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Belt grinders. technical features of “tractors”. Belt sanders: how to choose Belt sander with frame

Today, the market offers a large number of different tools designed for grinding various surfaces. One of the most popular is the belt sander or simply sander. Those who want to purchase a high-quality and reliable blade for their use will have to choose from a huge assortment. But there are no special secrets or difficulties in how to choose a belt sander. This tool, like any other, has a number of main and secondary characteristics. Knowing and understanding what this or that characteristic is responsible for, you can easily determine which LSM suits you best.

Purpose of a belt sander

When choosing a belt sander, you need to know in advance how and what it will be used for. Without this, it will be quite difficult to choose the right model. And when you consider that each sander has different performance characteristics, it becomes even more difficult to choose.

The purpose of a belt sander is to sand and remove old paint and varnish coatings from smooth wooden and metal surfaces. The operating principle of this machine is extremely simple and consists of a cyclic movement of an abrasive belt looped on a roller mechanism. Using a blade grinder, you can grind smooth surfaces of both large and small areas. The belt sander is mainly used for coarse and intermediate sanding with the removal of a large layer. Using a belt sander, you can prepare the surface for finer sanding with an eccentric or vibration sander.

Important! For the most part, LBMs are designed to work with flat surfaces. But there are a number of belt sanders designed for processing convex surfaces. Examples of such sanders are the Metabo RB 18 LTX 60 and AGP WS 760. They are positioned as belt sanders for rough grinding, satin finishing and mirror polishing of surfaces.

It is also necessary to decide how often and under what loads the blade will be used. This will determine what type of belt sander you should purchase. So, for rare use with short work cycles, you can purchase a household grinder. They are relatively cheap, but the working life of such blades is designed only for short-term use. The more expensive and at the same time the most reliable sanders, designed to work in difficult conditions, are professional ones.

Main characteristics of a belt sander

When choosing a belt sander, you need to pay attention Special attention its main performance characteristics. These include power, rotation speed, width and length of the abrasive belt, as well as the weight of the machine. The quality and speed of work execution directly depend on these characteristics.

Blade blade power

The defining characteristic of any power tool is its power. Most manufacturers indicate it in the model name. This parameter affects most other characteristics. The rotation speed, electricity consumption, weight and, most importantly, the quality and period of continuous operation of the grinder depend on it. The power range of belt sanders is from 500 W to 1700 W.

Among low-power LSM, it stands out especially belt sander Makita 9032. This sander is sometimes called a power file because it has a narrow belt that allows you to reach narrow and hard-to-reach surfaces. But still, the lion's share of the belt sander market is machines with power from 700 W to 1500 W. This segment includes belt sanders Makita, Metabo, Bosch, Festul, Interskol and many others. When choosing a particular brand, it will be quite difficult to determine the best sander. If you focus only on the power of the grinder, then the more powerful the grinder, the better. But it is worth remembering about other characteristics, which together will allow you to determine the most suitable belt sander for certain requirements.

LSM belt rotation speed

This is the second most important characteristic for belt sanders. After all, the speed of surface treatment and the quality of work depend on it. The rotation speed of the abrasive belt directly depends on the power of the sander itself. At the same time, in addition to power, the rotation speed is also affected by the width of the belt itself.

LBMs with speeds from 75 m/min to 2000 m/min are available on the market. But it should be noted that high-speed machines use narrow abrasive belts, while low-speed machines use wide belts. Most belt sanders on the market have belt rotation rates ranging from 300 to 500 meters per minute. The optimal indicator for a household grinder is a speed of 400 m/min. One of the machines that combines high rotation speed, wide belt and power is Belt grinder Fiolent MSHL 1-100.

But reverse side high speed and power is rough surface grinding. For comparison, you need to look at surface and eccentric sanders. A surface grinder grinds about 1 gram of processed material per minute, and the power of this tool rarely exceeds 400 W. The eccentric removes 2 - 5 grams, and the power range is 300 - 600 W. But, for example belt sander Fiolent with a power of 1200 and a speed of 550 m/min, it has a production of 12 - 15 grams per minute. Therefore, when choosing a belt sander, it is necessary to adhere to the golden mean in terms of power and belt rotation speed.

