Metabo HPT Belt Sander | 3 x 21 Inch | For Woodworking | Variable Speed | 9.0 Amp Motor | Soft Grip | 5-Year Warranty | SB8V2

This is a well made sander. I chose it because I don't trust the performance and durability of sanders that are under $90. Likewise, I don't think a high quality sander needs to be over $300. The Metabo has plenty of power and excellent variable speed control. Belt changes are easy and it has very accurate belt tracking adjustment. It's a good tool at a good price.

I agree with many of the positive reviews. This sander is heavy duty and is easy to apply the sanding belts and is powerful and does a great job.

I really like this belt sander. It lost 1 star because of the replaceable shoe. So I was not getting an even surface...(My 1st thought) operator error. I adjusted my grip and turned the speed down, same thing. I changed to a higher grit, maybe a little better but still the same problem, so I started looking at the sander, and I think I found where the issue was. I found that the pre-made bend in the shoe was a little too far forward and sprung the shoe out from the sander and with only having 2 screws, a crown was created in the shoe. I took the shoe off and adjusted the bend so it was further back, and then I cut a strip of thin angle iron (maybe 3/32" thick) the full width of the shoe. Trimmed one leg so it was just a little wider than the screw heads, drilled two holes to match , and trimmed most of the other leg down to about 1/8" (just enough to keep it from flexing in the middle). I put the shoe back and added my little clamping bar across with the short leg up and in closer to the front roller so just the flat section of the longer leg contacted the shoe, and tightened it all down. The problem disappeared, turned the speed up, changed back to lower grit and no issues. Now it's a real workhorse! It does a great job of removing material, I've used it on bare wood, painted wood, and metal. The bag does a pretty good job of collecting saw dust. I take the bag off when dealing with metal. The adjustable speed is great and I appreciate the trigger lock. It's a bit heavier than what I had before, but it's also more powerful, so I can't complain there. I don't know if the issue I had was just a rare fluke or not, but I would still purchase it again. I would say it was worth the money, even though I had to do a little tweaking.

I've used several belt sanders over the years, some expensive, some cheap. I was able to be productive with all of them. I put a 100 grit belt in this one and took it to a 14' pine 1x6 fresh from the lumberyard. It wandered and grabbed, making gouges everywhere. After a while I was able to hold it with great delicacy and move the sander in a circular pattern with a very light touch (that is, bearing most of the weight of the sander in my hands and arms), with the result that the board felt fairly smooth, even if still a bit wavy from all the gouging. I applied stain to the board and all the circular swirl marks were instantly revealed. I'll have to sand it all out and start over, but it won't be with this unit. It's going back. Many one-star reviews complain of a used product sold as new. If I had a reasonably working sander, I wouldn't care about that at all. I just can't see how anyone can get a result anywhere close to acceptable with this thing. The platen appears distorted where it attaches to the main body (screwed in too tight maybe?) and even if I could somehow fix that, the platen is also thick and stiff with a pronounced bow front to back, so that the only way to get it to be flat is to press it down on the work, which removes stock far too aggressively. There are other things to dislike about the design. It looks like it came from behind the Iron Curtain. The belt release lever is small and fiddly. The dust bag fits onto its chute using an odd clamp made of wire that is very uncomfortable to operate. No matter; I left the bag off and very little dust came out the chute anyway. It doesn't even lie flat to change belts. It is a very odd duck of a unit. On the plus side, it feels solidly built, and I was able to adjust the belt tracking quickly and easily. But if I can't get a decent surface, what's the point?

Metabo’s 3x21 belt sander is perfect in every way. Plenty of power, sturdy, not too heavy, and good handling ergonomics! I’m a retired professional woodworker & I bought this to replace an old Porter Cable sander that I couldn’t get parts for. Really a great choice! All of that in a cost effective package.

My immediate impression straight out of the box was amazed. It feels so good in the hand and sturdy. I am a heavy user of these things and always used the Makita but lost both mine in a fire. I switch between 80 and 100 so much I need 2 sanders. Was dreading spending almost 600 dollars for the other brand. Literally at this price? I might get 2 more! The pressure release is sort of tight for my fat fingers but easily opened with a contractor pencil. The bag seemed cheap however it's actually very durable and its nice not having it bouncing off your knuckles as hard. ONLY thing I don't like is the position of the power cord on top. Your not supposed to do this.. BUT! I DRIVE 2 nails into a bench and flip it over and sand like a bench top sander. No biggie. Going to make a quick saddle jig. Bottom line? You will absolutely not regret choosing this sander. PERIOD! Been a Hitachi fan for over 20 years. Now under Metabo? Great job. Other Metabo stuff I have and love? 12 inch and 10 inch mitre saws. Framing and roofing nailers. 10 out of 10 on ALL of them.

I’ve been using similar tools for almost 50 years now mostly higher end Makita‘s but also homeowner Rockwells and Black & Decker‘s and such. When a 20 year old Makita recently died I was going to replace it with another Makita but saw this at substantially less cost and thought I’d give it a try. It’s an impressive machine and with all that power it’s true you can do some damage if you’re not very handy with a belt sander but if you need to get some work done this is a great tool. It’s true the dust collection does not work great but that seems to be the nature of these tools I’ve never seen one that worked great that wasn’t hooked up to a vacuum hose.

For what i want it for its fine but the sander is off balance. too much weight on the left side causing it to cut heavier on the left side. other than that its not a bad seems well built.

Hasta ahorita la eh utilizado y no he tenido ningún problema a funcionado muy bien gracias a Dios bien

I have installed kitchen cabinets for over 35 years. Over that time I have tried and used many different belt sanders. We primarily use them to grind down wall fillers, kicks, and crowns. Anywhere that we have to conform our work pieces to match walls, floors, and ceilings. This sander is excellent for this purpose. It is lightweight, grips easily and comfortably with one hand, tracks well, and is powerful enough to grind through 3/4" stock with a 24 grit belt quite quickly and easily. The Porter Cables in this size are too heavy for one-handed operation and their micro belt sanders, although lightweight, don't have enough power. I use these everyday for a couple of hours and they will last me at least for one year. I think that for the price they are good value. I am on my sixth or seventh sander now because over the years I haven't found anything better.

Tienes que tomar en cuenta el peso de la maquina.... Por supuesto para este tamaño, debe ser pasada la herramienta.... Hace bien su trabajo, si guarda el polvo,,.. Está bien para lijado de superficies grandes... Para terminado fino... ni pensarlo

I have used this sander for several projects, and am very pleased with it's performance. This unit is lighter and less cumbersome to use than some other senders I have owned. Sanding belts are very easy to reload. This sander is constructed of all metal and seems very sturdy. I would definetly recommend this sander.

Es una buena lijadora, excelente potencia y la ventaja que es variable... es sólida, el motivo de las cuatro estrellas es por el juego de la lija, quiero decir que una vez puesta y echando a andar la máquina esta se mueve mucho, aunque ajustes con el accesorio... pero es buena compra..