# Wen 6502



## norman vandyke (Jul 1, 2015)

Thinking about getting my first bench top sander. Anybody have the WEN 6502?


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## justallan (Jul 2, 2015)

Norm, I know nothing about the "Wen" sander, but it's very comparable to the #97181 from Harbor Freight. They have them for $80 and maybe you can get a few more $ off with a coupon. I used the heck out of them when I built paintball guns out in Cali. I bought one in Billings about 2 years ago and it's strong as ever, so the quality is the same anyway. HB does have loads of junk, but I feel this sander is pretty durable and has proven itself easily. You do have to screw it down though or you'll be chasing it all over trying to get something done.


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## JR Custom Calls (Jul 2, 2015)

Yep, basically the same as the ryobi, hf, rikon, skil, etc... I'd either get the HF one for half the price, or go up a step for the bigger rikon that usually runs about $200


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## norman vandyke (Jul 2, 2015)

The rikon was what I really wanted but online reviews basically said the wen was just as good. I'd prefer a grizzly but that's a little out of my price range but not too far. Lol. I just want more money for other tools.


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## norman vandyke (Jul 2, 2015)

justallan said:


> Norm, I know nothing about the "Wen" sander, but it's very comparable to the #97181 from Harbor Freight. They have them for $80 and maybe you can get a few more $ off with a coupon. I used the heck out of them when I built paintball guns out in Cali. I bought one in Billings about 2 years ago and it's strong as ever, so the quality is the same anyway. HB does have loads of junk, but I feel this sander is pretty durable and has proven itself easily. You do have to screw it down though or you'll be chasing it all over trying to get something done.


I'm usually a little wary of buying power tools at hf. Hand tools seem to be fairly sturdy, though I would recommend against getting a hand plane there. Biggest waste of money ever. Guess I should have expected crap for $15. I've been working on flattening the shoe for a while now, then I need to sharpen up the blade.


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## JR Custom Calls (Jul 2, 2015)

To add another one in the mix, the porter cable at lowes is the same as the bigger Rikon. Just keep in mind Rikon has a 5 year warranty and actually stands behind it. Not sure about porter cable, but I know their stuff is pretty decent.


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