The UK's bestBelt and Disc Sanders2022 Review

German tool firm Scheppach have been around for more than 90 years. In that time, they’ve made a lot of industrial equipment as well as top-rated woodworking gear. The BTS800 is one of the best belt and disc sanders, thanks to a solid design and effective dust extraction.

Scheppach’s powerful 370 Watt induction motor means the belt travels at a reasonable 450 metres per minute and spins up the 150 mm diameter sanding disc up to 2,850 rpm. With a decent bench weight of 17.5 kg, it won’t go for a walk when you turn it on either.

Supplied with a 100 x 280 mm sanding belt, it’s well suited for dealing with light to medium weight sanding jobs. It’s one of those woodworking tools you won’t believe you got on without having one!

Based in Wolverhampton and popular for their reasonably priced woodworking kit, Lumberjack’s recognisable red colour scheme is becoming a common sight in DIYers sheds and workshops. I think their BD370 belt and disc sander is a quality tool.

Boasting a powerful 370 Watt motor and weighing in at 18 kg, this sander strikes the right balance for me. It’s strong enough to deal with big lumps of timber without it being too heavy to move around. It makes it ideal for the home workshop, especially when space is at a premium.

You get a 36″ x 4″ belt sander on the top, and a 6″ diameter disc sander on the side. The single-speed motor spins up the belt to a useful 580 metres per minute, and the disc puts out 3,600 rpm.

It’s a typical setup for this type of benchtop tool and should be familiar to anyone who’s used one before. The belt tracking is adjusted with a single large plastic knob, so it’s easy to dial in a steady belt.

Devon’s own woodworking tool legends Axminster don’t need much of an introduction. If you’ve ever been involved with timber and how to cut it, you’ll know about these guys. The Axminster Craft range is ideal for DIYers that want one of the best names without needing to shell out thousands. The AC200BDS is easily one of the best belt and disc sanders for the money.

The first thing you’ll notice is that this is a much heavier duty sander compared with the Lumberjack or Scheppach machines. Weighing in at a mighty 26 kg, you might need some help getting it up onto the bench, but once it’s there it will stay there! Part of the weight comes from the huge 550 Watt induction motor, which runs the belt at 520 metres per minute. The belt is a whopping 100 mm wide, and you get a large size 200 mm diameter sanding disc.

One of the big advantages that this sander has compared with the competition is in the dust extraction department. Not only does the large 63 mm diameter dust extraction port hook up to full-size systems, but there’s an internal fan that transforms the dust collection process. It’s excellent.

Manchester-based VonHaus are becoming one of the more recognisable budget tool brands in the UK and abroad. Their huge range of affordable tools and accessories are gaining them new customers all the time. Their take on the benchtop belt and disc sander is a capable woodworking tool that doesn’t break the bank.

Decked out in VonHaus’s recognisable orange colour, the cast iron base houses a 370 Watt induction motor that powers up the 100 x 915 mm sanding belt up to an impressive 579 metres per minute. On the side of the machine is a 150 mm sanding disc that can spin up to 3,600 rpm.

One of the best features of this sander is the adjustable sanding table which tilts between 0° and 45°. It’s useful for dealing with larger bits of timber and getting the precise grind you need. Weighing just 17.15 kg, it’s an ideal weight to sit on a workbench.

Another quality benchtop sander from German tool brand Scheppach is the BTS700. Little brother to the BTS800, it’s got a narrow sanding belt and small diameter sanding disc. It’s an ideal hobby size sander that is easy to store but still packs a hefty punch.

The 250 Watt motor is no underpowered toy, it revolves the 25 mm wide sanding belt to an impressive 820 metres per minute. Next to it is the 125 mm diameter sanding disc, that can be easily tilted with a single adjustment knob.

Weighing in at just 7.4 kg, this is ideal for a tiny workshop or when precision is more important than removing material. You can tilt both tables through 45°, and the machine comes with a mitre gauge that slots into the rail on the sanding disc side.

Bury St Edmund’s based tool brand Sealey have put their seal of approval on all sorts of clever kit since 1978. Their take on the small benchtop belt and disc sander is a capable little machine that’s ideal for hobbyists and modellers.

With a 25 mm wide belt and 125 mm diameter sanding disc, this pint-sized bench sander might look underpowered. However, the 250 Watt induction motor is powerful enough to send the belt round at 845 metres per minute. That’s no mean feat for a workshop tool that weighs just 7 kg.

Supplied with a pair of sanding tables, the one that fits the belt sander is rounded so you can approach the belt from any angle. The disc sander table features a channel that receives a mitre gauge, making accurate angled sanding jobs a piece of cake.

Machine Mart’s in-house brand Clarke are well known for their extensive range of no-nonsense kit. They make everything for the home workshop, from petrol generators to this CBS1-5B belt and disc sander. It’s a powerful benchtop sander that doesn’t take up much space.

Part of the Clarke Woodworker range, this sander boasts a powerful 300 Watt motor that whips the 25 mm wide belt around at 810 metres per minute. The disc is spun up to an impressive 2,850 rpm.  There’s a 125 mm diameter sanding disc on the side that comes with a tilting table. You can set the angle down to 45° and it comes with a mitre gauge as well.

Perfectly suited for hobbyists, modellers or anyone that needs a small scale but accurate sander, this is an ideal addition to the workshop. It’s one of the best belt and disc sanders that Clarke manufacture.