LSM weight

A fairly important characteristic is the weight of the grinding machine. This indicator largely affects the convenience and quality of the work performed and depends on the power of the grinder itself. The more powerful the blade, the greater its weight. Of course, in most cases, a blade grinder is used for grinding horizontal surfaces, where it stands securely on the surface. But there are a number of jobs, for example, sanding a door slope or window frame, when the sander needs to be kept suspended. And in this case heavy weight would be more of a disadvantage.

Most machines weigh up to 4 kg. And only high-power belt sanders over 1000 W weigh 5 kilograms or more. For example, belt sander Makita 9404 has a power of 1100 W and a weight of 4.7 kg. Or belt grinder Interskol LShM-100/1200E with a weight of 5.6 kg. The large weight of these blades is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The fact is that when starting the machine, if it is on the work surface, it can be torn out of the hands at high speed, which will lead to injury to the operator. Therefore, the machine is first turned on and then placed on the surface to be treated. At the same time, for grinding, the large weight of the machine can be an advantage and will be enough for high-quality processing.

Dimensions of LShM abrasive belt

The rotation speed and power of a belt sander are related to another characteristic - the width and length of the abrasive belt. This seemingly simple indicator affects several characteristics at once. Including the quality and productivity of work. The wider the belt, the lower its speed and the more power required to operate. At the same time, machines with a narrow belt have high speed with relatively low power.

The standard tape width is 75 mm, 100 mm, 115 mm. The length is also more or less standardized. In this case, the multiplicity step along the length is 5 mm. But some models of belt sanders have non-standard sizes, which can be 232 mm or 142 mm along the length of the abrasive belt. Which causes certain difficulties when purchasing consumables. A good example is belt sander Skil 1215AA, whose tape size is 76x457 mm. In contrast to Skil, belt sander 9404 companies Makita has dimensions of 100x610, which makes it quite easy to find consumables for it. The dimensions of the tape are quite important. Firstly, under standard size consumables can be found more easily. Secondly, the greater length and width of the tape will allow you to process a larger surface before the tape is completely worn out. But, remembering the relationship between power, belt rotation speed and its width, you can find a blade grinder with optimal values ​​of these parameters.

Additional functions of the belt sander

Each manufacturer tries to add unique and useful features, which will favorably distinguish it from all the others. Such additional options often have a lesser impact on the quality and productivity of work, but make the work noticeably more comfortable. Such additional functions include speed control, the ability to connect a vacuum cleaner, soft start and much more.

Power supply for the grinder

Today, battery-powered construction tools are the norm, and belt sanders are no exception. This approach is very justified, and for those who have to work in conditions without electricity, a cordless sander will come in handy. An example of such a LSM is.

Rotation speed adjustment

One important function of the machine is associated with the rotation speed, namely the ability to adjust it. This additional feature is very useful for a belt sander. By adjusting the rotation speed of the abrasive belt, you can control the quality of the work performed, which allows you to do both rough and finer grinding of the surface. There are various models on the market and some of them do not have this feature. But when choosing one model or another, preference should be given to a blade grinder with the ability to adjust the speed of rotation of the belt. An example would be belt sander Makita 9911, allowing you to adjust the speed in the range from 75 m/min to 270 m/min.

Dust removal method

The belt sander is unique in that dust is removed by suction from the engine cooling fan. Each manufacturer approached this working moment in its own way. This has led to the fact that some models have one significant drawback - dust settles on the rollers and moving parts, which leads to their rapid wear and the need for replacement or lubrication. When choosing a particular grinder, you need to pay attention to the method of collecting and removing dust. The container or bag itself should not be located near rollers or other moving parts. And if this is what the designers intended, then you should make sure that it is easy to access for cleaning the tool. An example of such a design would be belt grinder Caliber LShM-750. It should also be noted that if you need to disassemble the blade for repair or lubricate parts, you can lose the warranty on it, which happens quite often. Therefore, before purchasing such a model, ask the seller about the possibility of lubricating and disassembling parts of the unit yourself without losing the warranty.

