This is a great bench tool. I'm owned mine for a dozen years. Relative to bevels , the bed must be 90 degrees realtive to the belt surface. Also, using a miter (table saw) helps holding the stock sately as well as guaranteeing a 45 degree cut. I know you knew this! I hope this information supports your fine video.
While the description says "tool only" it does come with one each of a bi-metal th-cam.com/users/postUgkx0vyBwjtx9GGOuiqUVT2sRoYqmDoNT_RI and HCS blade plus an adaptor plate for non-DeWalt blades. Wish I had known that before I bought the blade kit, but oh well. Since I already have a DeWalt drill, charger and batteries there was no need to buy more of those so this was a great deal.There is one other consideration. DeWalt does't sell the depth guide separately so you need to buy the three parts which make it up -- the N275350 block assy, the N275341 metal rod and the N278801 knob. Amazon does sell all three.
My drill press has an oscillating spindle sander mode and I've used it once in the last 5 years. That and the issues you brought up, as well as the size and price of this beast convinced me to go with a Harbor Freight belt and disc sander and save $180
Table flex at @ 14:30 - My Operator's Manual (Page 20 - Squaring Front Table) shows set screws under the table surface to align the table. That process will eliminate most of the table flex.
I picked one up YEARS ago on Sale for a Hundy. Great tool for the money. Like any other tool, some CARE and maintenance and it’s a great tool for the home hobbyist.
I have had this same Ridgid sander for about three years. I am very happy with it. I have had no problems with the belt not being square with the table. Also, on my sander, the knob that tightens the table screws onto a bolt that extends completely across the sander and holds both sides when tightened. Now, why did I buy this sander? Also, it was less than $200 three years ago! I have been watching many TH-cam channels for many years. I am always interested in techniques being used. I started to notice something. Even when they weren't using the sander, it was always prominent in the background. I started paying attention and that is the only small portable multiuse sander I observed. So, that's the one I bought.
Glad it’s worked out for you James! At less than $200 I’d say it’s definitely worth the price. Last I checked it’s $300. For that money I start to wonder what else is out there. We’re doing a similar Wen sander possibly next week. Should be interesting. Thanks for the comment!
I have the same sander from Rigid and love it. I thought the samething about the lack of a knobs on the left side of the machine (for the front of the table that tilts down). I just took the screw out and replaced it with a knob with a screw already on the knob. Yes, for that amount of money it should be included, hint hint Rigid. But it is a quick cheap fix. I don't have the same issue with uneven chamfers when I sand them but I primarily use a small block plane for that or if I'm doing a lot of pieces with the same size chamfer, I run the boards through the router table to get the chamfer i need. I agree with the other commentor about sanding edges of longer boards. With this size belt sander, you have to get creative such as his suggestion of clamping a guide board to the table. Just be sure the board is evenly clamped. I thought about an individual large belt sander, but decided that for my small shop, this is adequate. Most of the items I make these days are smalls and jewelry boxes. The largest I make regularly is a 30" coat/towel rack. When I get a larger commission, like a table, I will bring the component's over to my brother's shop that has much larger equipment than I have. But, that is rare. I really rather use a hand plane. It's quicker and something 98% of us have already in the shop. Most times that I go to my brother's shop is to have a cold beer and get caught up with him. 😉😏
When I first bought this sander I used it for almost every sanding job for a while just to see how it worked and I was curious if the oscillating would throw it out of square. That little chamfer was one thing I tried and discovered that random result. Ill revisit this topic sometime next year and maybe well get some answers. For sure though there's better ways to chamfer and a small planes a good choice. Thanks for the comment!
as far as the uneven sanding look at the grains of the wood. Further apart the grains more depth, the tighter grains less depth. Same principle as rip sawing or crosscut sawing. In your block demonstration the side with the uneven bevel you need to apply a little more pressure to the end with the tightest grains. Notice the side when the grains are evenly spaced, the bevel was even. now this only occurs when the piece is being held by hand. Even though you were applying even pressure depth is controlled by the least resistance. if the block was placed in some kind of clamp where the angle of the block could not change, then you would have even bevels.
