Baldor or Burr King belt sander

[shamrock12]

I am in the market for a belt sander. It would be for a serious hobby shop, so I would like a professional model. I am debating between Baldor and Burr King. It is my understanding that Burr King is the leader in belt sanders, but I would have to believe that Baldor is not too far behind them.

Here are the models I am debating between:

Baldor 2048-151D Stationary Belt Sander 1-1/2 HP, 3600 RPM
http://www.mile-x.com/baldor-2048-151d-belt-sander.aspx
or
Baldor 248-151TD Adjustable Belt Sander 1-1/2 HP, 3600 RPM
http://www.mile-x.com/baldor-248-151td-belt-sander.aspx

and

http://www.burrking.com/catalog/p-100061/model-x400-prosumer-belt-grinder-2-x-48-belt

The main differences I could find between those brands are the HP, with Baldor having 1-1/2 as versed to Burr King 1 HP. However, it seems Burr King have multi-position feature while the Baldor is either stationary or three-position. Burr King X400 seems to be priced a few hundred dollars more than the Baldor ($1500 vs $1200). In that case, I don't think I am going to make a decision based on the pricing because of this small difference.

Therefore, my question is .... which brand/model would offer me more versatility? Which one would I be happier with? Any pros or cons between those brands that I did not point out?

 

[drivesitfar]

I've always heard from the few knife makers that i know that Burr King is the one to buy. I've never had any issues with Baldor and i own a couple buffers now and have had several grinders in the past and all were awesome.

if i remember correctly the Burr King grinder is powered with a Baldor motor or did that change? I've been on the watch for a nice slightly used Burr King and they just don't come up on Craigs or at estate sales so that might tell you something. i have seen a few Baldor sanders come up fairly reasonably and just missed out on buying them.

would love to hear what others say so thanks for starting this thread.

 

[zkling]

Burrking, or build your own. I'd strongly suggest you spring for a 72" unit, you will get more long term versatility out of it. Grizzly makes something in the ~$500 range IIRC, good unit for the $. What are your plans for the machine?

 

[Mr. Brooks]

+1 on making your own 72" version. Kits out there where you basically add wheels and motor.

 

[RivennHewn]

Can you go wrong with either?

I think not.

 

[bsg]

I had a Baldor and sold it, and have had several Wilton's.
I like the Burr King but can't justify the cost.

Nothing wrong with any of them, they all have there strong points.

Look around on the web and build your own, you could have two or three grinders for the cost of a new Burr King.

Kevin

 

[dr_clyde]

I've run Burr King grinders, and they are indeed top shelf. However, I would take a serious look at Kalamazoo. I have one in my shop that I use daily. A friend has a Kalamazoo also, and is very happy with it.

FWIW, every Burr King I've seen has a Baldor motor, and well as my Kalamazoo.

 

[Bobcat753]

The Kalamazoo machines are hogs. In my shop we have two 2" wide belt models. We throw any where from 22 Ga up to 1/2 inch plate and they don't bog down at all. For home made look up Man At Arms on YouTube. He is a master blacksmith/sword smith and he has a few custom belt grinders.

 

[GarrettWeidman]

If I was going to spend over a grand on a belt grinder I would buy a pheer;

http://www.2x72beltgrinder.com

Or if I had the equipment I would build my own. I have an old Curtis 2"x48" belt sander/grinder combo powered by a baldor motor, and while it is very nice and I use it all the time I don't think it is worth anywhere near $1,000-$1500

 

[Amitygravel]

I run a Burr-King.
1 hp. Single speed. No lack of guts.
2x72 belt.
Also have the 3 wheel setup for knife making , and its currently on the machine.
The belt attachment can be rotated to any position.
And yes , it has a Baldor motor from the factory.

I'm going to be in Atlanta for the Blade show this weekend.
Burr-King will be there.
I'll see if they will let me take photos and post them on the G.J

 

[catalytic]

I have a Burr King 760 and have spent a lot of time working on and rebuilding various belt grinders. Both of the ones you mentioned are more robust than the Kalamazoo (nothing wrong with Kalamazoo -- they're just a lighter weight machine, and I've also heard that the most recent run has QC problems).

What exactly do you plan to grind? Are you cleaning up parts or doing stock removal?

The X400 is Burr King's new model, so I don't know much about it and haven't heard whether it's as well built as the rest of the Burr King grinders (which are the best).

