is my thought, worth every penny you paid for it.
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I’ve only used one of those the was pneumatic and it was handy. I would like a cordless one. Think ahead and keep all your cordless tools the same brand, so batteries interchange.
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[viiking]

I have a few cordless power tools and use them constantly.

However I have found that grinders need to be corded if they are used extensively when doing body work. Regardless of the claims the battery ones in my opinion are just weak.

Regarding the belt sander, I found that it became the most invaluable tool I have for grinding down welds. I seem to have much better control of that tool than the grinder to do so. I used to use a thin cut-off wheel on edge to cut down the welds, but now find the belt sander much easier especially if you get the "valley" in the weld before you can dolly it back up.

Given I have had to do a lot of welding on my projects, I look for a cheap corded belt sander and replace it as it fails. Reason? The dust and garbage that I seem to attract around the car finds its way into the workings and I really don't want to subject my expensive tools to that environment. I can buy 3 or 4 cheap ones for the price of an expensive battery one and so far that has worked for me. The same for grinders. I keep my good one(s) for less dusty jobs and buy cheap grinders, one or two for say 40 and 80 grit size, one for cut off wheels, one or two for wire wheels. It saves the endless stopping and changing the bits every time I do a metal repair.

Whatever you buy see if you can buy a belt sander that shares its belt size with that of a normal wide belt timber belt sander. In my neck of the woods the small 1" or so wide belt sander belts are quite expensive. I buy the wide belts and then cut each wide belt into 5 or 6 narrow belts. It is quite easy to make a small scissor cut and tear the material backed belts into a perfect narrow belt. Just be careful that when you tear towards the diagonal (usually) belt join that it tears through their correctly. Sometimes you have to give that transition point a little cut.
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[babysnakes]

I have a Makita corded one. Very handy.

[LAGrunthaner]

Yes agree batteries don't last and replacement may not be available in the future. Also love the idea of hand cutting a large belt to make many.

I like the idea of if the outlet is nearby use corded. I guess I just wish they could bring the wireless prices down.

I have seen pneumatic models for $25. but dragging a tank to the back yard if I had some yard work or shed work down the road is a huge PITA.

https://www.amazon.com/HYFN-Pneumatic-Powered-1-5H...mp;sr=8-18
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[Cusser]

My belt sander - not used very often, and I don't do auto bodywork - is a small unit from Harbor Freight, 120 VAC.
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