Clarke CS48 Belt and Disc Sander

Going by the old maxim "if you're going to get one, get a good one" I'm glad I went for this size of machine. It does the "small" jobs I need it to do, plus I can do bigger sanding jobs. The motor is well up to the task of sanding 2" square timber I find.I do have the biggest version of this machine (9" disc + 6"x24" belt) so if I need to sand a 4"x2" for example, then this smaller machine will not be over-taxed in the long term. There are small issues with the machine of this review that other's have touched on (sanding table not exactly aligned parallel to the disc and it moves with weight put on it) but I have found these points to be not any real problem as such, so long as common sense is used when using the tool in normal operations.The overall quality of the sander is quite high I think and makes easy work of shaping wood and fiddly bits of plastic beading etc. It can also be fitted with a belt for sanding metal items if needed, though I use the bigger version of this tool for such a job i.e. the one with the 6"wide belt and it's 750 watt motor. I find this medium sander is also easy to take to jobs due to it's less weight than the bigger version, but has enough weight anyway to stay on a work bench without being clamped down all the time when sanding smaller items.If you need to sand a plank or long shelf of say 3FT length or more, then you would be better off with a dedicated 12" disc sander I think. That's what I use anyway. Whatever size sander you get, you're bound to come across a job where you need a bigger machine at some point, so buying the smallest version of these sanders could work out as false economy in the long run, especially as this 8" disc version is very good at the smaller stuff anyway. With suitable care taken, it is easy enough to sand small pieces of architrave etc. on this machine, with the ability to sand a lot of bigger sizes as well, which the smaller version might struggle with.Model makers will most likely find the smaller version of this sander more than adequate for their needs and is most likely the one they will buy, as it is a good machine in it's own right. Wood workers need tools with plenty of power for the bigger jobs I find.I do recommend this 4" belt machine, but work out if you might need the even bigger version at some future point, with its' 9" disc and 6" wide belt and bigger 750 watt motor. The really big version weighs much more of course and is a major hassle to move around in the workshop, so isn't so easy to take somewhere in a van or car when needed on site. I find the biggest version a two person lift to move about and It also costs a lot more money than this 8" disc and 4" belt version.

A powerful sander. So far very impressed with the product and the delivery etc. The long arm with rounded end is particularly useful for inner curves.

I haven't had this for long and its my first bench sander, it is larger than I expected it to be, it does remove material very very quickly.you cant put too much weight on the tables they will move as they are just held up by a screw handle.

I had high hopes for this unit. The belt sander works well and is certainly powerful enough. Unfortunately the sanding disc arrived with a very noticeable 2 - 3 mm of wobble. This turned worse on first use and I had to arrange to return the unit.Otherwise it is a large heavy unit of good construction. i am sure that if you get an undamaged unit it will give many years of good service.

Compact heavy and solid, purchased for regular DIY use so far, brilliant, no issues

Had this for 15 month, so out of warranty (typical). After about 8 months of light but frequent use (up to 20 times a day for 10 secs to 2 mins), the motor started making grinding noises. This went away wen left to cool. But, now after just 15 months, the motor has gone on fire and burnt out. It wasn't even doing anything other than running while we got the parts ready to sand. Very disappointing that you only get a year and half out of this product. Cost of repair is about half the initial cost, so I think I'll just try a different brand.

I purchased this belt & disc sander, but the disc is not true. This causes the machine to vibrate unacceptably, wear the discs unevenly, and produce uneven sanding surfaces. There is no obvious way to make an adjustment of the disc on the arbor to correct this. I returned it, and purchased a second one. It has the exact same problem. Perhaps this was just bad luck with two out-of-spec machines, but I'm going to look elsewhere for my next sander.

Quality tool