Picked up a Harbor Freight 4″ belt sander on sale for $29. Worth it? Barely.
The good: It runs. Belt tracks reasonably well after adjustment. Gets material off fast.
The bad: Motor bogged down on hard maple. Dust collection port is decorative at best. Platen flexes under pressure.
For softwoods and occasional use, it’s fine. For hardwoods or daily use, save for a Makita or DeWalt.
I’ll keep it as a dedicated sharpening jig sander where precision doesn’t matter.