Good tip Stephen! I’ll have to do some more experimenting. We have the Wen equivalent sander coming up soon! I’ll pay closer attention to the grain on that one!
I watched an English vid about sanders like this and they had the same problem of uneven sanding with the belt. they discovered that by having the sanding belt too low it rose over a small lip at the bottom of the mechanism. Bring the sanding belt up a little and the uneven sanding goes away. Regards, Allyn 'Alpal' Hansen New Zealand
One last comment…there are two small set screws by the hinges at either side of the table. Use these to level the table , not the radius Ed arm with the detents. It may improve your results.
I have the same type in the form of triton in the uk. The problem is the steel belt runner for me. If you take it apart like I did, the runner has a curve at the bottom to presumably help retain the belt. This is exposes when in the max height position, so the belt is being guided by curved steel when it needs to be flat. I took mine apart and hammered it flat…….pretty much corrected the problem for me.
I’ve owned the same tool since 2017 and honestly I’ve thought of selling mine on Craig’s list a few times because of the issues you’ve listed. Problem is id have to move to a disk only sander and I don’t own one of them. It’s the belt sander that I use the most, but it’s the spindle sander that works better. And it’s a heck of a lot of space for it to just be a spindle sander for me….
You’ve described my experience with that sander to a T. I took it apart last week again looking for a solution. Still looking. If I figure it out I’ll post a vid. Thanks for watching
i have a small shop fox drill press that has an oscillating spindle sander attachment and i love using that, but i also have a narrow belt/disk sander combo so theres that
Great video. I like how you went over the little details. If you want to do long boards, just clamp a board to the top with the opening between the board and the spindle just a hair narrower than the board you want to sand and run the board through. It will come out a uniform thickness (although it will only be as square as your spindle.)
You mentioned the triton spindle sander, I own the machine you are reviewing in this video but it's triton branded, I'm in the UK mind but I have seen this same unit under 3 names now! I lucked out as my local shop had miss priced it and after a chat with the chain store manager he adjusted the price to match and I paid £49.99 for this sander! I have zero faults or complaints at the price I paid 🤣🤣🤣
I've owned one of these now for a few years. It's well built and lasts good. But you bring out some good points. As far as the belt sander try using lless abrasiave belts instead of the 80 git to see if that takes less off at a time leaving your dips when your sanding a longer piece.
I've had one for longer than I can remember, but today it wouldn't start and just hummed. The problem was dirty contacts on the starter relay (Part 32 on the exploded parts diagram). Take off the bottom, pull the red, black, & wires (note location) and then disassemble the relay and clean the contacts with a file & cleaner. I have a file for automotive distributor points and it works great. If the rubber cylinders slip, just double or triple up on the washers. Make a small 3' box wrench for the star knob. Finally, keep a couple of pieces of MDF to lay on the table so that you can use the upper part of the belt/spindle sandpaper when sanding.
Solid advise Bob! Thanks for the insight. Building an MDG overlay top is a good idea! Lost my points related tools for prob 25 years ago 🤣. Wish I still had that 64 Catalina. Thanks for watching!
Great video, very informative. I am thinking of purchasing one and this is the best video I have seen. I will be removing the sliding bolt from the other side of the table and fitting a screwed insert to accommodate another adjustment job.
Betting that plastic piece operates as protection for the motor. If the machine got in a bind, the plastic would break and save the motor. Really enjoying your channel. Keep up the great work.
I have an older model with the grey case. I have been told that the early ones are made in the USA. After watching your video I checked my table for flex and square. I made a minor adjustment to get square but I have absolutely no table flex. Maybe the old ones are better.
Dont forget your timber has to be square dressed to get a parallel chamfer, i noticed some sides were spot on but others were uneven, timber probably not square on all sides.
I think the grooves on the table are to strengthen it so they can make them thinner and use less material.... it's no sweat for them to do it, they're cast in a form
at 14:21 you can see the round spindle and the area behind where the paper covers is not aligned properly from the factory. That and the loose table will surely give you the inconsistent results for chamfer ... just an observation
Didn’t see what you mean. At that time 14:21 I have a square on the belt drive, no belt and am showing the table flex. Clarify if you can I’m curious to see what your talking about. Thanks for the comment!
