No doubt, but leather belts for stropping really do slow it down. Compared to those, grinding and sanding belts really scoot. I do wonder, though, how much of the criticism I'm reading here comes from binding or other quality issues on individual units.
PS: I did find that 20-30 minutes in a 170 degree oven will tighten up a leather belt that's gotten stretched and won't run without binding.
PPS: HF's motor sits inside a plastic shroud with a fan sucking in air, as well as dust. Get a good coat of metal dust, like you knife makers generate in volume, on the inner motor housing and it's like insulating your attic. That small motor, already working hard, will darn near ignite from the lack of cooling. Disassembly is really tedious, so blow it away with compressed air. Make friends with the neighborhood auto mechanic, if you have to, to use his air gun