Possibility of connection to a vacuum cleaner

All grinders of one type or another have a special dust collector, but there are models that are equipped with dust removal using a vacuum cleaner. For example, Bosch belt sander, model PBS 7 A, has in its arsenal both a dust collector and the ability to connect a vacuum cleaner. When choosing a particular model, you should make sure that this useful option is available, or at least that there is an adapter for the vacuum cleaner. After all, thanks to it, you can increase the period of work without cleaning the bag, which will only have a positive effect on the speed of work.

Starting current limitation

As noted earlier, the belt sander is turned on in midair and then only lowered to the surface. On low-power and light grinders the starting moment is not felt much, but on heavier and more powerful grinders the machine jerks. For elimination this effect Many manufacturers equip their tools with a starting current limiter, or as it is also called a “soft start” system. It allows the blade to gain momentum gradually, making it much easier to start working with a heavy and powerful tool. When choosing a belt sander, this option will not play a significant role on the quality of the work, but will make it easier to start.

Method for replacing the abrasive belt

In the process of working with blade grinders, you have to change the abrasive belt more than once. To do this, it is sometimes necessary to remove the protective cover or loosen the tension rollers in order to remove the old one and install a new tape. In most cases, this does not take much time, but you don’t really want to keep a pair of keys on hand and fiddle with them when replacing the tape. Of course, manufacturers found a way out of this situation and created machine models where the belt can be replaced without any additional tools. When choosing a belt sander, you should pay attention to the method of replacing the abrasive so that it is as comfortable as possible for you and does not complicate the process of working with the blade.

Tape position and tension regulator

When considering the size of the tape, we mentioned the possibility of adjusting its tension. This option, despite the fact that it is additional, is important when choosing a LSM. Many quick change belt models do not have any manual adjustments for belt tension or alignment. And not every user knows how to properly adjust the tape tension. Therefore, manufacturers have developed automatic centering and belt tension. This greatly simplified the work with such machines and allowed even beginners to use them. When choosing between several models, you should give your preference to a machine with automatic adjustment of the position and tension of the tape.

Additional equipment

In addition to useful additional functions, manufacturers try to highlight their products with the help of various useful accessories. This can be either a branded suitcase for the sander or various removable parts, such as a sanding frame, a clamp or additional handles. But more important is a set of sanding belts, a spare dust bag and a vacuum cleaner adapter. In any case, you should carefully familiarize yourself with the configuration of a particular model. Perhaps it is the presence of some little thing that will make you make the right choice for yourself.

One of the most successful blade grinders with optimal power parameters, belt rotation speed and the ability to adjust it, a wide and long belt, is Belt sander Bosch GBS 75 AE Set Professional. This professional tool, despite its rather high price, boasts excellent performance characteristics and excellent reliability. It should be especially noted that this machine meets such requirements as a dust collection bag removed from the rollers and the ability to connect a vacuum cleaner, automatic centering and belt tension, low weight, speed control and much more. If the Bosch belt sander seems too expensive to you, then it can be used as an example when choosing another, cheaper model.

Sanding wooden products or surfaces does not seem very difficult, but in practice it is a very labor-intensive process that requires a lot of endurance and patience from its manufacturer. But all this is a thing of the past, because hand sanding has been replaced by belt sanders. And although these electric tools are represented on the market in a fairly wide range of models, the belt ones are the most productive and convenient to carry out work. But the most interesting thing is that all the most famous and branded manufacturers of electric tools have them in their arsenal. For example, today it is easy to find an Interskol or Titan belt sander from domestic manufacturers or a Makita or Sturm belt sander from foreign companies.

Belt sander design

The working tool of a belt sander, which is a belt with an abrasive substance on the surface, wraps around two rollers, forming a closed surface. One of the rollers is connected to an electric motor through a gearbox, the second is in free floating. Its task is to adjust the abrasive belt in the transverse plane. And all this is enclosed in a housing.

The belt rotates at high speed, while the tool itself moves along the surface being processed. Therefore, in one pass, or rather, in one second, the machine removes up to 1 mm of the thickness of a wooden product. Such a high grinding speed can never be achieved manually. Using a sanding machine, you can level wooden surfaces only in a linear direction.

Attention! It is better if the abrasive belt moves along the wood fibers. You can also use the tool in the transverse direction, however, the surface being processed will remain slightly rough.