As much as I love my Burr Kings, at the same price point as the machines you're considering I would actually buy a KMG. You can get one without a motor for under $1000:

http://www.beaumontmetalworks.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=19

I have rebuilt a lot of machine tools, and I usually pay about $150 - 225 to get a new top shelf (i.e. Baldor) TEFC single phase 1-1.5hp motor NOS or used + new motor bearings + manual starter switch and liquid tight electrical fittings (I can help you choose all these if you want). That's a lot more grinder for less money as the Baldor, and it's more versatile than the X400. The KMG has a huge following in both machinist and knifemaking communities. It's a fantastic machine -- not as smooth as the Burr King, but the design allows you to change between platen, various size contact wheels, and other setups really quickly and easily, meaning you can set up to grind just about anything. Like Burr King, KMG is also a great company with really responsive customer service.

The Pheer grinder mentioned above is essentially a KMG clone (there are actually several companies offering these), but Pheer is less established than KMG.

If this is more machine than you need, you could also have a nice setup for less $$ with a Coote grinder. They are known as the best value grinder among knifemakers. I haven't used one personally, but they look about as robust as the Baldors.

There are some other options as well -- Pheer, Bader III, etc.etc. -- but I would not recommend them over these unless I knew they happened to be particularly matched to something you want to grind.

 

[Packard V8]

http://cootebeltgrinder.com/

I've made several belt grinders over the years, but for Coote's prices, I might just buy the next one.

Here's the one I liked best:

jack vines

 

[tarmy]

I have the Beaumont...and that as beefy a unit as you can buy. I do welding projects too...and use the various setups I purchased with it all the time...expensive...but made by a one man shop in the USA...and just a monster...

 

[PT Doc]

Kmg is so versatile out of the box. Easy to mod as well. Very good quality for the price.

 

[Amitygravel]

Some heavy hitters for you all to drool over.
From the Burr-King booth at the Blade show in Atlanta.

The new X400


This MONSTER is on the drive axle (as all B-K's are setup with the lower wheel being the drive wheel for the abrasive belt)


And some 11/2 hp variable speed eye candy



For those who are serious about buffing
Check this out.

 

[bsaint]

I would go for the Burr-King if you can afford it.

If I had to choose one other than the ones I manufacture, it would be Dynabrade.

 

[catalytic]

^^ I have seen the Dynabride versatility grinders. They're a Burr King 760 knock off, but they do look really nice (pneumatic belt tension is a nice addition). I believe they are in a different price range than the grinders discussed above, though.

bsaint, do you make the belt sanders mentioned in your signature? I have seen your sig in a few posts and wondered about them.

 

[d.brown]

I started out with the Baldor model you mentioned. It was ok but my Burr King 960 runs much smoother. You won't be disappointed with a BK but they have a lot of nerve asking the prices they do for a handful of aluminum castings.

 

[shamrock12]

Thank you all for your inputs! Would a belt grinder be more useful for coarse work (stock removal, heavy cleanup) or for fine work (sharpening, light cleanup)? I also have a 8" Baldor grinder that I am setting up right now but haven't decided (or figured out) which machine would be more useful for what.

Any helpful advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Packard V8]

It depends. Both belt and wheel grinders can do fine and coarse work. The advantage of the belt is the additional flexibility and quick changes of grit. A belt will be less likely to burn a fine edge, but only less so, not idiot proof. The belt grinder doesn't have to be dressed as often and stays round and balanced.

Bottom line - you'll be glad you have both.

jack vines

 

[catalytic]

Good belt grinders (Burr King, KMG, etc.) can remove stock a lot faster than a grinder that uses stones. A Norton 36 grit belt just flies through steel. Belt grinders also keep the work a LOT cooler (only warm to the touch if used correctly), so unlike stone grinders, you can use belt grinders on tempered steel (knives, etc.) without ruining the temper if you're careful. You can also get belts up to like 1000 grit (and higher with cork belts, polishing pumice on belts, etc.), which means you can mirror polish steel with a belt grinder. Finally, you can also use the platen and different size contact wheels to flat grind or hollow grind with various radii.

Shops I know with belt grinders pretty much use their stone grinders only for sharpening lathe bits and drills and stuff. You can do that, too, on a belt grinder, but we all learned to sharpen tooling on a stone grinder so it's kindof grandfathered in.

That said, I wouldn't kick an 8" stone grinder out of the shop -- those are nice machines.

