Accessories

Powerful, Made in USA
This is powerful workhorse of a belt sander.

I have used it for sanding flat large laminate table tops, and it does the job in pretty short order. The dust collector works well, but as with all sanding, I would still recommend a mask unless you have a collection system. I originally looked at the Porter-Cable - to be honest, I thought the truck-exhaust style dust collector was pretty cool. However, I realized that design, while very cool, has to fight gravity and a bent tube compared to the Milwaukee.

Also, as mentioned in the title, this tool is made in the USA. Another reviewer writes about the "Sloppy-engineered Expensive Junk". Some of the parts on the sander are thick stamped and bent steel parts. While admittedly not pretty like the new one piece machined aluminum Macintosh laptop chassis, the parts of the sander function great, and I have not had any problems with tracking or alignment. The sander is more expensive than the Porter-Cable, but it's built like a tank. Go to Home Depot, pick up the Porter-Cable, then order this one from Amazon, and you'll know what I mean.

Jeff the Carpenter
I have been a carpenter for 17 years and I will not use any other belt sander than the 4"X24" Milwaukee 5936. The one that I currently use for work is over 10 years old and still works perfect (with the exception of replacing parts that have worn out from years of abuse). This sander is balanced very well, has plenty of power and weighs less than comparable models. Actually, there are no comparable models, because this is in a class all by itself. This is the King of belt sanders. I have used others including Makita and Porter Cable, but none of them even come close. If you want the Best, spend the money. You will not regret it.

Great sander, nice and heavy
I bought this sander (Milwaukee 5936) used--it was 10 year old and very well used, and it is awesome. If it ever dies I will buy another. I used it to sand a 135 sqft newly installed 3/4" maple floor, rough sanding with 60 grit and fine sanding with 120 grit. Worked superbly. I will also use it to sand newly installed hardwood in 2 additional rooms. I read reviews of the others, was tempted by the Ryobi 4x23...but variable speed? I was a bit worried the Milwakee didn't have variable speed...but it turns out this is not an issue (for my application) and I'd prefer the extra reliability, rather than the variable speed switch. I like the handle--I can turn the whole thing over and use it as a mobile table sander to put a bevel on the edge of a piece of edging before installing.

Monster Belt Sander
This is hopefully my last belt sander I will need to buy. Over the past 4 years I have burned out 3 belt sanders all Craftsman, however, all these were hand-me downs from my Grandfather and Father that were at least 20 years old. I am not a person who uses a belt sander a lot but I definitely want the tool to do the job when I need it. That is why I decided to invest into this sander.

This is a big sander. I have seen other 4 inch sanders at the chain home centers but this one is big. It is also a little on the heavier side- not terribly heavy but the weight definitely tells the user that this machine is built to last. The weight is an advantage to help the user keep the tool in control.

The first thing I noticed is that the pictures do not show the belt tracking knob on the left side of the sander. Not a lot of difference in size to its competitors but a left side view of the sander would be nice. I have not had any unusual issues with the belt tracking. The tracking needs to be adjusted periodically just like any other belt sander. As one uses the sander - the belt stretches, parts get warmed up, and things are moving - all issues that can change the tracking of the belt. Like another reviewer stated, I could probably drive my full size truck over this sander and it would function without issues. The belt changing lever makes belt changing easy.

The dust collection bag is made of good quality fabric and catches the dust like any other dust bag. It is sometimes a little sticky to get it on and off the sander but I have never had it fall off during use.

Power! This is one powerful sander. I have not been able to make this sander slow down significantly when using it normally. Granted I can put all of my weight onto the sander and make it slow down but that doesn't help the sanders performance in any way.

Overall, this is a great sander. It is a big sander! It is also heavier than the cheaper 3 inch sanders that I used in the past. It is not so heavy that it is not feasible to use - just heavier than than smaller, cheaper, and more popular models. Prior to this I never thought of getting a 4 inch sander but it certainly makes the jobs finish faster and I want tools that I buy only once. Sure it is almost 50%-75% more than the 3 inch ones but I believe this a tool that I will be able to pass down to my grandkids in another 30 years. Even then if the tool breaks down - Milwaukee has plenty of repair centers throughout the country.

The only con I have is that it should come with a carrying case. Something this big (and pricey) should have a carrying case.

Could be a little better.
A top notch sander. The only problem so far is the belt has a hard time running absolutely true'