What is Bad About My WEN 6502 Belt and Disk Sander -

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Subsequent to shooting this video, to fix the problem, I simply replaced the washer with a star washer and that seemed to help a lot. So, if you have one of these sanders from WEN, you might want to give that a try as well. In addition, I did another fix that gives me even more.confidence that I can keep the table at 90 degrees - I cut a piece of 2 x 4 that was just over 4 1/2 inches and then kept cutting it down in length until my table became perfect with the 2 x 4 simply placed under the platform. No way my platform is dropping on me with that support under it.

[@ARush-px6ld]

I have this same tool and found that I had the same problem with that plastic fastener. I haven't put a different washer on there, but I did do the 2x4 piece under it and that seems to work well enough for now.

[@jfinnall]

Consider adding a star washer behind it to help prevent it from slipping.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Great minds think alike. Already did that and it seems to have fixed the problem.

[@richardkoch8752]

I'm a old guy also and after watching I ordered one and am way more than pleased with it.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Glad to help you spend money!

[@ericsprado4631]

You didn't mention one BIG plus feature: This is the ONLY machine in this price range that has a quick belt changing feature..Flip a lever and change belts!! I looked at five other brands online and chose this one for that feature. In my metal shop I might go from150 grit 600 grit in several steps. Thanks for frank and straight up review.

[@rebeccahobbs4090]

I recently purchased this and love the belt sander for small projects.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Simple fixe (star washer) to the slippage problem,

[@andyspoo2]

I've seen this exact looking appliance re-badged by numerous manufactures, and in different colours, including Ryobi.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Yes, we would probably all be surprised by how many of our various power tools are made by a handful of manufacturers in Taiwan

[@ddt0889]

Yes, Techtronic (TTi) makes tools for Ryobi, Milwaukee, Rigid, Craftsman, and many others.

[@hanslain9729]

Very good feedback of a weak spot to fix. I've been on the fence to get this and appreciate you posting this... need to order. :)

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@LNSayreLLC]

Considering all the issues it could have this sounds like it is working out pretty well. There are so many things that could go wrong on these tools. Appreciate your input on this item!

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Yep, working pretty well, but can see the usefulness of a much larger one.

[@ericsprado4631]

I have a blacksmith shop and work the heck out of tools..I bought the Wen to have another grinder. It works very well for the power it has.My FAVORITE feature is ease of changing belts :Flip the lever and slide belt off. It is the ONLY brand in this price range the does that. Usually isn't a feature until you get into $750 plus price range. You will like that feature....

[@johnfrasca1832]

just a silly gess but I think that if you put a lock washer on that adjustment screw it would solve all your problems, i hope this helps good luck mr john

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

I did and it solved most of my problem. But I cut a block of wood that when inserted below the table supports it at 90 degrees. That is pretty much failsafe.

[@johnfrasca1832]

I'M GLAD IT WAS A HELP TO YOU ! you keep on fixing mr Dickson !!!

[@markfannin3975]

Fair review. I'm on a tight budget but refuse to buy H.F. products anymore. WEN is a step up for me and with just a little "tweeking", like you indicated, I can get very good results from WEN products. The WEN belt/disk sander is a great addition for my Intarsia projects.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Yep, I have to admit I am getting good performance out of all of my WEN products so far - I am sure I will out grow them eventually and move to more expensive tools with more capacity and more features, particularly my bandsaw will be the first WEN replaced and then probably the WEN thickness planer, but there should always be a used market demand for those to re-coup some of the cost.

[@sonofspaceghost_9290]

That was thee only problem you ran into, and THAT would keep you from buying it again???? Wow man, everything else in your shop must run as smooth as silk fabric soaked in cooking oil cause holy crap that's gotta be one of the easiest things to troubleshoot ever.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Yep, turned out to be pretty easy to fix. And, by putting a piece of 2x4 of just the right height under it I have it rock solid now

[@johnmanfra4224]

Literally what I was thinking haha

[@TokyoCraftsman]

I have the WEN air filter thing, it works well, I also have the WEN metal cutting bandsaw, it too works OK, but needed tweaking out of the box. For you knob problem just put a bolt in there and tighten it with a wrench or socket, I bet it would work better. Cheers from Tokyo!

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

I am not down on WEN as an economical brand. In fact I have a WEN bandsaw, drill press, air filtration and this belt sander. In general, they work great for basic woodworking. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving over there in Tokyo, Stuart.