 

[bsaint]

^^ I have seen the Dynabride versatility grinders. They're a Burr King 760 knock off, but they do look really nice (pneumatic belt tension is a nice addition). I believe they are in a different price range than the grinders discussed above, though.

bsaint, do you make the belt sanders mentioned in your signature? I have seen your sig in a few posts and wondered about them.

Sorry for the late reply. I dont pay for real advertising here (as I cannot find the link) and we're in the process of moving into a new building so without publicly getting too into it - yes. What started off as an exercise in trig plus needing a belt sander turned into a lot of local interest so now we are making them at low volume. I know I owe a ton of people pictures, and I will have some once I get organized in my new facility.

Right now I have one of our prototypes at a knife sharpening shop and they guy loves that fact he has a 1x42 at a 45* angle.

 

[Kevin54]

BSAINT.......if you have a website, or a link to your pics, put the link in your profile. You can't advertise directly on the forums, but you can put your link in your profile, and maybe even in your signature, but I would check with a mod about a link in your sig.

 

[Nelson58]

I would go with the Burr-King. I have heard some grumblings that Baldor has compromised a bit on quality of late. I don't know if they are true or not, but they come from decent sources. If it's for high-end use, you want the very best you can get.

 

[shamrock12]

Alot of good advices in here! I have never used a belt grinder before and am learning alot about their benefits & usefulness. I am now leaning toward getting a belt machine for general grinding work with an assortment of belts (coarse, medium, fine, etc) as they would be much easier to change/switch around. Maybe I will put my 8" 3600 RPM Baldor wheel grinder to strictly wire wheel duty.

Just wondering why many of you felt strongly about 72" belt? Is there anything wrong with 48" belt?

Thanks to you all, I am looking harder at a belt machine and actually might look into Burr King model 482 instead of X400 Same belt size but it would have three wheels. I suspect there is a reason three wheels is better than two?

Thanks again!

 

[Amitygravel]

Longer belts mean more grit to do the work and probably run slightly cooler.
But believe me a 72 " belt can build up lots of heat.
Unless you need the smaller radius of the wheels on a three wheel setup you might be better off just running two.
Post up some pictures of some of the things you're going to work on.
Might help us lead you in a better direction.

 

[d.brown]

Just wondering why many of you felt strongly about 72" belt? Is there anything wrong with 48" belt?

Burr King 482 is 2X48, 760 is 2X60 & the 960 is 2.5X60. The 72" is a 960 with an extension. 48" belts are cheap & one that size will likely be fine for you.

 

[exmaxima1]

Maybe I will put my 8" 3600 RPM Baldor wheel grinder to strictly wire wheel duty.

It sounds like you have the basis of a great belt grinder already. Just add the Multi-tool like noted earlier---see how I did mine here (see post #25):

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229081&highlight=belt&page=2

Or, if you are handy, make one for your grinder like I did on my POS Dayton 10-inch. I bought the rubber wheel from Grizzly and fabricated the rest.

 

[catalytic]

Burr King 482 is 2X48, 760 is 2X60 & the 960 is 2.5X60. The 72" is a 960 with an extension. 48" belts are cheap & one that size will likely be fine for you.

One big difference is the availability of different belt grits. There are a ton more belt types/grits available in 72" than there are in 36 and 48." What others said about heat buildup and belt life is also true, but unless you're making knives or using the grinder in a production environment, the belt choices is probably the most important difference.

 

[Mike007]

I have the Baldor in the first link. Its a great tool. I never use my bench grinders since getting it.

 

[d.brown]

One big difference is the availability of different belt grits. There are a ton more belt types/grits available in 72.....

True. I use mine for deburring & shaping & have found that an 80 grit blue zirconia belt is optimum for my purposes. The op wants to use it for sharpening & it will work fine for woodworking stuff but not as well for metal cutting bits. A belt has an inherent wave in it so it's not going to cut perfectly flat like a properly dressed stone.

 

[escuchopeliculas]

I recently got to see some belt grinders made by Fein (I think) and sold as "Slugger".

I was impressed with the quality, It might be too much for what you are looking for but the machines are worth checking out. They are sold as systems and can be adapted and accessorized to do anything you need. At least grinding wise....

-A

 

[gschwartzenberger]

I am also looking at the Baldor belt sander, although a different model: 248-181TD. Belt on one side and stone on the other. I'd have a wire brush mounted up most of the time though. Too bad no variable speed.

 

[organ]

Buy a KMG. I have one, it's great.