Rikon 50-112 4-Inch x 36-Inch Belt 6-Inch Disc Sander

I have used this sander a number of times and I find it a good deal more sturdy and seemingly built to a higher standard than most of the cheap Chinese junk out there. I have bought a lot of the cheaper Chinese tools in the past and while they generally function, they use cheaper materials like thinner steel, more plastic and poor quality motors. This piece seems to be the exception. It runs well and the top belt even tilts, a feature that I noticed the Home Depot machines do not have. It appears to be cast iron and is heavy as can be. I like it. It works well. It feels like reasonable quality. I expect it will last a while. I'd buy it again.

I just bought this and have not used it extensively. Set up time was about ten minutes. Runs really well, I also have only used it on pine, but then again I am not forcing it to remove a lot of stock in a short time frame. At 40+ pounds it is very stable, well made and quiet. The belt adjustments are easy to use and get good results. Would recommend this for any home workshop.

Excellent product for light shop duty. Easy to set up and use. Dust collection port is just OK-takes additional vacuuming after a job. I like the heavy chassis & ability to bolt it to the work stand. For the price it's great.

Please, grab a chair and huddle 'round, I have a story to share. On a cold and dark evening 2.5 months ago, a young and passionate woodworker was thinking what marvelous creations he could build. His thoughts drifted to the need for a disc sander to make it easier to shape small pieces of wood for his masterpieces. Eager to have something on its way to him, delivered in a cardboard box like a Christmas present from an uncle too lazy to use wrapping paper, this woodworker ordered the very Rikon disc sander you see on this page. His needs weren't great and the half horsepower motor would surely be strong enough.Days went by and the present never arrived. Fearful that a nemesis in the shadows had secretly taken the sander for his own nefarious needs, the woodworker mustered up all the courage he could to check the status on Amazon. With shaky fingers, he discovered the problem: it had been shipped via USPS. Now, my dear readers, if you're unaware, USPS is a government organization that prides itself on the ability to deliver recyclable materials directly to metal boxes outside most homes in America. Each worker is giddy with the chance to sneakily hide an important bill between sheets of freshly printed garbage in the form of coupons and flyers.The Amazon site indicated that the package could not be delivered and a refund would be issued 2-3 days after the package returned to them. Our courageous woodworker dared to check the status on the USPS site and was greeted by an ominous message, indicating that the package was undeliverable and was being sent back to the sender. Frustrated and confused, he wondered how this package among the dozens he had ordered recently could not be delivered. His house did not move. His mailbox was not missing. The package was not sentient, attempting to escape its fate.Days went by and then weeks. He contacted Amazon support, worried that, since the order was not refunded, the package had become a singularity, a black hole, threatening all life on this planet. Within a few hours, a rather calm and apologetic Amazon employee promised a refund, apparently without concern for massive gravitational forces. A few days later, our woodworker confirmed that his credit card had been refunded. Christmas never came for this poor young man, but his tale did not end there.Two months went by and the man had worked hard to forget the ordeal, feeling satisfied that Amazon had made a quantum leap to put right what USPS had done wrong. A pink USPS slip appeared in his mailbox. Reading it to find that a package was waiting at the post office, he thought to himself, "What's this? Could it be? A special present just for me!" He was not expecting any packages.Waiting in line, his mind drifted with thoughts of what this package could be. Maybe it was a box of socks? That's the type of gift that's unappreciated until your toes can sink into the soft fluff that hasn't yet experienced the harshness of being stepped on all day. Maybe it was a box of books, full of other worlds and captains with hooks. The line moved forward and the woodworker approached the counter. Presenting his ID and the fateful pink slip like some kind of golden ticket into a chocolate factory, he could barely contain his curiosity. The mailman took the slip back as he searched for the package, returning to inform the woodworker that it was heavy, so he'd bring it to the bulk delivery door with a dolly. Seconds passed, and soon a minute went by. The woodworker stared at the door, imagining a pallet of gold being inched ever closer. The door popped open an inch, maybe two, and the mailman beckoned the woodworker closer. "This has been sitting around here for a couple of months," the mailman said.Laying eyes on the box for the first time, the woodworker could not believe what he saw. (Are you sitting? I asked politely for you to sit at the start of this story, remember?) It was the... Rikon disc sander from ages past. How could it be? It made no sense. USPS said they were returning that months ago. With utter confusion, the woodworker brought the box to his car, probably looking much like a zombie that was trying to think how you can possibly eat someone's brain when it's trapped behind a skull.Being raised by good parents, or perhaps having watched too many good guy movies, our perplexed woodworker let Amazon know that he finally received the package, giving them permission to charge his credit card to set things right. He was busy, so he left the box in his garage, wondering how this series of events could have unfolded until the weekend came.Finally, he had time to open the belated present. It had changed from a Christmas present from a lazy uncle to a birthday present from an aunt who doesn't actually know when your birthday is, but it was a present nonetheless. The woodworker carefully opened the box and set up the disc sander. He didn't have any immediate need, but he wanted to give it a try after this unbelievable journey. Following the directions step by step, he got everything ready. He plugged it in. Controlling his excited breathing, he slowly reached out for the power switch. "With great power comes great sanding," he thought.He flicked the switch to the on position. The machine began to hum, but it did not move. Surely the disc and belt should move or the tool wasn't any better than sandpaper? The distraught woodworker turned it off and on again, but it just hummed like a sleeping monster. Armed with electrical and mechanical knowledge from lessons past, the woodworker opened the panels and verified all connections were sound and the belt was not too tight. The woodworker swore quietly and turned the machine on once again.Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.The Rikon disc sander almost seemed to be thinking if it should actually come to life and start moving. It had but one purpose in life, to sand, but it was not afraid to disappoint its parents by not conforming to their expectations. As the woodworker looked for any physical problems, the disc sander expressed what it had always wanted to be: a smoke machine. It created heat and smoke, as if attempting to communicate to tools across the garage with ancient signals, but it did not move. This Rikon disc sander never wanted to be what it was born to be; it wanted to be a smoker. Unfortunately, it wasn't scented with the beautiful fumes of hickory, and the woodworker was upset. Over two months for this?The woodworker would not be buying another Rikon tool again.

Frankly, I chose Rikon because many of the PBS wood working shows use this brand. This is my first belt sander. I don't know how I've managed without one all these years. Some reviews stated you can't use a shop vac for dust control. Not true on this model - see photo 1. The table gauge is plastic but strong. I had an issue with the table adjustment. I could not get the table to stay up. After using the sander for awhile I believe the problem was some oil from shipping. It is possible to bog down this machine some but that just means you are not letting the machine do the work. This is a home owner grade machine, if you have a pro shop you will want the 8" for more power. My video, sailing hideaway the rikon review , has more information. Over all its a welcome addition to my small shop

luckily factory packing was good, because they shipped in an oversize box and it slid all over the place tearing out the bottom of the factory container. However, must be a sturdy machine because no problem with the sander. Dust collection with shop vac works well. Overall a good machine.

This thing is a beast. Have used it a few times and works great. I would say for the money it’s a great purchase for a home do it yourselfer. Seems very well made, little vibration and sufficient power that doesn’t slow down the belt when using.

I used this twice in the first week, and while sanding a small 3" round of maple, the motor quit turning, then just sat and hummed. It has a 1/3 HP motor, which is pretty small. The design is OK, but a little too much plastic. If there is at least one other reviewer that theirs died quickly, I would not recommend this unit.