I have an early model with the grey case which I believe was made in the USA. After watching your video , I checked the table flex on mine and found virtually none. I also checked for square and it was about s you can get with a tool like this. I’m thinkin’ the older ones are better!
Straight Chamfer. Have you tried dropping the table to 45 degrees and use a mitre gauge? I’d be curious to see if that resolves any of the any of the unevenness. Thank you
I actually have never used the miter slot on this machine. I’ve received a lot of comments on this vid and maybe in the next couple months I’ll take the best recommendations and do a follow up vid. Thanks for watching!
On the table, would it be possible to replace the left-side guide with a knob so it locks down better? The carriage-looking bolt has to be attached to something in there. Perhaps there is a way to replace it with something threaded. Seen at 4:30.
Hello Jim! I’ve read in reviews that it has been done. Planning to take it apart and figure it out. I’ll post a really short vid with whatever I come up with soon. Thanks for watching!
Great review, but also very annoying. I have had my mind set on one of these for a long time. I finally decided to make this my Xmas gift, and your review make me second guess myself. It might still be the correct tool for me.
Lifetime service and free parts. No need to worry about how long parts will last. Something breaks then send you a replacement part. As for the chauffering goes, sorry to say but that's user error. Keep practicing.
Willing to bet the movement on the sander is due to the plastic parts holding it on. If they're the anchors and plastic flexes there's bound to be movement.
salut , au lieux de mètre les alen key dans n'importe quel trou , et risquer de les perdre , a l'arrière juste a coté du rangement pour la bande , il y a 2 trou EXAGONAL , un plus gros et un plus petit , exactement la grosseur des clefs
Definitely sounds like you bought the wrong tool for the job. As you stated your self, this tool is intended for shaping where as a disk sander would have netted you the results you wanted.
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This is a great bench tool. I'm owned mine for a dozen years. Relative to bevels , the bed must be 90 degrees realtive to the belt surface. Also, using a miter (table saw) helps holding the stock sately as well as guaranteeing a 45 degree cut. I know you knew this! I hope this information supports your fine video.
While the description says "tool only" it does come with one each of a bi-metal th-cam.com/users/postUgkx0vyBwjtx9GGOuiqUVT2sRoYqmDoNT_RI and HCS blade plus an adaptor plate for non-DeWalt blades. Wish I had known that before I bought the blade kit, but oh well. Since I already have a DeWalt drill, charger and batteries there was no need to buy more of those so this was a great deal.There is one other consideration. DeWalt does't sell the depth guide separately so you need to buy the three parts which make it up -- the N275350 block assy, the N275341 metal rod and the N278801 knob. Amazon does sell all three.
Thanks for watching!
My drill press has an oscillating spindle sander mode and I've used it once in the last 5 years. That and the issues you brought up, as well as the size and price of this beast convinced me to go with a Harbor Freight belt and disc sander and save $180
Table flex at @ 14:30 - My Operator's Manual (Page 20 - Squaring Front Table) shows set screws under the table surface to align the table. That process will eliminate most of the table flex.
This is the best power tool review channel I've seen on TH-cam.
Means the world to me Rob! Thanks for watching!
I picked one up YEARS ago on Sale for a Hundy. Great tool for the money. Like any other tool, some
CARE and maintenance and it’s a great tool for the home hobbyist.
I have had this same Ridgid sander for about three years. I am very happy with it. I have had no problems with the belt not being square with the table. Also, on my sander, the knob that tightens the table screws onto a bolt that extends completely across the sander and holds both sides when tightened. Now, why did I buy this sander? Also, it was less than $200 three years ago! I have been watching many TH-cam channels for many years. I am always interested in techniques being used. I started to notice something. Even when they weren't using the sander, it was always prominent in the background. I started paying attention and that is the only small portable multiuse sander I observed. So, that's the one I bought.
Glad it’s worked out for you James! At less than $200 I’d say it’s definitely worth the price. Last I checked it’s $300. For that money I start to wonder what else is out there. We’re doing a similar Wen sander possibly next week. Should be interesting. Thanks for the comment!
