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I recieved one of these for Fathers Day two years ago. Worked great till it died. It sounds like other people have had the same problem with them quiting.
For some reason it would run great, then for no reason, quit. In the directions it shows how to change brushes, so I might try that and see if there are any loose wires or something. I didn't have a project to use it on until after the warranty expired, but being new I hadn't even thought about it not working.
If anybody knows what the cause is, please email me at crowpeak@hotmail to tell me what to try and fix. It didn't seem hot, but I tried it again a while later and it ran for a few minutes then quit again and never did work after that. Belts seemed to be a problem to, but never had a chance to really adjust them much before it quit.
This sander never did get much of a workout. I will never buy another Dewalt tool.
The DeWalt website advertises an adapter to connect the planer to a dust collection hose. Then the control began to operate and the belt stayed on. The cord on this tool exits from the top of the sander. The belt still came off when the sander was turned on. The designers apparently tried to make it hard to accidentally knock the collector off.
The Dewalt DW433K 3"x21" belt sander has a design that sets it apart from typical belt sanders. I find it not too bad to pick up off the floor with one hand and heavy enough so I don't have to press down on it when sanding. The inlet of the collector is made of a durable hard rubber instead of plastic. The control has worked ever since.The belt is not released by the usual stiff lever that most belt sanders have. It applies and releases the belt tension. In my experience, this feature works well. This is good because the collector is easily knocked off.
It reminds me of feel of the better types of stationary sanding stations. I dislike tool cases that require the contents to be precisely positioned before the case will close. I find it easier to operate that the typical lever release.The belt speed is set by a dial built into the back of the handle. The sander manual warns the user not to install the belt so it overlaps the flange.
(There are no disposable filters in this enclosure). As I fiddled with this for awhile, I heard a click as if something had come unstuck. can self-ignite in the sander dust bag or elsewhere and cause fire Reduce risk. The design only makes it hard to put it back on.
There is a sliding mechanism that attempts to lock the collector inlet into the body of the planer. Since the sander must be moved around as it is running, I prefer this design to one that controls speed by how far the trigger is pressed. The dust collector spout on the sander's body is roughly rectangular. To put the sander in the case, the dust collector must be removed. ( The DeWalt website advertises a "sanding frame" accessory to convert the sander to a stationary sanding station. However, when I turned the plastic knob to adjust it, the control did nothing. You must learn exactly how the sander sits in the case. It takes a few moments to do this because it is hard to see that end of the top roller.
This does not interfere with normal sanding, but when I set the sander down on a cluttered work table, the collector often lands on some object that knocks it loose. Gripping the handle with a "pistol grip" does not disturb the setting of this dial. If you are a naughty woodworker who sands with the rollers, you should consider the fact that the design of this planer may not suit you. This is a nice feature, since the collector itself is nuisance, like the dust collectors on most sanders. It is a metal stem with a plastic knob that changes the orientation of the assembly that holds the front rollers as it is screwed in and out. There is a circular knob on the side of the planer with a raised handle.
I rate this sander as four out of five stars to indicate that it is an above average belt sander. When I turned it on, the belt came off toward the side away from the motor, which did no permanent harm. I have average dislike for it). The most significant feature is that it has 3 rollers. The stem felt as if there was no pressure on it and the roller assembly did not move. Typical advertising photos of this planer do not reveal that the bottom face of the dust collector almost touches the surface being sanded. This is to discourage the belt from wandering off the rollers and chewing up itself and the side of the belt sander.
The sander has the feel of a well made piece of mechanical equipment. The lowest speed setting of "1" is fast enough for pine lumber. I, myself, don't try to use the rollers for sanding. This sander sands more rapidly than my old 4 inch Sears belt sanders. The control that centers the belt on the rollers is still necessary and it is like that of typical belt sanders. The collector also clips to the body of the planer. The top roller has raised flange on the side nearest the motor. To use the sander without the dust collector, you can remove the collector and turn a lever on the planer body that shuts off the dust ejection spout to it.
The dust ejection spout has an interesting warning on it: "Collected sanding dust from sanding surface coatings (polyurethane, linseed oil, etc). The cord itself has a rubbery instead of stiff plastic feel and it remains flexible in cool temperatures. The sander has a dust collector that is a stiff enclosure rather than a flexible bag. The single front roller of the typical belt sander has been replaced by a pair of smaller rollers. The lower front roller had a slightly raised central section about 2.25 inches wide that helps keep the belt centered. This adapter is not included in the kit.Belt sanders are designed to sand surfaces that are already substantially flat and the pad of the sander does the sanding rather than the rollers. ( The low 40's is all I can vouch for, here in southern NM).
I find this helpful since I am conscious of where the cord is going. Several times, in using sanders where the cord exits from the back of the sander, I've moved the sander backwards, caught the cord under the belt and snapped it off. The sander came with a belt on it. The case is of average difficulty to use (i.e. Empty bag frequently and strictly follow sander manual and coating manufacturer's instructions." I (and my bathroom scale) estimate that the sander weights about 11 pounds. I have not tried this accessory). With the dust collector mounted, you would have a hard time using the rear roller.
There is ample room for the tool's power cord.
I also knocked the dust bag off several times, as described by others. However, the dust collection was poor to begin with and stopped working entirely after less than an hour.
Ususally they get it right, but not this time. I bought this sander based on a Fine Woodworking review.
The case that comes with the kit holds all of the pieces and is enormous and of little use to me because of its size.The sander is good ergonomically, I used it comfortably for about 6 hours straight while sanding a hardwood floor. I bought the sanding frame kit.
The frame itself works well, but the stand can not be used with the dust collector and the frame doesn't fit in the stand well. Apparently the plastic dust impeller broke, based on my visual inspection.
The design is just not up to snuff in my opinion.The other positive is that DeWalt will take it back for the first 90 days, so I'm sending mine back.
I've used it on concrete, hardwood and softwoods alike with out any problems. I looked at quite a few others but in the end, they each had something I couldn't live with. Reading all the negative reviews and I originally decided purchasing the sander would be more trouble than it was worth. It churns through projects with out slowing down.I'll agree the dust collector isn't the best, but with the amount of material it's going through, only a vaccume dust collector could solve the problem. I decided to take the risk and hoped I wouldn't regret it.It was the right choice. This is an excellent piece of equipment. Besides, I've never seen a dust collector on any piece of equipment catch everything. I may have gotten lucky, but it's worth the money.
When I called Dewalt they had me take it to the local Dewalt store for return and said a new sander would be shipped to me. I was so excited about this sander. The service person said they would only repair it, not return it. Unfortunately after using it for less than one day it was eating belts, the tracking adjustment did not work. It spewed dust despite frequently emptying the bag and was a huge disappointment. I called Dewalt customer service then the store manager who finally agreed to replace it with a new sander. It arrived and the preliminary test seems hopeful.
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