Often, a belt sander is used for roughing work, that is, it is used to remove a layer of paint on wooden products. But it is not recommended to use it for processing surfaces with large defects, especially convex ones. Firstly, this way the flaws are not sanded down. Secondly, the service life of the abrasive belt is reduced.

Characteristics of choosing a belt sander

So, a belt sander is selected based on four main indicators.

  1. Unit power.
  2. Tape width.
  3. Its length.
  4. The speed of her movement.

Power mainly affects the performance of the tool and its endurance. The more powerful it is, the more intensely it can work. But everything will depend on how often you have to use it. If the grinder is just an auxiliary tool, then it is better to purchase a low-power model - up to 0.5 kW. If it will be used as the main unit, then it is better to choose a powerful device, for example - 1.2 kW. The second model will last longer and will not heat up during intensive use.

As for the width of the abrasive belt, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the workpieces being processed. For example, if narrow boards will be sanded in a workshop or at the dacha, then a belt sander with a belt width of 65-75 mm will be suitable for the work. For wider boards it is better to choose this figure 100-110 mm.

Typically, the product passport indicates the total length of the tape used, wound on two rollers at once. There is a standard range for this size: 400-600 mm. It is clear that this is not the length that comes into contact with the wooden plane being processed. It will be less than twice as much.

Attention! A belt with a larger length wears out faster.

Like power, the rotation speed of the working body is the main indicator when choosing a belt sander. Essentially, the higher the speed, the more intensively the wood layer is removed. Accordingly, the performance of the device is higher. Most often, machines are used for grinding at a speed of 500-700 m/min. But in order to carry out uniform operations, which is sometimes necessary, low-speed tools are used - 200-300 m/min. When choosing, you must take this indicator into account, and more. It is very important that the tool can operate at different speeds, that is, it must have an adjustable belt rotation speed. Thus, it is possible to select the rotation speed, taking into account the structure and density of the material being processed.

It is necessary to add the weight of the tool to the indicators by which a belt sander is selected. After all, the lighter the device, the more maneuverable it is. But powerful units will not weigh much. Their weight varies in the range of 5-7 kg. Low-power tools usually weigh 2-3 kg.

Additional qualities of belt sanders

Manufacturers today have simply flooded the entire tool market with belt sanders. By choosing according to the above indicators, the main problem is solved. But among the huge variety of models, you need to choose one that has useful additions to its design.

For example, soft start. A convenient bonus with which you can start sanding without damaging the wood. Or precise removal of a certain layer in thickness. After all, the worker makes efforts by pressing on the tool with different forces. In this case, a thicker layer can be removed in one area, and thinner in another. Therefore, many manufacturers today equip belt sanders with special limiting frames. Regardless of the pressure on the device, a layer of a certain thickness will be removed.

Another useful addition is the dust removal system. There must be a connection pipe on the body of the electric tool. You can connect a hose from a vacuum cleaner to it, and some models are equipped with removable dust collectors. It should be noted that all dust is not removed in this way, but the main part can be gotten rid of. And this is a big plus.

Currently, many manufacturers offer models that can be mounted on a plane, mainly horizontal. That is, you can make a compact grinding machine from a hand tool. In this case, the abrasive belt will be on top. Using this machine it is very easy and convenient to sand shaped wood products or small workpieces.

Attention! If such a design bonus is present in the selected model, then you need to pay attention to whether the belt sander comes with a special stand for installing it on a table. If not, you will have to buy it separately.

When encountering unevenness and changes in plane, that is, when the load increases, the machine loses its speed. So, many manufacturers install electronic units in the control unit of the device, which stabilize the rotation speed of the working body when the load on it increases. This ensures stable performance and high quality of the machined surface.

The most difficult process in servicing a belt sander is replacing the abrasive belt. Today, many models have special quick-lock mechanisms. That's what they're called. There is a lever on the side of the tool. You need to pull it, and the tape will loosen due to the displacement of the roller. By the way, this function was appreciated not only by professionals who often change the tape, but also by home craftsmen. After all, ease of use means pleasant work with the tool.

Belt sander manufacturers

As already mentioned, all the world leaders in electric tools offer various models of belt sanders. Here are domestic models, such as the Titan belt sander, Enkor LME or Intrescol, foreign ones from almost all brands, which include the Sturm BS 8511 U belt sander - the newest model, or Makita.

