# Belt failure resulting in expensive repair



## ND2ELK (Jan 25, 2008)

I was thinking about getting one of these once, but now that I read this I am glad I did not. I bought a Makita 3 X21 variable speed belt sander and just love it. I had a 3 X 21 Makita belt sander for over 30 + years and it finally died. The old unit did not have VS but with the variable speed you can control stock removal better. Thanks for the info.

God Bless
tom


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## ellen35 (Jan 1, 2009)

I have one… used with once with great success. Nice shape, size and heft.
I'm now wondering about the belt.
Perhaps, it is a fluke… I'll be interested in the experience of others as well.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

I have one of these and, so far, I have had good luck with it. It is my sander of choice when I have a lot of material to remove.

However, it does get hot. The handle is, effectively, wrapped around the motor and it can get so warm that it is uncomfortable to hold. I stop on a regular basis to let the machine cool down before continuing.


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## Howie (May 25, 2010)

Personally I feel that if someone can build something,I can figure out how it works and how to repair it. If it dies again I'd take it apart. Take pictures as you go along and you have something to refer back to.


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## Sawdust4Blood (Feb 16, 2010)

I've had one of these for a few years now and it's been a workhorse for me. Like Rich, it's my go to sander if there is a lot of material to remove and it's fantastic for scribing. It does get hot with extended use but I've had no problems with mine.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I have one I've had for years and it works great. but this is a light weight sander you can't get heavy handed with it. The other problem is that the factory sanding belts break very easily, So I have custom ones made.


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## Chelios (Jan 2, 2010)

I agree with Jim, you have to use it for light jobs. The first one I got burnt out the same day. The guys at ACE gave me a replacement and I have been really careful not to overheat it or work it for a long time


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## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

I have a pc and a bosch 1276 DVS (which is by far the better sander). The PC I bought at a yard sale and it has served me well for medium sanding jobs (I keep a 100 to 150 grit belt on it)....the bosch gets the heavy duty stuff (and has either a 60 or 80 grit belt on it most of the time)....and I work it hard….I have never had a problem with it….but I believe it is much more expensive then the PC models.

I would agree with the statements above…..don't try to sand a very heavy job all at once…..heat and dust are a tools worst enemies….I will typically stop every hour or so…and blow out the tool (especially the switch (I keep a festool dust collector on these tools at all times).....check the tool…and let it cool for a few….then back at it.


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## loflin (Jun 13, 2010)

I must just be lucky with the two PC 371 sanders that I have owned. The first was stolen after about a year of use. While refinishing the oak floors in my house it easily ran for several hours at a time in all of the areas that a floor sander and larger belt sander would not fit. I never felt as though it vibrated too much or that it got too hot. Although I have only had a few belts break on me I agree with a1Jim and buy 3rd party belts. This is a great little sander and I don't baby it in the slightest and the new one has been going strong with a lot of use for more that two years. My 4×24 and 3×21 inch belt sanders are just too big and heavy for some jobs and these little sanders get their share of the work.


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## Sawdust4Blood (Feb 16, 2010)

Reggie may have hit on a key point. I use mine pretty heavily but I always have dust extraction hooked up while I'm using it. The extra air flow of the dust collection along with not allowing dust to build up on the tool components probably goes a long way to preventing terminal overheating.


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## Brad_Nailor (Jul 26, 2007)

I have one also, and I don't use it allot. It does get pretty hot when you run it for extended periods of time. I have had nothing but good results with this sander….I always use it with my sander dust collector (an old canister vacuum) and that seems to help keep the heat build up down. I just try and let it cool off by taking breaks while using it.


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## Tim_456 (Jul 22, 2008)

I've had mine for a few years now and have had great luck with it, no problems at all. sorry to hear you had a bad experience with yours.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

For that kind of service. You are FAR better off paying for a couple of Harbor Freight belt sanders and just chucking them when they break…


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## Abbott (May 10, 2009)

If you use it with a shop vac it really helps dissipate the heat.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

Add me to the list of people who have owned one of these creatures for about six years, with good luck. I should add that mine was used here and there commercially. It's still going strong.


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## dilwood (Apr 29, 2018)

I LOVE my PC371 sander because it is much easier to manage under my boat than my big units. BUT I too had the drive belt fail, and the good guys at Atlas ordered one (it took about 60 days). However, according to ereplacement parts, it requires a "Poly-V, Item 836 Is Needed to Install", and this has been discontinued. I cannot figure out how to roll this belt on, as we would with a bicycle chain. I'm stuck.


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