# Harbor Freight / Central Machinery Oscillating Spindle Sander



## bigike

great review i was looking into one of these or a ridgid model well my pockets will tell the tale.


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## dustbunny

I own one of these by Central machinery.
I have had good use of it with no problems.
It has a strong motor, the spindles are easy to change,
and the top is perfectly perpendicular to the spindle.
I love mine : )

Lisa


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## oldskoolmodder

I look at these each time I'm at Harbor Freight, and wonder. I never seem to have the money to spare, when it goes on sale though.


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## Maveric777

Thanks for the review. I been watching this little tool for a while now and think it will be my next tool purchase. I have yet to hear anything bad about it yet… Well other than it is what it is…..lol


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## HokieMojo

The ridgid sounds like the best bang for the buck if you can get it on sale. this one sounds pretty good too, but doesn't have a belt option or a tilt.


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## b2rtch

I kaos looked at all these ones when I was shopping to a sander. 
I bought a used rigid and I am delighted with it. 
In fact I mostly use the belt sander attachment on the Rigid.
One thing I do not like about these sanders, is the amount of dust they produce and the dust collection on the Ridgid is next to non-existent.


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## Dusty56

I almost bought one of these but went with the Ridgid instead : ) No complaints at all except that the miter gauge slot is not the standard 3/4"...for whatever reason , they made it a strong 13/16"....thank goodness I don't need to use the miter very often. I don't have any problems with the dust collection system on mine : )
Congrats on your purchase and happiness with it : )


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## joew

I remember seeing a blog about a dc for the ridgid sander, I found this,

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/25862


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## PhineasWhipsnake

I bought one of these, too, and am happy with it. Isn't it amazing that Triton and Rockwell sell the exact same tool (except for the color) for 2 to 3 times the price of the HF. I'm surprised Festool doesn't make a black & green one for $800…


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## deucefour

good review, thanks for the info


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## FJPetruso

I added a photo of the Rockwell model to show how similiar it is too. By the way oldskoolmodder, if you happen to have some pocket change the Harbor Freight model is on sale for $99 now.


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## docholladay

There have been several mentions of the Ridgid. Funny thing is that this exact same sander used to be available in the Ridgid Brand also. It was priced similarly to the Triton. I remember seeing it at HD. They probably are all made in the same factory. I know that Craftsman, Ridgid, Ryobi and some other brands are all made/owned by the same parent company.


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## b2rtch

Thank you Joe for the information for the DC.
I bought my Ridigid for $100.00 used.
I believe that this was a very good deal


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## flyfisherbob2000

I have this HF sander, have used it for over 16 months now with no problems. The drums are at a true 90 degrees to the table, plenty of power, stable. I picked mine up with a discount coupon for $69.00, well worth the money!


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## juniorjock

Good review. HF gets a bad rap most of the time, but I've bought several things from them and everything I receive gets the job done just fine. Plus, I save a ton of money.


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## FJPetruso

And guess who the parent company is…. The same company that made/makes the electric motors & tools for Craftsman/Sears, Ridgid, Grainger/Dayton… None other than Emerson Electric here in St.Louis… And where are all of these motors & tools made?... China. The Emerson Motor Division only makes ONE SMALL MOTOR here in the U.S. The only Ridgid tool that IS made her in the U.S. is the Shop Vacuum. So it doesn't matter if you buy from Harbor Freight… The "Good Tools" are made in the same plant in China anyway. That isn't to say that HF doesn't sell lots of JUNK. Their hand carving tools are really good…. PAPER WEIGHTS.


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## JoeButler

I too have this sander. I haven't had any problems with it and it seems to do it's intended job very well. I'm well pleased with it.


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## mpodurgiel

I purchased this sander about 8 months ago and it has not let me down. I work with oak most of the time and the motor is strong and doesn't bog down under heavy sanding. I was using a drum sanding bit on the drill press for years, but when these came around I knew that I needed it in my shop. It is worth the money!


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## oldskoolmodder

Thanks for the note about it being on Sale, Frank… Sadly I'm losing my job in the next week… so I won't be making that trip to the W. Florissant store this week.


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## FJPetruso

Sorry to hear about the job situation, Ric. I've been there too. It can be a real kick in the teeth when you first get the news but I wish that this situation turns into an "opportunity" for you & that it all works itself out. Besides your woodworking, what kind of work do you do? Good Luck!


