okeydokey
Established Member
Just seen this - my very old machine is past it - any views on any good £89.99 36 month warranty
Aldi selling Ferrex Belt and Disc Sander
- Thread starter okeydokey
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robgul
Barry Bucknell is my hero
I've had one for a couple of years - can't fault it, even the dust extraction pretty good - it certainly looks just the same as the machines from the usual "badge engineering" suspects (Draper, Clarke/Machine Mart etc)
Allen Quay
Established Member
Yorkieguy
Established Member
It's identical to the Axminster 'AC150BDS' and several other brands.
Basically, it's a generic Chinese made belt and disc sander. I bought the Axminster one in May 2020 at which time it cost £119.99. The price during lockdown went up to £149.99 (no surprises there then), but is currently on offer at £129,99. Hence, if you buy the Aldi one, you'll get the same machine and save yourself £40.00. (The Axminster one and the Aldi both weight in at 21kG). The main reason I bought it from Axminster rather than other 'brands' was the 3-yr warranty, but you get that from ALDI anyway.
There are 61 reviews on the Axminster site, generally favourable. My own review is #54 ('Yorkie')
Axminster Craft AC150BDS Belt & Disc Sander | Axminster Tools
It's proved perfectly satisfactory in use.
With the sander in the horizontal position and the linisher guard in place, the usable length of the sanding belt is 12” (30cm) and with the linisher guard removed, it's 14” (35.5cm). The machine has sturdy rubber feet so if it isn’t bolted down to a bench (as mine isn’t), it will stay firmly in place with no tendency to ‘walk’ when in use. It uses 100mm x 914mm (4” wide x 36”) sanding belts which are widely available in a range of grit sizes. The sanding discs are 160mm (6”) and are hook & loop, making it much easier to replace than on some sanders, which are adhesive backed.
The casting was rather rough and ‘sandy’, the paint finish was very thin, and appeared to have been applied without a primer. The paint had chips which must have been present when it was packed at the factory. (One or two chips had been touched up with paint which didn’t quite match the original).
I can't imagine that the ALDI one would be any worse, and possibly better.
The Dust Extraction Outlet is 63mm diam. Like most hobbyists, I use a workshop ‘drum vac’ for dust extraction for such equipment as bandsaws routers and orbital sanders, the hose end of which are generally 32/38 mm diameter. I just turned an Acetal adaptor on my lathe.
Overall, I gave it four stars due to some quality shortcomings that I wouldn't have expected from Axminster.
It came with a 23-page nicely printed and illustrated Axminster booklet written in plain English - not ‘Chinglish’. The booklet is comprehensive, the diagrams are clear, the instructions for use are easy to follow, and an exploded diagram, parts list and electrical circuit are included. I assume the Aldi one will come with a similar booklet.
I'd say grab the ALDI one while you can, save yourself £40 and spend it on spare belts and discs. (I use Zirconia sanding belts, including for initial sharpening of chisels and plane irons. (A cheapskate Yorshireman's 'Tru-Grind!).
Hope that might help.
David.
Basically, it's a generic Chinese made belt and disc sander. I bought the Axminster one in May 2020 at which time it cost £119.99. The price during lockdown went up to £149.99 (no surprises there then), but is currently on offer at £129,99. Hence, if you buy the Aldi one, you'll get the same machine and save yourself £40.00. (The Axminster one and the Aldi both weight in at 21kG). The main reason I bought it from Axminster rather than other 'brands' was the 3-yr warranty, but you get that from ALDI anyway.
There are 61 reviews on the Axminster site, generally favourable. My own review is #54 ('Yorkie')
Axminster Craft AC150BDS Belt & Disc Sander | Axminster Tools
It's proved perfectly satisfactory in use.
With the sander in the horizontal position and the linisher guard in place, the usable length of the sanding belt is 12” (30cm) and with the linisher guard removed, it's 14” (35.5cm). The machine has sturdy rubber feet so if it isn’t bolted down to a bench (as mine isn’t), it will stay firmly in place with no tendency to ‘walk’ when in use. It uses 100mm x 914mm (4” wide x 36”) sanding belts which are widely available in a range of grit sizes. The sanding discs are 160mm (6”) and are hook & loop, making it much easier to replace than on some sanders, which are adhesive backed.
The casting was rather rough and ‘sandy’, the paint finish was very thin, and appeared to have been applied without a primer. The paint had chips which must have been present when it was packed at the factory. (One or two chips had been touched up with paint which didn’t quite match the original).
I can't imagine that the ALDI one would be any worse, and possibly better.
The Dust Extraction Outlet is 63mm diam. Like most hobbyists, I use a workshop ‘drum vac’ for dust extraction for such equipment as bandsaws routers and orbital sanders, the hose end of which are generally 32/38 mm diameter. I just turned an Acetal adaptor on my lathe.
Overall, I gave it four stars due to some quality shortcomings that I wouldn't have expected from Axminster.
It came with a 23-page nicely printed and illustrated Axminster booklet written in plain English - not ‘Chinglish’. The booklet is comprehensive, the diagrams are clear, the instructions for use are easy to follow, and an exploded diagram, parts list and electrical circuit are included. I assume the Aldi one will come with a similar booklet.
I'd say grab the ALDI one while you can, save yourself £40 and spend it on spare belts and discs. (I use Zirconia sanding belts, including for initial sharpening of chisels and plane irons. (A cheapskate Yorshireman's 'Tru-Grind!).
Hope that might help.
David.
southendwoodworker
Established Member
This video isnt for the model that is on sale now, they are certainly different - the disk it at the same level as the belt, rather than below. And the dust extraction is done very differently.
southendwoodworker
Established Member
Beware that the two videos and the axminster review is for an old model of the ferrex sander, the new one is very different. They look completely different:
Bllue = old model, Grey = new model
Bllue = old model, Grey = new model
Allen Quay
Established Member
You're lucky, it looks like you received the the sander that Aldi have advertised on their website at the moment (the one with two separate dust ports), or is that pic taken from the website? I ordered from the same listing last week and it arrived on 4th November, but mine was the previous model, the blue one that's in the videos above, with one large dust port.
southendwoodworker
Established Member
I've not purchased yet, I was investigating because I am very tempted. I'd rather the blue one than the grey if I had a choice.
okeydokey
Established Member
Thanks folks I like the look of the grey one best - will try and find out which they are selling
cheers
cheers
I got one, it was grey, arrived yesterday. Works fine, I had to make an adapter for the dust extraction with the top of a plastic bottle and there's still particles chucked over the top of the belt but seems to work pretty well. I found the table for the disk sander a tad tricky to get 'perfectly' horizontal but a couple of mins and it was good enough for my bodging - properly fettled could be much better. Hard to say it's a bargain til it's been working in a sustained way but I'm happy with it at that price - things spin and abrade as they should. Thanks for the heads up, okeydokey.
That is because they all come out of the same asian factory, just wearing different clothes for a disguise.
southendwoodworker
Established Member
I've found the manual for the grey version online here: https://coreservice.co.uk/wp-conten...disc-sander-MM4115A-01118BJAN011-20210418.pdf
southendwoodworker
Established Member
Mine turned up today, ordered on the 18th. Mine is grey and does not match the photo on the aldi website which I am happy about. It is a rebadged Scheppach BTS900.
Has BTS900 on the manual and has Scheppach as the support number.
Great deal, the BTS900 seems to be selling for around £180 at the moment. Very happy with this purchase.
Has BTS900 on the manual and has Scheppach as the support number.
Great deal, the BTS900 seems to be selling for around £180 at the moment. Very happy with this purchase.
Attachments
I bought one too, it’s waiting to be opened in the garage. However I’m thinking of taking it back and getting this Triton, it’s a lot more money but I may get a bobbin sander in the future and thought well might as well now, thoughts???
Triton TSPST450 450W Oscillating Spindle and Belt Sander 230V https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071YGY...abc_T3FY5QQ613R97DN72TMP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Triton TSPST450 450W Oscillating Spindle and Belt Sander 230V https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071YGY...abc_T3FY5QQ613R97DN72TMP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
robgul
Barry Bucknell is my hero
I think you'll find that the large disc sander on the Ferrex/ALDI is very useful - rather more effective than the Triton belt . . . I have the ALDI machine and a Rutlands "Portable" Bobbin sander
https://www.rutlands.com/sp+more-sa...ch-mounted-oscillating-sander-rutlands®+r7602(I've made a base for the bobbin sander with a "fin" that clamps into my bech vice.
Ttrees
Iroko loco!
You could always mount the sander on it's side somehow, make a long table and end up with
a more usable edge sander, while also utilizing the drum for internal contours.
Likely will do that with my belt & disc someday.
robgul
Barry Bucknell is my hero
Are you asking about the mount for my bobbin sander/ - if so let me know and I'll take a pic or two.