[@stevenjack23331]

Trying to decide if i want this Wen belt/disc sander or the Skil belt/disc sander. The Wen is 4.3 amp and the Skil is 4.5 amp. They look pretty identical.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

I can’t comment on the Skil model - the WEN works great if you add a star washer

[@alberthuynh]

Appreciate the honest review! This was helpful.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@GCG1956]

Hi thanks for sharing your views on this belt sander. I want to comment that I have more than 1 year with the same model and I have not had problems with this tool. The angular base of the disc fits perfectly and does not move when you rest on it. Maybe I was lucky. I also have a Wen band saw with more than 1 year of use and so far it has performed perfectly. Greetings.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

I solved my problem with a Star washer and when I want table at 90 degrees to the sanding disk, I place a perfectly sized piece of 2 x 4 under the table so the table cannot drop down on me.

[@edhaskell1554]

You're supposed to push the wood into the disc sander not push the wood down to the table???

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Really - dang, now you tell me!

[@wayneli8377]

Want to order one and found your video. Very helpful. Thank you

[@Rusty_ok]

Based on your review I am going to go buy one of these as I am also a novice. Tough to justify a $400-$500 dollar version for something I will use sporadically. My 30 year old craftsman 4x36 belt sander died this morning. I plugged it and hit the start button and let the smoke out. I almost never use the disc function but that belt and I are pretty good friends.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Hey, wait a minute! Who said I was a "Novice"?! Oh wait, I probably said that about myself since it is true..... oh so true! Yep my WEN belt sander works and would probably work even better if I wasn't too lazy to change the belt once in a while.

[@Rusty_ok]

I am very much a novice but I understand the belt change comment. I use one of those rubber sand paper erasers all the time. I even clamp it in the vice on the end of the workbench and hit it with the hand held sander to clean that belt. Surprising how long that rubber thing lasts.

[@sunpointstudio4472]

Glue a small piece of 80 grit sandpaper to the inside of the flange or the housing - cut to shape, and this will help prevent slippage.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Good idea! I solved the problem by using a star washer

[@chrisgraham2904]

A star lock washer, as others have suggested, should hold the tilt table firm. Another alternative would be to epoxy glue some emery paper to the main body with grit out and glue emery paper to the trunnion facing in to create greater friction between the mating surfaces.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

You are right - I added a star lock washer and that solved 99% of the problem, now I just need to build up finger strength so I can clamp that puppy down. LOL

[@craigmonteforte1478]

good honest review thankyou it does seem that the Wen sander you reviewed is the better of the models in that price group for a long time the other one was Harbor Freights Central Machinery unit that has a very weak motor that you can stop completely with a minimum amount of pressure being applied to the belt or disc

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Thanks for the comparison - yep, it is still doing what it needs to do for me.

[@tomhami]

We have these in the UK bagged to various brands and various price points, mine is a Ferrex from Aldi so probably the cheapest but good for the money, £70 from memory.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Cheap is not always bad..... if it works or can be tweaked to perform.

[@AutotechWoodworking]

I acquired an old Craftsman belt/disc sander from my neighbor who was moving and hadn't used it in six years. It did the same thing as your Wen, so I put a lock washer between the knob and the flat washer and solved that problem.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Like I told another commenter, great minds think alike - that is what I did as well and it seems to have really helped.

[@AutotechWoodworking]

@@SmallWorkshopGuy I read that after making my reply and felt like a copy-cat. I wonder if that was a feature to prevent breaking the bracket, because it won't move at all now. I'm afraid if I accidentally drop something heavy on it the table that it will break something. I guess I'm going to have to be careful around it then.

[@umomiekiller]

I put the washer that came with the orange hand screw and it holds up just fine

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

What?! Are you telling me I missed a piece in the assembly! Anyway, I fixed the problem with a special washer that has lots of texture on it.

[@umomiekiller]

@@SmallWorkshopGuy great video though! I bought one that day and i like it way more then the harbor freight brand

[@colemahaney880]

i put a big washer on mine and it holds great now

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Block of wood under it is even more solid

[@mikethompson9745]

Do you still have the need for this tool, would you buy the same type again? Not necessarlly the same brand. I am thinking of a 1x30 with a 6" disc.

[@josephgraham1065]

Thanks for the video. I am thinking of purchasing this one as it looks exactly the same as the Ryobi one just $30 cheaper. I will use the star washer trick and make a 2 X 4 as well thanks for taking the time. Aloha from Hawaii

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

I think you will like it for what it is which is a very small belt sander with a very small disk - I know I will be looking to replace this with a Festool RO 90 sandre with can act as a belt sander but yet do so many other things and I will probably add a much bigger disk sander.