Best tool ever Have used mine for 20 years.
This is a great tool. Had mine for a few years now. Thanks for the review
I have the same sander from Rigid and love it. I thought the samething about the lack of a knobs on the left side of the machine (for the front of the table that tilts down). I just took the screw out and replaced it with a knob with a screw already on the knob. Yes, for that amount of money it should be included, hint hint Rigid. But it is a quick cheap fix. I don't have the same issue with uneven chamfers when I sand them but I primarily use a small block plane for that or if I'm doing a lot of pieces with the same size chamfer, I run the boards through the router table to get the chamfer i need. I agree with the other commentor about sanding edges of longer boards. With this size belt sander, you have to get creative such as his suggestion of clamping a guide board to the table. Just be sure the board is evenly clamped. I thought about an individual large belt sander, but decided that for my small shop, this is adequate. Most of the items I make these days are smalls and jewelry boxes. The largest I make regularly is a 30" coat/towel rack. When I get a larger commission, like a table, I will bring the component's over to my brother's shop that has much larger equipment than I have. But, that is rare. I really rather use a hand plane. It's quicker and something 98% of us have already in the shop. Most times that I go to my brother's shop is to have a cold beer and get caught up with him. 😉😏
When I first bought this sander I used it for almost every sanding job for a while just to see how it worked and I was curious if the oscillating would throw it out of square. That little chamfer was one thing I tried and discovered that random result. Ill revisit this topic sometime next year and maybe well get some answers. For sure though there's better ways to chamfer and a small planes a good choice. Thanks for the comment!
as far as the uneven sanding look at the grains of the wood. Further apart the grains more depth, the tighter grains less depth. Same principle as rip sawing or crosscut sawing. In your block demonstration the side with the uneven bevel you need to apply a little more pressure to the end with the tightest grains. Notice the side when the grains are evenly spaced, the bevel was even. now this only occurs when the piece is being held by hand. Even though you were applying even pressure depth is controlled by the least resistance. if the block was placed in some kind of clamp where the angle of the block could not change, then you would have even bevels.
Good tip Stephen! I’ll have to do some more experimenting. We have the Wen equivalent sander coming up soon! I’ll pay closer attention to the grain on that one!
I watched an English vid about sanders like this and they had the same problem of uneven sanding with the belt. they discovered that by having the sanding belt too low it rose over a small lip at the bottom of the mechanism. Bring the sanding belt up a little and the uneven sanding goes away.
Regards,
Allyn 'Alpal' Hansen
New Zealand
One last comment…there are two small set screws by the hinges at either side of the table. Use these to level the table , not the radius Ed arm with the detents. It may improve your results.
I did not notice those but I’ll check it out this weekend. Thanks for the tip! Does your older model have the one knob? Thanks for the comments!
I have the same type in the form of triton in the uk. The problem is the steel belt runner for me. If you take it apart like I did, the runner has a curve at the bottom to presumably help retain the belt. This is exposes when in the max height position, so the belt is being guided by curved steel when it needs to be flat. I took mine apart and hammered it flat…….pretty much corrected the problem for me.
Thanks for the tip Charlie!
I’ve owned the same tool since 2017 and honestly I’ve thought of selling mine on Craig’s list a few times because of the issues you’ve listed.
Problem is id have to move to a disk only sander and I don’t own one of them.
It’s the belt sander that I use the most, but it’s the spindle sander that works better. And it’s a heck of a lot of space for it to just be a spindle sander for me….
You’ve described my experience with that sander to a T. I took it apart last week again looking for a solution. Still looking. If I figure it out I’ll post a vid. Thanks for watching
i have a small shop fox drill press that has an oscillating spindle sander attachment and i love using that, but i also have a narrow belt/disk sander combo so theres that
Great video. I like how you went over the little details. If you want to do long boards, just clamp a board to the top with the opening between the board and the spindle just a hair narrower than the board you want to sand and run the board through. It will come out a uniform thickness (although it will only be as square as your spindle.)
Great tip John! Thanks for watching!
