Oscillating spindle sander

[Mike1950]

Do you have strong feelings?

I do. Larger angle grinders, stubborn employee, buying one a day for a week. I in 2005 $70 &vs $300 one. I think Bosch. It finished that job and 15 others, I still have it. It is too bad I had to buy it twice in one week, ggggrrrrrrr. Not a tool, it was garbage. Would you buy a chisel there?

I've had good luck with some of their electric tools, buy the upper end and not the cheapest. I have a 12 disc sander that works great, couple bauer right angle grinders that are decent too, small electric pressure washer has held and going on it's 3rd year. Not a bad purchase for $80 ish. Now I think I am skeptical of all of those cheap spindle Sanders though, they are all the same and come out of the same factory. I'd look for a used powermatic, jet, or even an old delta. But with the delta you wont be able to get parts but it was a solid machine.

I had horrible luck with grinder. Delta, I used to have delta now just my old scroll saw. It was a great brand but you might be one part away from having to dispose of heavy scrap iron. Not serviced tools you made, especially the way it happened, may be legal but many have done same with me. You can say what you want about grizzly, (not fond of Chinese garbage either) but when you call you talk to someone that knows that piece of equipment and speaks fluent English.
HF TEMU just the same to me.

 

[Nature Man]

I do. Larger angle grinders, stubborn employee, buying one a day for a week. I in 2005 $70 &vs $300 one. I think Bosch. It finished that job and 15 others, I still have it. It is too bad I had to buy it twice in one week, ggggrrrrrrr. Not a tool, it was garbage. Would you buy a chisel there?

I had horrible luck with grinder. Delta, I used to have delta now just my old scroll saw. It was a great brand but you might be one part away from having to dispose of heavy scrap iron. Not serviced tools you made, especially the way it happened, may be legal but many have done same with me. You can say what you want about grizzly, (not fond of Chinese garbage either) but when you call you talk to someone that knows that piece of equipment and speaks fluent English.
HF TEMU just the same to me.

Definitely would NOT buy a chisel at HF.

 

[scootac]

I would burn my money for heat rather than buy motorized tool from HF. Past experience. Worst garbage i have bought.

You got more money than I do obviously.
What tool was it?
Was it the Bauer line or cheap Central Machinery line?

 

[woodtickgreg]

Bauer or Hercules are both decent lines for the money, imo.

 

[DLJeffs]

I've had good and bad luck with motorized tools from Harbor Freight. The 9x20 metal lathe I bought back around 2000 was a Central Machine and it lasted until two years ago. The motor actually was still running fine, it was other parts that wore out. The main problem was Harbor Freight no longer supported that machine and I couldn't get replacement parts. I tried similar parts from Grizzly but they seemed just different enough I couldn't get it to work properly. My combo belt/disc sander is also from Harbor Freight. The brushes in that motor wore out and I was able to get them replaced, but it's under powered and bogs down easily. I think the old adage buy the best you can afford (buy it once) still applies. If you buy Harbor Freight, be prepared for some issues (fences and tables get out of alignment, etc), regular adjustments, and maybe even to sort of baby it along rather than force it to work hard.

 

[Mike1950]

You got more money than I do obviously.
What tool was it?
Was it the Bauer line or cheap Central Machinery line?

Quite the assumption. Learned young. Good tools last a lifetime, crap, you get the joy of buying more tha one. You pay again, have to spend time getting and downtime. Buy quality, even used, cry once.
In the life qwest to obtain more stuff there is a fork in road. Left fork you take at 20, but cheap stuff and have more stuff than the guy that buys quality. He slowly acquires lifetime stuff, cheap guy lunges ahead and has much more stuff. But by 30 quality guy has more quality stuff and the other guy is replacing garbage. I buy used, but quality if I cannot afford new. Everyone plays same game but different rules. half of my furniture was purchased used in early 70s. I was dirt poor. Now I make my furniture..

 

[barry richardson]

Getting back to the spindle sander, I think the Ridgid is great, although I use it mostly with the belt sander attachment, I would guess you will too when you realize how handy they are. I saw recently they have came out with an updated model, which is about half the price of the old one, but they claim it has more power and beefier bearings. Im very curious about it, someone should buy one and give us a review

 

[woodtickgreg]

This is the powermatic spindle sander that I picked up used at an auction. I can't remember what I paid for it but it wasn't a lot. It takes several different sized spindles. It has a cast iron top. The jet that looks just like it is almost identical. It has an induction motor, it's quiet and powerful.

 

[Mike1950]

I have the old rigid. Works fine. If i did a lot of work with one, I would want cast iron and steel gears. These things work hard.

 

[DLJeffs]

Getting back to the spindle sander, I think the Ridgid is great, although I use it mostly with the belt sander attachment, I would guess you will too when you realize how handy they are. I saw recently they have came out with an updated model, which is about half the price of the old one, but they claim it has more power and beefier bearings. Im very curious about it, someone should buy one and give us a review
View attachment 286905

Hey Barry,
How accurate it the table and fence? If you set it at 90 or 45 degrees to the belt, is it 90 or 45 degrees? Or do you have to put a square on it? I'd almost be willing to swap my cheapo Harbor Freight for one if it was accurate.

 

[barry richardson]

I find it pretty accurate, enough for my needs, maybe not luthier accurate though, The detents are good enough for me, but you can lock the table at any angle....

 

[DLJeffs]

Thanks Barry. I'll have to think about it but that's my biggest complaint against my HF belt/disc - the table isn't square and won't stay square even if I use a square to set it up. The 6" belt works pretty well on the flat surface but trying to set up a 90 degree fence to square off edges etc just doesn't work.