WEN Benchtop Belt and Disc Sander with 4 x 36 in. Belt, 6 in. Disc and Cast Iron Base (6502T)

I bought the older, cheaper ($99) version of this around eight months ago, but they sent me the updated version anyway, without extra charge, so I guess I’m reviewing that. I mostly need it for the belt sander, not the disc part. I like the unit. It has a not unpleasant operating sound, doesn’t vibrate, is easy to connect to a 2-1/2” vacuum hose and the vacuum/dust collection arrangement is reasonably efficient. Still, you need to wear a mask. I use it to sand small kitchenware objects made from soft maple, and the power is quite adequate for that, so I never come close to bogging down the motor. The aluminum table for the disk sander can be redeployed to work with the belt sander when in the vertical position (with used of an Allen wrench provided). The table itself is sort of flimsy and coarsely ground, but adequate to hold square or an angle if you use it lightly. I didn’t like the coarse grind of the table surface, so I resurfaced it to a finer surface with sandpaper, though for most purposes, it’s fine as is. The belt tracking works well and the belt tracks straight and doesn’t need constant adjustment. The belt provided is coarse grit. Changing belts is not difficult, and finer grade Diablo belts from HD fit and track perfectly. For my uses, I find nothing to complain about.

This may not be what some would consider to be the very best brand on the market, but for my purposes it is fantastic. I don't know why I haven't purchased one of these dual sanders in the past since I do a lot of home remodeling, with just about every power tool necessary (Delta Contractors table saw, Delta Contractors chop saw...both of which are over 20 years old and built like a rock and supremely accurate...Kobalt dual compound sliding 12" miter saw...Dewalt Jig Saw, Tabletop Drill Press which is also over 20 years old, along with just about every hand held power tool out there). When I first started using this it was one of those DUH moments as I contemplated the many things it could have done for me on past projects.My first bout of enthusiasm occurred when I started making zero clearance inserts for both Delta saws, which have very thin plate inserts, which are curved at both ends. I had been using a scroll saw for these zero clearance pieces and had to make some pretty accurate radius cuts with the scroll saw, to fit inside the wider throat of the metal plates. These curved end inserts were only 1/2" wide, which made it rather difficult to perfect a smooth curved cut with the scroll saw, since the very thin blade of the saw, wanted to deflect off of my cut line as I pushed the material.I wasn't entirely happy with the radiused end cuts, since I am a perfectionist who wanted them to look like they were "store bought". When I got the Wen, I proceeded to rip a couple of new 1/2" wide strips for new inserts, scribing the shape of the OEM metal plates. Then took them over to the disc sander and pressed the ends gently into the rotating disc (on the down stroke side). I was able to follow the curve of my scribed line, perfectly, ending up with a very smooth radius. So, it was love at first sight and I can't wait to think of all the other cool things which are possible with the Wen. I noticed that Menards has a different brand on the shelf, which is obviously made by the same manufacturer because they are absolutely identical except for graphics/logos/colors on the Menards unit. I bought the Wen on Amazon.I have also used the belt sander which is very user friendly if you simply watch what you are doing. I currently installing shiplap in my kitchen and I used cove molding in the corners to transition perfectly between the shiplap panels where they meet in the corners. Being an older home, with some wall shifting, in a few places the cove molding was not flush with the shiplap, so when I went to install flat ceiling trim, I decided not to do mitered corners which would have been pretty dicey to get perfect, thus I decided to use square stops for the ceiling trim to butt up to. But could not get the square stock to sit tight and flush in the corners because of the cove sitting out just a hair. So I used the belt sander to very easily sand the rear corner of the stops down at a triangular angle in order for it to clear the cove molding. Perfect solution with little effort to get everything to rest flush with the shiplap. This is something I would have had to do (dangerously) with my table saw, set at a ripping angle, with corner blocks which were too short to do effectively, even if it were not dangerous.Out of curiosity, I scribed a half circle at the end of a 2x4, to see if I could create a perfect semi-circle on the end, without using a jig saw or band saw to curve the end. Used the disc sander and it was a piece of cake. So much easier, accurate and safer than either of the aforementioned.I have read some reviews which complained about the light weight plastic fence, which I can understand, but it is really there, only to keep your fingers safe as something to sandwich between your fingers and the fence. It is an aid, not a cure for doing things that are better done with other tools. The only thing that I think is really lacking which would have elevated the disc sander use, regardless of plastic or metal, would be a way to lock the fence into place, since it slides totally free, as it is currently designed.One of the first things I do when I get any new tool, is to get out my speed square or other square and true up the working surfaces to 90 degrees in as many directions as possible. The angled plate is pretty tough to get exact, due to deflection in the plate when you tighten down angle finder on the side. So I won't be using this for any critical angle sanding.All in all, I love this new addition to my shop and based on other positive reviews, I expect it to be very durable over time. I got the cast iron model and glad I did over the lighter weight unit.