Dido
You mentioned the triton spindle sander, I own the machine you are reviewing in this video but it's triton branded, I'm in the UK mind but I have seen this same unit under 3 names now!
I lucked out as my local shop had miss priced it and after a chat with the chain store manager he adjusted the price to match and I paid £49.99 for this sander!
I have zero faults or complaints at the price I paid 🤣🤣🤣
I've owned one of these now for a few years. It's well built and lasts good. But you bring out some good points. As far as the belt sander try using lless abrasiave belts instead of the 80 git to see if that takes less off at a time leaving your dips when your sanding a longer piece.
I agree Mike less abrasive belts and a very light touch will probably help. Glad to hear it haven’t given you any trouble! Thanks for watching!
Great video! I just bought this sander second hand and it didn’t come with the manual. Now I know how it all works!
Glad I could help! Thanks for watching!!
I've had one for longer than I can remember, but today it wouldn't start and just hummed. The problem was dirty contacts on the starter relay (Part 32 on the exploded parts diagram). Take off the bottom, pull the red, black, & wires (note location) and then disassemble the relay and clean the contacts with a file & cleaner. I have a file for automotive distributor points and it works great. If the rubber cylinders slip, just double or triple up on the washers. Make a small 3' box wrench for the star knob. Finally, keep a couple of pieces of MDF to lay on the table so that you can use the upper part of the belt/spindle sandpaper when sanding.
Solid advise Bob! Thanks for the insight. Building an MDG overlay top is a good idea! Lost my points related tools for prob 25 years ago 🤣. Wish I still had that 64 Catalina. Thanks for watching!
Great video, very informative. I am thinking of purchasing one and this is the best video I have seen. I will be removing the sliding bolt from the other side of the table and fitting a screwed insert to accommodate another adjustment job.
I’m betting that’s the most popular mod for this. Thanks for watching!
Thank you! Bought one of these used and had NO IDEA where some of the stuff belonged.
Glad the video helped! Thanks for watching!
Betting that plastic piece operates as protection for the motor. If the machine got in a bind, the plastic would break and save the motor. Really enjoying your channel. Keep up the great work.
Solid point! Mine hasn’t degraded or worn with use so there’s that too. Thanks for watching!!
Thanks,more precise than the other sites-😊
Thanks for watching!
The purpose of the grooves in the table is just what you mentioned - to catch dust, so that the workpiece doesn't ride on top of accumulations of it.
Makes sense! Thanks for watching!
Outstanding too review. Decided against buying this tool but very grateful that you took the time and were so incredibly thorough.
Glad I helped! Thanks for watching!
I have an older model with the grey case. I have been told that the early ones are made in the USA. After watching your video I checked my table for flex and square. I made a minor adjustment to get square but I have absolutely no table flex. Maybe the old ones are better.
If you want to chamfer, set the table to 45 degrees.
I thought the same myself, that's what the adjustable table is for...
Or get better at using even pressure... 🤷♂️
Dont forget your timber has to be square dressed to get a parallel chamfer, i noticed some sides were spot on but others were uneven, timber probably not square on all sides.
Interesting I’ll have to watch the vid again. Those blocks went through the table saw 2 sides. Definitely a possibility. Thanks for the comment!
I literally just got this two days ago. I appreciate the tips and heads up. I'm just a DIYer doing home projects.
Glad I could help Bill! Thanks for watching!
you need a handheld power plainer or a tabletop jointer to do the long boards, will work better, just my 2 cents.
I think the grooves on the table are to strengthen it so they can make them thinner and use less material.... it's no sweat for them to do it, they're cast in a form
Definitely a possibility. Thanks for the comment!
at 14:21 you can see the round spindle and the area behind where the paper covers is not aligned properly from the factory. That and the loose table will surely give you the inconsistent results for chamfer ... just an observation
Didn’t see what you mean. At that time 14:21 I have a square on the belt drive, no belt and am showing the table flex. Clarify if you can I’m curious to see what your talking about. Thanks for the comment!
By the way, mine is the first model, the one with the grey top. Maybe the original model is superiour to the orange model???
So which sander would you recommend instead?
