WEN6510T 3.5 Amp Oscillating Spindle Sander,Black

Value compared to HF. However, probably from same factory!

I bought this in December of 2024. I was looking for a way to sand curves.I don't use this a lot, so I can't speak to long term reliability, but it has been working very well so far.It was easy to set up.It took some practice to get smooth results, but that didn't take all that long.So for me, a hobbyist who builds cabinets and similar furniture, this was a good addition to my shop.

A power tool with a cast iron table top at this price is practically unbeatable. That said, I wish the tabletop surface were a bit smoother. The cast iron has a directional grain of sorts. A flat, level, polished surface would most likely require expensive machining, which would significantly increase price, and this table is perfectly serviceable. Anyhow, this is a nit-picky comment. The machine works great. It's stable as a slice of granite. The dust removal works fine attached to my shop vac. The onboard storage is helpful. The manual is helpful overall; however, I think my tool's supply of metal washers differs slightly from those indicated in the instruction manual section on tool operation. It's by no means a problem. Actually, the supplied washers are an improvement over the washers described in that section of the manual. There's an extra large steel washer included that holds the rubber sanding drum very securely on the post/ shaft that's attached to the motor. I ended up using that washer on all the largest rubber cylinders because it worked so well. This little discrepancy from the manual is easy to figure out. Also, I found some zirconium sanding cylinders at the big orange box store that turned out to be a helpful accessory for sanding high carbon steel. The manual warns against sanding anything but wood, probably because of the risk associated with the possibility of a spark igniting any sawdust inside the machine or inside your dust collection system. For the price I paid for this unit, that's a risk I was willing to take: for better or worse. So far, no harm done. I've sanded steel and bog oak on this machine, and it performed well on both accounts. The sanding drum moves up and down while spinning in order to maximize the sanding surface and to give a smooth finish on the workpiece. If you're sanding thinner material, then the upper part of your sandpaper will remain unaffected by the sanding action of the machine. I will probably end up trimming the sandpaper tubes to remove the used portion, and get more life out of them. I kinda wish the little removable plastic parts that fit around the sanding drums were a thicker plastic or - better yet - made of metal. However, the oblong shape of the cast iron table provides adequate support for many different-sized workpieces. The short end of the table is good for sanding small workpieces. Anyhow, if you're still reading this review, then what are you waiting for? If you've thought about buying a drum sander, then you've probably thought about using drum-sanding bits in your drill press. I decided against it because the bearings in the drill press are not designed for horizontal stresses. Believe me, you'll be putting horizontal pressure on your workpieces whenever you need to hog off a lot of material. Save your drill press, and buy a drum sander. If you want one that's a great value, get this little number while the gettin's good. The price has already gone up by $20 since I bought mine. I'm so pleased with it, now I'm looking at the whole WEN lineup for other tools I need. BTW - I wish I had considered a WEN drill press rather than the press I ended up buying from the other big box store.

Love this spindle sander. Works like a champ. I would have given it five stars but the oscillator belt broke after 14 months and Wen doesn't sell that belt. They do have the drive belt but they don't carry or sell the oscillator belt. That doesn't mean that you can't fix it though. Obviously, a replacement belt must be available somewhere. I took the broken belt and measured all of the pertinent dimensions - 1/4" wide, 16" long, .2" tooth pitch, 80 teeth (yes, I counted them), trapezoidal tooth shape. After doing some checking on the interwebs I found the replacement belt at McMaster-Carr (part number 1679K27, just go to their website and search for the part number). It cost about $4 with $10 shipping (it did arrive the next day though so the shipping was worth it). It's a much better belt than the original but it doesn't stretch much so it's a pain to get it back on (just cuss a lot, that always helps).How to replace it: first, remove the six screws that hold the bottom plate on the sander and remove the plate. If you don't see the broken belt at this point then you have some other problem (which might actually be covered by the warranty - I'm pretty sure the belts aren't covered). Assuming it's the belt, remove the two brown wires that run from the motor assembly to the power switch. Then, remove the 8 screws that hold the motor assembly to the case. You can see one of the screws by the tip of the screwdriver in the first image. Take the motor assembly out, then remove the 4 screws from the spindle base plate (these are visible in the third image on the right side of the picture). Once these are out you can remove the spindle assembly from the motor assembly by pulling the spindle out. Be aware that there is a collet between the belt drives and the motor plate that will immediately fall on the floor and get lost as soon as you pull the spindle assembly out (see Murphy's Law and corollaries). The collet is visible in the second image (picture taken after I found it under some random piece of furniture and put it back in). Put the two belts loosely on the drive wheels and slide the spindle assembly back into the motor plate. Now comes the fun part (where the cussing comes in). Somehow, slip the oscillator belt over the drive post and under the tensioning wheel (I know it's possible because it did it - see third image). Once you have expended every curse word you know and you have the oscillator belt on the post and under the tensioner you get to put the drive belt on. That one is a bit easier but you'll probably have to invent a few new swear words to accomplish it (having used up your quota on the oscillator belt). Once these herculean tasks have been completed, screw the spindle assembly base plate back on, put the motor assembly back in the case, reattach the two brown wires, screw the motor assembly to the case, replace the bottom plate, plug it in, and then go have a beer. Cheers.

Works as advertised

Bought this spindle sander for my hobby workshop. It worked very well for sanding inside curves. The different spindle sizes make this a valuable tool for my woodshop. Wish I had bought one years ago.

Love my sander

Great tool