By the way, the brand “Enkor LME 330/457” is a Russian brand that is produced in China. Therefore, many craftsmen confuse the manufacturer. Its tape width is only 13 mm, so this device is most often called an electric file. Model 330/457 has the ability to change the angle of the working part, so that with their help you can easily grind surfaces in hard-to-reach places.

Bottom line

As you can see, to choose a belt sander, you need to understand all of its technical specifications. But don’t forget about useful additions. Of course, you will have to make your choice based on the price-quality ratio; it should be within acceptable limits.

Each member of the tool family called “grinding machines” has its own specialization or, if you like, its own “role”. Just as in film or theater actors often specialize in roles of a certain type and character, so each grinding machine copes better with a specific task. Let's take the trinity: eccentric (ESHM), flat (FSHM) and tape (LSM). The first two “sisters” are good for processing relatively small areas - there they will provide high quality. But the third - ribbon (or, if affectionately and gently, “ribbon”) - will show itself in all its glory where you need to work quickly and a lot.

WHAT, WHY AND HOW.

So, a belt sander is good when you need to do a lot of work. It is not difficult to imagine situations in which such a need might arise. The LSM is capable of leveling walls and removing old paint from them, sanding boards, beams and wooden panels, and even processing wood floors (although a sanding machine is more suitable for this case). But the “preferences” of the draw frame are not limited to wood alone. It works well with both metal (if you need to, say, remove a layer of rust) and plastic. In general, the LSM works, although it is rough in places, but it is very effective. In addition, it has one more advantage: it is a relatively inexpensive tool.

There is nothing complicated about the design of the machine. The engine transmits movement to the equipment through a V-belt drive. As a “weapon” for blade grinders, a sanding belt is used, which is pulled onto rollers - front and rear.

When you start the tool, the tape begins to spin quickly, “grinding down” layer by layer on the workpiece. When sanding wood, the machine is moved along the grain. By the way, when the blade moves backwards, there is some risk of damaging the power cord, so you should always keep it in sight.

The appearance of the tool is dictated by the location of the engine. Most often it is placed transversely, less often - longitudinally (then the motor is supplemented with an angular gearbox). Accordingly, in the latter case, the LSM turns out to be elongated. Typically, such machines are made with flat sides in order to work close to the wall.

Since we are talking about working in cramped conditions that await the user at every turn, it is worth saying a few more words about the problem of “dead spots”. This is what they call those places that, due to design features LBMs are not available for grinding. This problem also occurs “around” the front roller of the “ribbon”: the area from the front edge of the sole touching the surface of the material to the obstacle itself is the “dead zone”. Trying to solve the problem, some manufacturers equip the blade grinder with a small front roller, which increases the available working area, because the “dead zone” is nothing more than the radius of the roller.

Speaking about the differences between belt sanding machines, we cannot help but mention the so-called electric files. These are the same blades, only their abrasive belt is small in width (the count is almost in millimeters). They are also inferior in power and weight to conventional “ribbons”. Electric files are convenient to use when processing small parts or grinding hard-to-reach places. True, you can’t find this tool in every manufacturer’s catalogue.

IN THE WORLD OF FIGURES.

The main parameters of the blade grinder that you need to pay attention to are quite common - engine power and belt speed. There are also “exclusive” ones that are specific to grinders - the size of the working surface and the size of the equipment.

The power of the “ribbons” on the market ranges from approximately 600 to 1400 W. As is the case with other tools, this indicator indicates the “power” capabilities of the machine and its “reliability” during operation.

The speed of the sanding belt affects the time it takes to complete the job. For some models it reaches 500 meters per minute.

If you need to do a significant amount of work, then the best option is a fast machine. And vice versa, if the task is to polish a small workpiece, then the option with a lower speed is optimal, because at high speed the material is removed very quickly: if you do not calculate the force and duration of the impact, the part will be damaged.

The size of the working surface directly depends on the power characteristics: for powerful and high-speed “ribbons” the width reaches 100 mm. Mostly professionals use such machines: they usually need them more due to the large volumes of grinding. And for domestic purposes (“housework”), a model with a smaller width - 75 or 76 mm - is quite suitable. Although there are exceptions among amateur instruments.

“Weapons” are also selected for the working surface. The most common abrasive belt size options are 75x457 and 75x533 mm; 100x610 mm equipment is less common. Even less common are the remaining options and “combinations” of numbers.

WHEEK, WHACK...

The choice of equipment for a tool is sometimes no less important than the choice of the tool itself. First you need to know exactly the suitable “format” of the sanding belt - it is indicated in the “accompanying documents” for the sanding machine. Please note that for some models it will not be easy to select equipment. For example, it is not possible to buy skins with the “problematic” strip length of 100x620 mm everywhere (although the 100x610 mm option is quite common). So, when choosing a grinding machine, you should “provide your back” in advance by finding out about the availability of equipment.

The grain size of the tape is indicated by a number - the larger it is, the smaller the diameter of the abrasive with which the sandpaper is coated. “Consumable” with coarse grain is intended for rough work, that is, to remove a good “piece” from the workpiece at one time. For finishing sanding you need a “fine” belt. It's wise to have more or less on hand full set equipment of all kinds, so that you don’t have to run to the store or market every time to get the right ribbon. In addition, most often the workpiece is polished in several steps: first, the layer is roughly removed, then finishing is carried out.

Those who purchase equipment for the “ribbon” need to pay attention to the quality of its manufacture. For example, you should take a closer look at the seam: it must be strong and even, otherwise the tape may become unusable due to tearing. IN otherwise and the grinder will vibrate more than usual during operation, and the workpiece will appear in “potholes” noticeable to the touch. To check the evenness of the seam, you should place it on a flat surface and run your hand along the back of the tape - your fingers will “see” everything perfectly. High-quality skin should also be strong, but elastic, and not “brittle” - this will quickly deteriorate. There should be no fringe on the edges of the abrasive belt.

For many users, the issue of cost is acute. Supplies. So, you need to save on equipment, but wisely. For long and hard work, you should not buy cheap tapes that will fall apart even before they are “crucified” on the machine. But for rare and short-lived grinding, there is probably no point in buying “famous” or too expensive equipment.

Another important point: you can’t put too much pressure on the tool while working - it will have a hard time, and the tape will wear out faster. For the normal course of the process, the device’s own weight is usually sufficient.

ADJUSTMENTS AND FEATURES.

Tape replacement system.

Modern “ribbons” are equipped with a system for quick replacement of “consumables”, so that auxiliary tools for installing the tape are not needed. First, the tension lever is deflected, an abrasive “ring” is inserted (the direction of the arrows on the machine body and on the belt must match), and then the lever is returned to its place.

Most sanding machines have manual belt centering: there is a small handle on the side of the body, with which everything is done. All machines have their own individuality, and some of them are quite “capricious” in terms of adjustment: during operation, the “consumable” can constantly slide or “jump”, so you often have to turn the handle to achieve a stable position of the equipment. Advice: before you start sanding, “drive” your machine without load and see how the belt behaves - everything will become clear.

A smaller number of models are equipped with an automatic centering system. In such machines, one of the rollers has the shape of a barrel (it is thicker in the middle than at the edges), and during operation the belt does not slide to the side.

Electronic speed control system.

It makes the machine universal - you can process different materials in different modes. At low speed, for example, they grind plastic, which is sensitive to heat (it melts at too high speeds). The speed of the belt movement is set using a control wheel with numbers (or letters).

Dust removal system.

Fine and harmful dust is an invariable companion to the operation of any grinder, so the issue of waste disposal is far from idle. All machines are equipped with a built-in dust extraction system - a special impeller that sucks dust through the gap between the rear of the machine body and the rear roller. The air flow directs the waste into a bag or dust container. By the way, it is not recommended to use them when stripping metal: hot metal dust can cause the bag to burst into flames.

And when processing concrete, it is better to use a vacuum cleaner - this way the efficiency of dust removal increases significantly. In addition, after finishing sanding, it makes sense to “vacuum clean” the machine itself, since dust gets clogged in some of its corners, for example, in the openings between the sole and the body.

Front handle.

