belt sanders under 1000 dollars

S

strother1990

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Mar 2, 2010
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Hi I was wondering if anyone had some ideas on a good solid belt sander for general projects and for the occasional knife making. I by no means a professional but I would like something durable and and reliable for under 1000 bucks.

any Ideas?
 
check out the grinder in a box kit. it would be in your price range and be the most bang for your buck. it does require assembly and motor and wheels etc.

good luck

jake
 
The Grizzly 2X72 knife grinder is very versatile, if you don't want to build your own.
 
there are better options [and probably by far] but i have a ryobi 4x36" belt sander wtih 6" disk. the belt isn't much for knives, but the disk has saved me a ton of work in that area.

for the price, it's been a good all-arounder for me. i'd step up to a dedicated belt grinder if i could, but the pricetags have been prohibitive. building your own would be a great route of you're the DIY type.
 
I'm looking at getting a Coote Belt Grinder for my first grinder. It seems well built and I think I can find a used motor for it and save a few bucks.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
The Grizzly 2X72 knife grinder is very versatile, if you don't want to build your own.
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He's right, the Grizzly is very versatile for it's price point, approx. $525-$550 shipped which is not bad at all. I've been using mine for a while now and have enjoyed it and produced some good results with it. I thought that it would last me a while while I got some experience and learned, but alas, that was not the case!!:D:D I just bought a KMG this week and can't wait to get it. You might want to save up for something more substantial if you are serious about this.

Personally I'm not too upset because I can use the Grizz for certain applications still and it's always nice to have multiple machines so you don't have to change out belts or make adjustments, depending on the needs at hand. I can't remember what site, but there is knifemaker out there on the web who has a page dedicated to comparing all of the main knife grinders out there on the market. I've found that his assessment of the Grizzly is true. It suffers from an weak work rest and a not very solid platen. It could, however make a great slack belt grinder or hollow grinder with a ten inch wheel and an improved work rest. One other drawback is the tracking. If you track over the edge of the wheel or platen and apply pressure, the belt wants to slide away from you at first contact. It just doesn't want to stay put. I've tinkered with belt tension and platen position, but I can't get it to improve.

Just a couple of things for you to consider before making a big purchase. Good luck and have fun:thumbup:
 
earlier this year i purchased a coote 2x72, my first grinder, and set it up with a 1hp motor i found online.. its a great piece of machinery. elegant and bombproof.. you wont be disappointed.

also, mr. coote is great to deal with, responded to all my noobish inquiries patiently and within hours (on weekdays of course!) :D

grindersetup.jpg


my camera is dead or id be posting pix of some of the knives ive made so far, that's coming at some point!
 
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the Coote grinder is the best entry level grinder in my opinion, it's something that will last you forever if not abused, and is very affordable. That said, if your budget is a bit more, the KMG grinder is the best grinder around in my opinion. So much so that I own two of them now... =D

I started with a 2x72 coote with a 10 inch contact wheel, and I had planned on saving it forever, because having 2 grinders is very nice, but then I stumbled across my 2nd KMG, and I didnt really need 3 grinders.

Coote grinders (like kmgs) retain their resale value pretty well too.
 
You can get a plain platen Kmg for 750 bucks from Rob and about 200 for a motor and pulleys and you will have the best,and you can expand it as you need to or can afford.
Stan
 
I second the Coote too. I've had mine for six years, and it's seen very heavy use. No prolems, and as I recall, don't think I paid more than$400. for it.

Dave
 
Another vote here for the grinder in a box. I've just about got everything I need to assemble it, I expect the thing to work very well.
 
Those look good Chris, kinda like a pre-made GIB but with a third tool arm slot. I didn't notice any prices. Could be a good option for those who don't want to drill, countersink, & tap a bunch of holes and put it all together
 
Tippet
Yep its a grinder in a box rev 2. Its going to run about $950.00 for a base grinder with no motor. Still waiting on some parts to finish this run of 10 though. Thats why no prices on the website yet.
Chris
 
jonnymac44 said:
Teacher,
Yep, that's it. Thanks for posting the link. It's a great resource for anyone looking into grinders. I appreciate that he took the time to put that all together.
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Good.... :)
Your welcome too, glad to "find" & post it.
Thanks to you for mentioning it, otherwise I probably never would have found it in the first place. ;)

It does have some very good info, he was very thorough; as well as generous to share it.

Congrats on the KMG also... you did good. I had been watching that thread since day one and kept wondering who was finally gonna nab it..... :D
 
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