Bucktool Low Speed Bench Belt Grinder Combo, 2.1A 1x30 inch Belt & 6 inch Grinder, 1/3 HP Low Speed Bench Belt Disc Sander Combo for Knife Making, Sharpening, Woodworking, Metalworking

Nice little sander I use for knife sharpening.

I initially purchased a similar 1"x30" belt/6" wheel grinder from Harbor Freight for 1/3 the price and I got just what I paid for - garbage. Parts did not fit and it about vibrated off my bench. I returned it. I purchased this Buck Tool version and I couldn't be more impressed. My purpose is knife blade shaping/sharpening and this machine is perfect for that purpose. The slower speed doesn't unduly heat the blade. The Angle Guide from Tamrod slips over the belt limit plate and give you precise angles from 10º to 45º. It runs smoothly and quietly with sufficient power. Belts run true and change is fast and easy. And I didn't need a second mortgage to buy it. For my purpose it's the best one on Amazon.

Purchased 2 of these grinders recently and the latching mechanism for the belt side was damaged on the one. I contacted Bucktool and they were very responsive and quickly replaced the part. I was extremely pleased with their customer service response. And more importantly the grinders are working very well for my purpose. At this point I will say they are very good value for the price.

This assembly was purchased solely to sharpen our many home knives quickly. I'm pretty good with a sharpening stone, but don't care for that volume of work anymore.My issue: I did not realize that the belt only goes down, which is a bit awkward for me. I would also like a consistent angle that doesn't require a lot of practice to attain. Therefore if you need belt direction to go away from the leading edge, this machine is probably not for you. It can't be reversed. Maybe it can be leaned on it's back?If you are comfortable with the belt grinding into the leading edge, it will work, especially if you're able to hand set the blade angle accurately and consistently. If you're not comfortable with that, I suggest watching this video on YT: "How to get more precision sharpening from you 1x30". There the author demonstrates how to sharpen into the belt using an inexpensive angle setting tool. He also shows how to correct/modify the angle tool so it functions better, allowing the knife bolster to get close to the belt. I'm still setting that up and will modify this review once that's finished and I have some experience with it. I have some concerns about sharpening small pocket knives with this machine, but I won't try it until I've finished the setup above.Ignoring the direction issue, the tool seems robust and well made. It was very easy to assemble and has worked well. I will soon replace the 6" 80 grit grinding wheel with a homemade MDF honing wheel to speed up honing and routine sharpening.

Design:Design was good for knife sharpening.

Well built sander and the low speed is great for metal work

This is a good light duty tool. I use it for hobby projects. I don't know how it would work in a commercial environment but it's great for small projects. Easy set-up and simple to use.

About half of the parts were NOT included. That’s disappointing. It looks like a decent piece of equipment. I will know more when I get the parts and can fully assemble.