WEN WA0002 8-Inch Sandpaper Cleaning Stick and Woodworking Eraser Block

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).

This is exactly what I needed at a great price. This has cut my sanding time on my two most made things down dramatically. The final result not only gets done in a fraction of the time, it is also a higher quality result. I bought a set of belts here. I am set up for a while.

I have mixed feelings on this thing. If you get a good one that works, for the price I think this is a pretty good deal. Though from running it, I can totally see how this thing could eventually break/wear out if you push it to its somewhat limited limits.Aside from gross mechanical defects, the thing is literally just an AC motor, a starter capacitor, and a switch so you'd think the opportunities for breaking would be limited, but of course not. The first one I got sent had a busted motor, which boiled down to either a dead/damaged coil or possibly a warped bearing, but likely something with the winding...how this passes the testing is beyond me. Depending on the rotor's starting position it would run, but less than a full rotation and stall out at the same location. After I figured this out, I returned it (which was a pain since the thing weighs a lot) and a new one was sent. No issues there. This new one worked right off the bat, and for what I need it for (light sanding on smaller projects), it works pretty well. For the price, you really can't beat it. It is for sure not very high quality, so if you're looking for an investment piece, look elsewhere...If you're a serious woodworker, I think you'd find this thing frustrating. There's some other ones on Amazon at the next price tier up, but they all look the same (at least the structure)...maybe they have better QC'ed motors or something. They are likely all probably made in just a single factory in China making all of these and then they get branded differently...maybe they add first-choice motors to the other brands and Wen gets the second-choice or somethingWen tools in general have been hit or miss for me. I have this and a bandsaw by them and I've been underwhelmed, but they work for what I need them for. I also got their cheap scroll saw, and for whatever reason that one works pretty well and I am impressed for the price. These are all consumer-grade/junk power tools. Don't get your hopes up and you won't be disappointed. If anything this should serve as a reminder of why nicer tools cost what they do.

Llego en tiempo, completo y funciona perfectamente, es una lijadora de batalla, ya el tiempo dirá que tanto aguanta.

So, I'm happy, it does the job, seems solid. And even better, it does what I wanted it to do. The belt is easy to change, and moving the belt sander from horizontal to vertical is a breeze. If it lasts, it's all good.Now I'm going to nitpick:One, I got a used one that Amazon said was inspected. Nope. The disc head was loose requiring me to waste an unused sanding disc to tighten it. The screw holding it on was a few turns loose. This was obvious, so I really can't accept it was inspected. I wonder if that is why it was returned in the first place - the purchaser thought it was defective because the disc wobbled? So, my advice is to go over it with the included manual when you get it before you use it. The drive belt was completely loose too.Next, the unit seems to have an odd combination of super solid cast iron with steel pressed parts mixed with cheap plastic parts. Still, overall, I think it's a good solid unit, so don't let that turn you off, I think they had to save money somewhere, and that's where.The table for the disc sander can be hard to get square. When you hold a square up to it and start to tighten, it wants to move one way or the other. It can be done, but it does require patience.The mitre square that comes with it - like most table saws these days - is cheapo. It works, but for goodness sake make sure you carefully check it with a square - don't trust the degree settings until you confirm.BTW, this is the exact same unit sold at a famous Canadian retailer that has tires in their name, but theirs is painted blue and sells for waaay more, so this is a better deal for the same unit in a different colour.

Ya tiene medio año que compre esta lijadora y funciona perfectamete, es robusta, estable y de buena potencia (incluso mas que las lijadoras de marcas comunes que hay en Mexico y a un costo menor)Para uso domestico es una excelente opcion.PROS:Es barata / Silenciosa (dentro de lo que cabe para una maquina de ese tipo) / Versatil / buen acabadoCONTRAS:Hay que conseguir un adaptador para el orificio de la aspiradora (es mas grande) / Y hace falta un manual de uso y cuidados del aparato con mejores explicaciones (es muy escueto y solo esta en ingles)

Buen producto y calidad

I bought this sander over half a year ago and I use it primarily for working with metal.So far I am very happy with the unit, it is not too loud and it is nice and heavy, so I do not even need to bolt it to my work bench.Changing the belts is very easy and so is the alignment.I have only used the side sander a couple of times and it works as well as you would expect, nothing is out of alignment and the table is easy to adjust.There isn't a whole bunch else to say honestly, it is just a good belt sander for the money.