Thank you for the tip!

My first thought was, is the table 90° square. Saw your comment @asbrand I haven't used one of these styles belt and spindle sanders before so I am shooting in the dark here. But After looking at the video and some photos I'm wondering if there is enough play between the screw and the spring detent to make an adjustment. Thought process is loosen up the handles and the screw on the detent. Then with a square hold the table 90° to the sander. Then tighten the detent screw. Don't know if it will work but just a thought.

"I used to work for the company when they had assembly plants in the US." Which one? Ridgid or Wen?

Good luck with the new sander! Thanks for watching!

I have the cheapest Wen ceiling mounted air filter and it’s been really great. I use it all the time and recently forgot it on for a few days, no problems. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching!

I've got the drill press with the digital RPM control, and she's lovely, especially considering I don't use my drill press /that/ much. If I were doing this professionally, and needed absolute precision every time, I'd probably have a Powermatic, or something like that, but for my hobby where I plan on making enough mistakes that I always just buy 20% more stock, and the only client I have to satisfy is myself... (so patching a bad drill hole with a dowel, and trying again is ALWAYS an option) the Wen is more than enough tool for most of my needs.

Hopefully we’ll get some budget drill press for reviews soon. Thanks for watching!

Hello Den of Tools! If you google Sealy UK sander you'll find another one in another color. I'd love to know how many are out there and in how many countries. Not sure how companies justify the price difference. Ive seen that Ridgid redesign but haven't used it yet. Looks cool for what it's worth. You have a great channel and I appreciate you checking out mine.

@@ProjectsForAllReviews I've been following these sanders for a few years and the business model is fairly odd. They seem to only do batch processing, even with the Ridgid. There will be months and months where any given model will be out of stock. Then when they come back they are usually full price and after a few months we start to see sales. Then they are gone again. Really odd.

Thanks for watching!

Glad to hear it! Thanks for watching!

I agree Bob! Thanks for watching!

That’s a great price for the Ridgid and more inline with what I think is a fair price for that unit. Thanks as always Michael!

I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a Wen tool based on the good experiences I’ve had so far. I’m sure there will be many more Wen review next year! Thanks for watching!

Glad the vid helped! Good luck with the new sander!

I feel the same way! Dirt cheap and pretty good. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching Brian!

Hello Kris! While these definitely aren’t contractor grade tools I’ve found every WEN tool I’ve used to be totally serviceable and often for half the price of the next competitor! Looking forward to the next WEN review. Thanks for watching!

I am in the same boat, looking to make guitars as a hobby. I can't decide if I need the 10" band saw over the 9". I'd love to be able to resaw 6" maple for bookmatched tops, but it is worth the extra money for something I'll do a few times a year?

@@Gregatron13 Hello! I would just make sure it can really do the resaw if your going to spend the money for that reason. Small band saws are not usually very powerful. We might have the new Skil Benchtop band saw on the channel soon. Waiting to hear back. Good luck!

I agree! Thanks for watching!

That’s one of the great advantages to these inexpensive tools. Low cost of entry and the ability to try new things. I’ve never used a wood lathe but would be a fun review video to make. Thanks for watching!

Glad I helped! Good luck with the new sander!

@@ProjectsForAllReviews It's about 7 months now and I still love it. The only problem I've had is trying to loosen the knob to change spindles. I think maybe I've had the belt part of the sander on too long.

Thanks for watching!!

Yep that would work. My go to is electrical tape. I bought the 12 pack last time I ran out and use it for everything! Thanks for watching!

@@ProjectsForAllReviews no probs. Good video :)

I agree the miter slot is a huge advantage. Wen dropped the ball there. Thanks for watching!

I like that saw also. Check out my review here: How Cheap Is Too Cheap?? || Wen Track Saw CT1065 || Review kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hMx6fs6jtdeYcmg.html Thanks for watching!

I haven’t used the Triton spindle sander but I’ve studied pictures and it appears the Wen Triton and Bauer from HF are identical. I believe the Wen was the lowest price of the three though. It’s really not a bad unit for occasional use. Good luck. Thanks for watching!

how is the Bauer?

