One of the most used stationary equipment for woodwork is the benchtop sanders. They come with a sander, and sometimes even a disk sander, in this instance they would then be called a combination sander. Ideally they are a bit heavy in order to prevent vibrations from happening while working, they are also used for shaping more often. The reason why they aren’t ideal for finishing is that it’s mounted on a bench, and their motor could be too powerful and aggressive unless if you are an expert. They are also easy to maintain because unlike the others they don’t clog as much. But keep note that the combination benchtop sanders aren’t that ideal for treated or soft materials. Here is the Best Cordless Drill.

When you are in need of a belt sander and a disc sander then you should consider this sander as it comes with both. They are kind of a new brand but they are affordable compared to the others. I’m guessing they have an affordable price because their competitors have been around for a longer time and they need to have something special to draw in customers, I just hope once they get really known they keep their prices at a lower one compared to the rest. Even if it’s cheaper in price, it doesn’t have issues in its hum like what usual combination sanders. This is also because its base is made of cast iron so the vibrations are minimized well, and the top is made from cast aluminum that prevents wiggling.

Its belt also tilts from 0 to 90 degrees so it could definitely accommodate most of the things you would need to finish your project. It’s definitely a versatile sander. It also has a dust collection system that actually does its job unlike others. Its levers are all smooth, allowing easy set up, easy change of belts, easy adjustments, etc.

This sander has a lot of things common with the WEN sander we talked about earlier. They actually both have a strong motor, meaning they could handle heavy loads even if they aren’t the most powerful ones available. They also both have a disc sander, but this one can tilt it’s disc sander between 0 to 45 degrees. This is very useful when you need to sand edges that are round in shape. But disc sanders could get clogged, and we want to avoid that. For this sander, it’s best to not use it on treated wood. Instead use it on stained or as much as possible on pure lumber. And again just like the WEN it’s easy to set up, change belts, etc. if this has some pros over WEN, it also has some cons. Unlike the WEN, this one doesn’t come with a cast iron base, even if setting it up is as easy as the latter, using this won’t be as smooth as when you use the WEN. So if you’re aiming for a refined work, this isn’t as ideal as the WEN.

How can I say this? Oh well, this one is still one of the best in the market, thus the reason it’s on our top 3 list. But if compared to those two we talked about earlier, this doesn’t compete well. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t poor quality because this is a really good benchtop sander for a lot of different projects. But unlike those two, this would give you a problem with the dust.

The dust collection system of this benchtop sander would need to be emptied more than regularly because it tends to get jammed. Aside from that it’s range has gaps so it would take longer to clean up compared to the other benchtop sanders. But that’s not the end of the problems this has with dust, since it’s motor isn’t closed well, the dust could possibly get in there. But if you don’t have problems with dust and you believe you could find ways to deal with it then go ahead.

Now people also say this benchtop sander overheats, now I think that’s more because of the location where it’s used. So if you plan on using it for a long time, make sure that it’s in a cool covered location. Now this one is really easy to set up, all you have to assemble is the dust collection and worktables. It’s also made of aluminum and steel so it sure is sturdy and solid. Unlike Rockwell, it’s base is made of cast iron like WEN, so they both keep the vibration at a minimum, so you can use this when you need precise work to be done. It’s motor is more powerful than both WEN and Rockwell, so this is something you should consider when you need power. If you ask people who regularly use benchtop sanders, a lot of them would actually recommend this machine because it really is a pretty good one, aside from its dust issue this one would definitely be the best here.

Conclusion

People have different needs for sanders, different projects sometimes would also need different type of bench sanders. We have talked about 3 of the best sanders for your projects this 2018, they all have their own pros and at the same time they all have their own cons. For WEN, we placed it as the first on the list because it has everything you would need, a cast iron base to make it steady, and even a good motor power. For Rockwell, it’s as good as when except for the fact that it can’t be as steady because its base is not cast iron. And for the last Porter Cable, its power is better compared to both, it’s built with materials that is ideal to work on precise projects but the only thing is its dust collection isn’t really good. If you have something to do about the dust the go ahead and enjoy a strong steady bench sander, if not, choose from the other two. Either way, they are all the best for 2018.