DeWalt Heavy-Duty 3" x 21" Electronic Variable Speed Belt Sander DW431 Product Review

DEWALT DW431 3" x 21" Heavy Duty Variable Speed Electronic Belt Sander Pros Well balanced, light, powerful, cord guide, effective dust collection Cons Position of speed control The Bottom Line This is a great sander and it's less money than others in its class.

Full Review

I bought this sander on the advice of my favorite power tool guy at the local woodworker's shop. He hasn't steered me wrong. Here's why. Form I almost didn't buy this sander simply because it seemed too small. It is smaller than any other that I looked at with a 3"x21" belt. But that turns out to be a big plus. Because of its size, it's easy to use either on the bench or holding it in less comfortable positions, like vertically above my head. My only complaint with the way that it's put together is the position of the speed control dial. It's right where my thumb holds the handle. Until I got used to it being there, I'd wind up turning the speed down from time-to-time. Power This is a fairly powerful sander at 5.2 amps. I owned a Porter Cable 3x21 machine with 7 amps, but I don't notice the difference. It starts smoothly and stops quickly. Dust Collection The dust bag sits at the very front of the sander attached to a rectangular port directly above the front wheel. It's compact and doesn't get in the way. The placement and shape of the port mean that you can't use a vacuum hose on it, but the good news is that you don't need one. This is far-and-away the most effective dust collection on any sander I've ever used. Belt Changing and Tracking An easy to use lever releases the tension between the front and rear drive wheels. You simply flip the lever, slip the old belt off and slip the new one on. Tracking is very good and not as touchy as on my old PC. Balance Because belt sanders are so aggressive, a wrong move can take a pretty big divot. But I find this sander less likely to cause such a move. After using it for a variety of jobs, I've come to love the solid, balanced feel of it on the work piece. Unlike my PC belt sander, this one doesn't tend to tip to either side. It is also very steady at the beginning and end of a board when half of the belt isn't in contact with the wood. The Cord The long cord makes going from end-to-end of a long piece a breeze. There is also a cord guide that keeps it out of the way. I find it to be effective and I don't spend near as much energy trying to keep the cord away from the belt as I did with the Porter Cable

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