The Wen 6502 belt sander is a benchtop belt sander from WEN that offers a great mid-range sanding tool for any hobbyist or semi-pro. While this isn’t the most powerful sander in the world, it is actually capable of handling most tasks with ease and is certainly more capable than you might expect for the lower price point. As with most WEN products, you’re also getting a smart design that is particularly easy to use and set-up and that comes with a full 2 year warranty.
We took some time to put the Wen 6502 belt sander through its paces and this review details our findings in full…
Product Description: Plastic But Well Put Together
The Wen 6502 belt sander is a plastic tool and this means it doesn’t have quite the heft or the coolness to touch that you get from some more expensive workbench sanders. This shouldn’t put you off though, as actually it is has weight, heft and build-quality where it counts.
The total weight of the Wen 6502 belt sander in fact is 40lbs and the majority of that is distributed around the base. This makes sure that the tool won’t slip and slide around as you’re using it and that is not only a great safety feature but also a great feature for allowing you to sand more items more easily. Good foundations are essential for any workbench tool! And that plastic is quite nice to look at too and makes the whole machine feel a little less cold and industrial.
Otherwise, you have a decent amount of space on the support table is also good enough and has a 0-90 degree angle, which allows you to angle things just as you need them.
In terms of power, you’re getting a 4.3 amp motor which will deliver 3,600 RPMs – not bad and enough to handle pretty much any project that a homeowner is likely to take on. For professionals this may be somewhat lacking but for everyone else, it’s more than ample (pun unintended…).
Pros and Cons: Easy to Use and a Great Experience All-Round
The price is one thing we like about this product. But what we also found to be great during our review period, was just how pleasant the whole set-up was to use. In particular, we found it was very quick and easy to change and adjust the belt, to swap out the discs and generally to use the machine.
There’s a dust collection port (2.5 inch) which we used as well and when you add that functionality in, you have a machine that begs to be used. You know there are some tools in your workshop that you never want to use, only because the amount of set-up and clean-up makes them hardly seem worth… well this isn’t one of those! Rather, it’s a machine that is quick and pleasant to use and even to move around and this means you use it more.
The other pro is the power and when you consider the price, it really is excellent value.
In terms of the downsides… well that would be the power again! As while this is a powerful machine for the price, it is still ultimately a product that is more suited to hobbyists than professionals. That’s fine if you are a hobbyist but if you’re looking for something that will get you through your working day, then you might want to spend a little more and get something with a bit more oomph (ampf?).
The other drawback is that plastic feel. While the device seems durable and certainly had no problems during our time with it, it’s always a little less reassuring using plastic models and so you may prefer to look for something a bit more resilient. It’s also a slight shame that the dust collector wasn’t included… but you can’t have everything!
Conclusion: Excellent Performance and Price
But most people aren’t going to care that it’s plastic and most people aren’t going to need anything more powerful… and for that reason, the WEN 6502 is one of the best sanders for hobbyists and homeowners and is something that we feel happy to recommend.
Additional ressources on toolerant:
source http://www.toolerant.com/wen-6502-belt-sander-review/
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