[@zero_to_1000]

Is the belt reinforced? what I mean does it deflect when pressure is applied?

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

No it does not - it runs over a steel body supporting it.

[@HighTone45]

Never wear long sleeves around machinery with moving parts ask me how I know

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Okay, how do you know! Hahaha!

[@HighTone45]

@@SmallWorkshopGuy I lost my finger using a drill press

[@jasonwoolley8650]

I have this sander and if I really wanted to, I could put my palm on the 4x36 sander while it's running and stop it dead without getting a scratch. It CONSTANTLY stops when I'm trying to sand something because it's so weak and anything more than the lightest touch possible will stop it. The disc sander is fine, though small, but yikes to the rest.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Hey thanks for adding your experience. Interesting because I don’t experience the same stoppage issue.

[@jasonwoolley8650]

@@SmallWorkshopGuy Oh well that's good news, must just be mine. Now I need to see what's up with it.

[@micahb9495]

@@jasonwoolley8650 sounds like the the tension is not set correctly on it.

[@dscritter614]

I just got this today. Yeah, I noticed the platform wasn't well supported. I'm going with the block of wood. I can use my new sander 2 shave it down. :D

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Yep that works great

[@billybob629]

I like putting 40 grit belt on, flipping machine upside down with belt on floor, turn switch on, then plug in and watch it take off like a Battle Bot !

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

That sounds like fun but might scare the shit out of my shop dog!

[@jerrystark3587]

I note that you have added a star washer to lock the disc sanding table in position, but it appears to me that the knob is just too small. Is it practical to make a larger knob for this table lock? Would a ratcheting handle work? I ask these questions as an old guy who has had hand surgery, so I know what kind of a pain these things can be. Good luck!

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Hey, I will appreciate the suggestion. I will check my drawers for a spare large knob.

[@rbalara31]

I have the same one, I just used a regular bolt to hold the table because as you say 99% of the time, you want it at 90o

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

I went to a star nut and that works great, but to absolutely make sure it does not drop below 90 degrees when I am pushing down on it, I created a block of wood that goes under the table at just the right height.

[@colemahaney4208]

I love mine......i put a bigger washer on my table tighting knob no more problems

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Yep, I put a star washer on mine and also created a table support that keeps it perfectly 90 degrees - simple piece of 2x4 under the table.

[@jimmygiannakis3638]

I have a few Wen tools including that sander. These are inexpensive tools for the hobby woodworker like myself. If you do a lot of production and heavy duty projects then don't cheap out with inexpensive tools and spend money to buy the right tool for the job.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Agree!

[@Guy_Amato]

Thank you for this video - I was considering WEN for my small home guitar shop. Saw another review that showed the mitre fence on the disc table was a poorly fitted, wobbled in the slot - really useless. You mentioned Grizzly and I found the Grizzly G0787 - prices ranged between 139 direct from Grizzly and 189 from a dealer. Made in USA - Enough said - Haven;t seen a demo but reviews universally positive. I'll get the grizzly - however - none in stock and some estimates several months to get it. I'll wait. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. Did you buy one?

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

I was under the impression Grizzly has their tools made for them in Taiwan. I found this on their own website. About Grizzly Founded in 1983 by S. Balolia, Grizzly Industrial® is a national retail, mail order and Internet company in the U.S.A. providing high quality woodworking and metalworking machinery and accessories. We have almost a million square feet of space at our two large distribution centers and showrooms located on the West Coast and the mid South to facilitate fast and economical shipping. We also have offices in Taiwan and China with our own quality control engineers that oversee the production of our equipment.

[@Guy_Amato]

@@SmallWorkshopGuy My error I guess - I was scanning pretty quick around the net - they had an American flag in their web page banner. Like a lot of US manufacturers, the brain works are here; products are designed and engineered here then manufactured overseas to reduce cost. Still looked like a better machine. WEN gets the best reviews that I've seen. A good friend has an old Delta he swears by. The equivalent Delta SM 500 not stocked either that I can see. Keeping the disc table square on the WEN and the fact that the slide is so loose are a major concerns. I don't do anything heavy but keeping things precise and square is the primary concern. Maybe a lock/star washer (per James Finnall's comment) and a few shims in the slot would fix the issues. Did you decide to purchase a Grizzly? Thanks again.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

No on buying the Grizzly. I added the star washer and that seemed to fix 95% of my problem and then the other 5% by adding a larger knob so these old arthritic hands could apply more torque.

[@gatoreye2000]

That Grizzly is the exact same model as the Wen, just different color.

[@timotheus2003]

Liked just for the tip on the eraser!

