The UK's bestBelt Sanders2022 Review

German tool masters Bosch have been trusted by tradespeople and DIYers alike for over a century. I was excited to get hold of their PBS 75 A belt sander. It sits in their green range of quality tools for DIYers.

First off, this is a big belt sander. It’s nearly 55 cm long and the big front grip means you hold it low down to the workpiece. But the bulky stylings aren’t just for looks- you can flip the belt sander on its back and use it as a bench sander as well. The auto-align feature works well, so you don’t have to fiddle with adjusters either.

The 750-Watt motor should be powerful enough for tough jobs. It’s one of the best belt sanders for home projects. The only thing that really let me down is the lack of variable speed. It’s one of the more useful features found in belt sanders, and I wish that Bosch had added to this otherwise excellent machine.

The best heavy duty belt sander for the UK market is the Makita 9404/2. It’s a superior stock removal tool that has variable speed control and is relatively quiet for such a powerful machine. As you’d expect from Makita, this is the best sander for floors and decking that I’ve come across.

The motor is tough enough to take on the biggest jobs. You can choose the belt speed from 210 m/min to 440 m/min. The unit itself has a low profile and is compact for such a powerful belt sander. But what I really like is how easy it is to handle. The grips are well-shaped and allow you to be precise whether you’re working on wood or metal.

Changing belts can be done in mere seconds. The dust extraction system is great and it’s easy to adjust the tracking if you need to. What makes this the best belt sander for woodworkers though are the threaded holes in the side of the metal housing. You can attach the belt sander to a jig and use it safely upside down, turning it into a quality bench sander.

This futuristic belt sander from tool pros Jellas is one of the best budget belt sanders around. The big 1,000-Watt motor means it can keep up with the big boys on my list. However, the six variable speeds are what sets it apart from the competition.

It’s surprisingly comfortable to hold. The non-adjustable front handle is far enough forward to make it easy to use over long periods. Belt changing is easy, but you can’t easily mount it upside down to make a belt sander. It’s a shame because the trigger lock is easy to set and would make bench sanding a breeze.

For the money, this is one of the most user-friendly belt sanders you can get hold of. It’s well balanced and doesn’t vibrate too much. The dust collection port is effective, but it doesn’t come with a dust bag. You’ll have to plug this machine directly into your shop vacuum.

Wolverhampton based Lumberjack Tools have three decades’ experience making a whole range of quality woodworking tools. It’s probably why the EBS76 belt sander looks like a chainsaw without the chain on.

This powerful belt sander comes with a large 1010-Watt motor and puts out a massive up to 380m/min belt speed. It’s more than enough to make short work of wood, metal and plastic surfaces using the three included sanding belts.

The chainsaw-type front handle is adjustable. It makes it easy to handle when you need that extra bit of precision. The front flap can lift up if you need to get into a tight spot as well. And if you fold the front handle down, you could probably run it upside down without too much trouble.

I’m a big fan of Japanese tool brand Ryobi. Especially their ONE+ range of cordless power tools that all share the same battery type. The R18BS-0 belt sander is the best cordless belt sander that I’ve tried out. With a brushless motor and a belt speed of 250m/min it offers all the power you could ask for, and all without annoying power cords.

It’s a chunky but compact belt sander that makes use of a clever adjustable front handle to save on overall body size. It means you can play around with the settings to make it comfortable no matter how long or short your arms are. The drawback of this design is you can’t easily mount it upside down as a bench sander.

Hands down the best thing about this belt sander is that it’s cordless. Even the longest cables get in the way when you’re sanding long pieces of wood, metal, or plastic. Going cordless makes this the best cordless belt sander you can get. The only gripes I have are a lack of variable speed and a fiddly tracking wheel.

One of the more recognisable budget power tool brands on the UK market, Germany’s Einhell make honest tools for a fair price. I tried out their TC-BC 8038 belt sander and think it’s got to be one of the best belt sanders for beginners. I also found it to be a compact sander that can still remove a lot of material quickly.

The handles are well placed and are easy to hold on to with rubberised grips at the front and back. The belts are easy to change. The 800-Watt motor is just about strong enough to keep up with heavy sanding tasks on wood, plastic and even metal.

They throw in a dust collection bag, which is a nice touch. However, it’s an awkward shape to try and mount upside down. I wouldn’t try to use it as a bench sander any time soon. The one included belt is of decent quality though and means you can use it straight from the box.

One of the biggest names in DIY, Black+Decker have been making tools for more than 100 years. The KA86 belt sander isn’t the biggest or most powerful on my list. But, it’s great for precision jobs and is easily one of the best belt sanders for small tasks.

It’s less than half the weight of most of the belt sanders on our list. It’s ideal for when you need precision rather than raw power. Even so, the 720-Watt motor is powerful enough to put a dent into wood, plastic and even metal surfaces.

You don’t need to fiddle with the auto-tracking mechanism, which is a bonus. However, the body feels a bit plasticky and there’s no way to adjust the handles or the belt speed either. You get a sanding belt included though. The dust bag seems to do a good job of collecting the dust as well, so it’s an overall good purchase.