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## oldskoolmodder

Chef… Everyone needs a chef who can also bartend, so I'm sure I'll catch that sander soon enough. Thanks Frank.


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## dhazelton

Hello,

I am considering this OSS for spoonmaking. As your original review is a couple of years old, I wonder if you can comment on your experience with the sander, how much use you have given it and if it has held up. Thanks!


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## b2rtch

Buy a Rigid, it is much more versatile and it works excellent.


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## dhazelton

I already have a combination belt/disc sander and only need the spindle function. The Harbor Freight also has a smaller footprint than the ROSS, which is a plus.


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## FJPetruso

I too have a combination 6" belt X 9" disc sander & also a 1" belt X 8" disc sander & don't feel the need for a horizontal belt sander like the Ridgid. Plus… I can nearly buy THREE of the HF spindle sanders for the price of the Ridgid sander, making the HF model nearly disposable should it fail. (Which it shows no signs of doing.) I have used this sander a lot making the curves for the children's rocking chairs that I have posted & it does a fine job. I particularly like the way it stores the sleeves & tubes around the base making spindle diameter changes fast & handy. Like any other sander, you have to keep a gum-rubber sandpaper cleaner close by when sanding pine as it gums up the paper quickly if you try to work too fast.

I only purchased the Harbor Freight 6" X 9" sander recently but really like it so far. I'll be posting a review in the future.


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## dhazelton

As an FYI, I went to a magazine store and found the $89 coupon for this unit today, and went to the Harbor Freight store and purchased it. Brought it home and was excited to give it a go. Plug it in, lift the switch - nothing. Tried another outlet and nothing. Tried a third outlet and DOA. I took the bottom off to see if something was obviously amiss, I checked the spade connectors and all were tight, and without a wiring diagram I couldn't say if the switch to motor was wired correctly so I'll be taking this back tomorrow. Haven't decided if I'll get a second unit or spring for the JET benchtop. But when you consider the fact that the 3 inch spindle is a $90 option for the JET, you can buy 6 of these for each comparable JET.


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## FJPetruso

I'd try another first & then see. But look who has their name on this spindle sander now besides Harbor Freight & Triton… Rockwell


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## DMIHOMECENTER

Discontinued by Triton. They had it first, but dropped it. Now HF and Rockwell have it. I'll check Big Lots and let you know what I find. I'd give $49 for one of these and keep the smallest wheel on it so I don't have to change the spindle diameter so much on the Ridgid.


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## dhazelton

Researching this unit I saw it also branded as 'ToughTest' and 'Menards' and one other that I can't recall right now. It's a shame that there isn't a unit built a bit more robustly between these units and the six to seven hundred dollar machines. I was also looking at vintage Boice Crane cast iron units, but they supposedly have a Morse taper fitting and finding spindles for them is hard unless you can mill your own. I'll let you know how I make out.


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## FJPetruso

I've had no problem changing between spindle sizes. Actually, from reading the reviews, the problem with the drum on the Ridgid sander is that the drum is either too short or too hard of a rubber compound to "mushroom" properly & grip the sanding sleeve. Or, possibly, the user just may not be tightening the spindle nut enough. The rubber drums on the HF model grip very well. Heck… They're both made in China anyway.


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## dhazelton

I ended up picking up a new Delta BOSS at a tool center today. It was $279 and I think the last one they had. Then I came home and read the spotty reviews of that unit, stripped nylon gears, start capacitors that leak and make it seem that the motor is failing….I will probably return the Delta as well, just too many disappointing reviews. Still want a JET, metal gears that run in an oil bath, a full one inch stroke, tilting bed….anyone know tomorrows winning lottery numbers?


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## dhazelton

Delta gone. JET at home. Found a JET benchtop -used once - for $300 on CL last night, within an hours drive. Did not dicker on the price. Incredibly quiet with no vibration. 80 lbs of quality - never thought I'd be excited to buy a Taiwanese tool.


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## dhazelton

Oh, and when I returned the Delta the owner of the tool store asked why I brought it back. I told him that I read that it was a well known dog, quoted the problems I read about stripped nylon gears and premature motor failure due to bad capacitors. He said 'what do you want, it's a hobbyist toy, not a real tool.' I replied 'It's almost $300 - it's not priced like a toy.'