The most common are mushroom-shaped handles attached to the body. Some of them sit “tightly”, but on a number of machines the position of the front handle can be changed, choosing the most convenient one. In addition, for a small number of such machines, this handle can be removed altogether if the situation requires it: without it, the dimensions of the “ribbon” are reduced, and it itself does not interfere with work in problem areas.

Stationary installation.

It is useful in cases where it is necessary to polish very small workpieces. The machine is secured with the belt up, the part is started and polished, that is, it is no longer the tool that is being guided by hand, but the workpiece.

Grinding depth limit frame.

Another useful option that helps when performing delicate work. Here the count is literally in millimeters, and if the user gets carried away with the process, he risks ruining the workpiece. The frame is fixed to the body, and it serves as a stop that will prevent the machine from “licking off” the excess layer.

The final surface treatment of various parts and structures often involves the use of abrasive materials. The construction market today offers a lot effective tools for grinding. Moreover, even high-performance models are becoming more accessible to ordinary home craftsmen. Such tools, in particular, include a belt tool, which uses an emery cloth as a working abrasive surface.

What is FSM?

The device consists of a housing containing a compact motor. The dimensions of the tool are usually small, which makes it ergonomic and easy to use. The functional part is represented by two rollers, which are located at the ends of the structure. It is fixed on them. In this case, the tasks of the rollers are divided. One of them acts as a leader (drive), and the second allows you to adjust the transverse positioning of the blade. Wood should be considered as a target material - such devices cope with it more effectively than with metal or plastic. Thus, a belt with average characteristics removes a layer about 1 mm thick from the workpiece in 1 second. The tool can also be used in stripping surfaces of paint and varnish coatings to renew the coating.

Selection by main characteristics

The speed of stripping or grinding will depend on the power of the electric motor. There are two fundamentally different categories - 500 and 1200 W models. We can say that these are representatives of the household and industrial groups, respectively. The 500 W power potential is suitable as an aid for occasional finishing of parts. Models with a power of 1000 W or more are used in production and construction. High productivity allows high-quality and deep processing of workpiece surfaces for a long time.

The next important parameter is the intensity of the belt movement. It determines how high-quality and uniform the operation will be. On average, belt machines operate at speeds from 500 to 700 m/min. In this case, it is not even the maximum processing speed that is important, but the ability to configure it across different ranges. In some cases, 200-300 m/min may be sufficient, and exceeding the speed will not allow you to carefully remove a very thin layer.

What to consider in the feature set?

Some useful design additions include the following:

  • Smooth start. At the moment of switching on, the current minimization function is activated, which allows you to start processing not with a sudden movement, but with a gradual increase in speed.
  • Bounding box. Since the tool involves applying manual force to the work area, it is difficult for the operator to maintain the same height of the removed layer over the entire area. Therefore, to precisely control the maximum depth, belt sanders are equipped with special limiters.
  • Dust removal system. During operation, large volumes of fine shavings and wood dust are inevitably released. To ensure timely disposal and prevent the spread of waste, some models allow the connection of industrial vacuum cleaners to the tool. They suck up the generated dust immediately after it is released.
  • Maintaining high speed. This is the ability of a power tool to maintain a stable working rhythm when the rollers rotate at high speeds.

Actually, when choosing a tool, it would not be a bad idea to initially focus on optimal sizes abrasive consumable. Two characteristics matter - length and width. As for the first, it expresses the total length of the web, which is wound on rotating rollers. Depending on the model, the length varies from 400 to 600 mm on average. During operation, this parameter will affect the machine's ability to efficiently handle long workpieces and the durability of the blade in terms of wear. Width directly affects the area of ​​one-time coverage of the target surface. For example, it is advisable to treat narrow boards with tape, the width of which is 65-75 mm. Large-format sheet material, on the contrary, is more efficiently served by a strip of 100-110 mm. Now you can move on to a review of specific models of belt sanders. The rating presented below demonstrates the most successful devices from the best manufacturers on the hand-held power tool market.