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Really helps those of us considering this unit.
Always happy to hear I helped Tim! Thanks for watching!
How much can be expected "? I bought it from private partyand seems like there might be rubbing somewhere
Brilliant review! Lots of detail, and excellent points not brought up in other videos I've seen.
Thank you for the comment!
Thanks for the video. I'm looking for something to sand longer straight edges also and this doesn't seem like it
Glad I could help! Good luck!
VERY helpful and thorough video, thank you
Thanks for watching!
What is the advantage of it oscillating?
I have an early model with the grey case which I believe was made in the USA. After watching your video , I checked the table flex on mine and found virtually none. I also checked for square and it was about s you can get with a tool like this. I’m thinkin’ the older ones are better!
Didn’t know Ridgid was ever anything but orange! Or made in the 🇺🇸 for that matter. Thanks for watching!!
It's adjustable
Straight Chamfer. Have you tried dropping the table to 45 degrees and use a mitre gauge? I’d be curious to see if that resolves any of the any of the unevenness.
Thank you
I actually have never used the miter slot on this machine. I’ve received a lot of comments on this vid and maybe in the next couple months I’ll take the best recommendations and do a follow up vid. Thanks for watching!
The purpose of the grooves is to catch the dust, keeping the workpiece flat.
Right on. Thanks for watching!
Great video thank you for sharing.
On the table, would it be possible to replace the left-side guide with a knob so it locks down better? The carriage-looking bolt has to be attached to something in there. Perhaps there is a way to replace it with something threaded. Seen at 4:30.
Hello Jim! I’ve read in reviews that it has been done. Planning to take it apart and figure it out. I’ll post a really short vid with whatever I come up with soon. Thanks for watching!
Great review, but also very annoying. I have had my mind set on one of these for a long time. I finally decided to make this my Xmas gift, and your review make me second guess myself. It might still be the correct tool for me.
Sorry Leif! I try and tell it how it is. Thanks for watching!
To get saw marks off, have you considered a card scraper? Much better than sanding and dust
I was considering including card scrapers in a future vid with other small tools. Good comment. Thanks!
Anyone know how to install the location guide? I am replacing a broken one.
Not sure what part your talking about. Can you be more specific and I’ll try and help
Lifetime service and free parts. No need to worry about how long parts will last. Something breaks then send you a replacement part. As for the chauffering goes, sorry to say but that's user error. Keep practicing.
Why don't you move the stopper to 45%.
Well done ❤🇺🇸
Willing to bet the movement on the sander is due to the plastic parts holding it on. If they're the anchors and plastic flexes there's bound to be movement.
Definitely possible but tough to saw for sure as those parts are underneath and not visible. Thanks for watching!
Good review
Thank you!
your chamfer issue is uneven pressure
Great helpfull video
Glad I helped! Thanks for watching!
If you think this is bad look at lidl psso 500
Thank you
Good info. Thank you. But the audio not so good. Very difficult to understand what you are saying.
salut , au lieux de mètre les alen key dans n'importe quel trou , et risquer de les perdre , a l'arrière juste a coté du rangement pour la bande , il y a 2 trou EXAGONAL , un plus gros et un plus petit , exactement la grosseur des clefs
Nice, i didn’t notice. Thanks for the tip and for watching!
Could see right away its far much better quality than the ryobi
Thanks for watching!
Definitely sounds like you bought the wrong tool for the job. As you stated your self, this tool is intended for shaping where as a disk sander would have netted you the results you wanted.
Board isn't square
Also, almost no spindle flex!
It may have looked like a little more movement than reality due to the fish eye lens. Not sure it really affects the end result.
Sounds like the Ridgid is much noisier than the Wen
Maybe a little but I didn’t take note. Could be my audio too. I’ve changed microphones since the first Ridgid vid. Thanks for watching!
I appreciate the time stamps. I'm really having trouble adjusting the belt sander. And the instructions that come with the unit are atrocious. ❤️
Hope I helped! Let me know if you have questions about it I’ll try and walk you through it
You're*
Don't waste your money, there are better sanders out there.
Which ones do you recommend then?