WEN 6307 Variable Speed Detailing File Sander with 1/2-by-18" Belt

An Update.After using one for years I needed to give this away, so I bought another. Although it is big. You can use it in Relief Carving if you are very careful.It has a very narrow belt. In large areas getting the wood smooth and level is a must and anything that can help speed up time is worth it... Practice on areas that don't matter too much.. you will be glad you did. Go lightly. Be delicate.......I got this for sanding my porch railings, and to help in my relief carving projects.It is bigger than I thought, but is light enough to hold in one hand and guide with the other hand. The noise is not as loud as some power equipment I use, but I still use earplugs for comfort.Push on the tip; insert the belt; than push on the tension button, and the tension on the belt is perfect. You can easily move and position the arm of the belt sander with one simple turn it tightens in place very easy.The big cautions are don't sand when wet; the dust will combine with the water and strip out the sanders bearings.It sounded scary because the manual states you have to tighten down the object because it might kick back. Although there is a very minor kick back when use with my carvings it was very little and easy to control. I did not secure my carving and it move just a bit once.It is very aggressive so I don't think I would not use anything under 220 grit for carvings. I was able to sand with the tip so it was actually useful. I would not use this sander for any big project however it will be wonderful in hard to reach places.The belts have and arrow for travel make sure the belt is aligned to the belt movement which is indicate by both a arrow on the sander and sanding belt.No pressure at all on belt sanders let the belt do the work without any pressure. You just glide it over the spot that needs sanding.It is a rather uncomplicated peace of equipment that is built really well I have a few Wen tools along with a drill press and find there tools are of good quality.Another plus is the manual. I usually need a magnifying glass to read most of today's manuals. The Wen manual was easy to read and clear to understand.The price is excellent, I can certainly recommend this Belt Sander.

I have a 40 year old teak swim platform that I'm refinishing, and I needed a specific type of tool to sand in-between the slats of wood. This is the perfect size to reach into the hard-to-reach places. It's fairly light and easily maneuverable. It came with a 2.0AH battery, and I purchased a second battery. I'll say the battery life isn't spectacular; however, it is sufficient. The charge time; however, is very quick. I hadn't depleted the 2nd battery by the time the first was recharged. Build quality seems good and is what I expected at this price point. Overall, it has been great for the few hours that I've used the tool. I would definitely recommend it for DIY situations. I don't know how it would hold up in a professional-type environment.

For a very inexpensive power tool, this surpassed my expectations. At least thus far. I've only had it for a few weeks, so I can't speak to overall durability.Pros: It has been a workhorse for me during a deck refinishing project at my house. I've pushed it hard for over an hour at a time and it's held up. The sanding action works well and it gets into so many places my other sanders can't. The belts are relatively inexpensive and if you use the tool correctly, you don't burn many up.Cons: Changing the belt is harder than it should be. Getting the existing belt off is easy. You push in on the end and it clicks in place to relieve the tension so it allows for swapping very easily in that regard. The problem is, it won't pop back out into its normal tension placement. I've tried just about everything. I always end up having to almost fully remove the tensioning adjustment screw (with a Phillips head screwdriver) and then pulling and tweaking the track to get it to finally pop back out. This is a design flaw.Also, the unit will put off a lot of heat as it's running. Can get uncomfortable to handle if you run it for very long.Overall, I don't regret the purchase. I wish it were easier to change the belts, but for the money, it's paid for itself with just this one deck sanding project.

Excellent tool, performs well and costs substantially less than the one I replaced when it failed in use.Same day delivery kept me on schedule when prior tool failed.The controls are easy to use and offer full adjustment for speed (my prior tool was 100% on/off).

I bought this unit to sand fiberglass in a tight pocket, and wondered if I'd ever use it beyond that specific problem. It performed very well with an 80 grit belt, and once used, many other fiberglass grinding jobs were easily handled by it. Amazingly, I'm still using the first belt, and it has hours and hours on it. It is a surprisingly versatile tool with the variable geometry mechanism and the variable speed. It is light in the hands, and honestly the belt area feel a bit flimsy, but it works and works. The control seems to be well placed for my hands. This tool has proven its value many times over. Thanks WEN.

I bought this to help me in the restoration of my car. It has proven to be so useful that I bought a second one for a friend as a gift for helping me out shaping a aftermarket body panel. have used it to shape up corners and grind down spot welds in a controlled manner and where other small grinders/sanders can't get. It takes a little time to get the hang of it but if you are patient it pays off big time. I have punished mine for hours on end and it works flawless all the time. Clean it up before you put it away and lube the small bearing in the tip. It's one of my favorite tools. Buy some quality sabding belts. The ones provided don't last long.