According to belt-sander manufacturers, the biggest sellers are the 3-in. by 21-in. models, so we decided to take a close look at what’s available. The good news is that we didn’t find any glaring performance problems, which made it difficult to pick clear winners. To rate stock-removal and dust-collection effectiveness, each sander and sample board were weighed before and after a timed run. At the end, the difference between the weight of the board and the machine (plus dust bag) indicated how much sawdust was collected, expressed as a percentage. Hitachi’s narrow steel belt-tensioning lever was stiff and uncomfortable to use. The machine sanded flush on the right side, but the belt must be shifted off center due to an extrawide platen. Stock-removal was aggressive. Dust collection effectiveness was 86%. 

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