Direct Tools just had this for $168+ $15 shipping factory blemished on 11/7. Ridgid is my go to for handheld tools and shop vacs due to their LSA and I'm really happy with this sander. The LSA is honestly pretty incredible, especially on something modular like this with all the moving pieces.

I put the Wen on a festool track and it fit very tight and felt like it was binding. I didn’t force it because the Festool track was borrowed from a friend. Possibly it was just the anti kick back cam causing it but I decided I didn’t want to buy him a new expensive track so I let it go. Thanks for watching!

Duct tape is our friend! Thanks for watching!

I added a 12 inch tube and made sure it's sealed at the base. The other end has a PVC sleeve that's been heated to fits my vac hose. There are other options though

I saw that one made by Clarke. I wonder how many different versions are out there. Could be dozens! Thanks for watching!

I’ve also had good experiences with Wen tools. Better thank expected for the price at least. Thanks for watching!!

I own the Harbor Freight model and based on this video, they are exactly the same.

@@burtreynolds3143 I own a blue one sold by Machine Mart UK. Motor packed up. Inside one of the magnets was rattling around lose.

Made by Clarke. That’s awesome. I wonder how many clones of this one sander are out there.

They are all made in the same Chinese factory with the different brands on them.

Ok, I did some digging in the Wen belt/spindle sander. The spring detent in the right side is not set to 90 degrees. Just like most tools. I I loosened 1 screw and removed the other, flipped it away and put the screw back in and tightened the others one with the spring, so I don't loose them. I played around with my precision square I trust and found that the left and right sides both need adjusting separately because the base has some flex and maybe not totally flat. I then inspected the belt sanding unit and it has issues. First, the left mounting arm that slides into the plastic has a tone of flex. This would matter for 90 top to bottom, as long as it flexes in the same plane but when using the metal stop bar, it might matter for the horizontal plane compared to the tip of stock resting on that metal stop. Next the metal stop moves and is not to be trusted. Totally needs to be modified. Then I found that the screws holding the belt sanding head are NOT flush with the surface we are counting on. Either drilling a better bevel for the recessed screws with a metal counter sink but or sandind down the screw heads might work. I urge great thought into how you tackle this and take your time. Get it all flat either way but dint blame me if you F.U.B.A.R. it! Also, the metal stop puts positions the wood right where the sanding head and it's large roller meet and that creates a bad area for small pieces to get pushed in and leaving an uneven sanding job. This problem seems hardest to fix but maybe simply making an new stop bar that won't allow any wood to to be pressed in that area when the face and roller meet would be in order. In all cases, this video helped a lot because it's been driving me nuts. I urge everyone to read what I typed and go look at each issue. I think everyone will agree on these real issues. I do believe they can all be fixed with some time and thought. I might be encouraged to make a video showing each issue and later making a video on how I fixed each one. I sure would love to read comments from anyone one the same page and their ideas! I really hope this helps! Oh, Im also considering makings some sides to help with dust. Maybe something that is adjustable depending on what I'm doing. Also, I made a 12 inch dongle for the vacuum port with heated PVC that fits my hose. I'm going to look into the DeWalt hose attachments as some one mentioned here. Good luck. It is a nice machine but needs some love and a little more engineering!

@@316woodworks9 I agree that the provided stop is poor- it is placed as an end stop for side sanding, where is will give maximum sanding length. It is useless as a side support for end sanding, as you say. For this I made my own fence, that fits from the front of the table to the belt, mounted further to the left. At the price-point this tool is sold, I did not expect precision; I view it as a roughing sander, rather than for finishing. Having said that, there is a lot to be said for modifying it for better performance. I am either fortunate, or my branding company imposes more QC, but the belt is square to the table at the larger cylinder, and leans in slightly at the top at the smaller. Given the belt tensioning required, a better tolerance would require a more expensive design. Applying force when sanding causes the assembly to flex (it is single ended support) so best to minimize pressure near the end of sanding. My table required no adjustment, it was as true as any die-cast alloy structure is likely to be. When I was (much) younger, I had few tools; my sanding equipment consisted of a flexible disk in my electric drill. Crude as this sounds, much practice allowed me to sand to a satisfactory level. I would sand bevels on curved surfaces free-style. One develops a feel for the process, holding the workpiece in one hand, the drill in the other. Some of this feel transfers to the much more controllable sanding on a tool like this- I do not fully rely on the tool to get all the angles right.

