Variable Speed Belt Sander Buying Guide

Variable speed belt sanders can be used for a variety of projects around the house. They can get a smoother finish than orbital sanders, and can usually tackle larger jobs quicker than other kinds of sanders. But not all variable speed sanders are created equally: here’s what you need to know in order to pick a good one.

The first thing you need do when trying to find a good variable speed belt sander is make sure that the sander truly has variable speed. You don’t want a sander that says that it is variable speed, but it actually is multiple speed, where you just get low, medium and high. You want to make sure that you get a sander that is truly variable – meaning it responds to your pressure on the trigger with corresponding speed.

Another thing you’ll want to make sure that your variable speed belt sander has is a switch that will let you keep the unit one. Sometimes referred to as a continuous switch, this will allow you to switch the sander on and keep it in the on position. When you don’t have to keep on hand on the power button, you’re free to grip the sander any way that’s most comfortable to you. This is a really useful feature if you’re working on large jobs or jobs in small or awkward spaces because it allows you to change your grip as needed.

A must with any kind of belt sander, including a variable speed belt sander, is an easy to use tracking adjustment. Because of the nature of a belt sander (the sandpaper runs in a loop) you want to be able to adjust the tracking easily. If a belt is not properly installed, or if the alignment is slightly off, then the belt will slowly makes it’s way to one side or the other while running, which can result in uneven sanding, or even leaving marks on your sanding surface. By being able to easily adjust the tracking on your variable speed belt sander, you can eliminate the chance of this.

Lastly, make sure that your variable speed belt sander has a good dust port. By minimizing the amount of dust put into the air, you’ll save yourself a lot of aggravation and harmful inhalation of sawdust, as well as making your clean up time shorter. A good variable speed belt sander will have both the option of using an included dust bag or hooking it up to an external hose, like a Shop Vac.