As I have mentioned I used the 1x30 Harbor Freight belt grinder for
years. I could have just bought another one and financially it would be
just fine. Instead I bought two other bench top belt grinders. A 1x30
from Wen and a slightly more powerful 1x42 from Buck Tools.

The Wen was a bit of a disappointment at first. For the first several
months sometimes when I would start it up it would be stuck. I don't
mean hard starting. I mean stuck. That seams to have worked itself
out. I just put a new belt on it and it started fine. In fact its been
a while since I had to give it a push with my finger to break it loose.
I might even put the side cover back on if I can find it. For now it
seems to be working just fine. Its POM wheels seem to be holding it,
but of course they would need to last for years to hold up as well as
the cast and machined metal wheels on the Harbor Freight belt grinder.

The Buck Tool was not at all a disappointment. I have run it for months
and months with a single padded fine finishing belt. I just put a new
belt on it today for the first time. I can bog it out, but it takes a
fair amount of pressure, and fine belts bog out easier than coarse
belts. Its two speed, but I honestly don't know what they lo speed is
for. Wood sanding maybe. I use it for polishing and deburring. I have
no clue how it compares to a big name brand belt grinder, but its been a
joy to use.

I mostly just use the Wen for deburring. I think I am going to move it
over next to the Buck Tools so I remember to deburr with the belt on the
Wen, and polish with the belt on the Buck Tools. Depending on how they
each hold up if/when the the Wen fails I'll probably replace it with a
second Buck Tools 1x42.

--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff


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On 10/31/2024 3:40 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Bob La Londe"  wrote in message news:vfuj2p$2cfsh$[email protected]...
As I have mentioned I used the 1x30 Harbor Freight belt grinder for
years.  I could have just bought another one and financially it would be just fine.  Instead I bought two other bench top belt grinders.  A 1x30 from Wen and a slightly more powerful 1x42 from Buck Tools. ...

----------------------------

My second-hand Delta 1x30 has been trouble free.

I suspect if I didn't use it every single day my original 1x30 Harbor
Freight belt grinder would have lasted a lifetime.

I'm not a big fan of Delta. I spent a lot of money on a brand new 220V commercial 14" radial arm saw from Delta some years back, and now it
sits outside. The power was okay. Adequate would be the best
description. The automatic brake SCREAMED at all times under power. I
had to remove it to use the saw, and now I have to jam a piece of wood
into the blade to stop it from spinning for a crazy long time when
powered down. I guess that means its got good bearings at least. The
safety hardware was always in the way and would bind when trying to use
it properly by pushing it out of the way with the work piece as you
moved the blade. Delta Rockwell might have been good once up a time,
but I'd buy a higher end cheap import before I'd buy another Delta power
tool. When I've talked about this on other groups the consensus seems
to be, with the exception of a few "well mine doesn't do that" fan
boys," Delta is no longer a premium brand. Some take the extra effort
to say, "and that's being polite."

Usually when I "need" a tool I don't have the luxury of perusing yard
sales until I find a used one from back when the company used to be
decent.

I would actually buy another HF 1x30 if I needed one today. I probably wouldn't buy another Wen. I'd definitely buy another Buck Tools 1x42.

--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff

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On 10/31/2024 12:25 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Bob La Londe"  wrote in message news:vg0fgh$2pe7j$[email protected]...

On 10/31/2024 3:40 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

My second-hand Delta 1x30 has been trouble free.

Delta Rockwell might have been good once up a time,
but I'd buy a higher end cheap import before I'd buy another Delta power tool.  When I've talked about this on other groups the consensus seems
to be, with the exception of a few "well mine doesn't do that" fan
boys," Delta is no longer a premium brand.  Some take the extra effort
to say, "and that's being polite."...
Bob La Londe

------------------
My stuff is mostly quite old so perhaps that is the case. I don't need
it to make a living as you do and can afford to wait for bargains. When
I was working I spent a lot of company money on high quality equipment
I'd never have bought new for myself.

I try to get the best bang for my buck for the most part. That doesn't
mean the cheapest solution, but it rarely means the state of the art
latest and greatest either.

Most of the time getting the tool I can afford and getting the job done
works out better than not getting the tool at all, because then I can do
the job and get paid. Often that cheaper tool pays for a better tool.
The old "buy once cry once" mantra is often a barrier to entry. I've
got a lot of very decent quality tools, but they were almost always paid
for with a cheaper tool. I get the idea of that, but its not a truism.



--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff

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