Thank you!!!

Thanks for the comment!

Smart! There’s no advantage to these really in your case. I wish I’d bought a belt/disc instead of the Ridgid but that’s not the tools fault. Eventually I’ll figure out how to sand something straight. Thanks as always!

I also have a HFT 4 x 36" belt/ 6" disc sander. Got it back when they still had coupons for $65. I like it OK for my hobby shop. But...I got spoiled years ago when I worked in a shop with both a Delta/Rockwell 6x48" (flat and vertical) and a 6" x 89" oscillating belt sander which was horizontal. 95% of the time I went to the big boy, because the oscillating action virtually eliminated sanding marks. I am giving serious consideration to picking up one of these. I bought the Wen oscillating spindle sander about 18mo ago. Like mentioned...finish was a bit rough, but the working surfaces were just fine. I spent about an hour with a 6" mill bastard file and a foam sanding block doing cleanup. At this price point, I expect it. I've had no small experience with HFT, and already have my files, abrasives and a jug of VM&P ready when I open a new box with a tool in it 😉

@@woodrowsmith3400 Yep, buying budget tools will always mean spending more time getting them up to par, and people need to keep their expectations in check. I think it is a universal rule of life,.. you can either spend the money, or you can spend the time. When you don't have much money, it makes the decision much easier. Hahaha!

Until they got modified. Right? ;)

I haven’t used the planer yet but I’m sure we’ll get one to test eventually. Thanks for the comment Daniel!

I have the planer and it can get bogged down on wide boards from 10 -12 in wide even just removing 1/64 in per pass other than that I am happy with it.

Thanks for the insight and for watching!

This would be perfect for shaping a guitar body. These cheaper ones work just as well as the Ridgid which now costs an eye watering $320. Thanks for the comment!

It’s an interesting industry for all the cloning and rebranding for sure! Thanks for watching!

This is my thoughts also. If your interested check out my Ridgid sander vid. I remove the belt and run the belt drive with a square on it to see how square it stays when oscillating. It isn’t perfect but its better than I expected. Thanks for the comment!

Yep. It’s on the site as a blem for $224.95. That’s a good deal! I think I saw it at the Depot last week for $330. Thanks for the tip!

I got one for 168 to my door earlier in the year factory blemish

The Wen is back with its owner but I have my Ridgid and we’ll probably do a follow up vid soon where I try to solve some of its issues. Possibly using all the suggestions from the comments. Thanks for watching!

Good guess. I am also thinking this is true. I'm in bed now and just got done looking for all the issues with flat sanding but I know what you are getting at. Raising the base with your own surface should fix that part but look for my recent post on Dec 28.2022 about all the issues I found in general. It needs some engineering

No bandsaws on the channel yet but that should change soon probably with an emphasis on budget models and adjusting. They can be a pain for sure. Thanks for watching!

I honestly didn’t go too deep into dust collection on these and probably should have considering they are sanders. These vids are a little old but I remember both sanders dust collection being similar as both are basically the same design. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching!

Hello! The plastic fan that keys onto the bottom of the spindle and drives the belt drive and the bracket the belt drive slots into opposite the spindle look like weak links to me. The Ridgid and Wen have the same basic design but I have not received a comment on either vid about someone breaking these parts. Both parts look like simple 3D printable parts. Good luck and thanks for watching!

That’s awesome! I was looking at, dare I say vintage, WEN tools on eBay not too long ago. USA made and based in Chicago if I remember correctly. Almost ordered one for the channel. Maybe one day. Thanks for watching!

I used both of there’s sanders back to back and honestly I barely noticed the difference. I think you would be fine either way. Thanks for watching!

