Customer Reviews

DELTA 31-120 12-Inch 1/2-Horsepower Benchtop Disc Sander, 120-Volt 1-Phase

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is basically a good sander but there are some issues that I discovered. The wheel has axial runout of 0.020 inch at the rim which surprised me, I expected something more like 0.002 inch. Changing the sanding disks is time-consuming. The stock disk is 60 grit, too coarse for my work. It took me an hour to change it. This is because the stock disk leaves all its glue residue on the platter, which is very hard to clean off. I used acetone and steel wool. The platter is smaller than standard so I had to trim the new disk so it would work at all. The angle gauge is very cheesy, it is fixed at 2 points and bows off its mounting surface in between. Despite these problems, I was able to get my job done nicely with this tool. It runs real quiet, is very powerful, and basically user-friendly. The precision table and large size are nice. The 45 degree position stop is not very "crisp" but may improve with use. The tool is greatly enhanced with the Delta 34-779 mitre gauge, available separately. No mitre gauge was included. All in all, it's a good tool but obviously a tool made in China to meet a price target.

I am pleased with this sander. While I would like it to be a bit more powerful (will do whatever I want as long as I take my time and don't push it) it gets the job done for a very low price.

Also, the "positive" stops at 90 and 45 degrees could be better designed and more accurate, but again, if I take my time and set it up carefully each time they work well.

The castings are not perfect, but the table is very flat and I have little runnout...so the casting defects are cosmetic. Again, for the price a nice machine.

Not happy with this purchase at all. Seems to be a lot of variance in the units. I looked at a unit built some years ago, and had a chance to work with it, and it was a dream. Smooth, quiet operation, solid construction, precise, clean fit among parts.

When I received mine, the fan cover had slipped, shearing off the screws that hold it in place. Amazon was excellent in getting a new one to me.

The new one works as well as can be expected, but is extremely disappointing. The assembly and stop set to keep things in square is cheap and has excessive play. The milling on the mini table was miserable -- obvious quality control problems. I had to machine the table down myself. (I chose to do this rather than getting another unit shipped out.)

I finally have a machine that works fairly well, but I had to put in a lot of effort and time to get it to that point. I would suggest carefully examining all other options before purchasing this Delta Disc Sander.

Happy shop time....

I found this sander to be a great alternative to a disk/belt unit. The price point is great for the level of features. I do not have room for a disk/belt unit that would give me as large a disk. I rarely use the belt anyway.

A miter guide track that accepts a full size miter bar is very useful. At 12" you get a legitimate 5.75" of effective sanding. You can get a precise level and square on the table, though it is not an easy adjustment. The table adjustments are hampered by the quailty of the castings and fittings. The unit is quite heavy (no aluminum!) and runs very stable on a bench. The flywheel effect helps it maintain power, though the 1/2 motor could be bigger. I would not pay the premium to get the 31-125. I looked at the 31-125 and with this unit I was getting most of the features at a great price.

I've used it on maple and cherry and have been able to do both guided and freehand sanding and shaping without burning. I've fed a 4" section of 5/4 cherry for an endgrain polish and was very pleased with the results.

Delta quality has been lacking over the last few years, this unit is no exception. Castings are not at all well finished. Even the quality of the nobs and bolts are below every competitor, even Rigid. I'm not sure how long Delta can survive on engineering good features, but producing mediocre quality. I will probably disasemble and rebuild this sander, tuning the castings, replacing the low quality fasteners and end up with a much better machine.

The disk on this sander had a total runout of .025 and after Delta sent me 2 more disks I got one down to about .005. One of the tricks is to remove the disk and clean the paint off of the disk were it butts up onto bearing. This should have been done during assembly. The table slot also had a machined tapered from .770 on the left to .790 on the right. I received new one from Delta with a .760 striaght slot. All replacement parts from Delta were delivered within 5 days after I called in my problems. You can expect these problems on their Chinese made machines, but I ask, why can't they have better quality conrol?

I have found this to be a very good product for my purposes which is sanding small parts for the segmented bowls which I turn.

My requirements for a sander were as follows: 1)to have a large disk; 2) have a good size table which is flat; 3) adequate power; 4) good dust collection; 5) affordable (i.e under $200); 6)heavy enough that I didn't have to bolt it to a bench.

This machine does well on all those points. There are enough adjustments on the machine to be able to sand surfaces perfectly square. The power is more than adequate. At 72 lbs. it doesn't move about on the bench and is pretty quiet. One feature I find very nice is the manual brake to stop the disk from spinning. This allows you to stop the disk quickly and helps avoid damaging a piece by accidentally having it touch the disk. It stops the disk in about 2 seconds.

The most important thing is that is this machine makes quick work of the most laborious part of segmented bowl turning.

While it's not going to win any awards for fit and finish, Delta put the money where it counts. Disk is smooth, table is nice, and dust collection is decent. I think the Delta is a best buy, as the Harbor Freight units have poor build quality, and the Jet unit is $100 more.

Works well until one needs parts. Delta no longer supports this item even though it works well. Had the centrifical starting switch fail and there is no suitable substitute. If the motor was made in America instead of some obscure province in Communist China, maybe I could get the part I need.

I was impressed with how solid this machine was for the money. All the cast iron adds to the overall stability of the machine. The motor runs very smooth and has a manual break. The 12" disc is a feature that would cost you plenty on a combination (belt/disc) sander type machine. I've personally never cared for the belt sanders so this solitary disc was perfect for me.

An interesting and very useful addition to my studio. If there were half stars, I would rate this machine as a 4 1/2. This sander with its large disk is a godsend for truing angles for assembled pieces. My major complaint is the adjustments for establishing the 90 and 45 degree stops. Delta has a good idea but it is a little difficult getting to the adjustments... not impossible, just awkward. The one negative aside, this is a very nice machine. It is incredibly quiet and well balanced. The dust control system is well thought out. One unique function is the inclusion of a "braking" system for stopping the sander... it actually works! I am pretty sensitive to quality and value and this machine is a winner.