TESTED: Baumr-AG bench belt and disc sander combo

Above: Made in China, the Baumr sander combo suits small jobs and detail work. A lightweight solution for benchtop sanding needs, the Baumr unit switches easily from a horizontal to vertical set-up.

Review and photo: David Deambrogio 

The time had come to move my 2200mm oscillating belt sander on. While I appreciated its versatility, it was just too big for the small, detailed pieces I was producing. It was also taking up valuable space in my small workshop, so a smaller dual purpose machine was ordered. However, after a few months of waiting, the lead time could not be confirmed, and I had to make a large batch of small parts, so a quick solution was required.

When I came across the Baumr-AG BSS- 55 bench belt and disc sander made in the People’s Republic it had a price that had me sceptical, but satisfied enough that I would get at least this job done.

The only assembly required is to fit the little table for the disc sander. This has an angle gauge that is easy to adjust with a large threaded knob.

The 400 watt brushless motor is surprisingly quiet and ideal for confined spaces, and being S1 rated means it will run for extended periods without overheating. At 15kg the sander is not light, but it’s not heavy enough that
it can’t be swung up from under the bench where it lives when not in use. The dust port is 60mm so adapts to any type of extraction unit.

The sander comes with an 80 grit, 150mm disc and a 100 x 914mm belt which easily eat away soft or hard material. The belt with 770rpm speed can be used horizontally or vertically and has a tension release lever for ease of replacement. The disc runs at
3000rpm and is a hook and loop item that can be replaced after loosening and moving the table.

Having used the sander quite a few times now, the value for money in my view is clearly exceptional. As a boxmaker, I find it ideal for producing wood hinges, box description tags, watch pillow caps, timber handles etc. The manufacturer states the sander is also ideal for acrylics and metals and while I have not had a chance to trial these materials, I see no reason why it would not be suitable for profiling knife blades or other metal items.

I have found the belt ideal for taking away bulk from around the finished size. The fence is an added bonus and stops the piece being sanded from running away.

The disc I use for the final grind with the table allows the piece to be rotated and manoeuvred so the minutest amount can be removed, down to a 0.5mm pencil line. The 80 grit disc pad does leave grooves on an edge sand, however the use of a higher grit finishing disc easily takes these away with only a light hand sand required for a smooth finish.

To sum up, the Baumr sander combo is a great little machine, I’ll give it an 8 out of 10, only because it does not come with a horizontal table at the end of the belt for doing inside curves.

David Deambrogio @the.box.junkie is a Brisbane based woodworker and boxmaker. Learn more at https://theboxjunkie.com.au