1st place - Makita 9404 model

The Japanese company regularly takes first positions in sales rankings, which can be explained by the high quality of its products, their functionality and reliability. These characteristics are appropriate to apply to the 9404 modification grinder, the cost of which is about 14 thousand rubles. The tool is equipped with a 1010 W motor, supports speeds of up to 440 m/min and is equipped with a dust collector. Among its competitors, the Makita belt sander of this version may well take first place in terms of build quality, balance of power and functionality. Users, for example, respond positively to the speed control and maneuverability of the device. Among the small ergonomic advantages, many mention a long cord, comfortable grips on the handle and the presence of several plates in the basic set (made of cork and graphite).

2nd place - model PBS 75 A from Bosch

The German manufacturer is in direct competition with Makita, offering products that are largely similar in quality. In this case, we are considering a tool of a lower class. If the above-mentioned machine is suitable for semi-professional use, then the PBS 75 A is more likely to fit into the household. This is also hinted at average cost models cost 8 thousand rubles. For this amount, the owner receives a power potential of 750 W, thanks to which the rollers accelerate to 350 m/min. What operations can belt sanders with these capabilities perform? Operating practice shows that the device copes well with cleaning parquet, removing old layers of paint, etc. And, again, the stability of the work process and endurance - character traits namely Bosch and Makita tools. Chinese analogues, even with higher power, are unlikely to be able to guarantee the same high quality of grinding while maintaining their own technical resource for a long time.

3rd place - Ryobi EBS800 model

A solution for simple household tasks. Ryobi is not as well known as the manufacturers mentioned above, but its products are worthy of attention, as they combine decent power with an attractive set of options and low cost. Model EBS800 with 800 W motor and speed up to 300 m/min. available for only 4-4.5 thousand rubles. The characteristics with previous versions are very similar, so what is the difference? As already noted, budget-class belt sanders initially lose to their premium counterparts as an elemental base. This option is less reliable and durable, although it can have noticeable advantages in terms of ease of physical handling. There should also be limitations in functionality. The EBS800 device lacks soft start, peak load support and speed control.

4th place - model “Interskol LShM-76/900”

Domestic development for household use and also with a small price tag - about 4 thousand rubles. A special feature of this model is the unusual combination of power and maximum roller rotation speed - 900 W at 250 m/min. This means that the grinder is designed for rough cleaning of metal surfaces - corrugated sheets, car bodies, various surfaces of equipment, etc. Users point to the good performance of the Interskol belt sanding machine, its low weight (3.2 kg) and convenient adjustment. The disadvantages include strong vibrations and noise. Oscillations do not allow fine grinding of small parts.

Which manufacturer should you prefer?

The higher the class of the grinder, the more responsible operations can be assigned to it. Therefore, power tools from companies like Bosch and Makita should be chosen for professional use. This group also includes the brands Elitech, Hitachi and Metabo. If the task is to perform simple cleaning of small areas, then you can limit yourself to entry-level models. This segment is mainly represented by Russian belt sanding machines. Reviews, in addition to the Interskol devices, also praise the Zubr, Caliber and Enkor models. With an average quality of construction, they produce good power indicators and do not cause any special problems in physical handling.

Is it possible to make a LSM with your own hands?

Manufacturing will require an electric motor, two drums (roller replacements), a frame and mounting hardware. The power unit from a washing machine can be used as an engine. His average power is about 3 kW, so you can count on a high-performance operating mode. As for the frame, you should choose a frame structure made of thick metal profiles. The main thing in this part is to think over the configuration of the interface with the engine, drums and supporting platform. Next, you can move on to the drums, which will be used for processing by the belt sander. You can make them with your own hands from small-format cylinders or wide furniture rollers. They are first ground to suit the frame design and the seating mechanism of the tape itself. The fact is that the diameter in the central area should be several millimeters larger than at the edges. This will ensure stable processing, since the main force on the blade will be directed precisely in the middle area.

Finally

Typically, the transition from mechanical hand tools to electric analogues is accompanied by a radical change in processing principles. In this case, only the working force changes, and the functional consumable retains the characteristics of traditional abrasive materials. Does this mean that such a tool has retained its previous processing efficiency? As practice shows, for example, the Makita belt sander, even in semi-professional modifications, gives an effect close to high-tech sandblasting machines. What distinguishes such devices is the softness of their physical impact with the possibility of fine tuning. This is what allows you to clean and even polish sensitive surfaces of wooden workpieces without the risk of deep damage to them by the abrasive tape.