# Whisper-quiet portable belt sander?



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

Does such a thing exist, or should I just keep dealing with a 5% hearing loss every time I use one?


----------



## BKFranks (Feb 19, 2008)

Tinstaafl said:


> Does such a thing exist, or should I just keep dealing with a 5% hearing loss every time I use one?


Wear ear plugs


----------



## Kent Whitten (Mar 24, 2006)

Just out of curiosity, are you not wearing hearing protection?

I just picked up the DeWalt 3x21 and (I'm just going by my old one which had a bearing gone) it seems very quiet. They are a noisy machine for sure.


----------



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

framerman said:


> Just out of curiosity, are you not wearing hearing protection?


On a good day. But you know how that goes. You get your head up between the joists and start in with the palm nailer, your eyes cross and you promise yourself you'll never do that again. But you do. :laughing:

Seriously, yes I do when I'm going to be at it for a while. For a quicky, it's generally not worth the bother--long-term abuse is the real hearing killer.

But it would be nice not to have to deal with that kind of noise at all, and there's no reason I can think of that they _need_ to be that noisy. Other than manufacturers trying to keep them cheap, of course.

I'd happily pay double for a quiet one.


----------



## Erikfsn (Dec 6, 2009)

Trade your belt sander in for either a Festool Rotex, or the even more aggressive sander, the RAS 115. Much quieter and much less dust.

After buying a Rotex I began to actually enjoy sanding!


----------



## Erikfsn (Dec 6, 2009)

I beat Warner to it!!!!!!!!!!! :clap:


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Just use it as much as you can. It will get quiter and quiter as time goes on. Only downside is everything gets quiter :thumbsup:


----------



## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

Erikfsn said:


> Trade your belt sander in for either a Festool Rotex, or the even more aggressive sander, the RAS 115. Much quieter and much less dust.
> 
> After buying a Rotex I began to actually enjoy sanding!





Erikfsn said:


> I beat Warner to it!!!!!!!!!!! :clap:



It's ok, you gave good advice, my ras 115 is my go to sander most of the time. I was trying to plumb some old 2" rough cut oak studs in my house the other day. Some were pretty good, some needed a 1/2" off in some spots.

It was either use my planer (bunch of shavings in the dining room) or get the ras out and get to it. The ras may have taken a few minutes longer but, there was hardly any mess to clean up.


I wish festool would bring their belt sander over here.


----------



## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> It's ok, you gave good advice, my ras 115 is my go to sander most of the time. I was trying to plumb some old 2" rough cut oak studs in my house the other day. Some were pretty good, some needed a 1/2" off in some spots.
> 
> It was either use my planer (bunch of shavings in the dining room) or get the ras out and get to it. The ras may have taken a few minutes longer but, there was hardly any mess to clean up.
> 
> I wish festool would bring their belt sander over here.


I think Warner is a Festool rep on the side. He offers free green Kool Aid.:drink:


----------



## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

griz said:


> I think Warner is a Festool rep on the side. He offers free green Kool Aid.:drink:


That would be a good gig, for sure.


----------



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

Erikfsn said:


> Trade your belt sander in for either a Festool Rotex, or the even more aggressive sander, the RAS 115. Much quieter and much less dust.


Since you were first, I'll ignore Darcy. :laughing:

Is the RAS also a Green Thing? I don't usually need anything all that aggressive--just enough to clean up saw marks, or put a hint of chamfer on a corner. Typically, dust control isn't an issue for the way I work, so that would just be a side bonus.

What are we actually talking about in terms of cost and noise level compared to the more common sanders?



BCConstruction said:


> Just use it as much as you can. It will get quiter and quiter as time goes on. Only downside is everything gets quiter :thumbsup:


OTOH, my wife would be quieter as well. Hmm... :laughing:


----------



## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

You try the mini PC?


----------



## Trim40 (Jan 27, 2009)

framerman said:


> Just out of curiosity, are you not wearing hearing protection?
> 
> I just picked up the DeWalt 3x21 and (I'm just going by my old one which had a bearing gone) it seems very quiet. They are a noisy machine for sure.


 Did you say something Framerman, speak up would you stop your mumbling.:w00t:
Maybe it's just time for a new belt sander.


----------



## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

I have the Mini PC. Slightly underpowered for true belt sanding. But as a scribing tool it is fantastic. It is still loud.


----------



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

Whut's a Mini PC?

I have to confess that this isn't an all-consuming concern for me, nor even related to a current job. It's just something that's been festering for quite a while.

Heck, even Basswood's angle grinder coping routine would be better noise-wise, if you could control it the same way as a belt sander.


----------



## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

http://coastaltool.com/a/port/371k.htm


----------



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

Leo G said:


> http://coastaltool.com/a/port/371k.htm


Looks like an armadillo. :laughing:


----------



## DuMass (Feb 6, 2008)

I don’t know about whisper quiet, but for a 3 X 24 belt sander, my Makita 9920 is pretty quite. 
Especially when compared to the old B&D Industrial that it replaced.


----------



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for that. I favor Makitas anyway.


----------