Agreed it can be very useful. Thanks for watching!

Thank you! I have a few Wen tools now and they are cheaply made for sure. All function properly and none have failed so there is that. Definitely not a bad option for occasional use. Thanks for the comment!

I think it’s more about the oscillating and belt fitment. It’s the randomness of the result that makes me think this. If they were off but all similar I’d agree table adjust. Thanks for watching!

Possibly but the randomness of the chamfer is what confuses me. We’ll re-readdress this in another vid eventually. Thanks for watching!

@@ProjectsForAllReviews If the same side stayed down against the table, the piece would end up as a thin slice of a very tall irregular pyramid. If you happen to flip the piece over while sanding (while assuming the table was at a right angle to the belt when it isnt) then the vertical vertex would be tilted to the right or the left.

Thanks for watching!

I’d bet the same. They are just too similar.

I agree Chris! Unfortunately this Wen wasn’t mine so no disassembly was possible but I wonder the same thing. Thanks for watching!

Yes there are screws on the stop to adjust however the variation is very random. I don’t know how it could be adjusted because it’s different every time. This issue is exactly the same on both the Ridgid and the Wen. If you watch my Ridgid vid I remove the belt and hold a square up to it. It travels out of square as it oscillates but not by much. Thanks for the comment!

I'm considering not using the detent spring and somehow adding calibration screws that can be dialed in. But the sanding base has flatness issues with the screws and there is an area on the right where the base of the sanding unit and the roller come together and allow you to push your stick into the valley. The metal stop bar is too flexible and the position of it puts the right side of your stock right in the valley. All needs a mod

I don’t have this sander anymore to check for ya and I hate to guess. Thanks for watching!

I completely agree. The similarity’s are to close to be anything else. Personally I’m not too impressed with the Ridgid for the price. $300 and up is pushing it. Thanks for watching Jon!

And the whole head needs to be looked at. My screws stuck out and therefore the sanding surface is not flat. Also there is slop in the left side mount.

I agree Virginia! I have a lot of great Ryobi tools also. Thanks for watching!

I suppose it’s possible but there’s no belt tensioning adjustment on either the Ridgid or the Wen (to my knowledge). Just a lever to get the belt on and off. I’ll have another look at the Ridgid and update if I’m wrong. The more tools I review the more I’ve realized there’s often important info that’s not in the instruction manual. Thanks for watching!

I agree but as the the previous commenter said there’s no miter slot on this one making jigs a little tough. Thanks for the comment!

Totally true!

I have 3 now and same, no problems. They are hard to beat for the money. Thanks for watching!!

My Wen track saw works great. Would not hesitate to purchase any of their products.

Looking at the design in mine, I'm guessing you are not using it for accuracy. The design and manufacturing if it not very precise. It can be altered though and I'm going to try.

I see $202 for the Wen and $329 for the Ridgid at Home Depot. Possible you saw a sale? Thanks for watching!

@@ProjectsForAllReviews I am in Canada maybe that is why the price differance.

WEN has a 2 year warranty on this sander. 90 days if used in a commercial application. Not as good as Ridgids but considerably less expensive to buy. Thanks for watching!

Sorry, for the post, you mentioned the material used in both the Ridged and WEN discs towards the end of the video.

Thanks for watching!!

What I find to be the real mystery is why is the chamfer result so random. Some are almost perfect and some are completely cockeyed. Probably out of square due to the oscillating motion and less because of the table. My Ridgid is exactly the same. Thanks for watching!

@@ProjectsForAllReviews If it is random, then it is probably you. If the results on larger pieces (more stable base to table) is better (smaller angle error), then it is definitely you. The belt is moving in two planes, you need to exercise a lot of control.

@@ProjectsForAllReviews No slight or insult was intended. It looked to me that you held the wood tightly to the table. Maybe the issue is the belt is not quite at a 90-degree angle with the table? Or the belt flexes more at the upper portion? Or even the vibration of the motor causes the spindle to rock? Just curious as the WEN is what I'll probably get when I can afford one, lol.

Lol! Thank for watching!