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Yeh, it is very useful and cheap!

[@hymlog]

...Just replace the knob with a larger bolt and go on with life! ..I did and Won the State Lottery and found the girl of my Dreams all in one Day ....WOW! ...WHAT A BELT SANDER!!

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Love it!

[@georgecurtis6463]

Most of these cheaper chinese cloned tools are pretty much in need of modifications. If not then they would cost more. As to the shelf, I would add and allen bolt and washer. Then just use a t handled allen to loosen and tighten it when needed. I'm sure there are many other ways to deal with that issue.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Hey thanks, Great idea

[@StreetKingz4Life]

Great review,but i don't know *Wen* i will ever buy *Wen* product lol since i saw all my friends complain about their body construction are cheaply made so prefer invest in something good and done

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

In reality, I have a WEN drill press, bandsaw, thickness planer, belt sander and air filtration - they are all well made and do great for me. I even fixed the belt sander problem with a simple star washer. Maybe. when my woodworking skills improve I will need better equipment, but it is actually my WEN devices that should be complaining about such a crappy owner/operator! LOL

[@billroufs7910]

@@SmallWorkshopGuy LOL sounds like me. appreciate your review

[@jashimuddin7716]

Thank you

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Hey, thanks for watching. Hope it was helpful!

[@davidenete]

Put a star washer on it.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Yep, that is what I did - but even more effectively, I cut a piece of 2x4 just the right length to brace it from underneath at 90 degrees - with that as support platform, it cannot move on me.

[@stevewasserman905]

Where is the amazon eraser link?

[@stevewasserman905]

Nevermind. I found it. I just got this sander and I have to say I like it so far. I have a WEN drill press and I like it a lot. And buying directly from WEN saves money.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

I think you found it already, but putting it here for others. amzn.to/3dvKI15

[@jbn0613]

Small Workshop Guy You can get the same eraser at Harbor Freight for $7 if you have one near you.

[@TurningsbyTurner]

I have several tools from Wen. Now I say, “For Wen your cheap”. Lol. Thanks for the review and the eraser stick tip!

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Yep, i have a lot of WEN power tools as well and for my level of woodworking they are all that I need for now. And they were, shall we say "economical".. I solved my problem with the belt sander with a simple nut with a rough surface.

[@TheVyrus74]

For wen you don't have money to throw at more expensive brands to get the same outcome because current financial difficulties... Not everyone has money to burn

[@TheVyrus74]

Btw *you're not your

[@jasset88]

looks identical to the ryobi and some other brands

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

I would not know - same mfg - different paint jobs and logos?

[@everetteugene676]

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Absolutely - hey, who won the Basketball NCAA championships in 2022 - just wondering.

[@everetteugene676]

@@SmallWorkshopGuy That was a great game!

[@colemahaney880]

nothing wrong with the handle at all just add a bigger washer problem gone

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

I did add a Star Washer and I created a simply block of wood that would make it 90%

[@mattk.5258]

Pretty sure you're not supposed to lean on it.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Oh, I agree, but would like to be able to hold a piece firmly without the table dropping out from under me. A simple block of wood just the right height underneath the table to prop it up turned out to be the perfect solution for me.

[@fenniecheng1961]

*Making a hardwood fence for the miter makes all the difference **MyBest.Tools** Tune the saw with a combination square. Adjust the laser so its in line.😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣See the photos.Every part in this saw is adjustable.😎😭*

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

What?

[@David-rg9dt]

I bought a Clarke Model in UK. They’re all the same, made under licence, all made in China. Total load of rubbish from top to bottom, rollers running eccentric, flimsy screws, rust flaking off, I’m sure mine was made in a backstreet on a pavement somewhere. Took it back next day, disgusted with it. There’s not one make to better another as far as I can see.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Whoa! Say how you really feel! Mine works fine.

[@paulie3221]

In my opinion, WEN is on the low end of quality. They have to make sacrifices somewhere to sell an affordable product. Jet is more expensive, but better quality.

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

No arguing that - admittedly the economical brand - but many beginning woodworkers should probably go low end until they figure out what kind of projects they like building and whether or not they will even stay with the hobby. Experienced woodworkers should, of course, generally buy tools that have more quality and features and capabilities. There is a role for both.

[@KillinYotes]

Lock washer!!!!!!!!!! 🤦‍♂️

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Bingo! And block of wood perfect height under the table

[@mikeknight7331]

You just don't know what you are doing!!

[@SmallWorkshopGuy]

Hey, thanks for the compliment! We’re you to busy to share your knowledge with other viewers?