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## inventorgrissom

The Harbor Freight Central Machinery Oscillating Spindle Sander was my first online purchase from H/F. Within the same order, I also purchased the extra sanding sleeves that I would need to complete the job for which I purchased the sander. Immediately after the sander shipped I found an email from H/F that stated that those extra sanding sleeves that I ordered were "no longer available" and I would not be charged for those. That's little comfort considering that the sander is worthless without the sanding sleeves. Somebody PLEASE point me to any alternate source for these sanding sleeves.

For the record: To date, I've purchased almost everything my local H/F has had in stock (I'm an obsessive compulsive tool fanatic) for the last 3 years and have not yet once been disappointed. I'm sure someone out there knows where these sanding sleeves are still available???

HEY! I bought a Ferrari and am then told that the gasoline is no longer available??? Surely they jest.


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## FJPetruso

Woodcraft sells the same set of sanding sleeves. All the sanding drums on the HF spindle sander are a standard size. All maker's sanding sleeves are supposed to be a standard size. But I also purchased a set of sanding sleeves for the Rigid sander & they worked fine. The Rigid set has 10 sleeves. (2 of each size) Two sleeves fit just right. Two sleeves took a little effort to slide onto the drums & the last (like another member stated) was a little loose. But all it took to tighten it was an extra steel washer with a slightly larger center hole so the rubber would compress properly. The only problem I have with the Rigid set is that it doesn't include 3" sanding sleeves. So from now on I'll go to Woodcraft!

Yes it does suck for HF to sell a sander & discontinue the replacement sanding sleeves. I go to Woodcraft more than Harbor Freight any way… so I'll just be giving them my $$$ for sanding sleeves instead of HF.


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## FJPetruso

Well…. I "made the rounds" today…. Went to Harbor Freight. Then to Woodcraft. And then to Rockler. I just wanted to pick up a few things that I saw that were on sale at the stores. Not a lot but a couple of handy gadgets that will make working in the shop a bit more efficient.

To the point… When I was at HF, I decided to check & see if they had any sanding sleeves left. (I checked online & found that HF not offering the sanding sleeves was correct.) Sure-Nuff… There were four 150 grit packages & one 80 grit package… Bought all five packages. Pretty soon they'll have me on one of those intervention things on TV trying to cure me of hoarding sanding sleeves!


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## Tennessee

I have owned the Rigid with the changeout belt sander unit since 2002. Got tired of changing out the belt unit for the spindle, and sometimes the belt unit doesn't want to come off too easily if I don't remember to clean and oil the shaft every doggone time. So one day in Harbor Freight I saw the HF unit on sale one day for $89 with a coupon and grabbed one. The last one in the store. Now they seem to list for $129 unless you find them on sale.

It takes the same size spindles as the Rigid, so I can use up all my sanding wheels. It does exactly what the Rigid does with ONE little annoying problem. I bought an adopter for the vacuum outlet so I can hook up my Rigid 12 gallon shop vac, and with both running, the little dust vacuum holes in the yellow plastic rings become "grabbers" when running flat stock. I can't tell you the amount of times I've had a flat piece on this thing, trying to clean up an edge, sliding along nicely, and the vacuum grabs it and all of a sudden I have a round dent in my wood piece. Arrgh!!!
Other than that, mine sort of howls, and I am always leary of those universal motors. Still, I've been able to stall my Rigid during sanding with larger diameter spindles, and I cannot say that for this unit. We'll see if it lasts the ten years my Rigid has lasted.


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## Edwardnorton

inventorgrissom, The sanding sleeves can still be purchased, online and in the stores. Or at least in my store they are. I just re-stocked mine for my HF Oscillating Spindle Sander the other day. I've owned my OSS about 2 years now and would not trade it for the best made. It does the job every time!

http://www.harborfreight.com/pack-of-6-240-grit-sanding-sleeves-95270.html


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## kayakdude

hello all

it seem i can find harbor freight spindle sander for 89.99 on sale very i even tryed looking on line and ended up take a survey in stead any help wood be good


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## FJPetruso

That was several years ago when this post was first started. Right now HF has that sander on sale for $125. The regular price is about $150. I believe that the sanding sleeves are again available at HF for $8 to $9 a set.


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## dhazelton

Kayakdude- go to Home Depot and look at the magazines - a WOOD magazine or some other such will have the coupon for that unit at a much lower price than anywhere else.


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