Review - Carbatec belt and disc sander 6" x 9"

http://www.carbatec.com.au/carba-tec...th-stand_c2770

Pros
Comes with stand which is quite stable
Disc sander comes with self adhesive velcro pad


Pros
Comes with stand which is quite stable
Disc sander comes with self adhesive velcro pad
Adjustable belt angle
Smooth operation
Fairly powerful.. it doesn't matter what size timber you're doing (i've done a piece pretty much the full belt length with fair pressure) it keeps going

Cons
The little table in front of the disc sander is wobbly as it is supported with only one grub screw.. but in saying that... when i've looked at the same sander recently, it looks like they have fixed the issue as current model in the showroom now has two grub screws
the plastic dust collection shield on the belt sander is a bit too brittle... Its being held by two screws and there is just not enough shoulder for them so the little edges break too easy under vibrations
replacing of the belt is a bit cumbersome
dust collection could be better
the metal fence is made out of mild steel which is way too soft.. chunk of wood hit it and has bent it quite a bit... so its more of afterthought than function

Overall
Not bad sander for low budget. it does the job
Having two sanders on one machine (belt and disc) saves on footprint
For the price, not regretting the purchase

I purchased one of these approx 6 months ago. Although it does the job ok I wish I had saved for a better one with a bigger disk and two proper cast tables instead of just one crappy aluminium one.
Its vibrates a lot as well and the on off switch is is an awkward position.

As the OP says the dust extraction leaves a lot to be desired, which is the case on most sanders. Even on sanders that look like they're doing OK at grabbing dust, a particle counter will show a large cloud of invisible dust around these machines.

Vibration wise.. mine seems to be ok...
For the switch.. totally agree... The location of the switch is not really on the safest possible place... bending down towards the spinning belt is not nice feeling
Would be much better if the switch was located somewhere on the side where disc sander is.. perhaps on the base...

and if you use the belt in a vertical position the switch is at the back of the machine! :doh: