Record Power BDS150 Belt and Disk sander?

[dave_87]

Does anyone have any experience with the RP BDS150? Most interested in build quality and accuracy.

I also looked at the BDS250 but think it is a little overkill(and more than I want to spend).

Thanks,
Dave.

 

[Paul200]

Hi Dave. I bought one of these a couple of years ago to sand small parts for jewellery boxes and the like. In the main I'd say the build quality was good but one thing that lets it down is the angled table thing against the disc. The marked angles are useless but once you know how far out they are it's a simple matter to set up - providing you double check the angles - but don't expect the table to stay put! In contrast to the body of the machine it's a flimsy affair and easily moves off your chosen setting. This seems to be a common complaint with sanders in this price bracket, and above, though. I knew this before I bought it and my intention was to come up with a more robust alternative in the future, but a major house (and lifestyle!) move a year ago has meant that most of my tools are in the loft awaiting a workshop!

Are you able to get along to an open day and look at the machine properly? Record Power often appear at tool dealer open days - check out their website, or that of your local dealer. When I bought mine I owned a business selling tools and had the ability to ask reps to bring machines in for me to see. Maybe a kind word with your dealer?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I've had one for near 7 years and would entirely agree with Paul200. Machine generally robust but table is a heap of dung. Mine had a belt go about a year ago which was cheap to replace and easy to install. I like it overall.

 

[Paul200]

I've had one for near 7 years and would entirely agree with Paul200. Machine generally robust but table is a heap of dung. Mine had a belt go about a year ago which was cheap to replace and easy to install. I like it overall.

Sorry - I meant to say that I liked it overall too :roll:

 

[dave_87]

Thank you for the info gentlemen.
Will see if I can get to one of their open days.

Thanks,
Dave.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

There is another thing or even two worth bearing in mind with Record Power which is they're a good, decent, proper British company and though of course they use Chinese factory's for the vast majority of their machines, they do modify them so though clones, they're usually better than the vanilla versions. They also stand by them with a near industry beating 5 year guarantee. As far as I'm aware only Tormek with their 7 year guarantee beat that and they only make one product (family).

I had the pleasure of meeting their MD recently and spent some time talking with him. They're an interesting company to say the least, with some serious "stones" in a pretty competitive market and they're moving and shaking all over the range, very nice to see, including an entirely redesigned and innovated wood turning chuck range...made in England

 

[dave_87]

Thanks Bob, I do prefer to buy British if I can.
Think i'm decided on it now but will still try to get to an open day.

Thanks for the help gents.

 

[MarkDennehy]

Going to buy one of these during black friday (a belt sander held upside down in a vice or with a holdfast is just not cutting it) - did anyone ever figure out a mod for the table?

 

[MattRoberts]

I had the Clarke version of this up until a few weeks ago. I gave up on the table as the only option was to remove it, fix the machine down and build my own table. Plus the self adhesive discs were dire, and kept peeling off. The final straw was when a funny burning smell came from inside the machine - I removed the base just in time to see a capacitor blow.

In the bin it went, and instead I bought the triton belt & spindle sander. It appears to be much more robust, and with a bit of fettling the table is dead square (and properly supported). It's actually cheaper than that record power on the ffx site

 

[MarkDennehy]

Huh. Interesting. And it's far smaller than I thought, it's only a foot by a foot and a bit, am I right?

 

[MattRoberts]

The Triton? Yeah, about that. It's quite boxy, but a decent table surface area, and the tables are Alu so fairly firm

 

[MarkDennehy]

Just wondering if it'd fit in The Wee Shed

 

[MarkDennehy]

Ah. Hm. Hang on. Just looking at it now, that's not an induction motor, is it? That was kindof a selling point for the record.
So, wee shed question - how's the noise Matt? Is it your typical universal motor screamer? Was the record quieter?
I can build a table rig (just mount the record on a plywood base and build off that), but building less niyby* neighbours is a bit more difficult.



* niyby - not in your back yard. I mean, people objecting to you doing woodwork in their back yards is fair enough, that's at least trespassing if not outright burglary...

 

[MikeJhn]

I have one of these: https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Sea ... l7EALw_wcB I don't know if its an induction motor or not, but I use it without ear defenders, and in my estimation the timber being sanded makes the most noise.

Mike

 

[MattRoberts]

Ah. Hm. Hang on. Just looking at it now, that's not an induction motor, is it? That was kindof a selling point for the record.
So, wee shed question - how's the noise Matt? Is it your typical universal motor screamer? Was the record quieter?
I can build a table rig (just mount the record on a plywood base and build off that), but building less niyby* neighbours is a bit more difficult.



* niyby - not in your back yard. I mean, people objecting to you doing woodwork in their back yards is fair enough, that's at least trespassing if not outright burglary...

It's more or less on a par with the belt & disc. It's hard to say, given the vac was on at the same time too. Neither machine whispers like the promise of a virgin, it's more the shrill of a hag... Not sure what that equates to in decibels...

 

[MarkDennehy]

See, I just want the quiet depths of a library, is that too much to ask while sanding off a quarter inch of oak from a three-inch board?

Let's see, the BDS150 is spec'd for 79dB, the belt sander in a vice I'm using now is somewhere north of 96dB (ow, even with ear defenders). I can't find a sound pressure level for the triton or the other clones of the Rigid, or even the original Rigid itself, but the Triton spindle sander with the same motor is listed as 76dB (all for sound pressure, not sound power). I guess that's as close as makes little difference.

Given all that, I guess the Triton or the Rutlands clone is the better choice than the Record. Cheers Matt!

 

[MattRoberts]

Hooray!

While you're there, you might want to get some new belts. The belt it comes with must be in the region of 2 grit - it's like rubbing your workpiece against a pair of golf shoes.

I found some 150 grit belts here : Dewalt DT3674-QZ Sanding Belts, 100 mm x 610 mm Grit Size 150 (Pack of 10) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0013LL62G/ ... fAbND9WBNZ

 

[MikeJhn]

From FFX these are usually free delivery: https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Sea ... l7EALw_wcB is the same as the Triton and Rutlands offering.

Mike

 

[MattRoberts]

The Triton is £32 cheaper https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Tri ... r-Tspst450

 

[MikeJhn]

Well that's a surprise as its essentially the same machine, well spotted that man.

Mike