Although not as powerful as I’d like, I was able to do a lot of work with it that I would not be able to do as quickly or easily. It does vibrate, wish it was a little faster and more power and the tension on the belt is loose depending on brand of belt. Overall I give them 4 stars because I put it through some really rough jobs with metal and wood. Still works like a charm.

Even the brand names have similar designs. So if they are all manufactured in a similar factory (if not the same), then get this one.I had a Harbor Freight similar sander, but it was NOT built as good and was an older design. It was made of sheet metal for the frame (that's bad). Worked great for an occasional use home garage unit, but not for woodworking. But not for more than 15 minutes of use at a time (I found out later).So I bought this WEN to replace it after only 3 months of my new woodworking hobby. I have now used this unit for 2-years - several days in a week and several hours each time.Likes: Better fence (than most), can be aligned to run larger width boards across without hitting the disc sander or the fence mount (you can if set the gap too high). It's been reliable, after a year, I did notice some bearing noise - so a little lubrication maintenance and thorough cleaning are needed from time to time (as all should). Easy belt changes (no screws to remove or covers). There is one pivot bold to loosen to get the belt off when in the flatbed. That was not the case with the crappy Harbor Freight sander, 6 screws, and more...shrouds to remove each time. Do you know how many belts it takes to sand wood from 80-320 grit??? (makes a huge difference)!Dislikes: all brands are like this: the fence is too high up on the bed, could get 2 more inches (in many cases). I ended up salvaging my harbor freight fence to gain 1 inch on the length of wood I could sand, but then the fence frame is in the way for wider pieces. I'm likely will have a custom fence made with the extension length to give me the full length of the flatbed (but WEN's fence is better than most I've seen). The disc sander deck can get out of alignment easily (only one mount/angle adjustment screw) and the cheap miter gauge and is not accurate with the loose track slop (like most brands-all too cheap). I could use a better dust collector inlet for use as a flatbed sander - but that would likely impede the vertical sanding configuration. The inlet probably works great for vertical sanding...but not as well for woodworking sanding in the flat configuration.But the other thing I like about the WEN is the reality that all the other major brands have the exact same model (design) - even the big national high-end woodworker brands (just different color plastic parts, but virtually the same plastic parts-so obvious). Maybe they have a nicer miter gauge or a thicker metal fence or thumb screws for adjustments, but the differences are little. So I would not pay 2x the cost.Overall, I'm happy with it since I'm not seeing much better designs even from the national high-end brands. I would rather replace this unit 2x than spend the $ on the same design as the others brands. I might still overtax this unit at times, but it has held up so far. One day I will update to a 6" x 48" sander, but for now, this 4" is working out fairly well. Now can I just get a 12" sanding surface out of this one at times? I would recommend this model for this sander design and never recommend the Harbor Freight version - this one is worth the few $ more (but not that much more).

Same as a lot of other sanders, just different color and labels. Works good. Only issue is some belts are a litte tight getting on. That's probably a belt issue though.