Review: Black & Decker DS321 Dragster 7 Amp 3-Inch by 21-Inch Belt Sander

As one of the industrial leaders in the manufacturing of industrial electronic systems, Black & Decker has continued setting a benchmark with its powerful belt sander, the DS321 Dragster.

Its products have proven to be the most functional and powerful among others in the industry.

Top carpenters and woodworkers now associate the company with great belt sanders.

The DS321 brings to the table top notch features, starting with its powerful 7 AMP motors for a sterling performance, as well as the retractable 3-way handle for control.

The sander’s front roller helps sand even the seemingly unreachable corners in your home improvement projects.

On the other hand, your working area will be kept impressively clean with the included dust bag.

The dust bag also exposes the surface in treatment for a perfect finish.

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And if the sand paper has finished, you can easily replenish it using a quick release lever to quickly change the belt without having to wait too long.

To put the belt in the right tract, there is an adjustment knob which can be used to align the belt.

The DS321 may come with the pre-installed 60 grit belt.

You can then change grit levels as per the requirement of your surface finish.

The 60 grit belt is ineffective for the removal of finer particles for final touches.

I recommend grit levels such as the 150 grit for such task.

This belt sander comes with the speed of 800 FPM.

It is one of the compact and lightweight sanders with dimensions 3 x 21 inches.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which recommended speed should I operate the DS321 with?

Unfortunately this belt sander doesn’t have the variable speed.

Its fixed speed is 800 FPM.

You just have to master your skills in line with that speed.

It is relatively fast compared to other belt sanders in its range of power.

Can I use this belt sander to remove adhesives on my old furniture?

Yes you can but with higher grits of sand papers.

However, beware of old furniture because some of it had asbestos used prior to its prohibition after the 80s.

Sanding your old furniture with asbestos can be bad news for your health.

Rather consider other methods of removing that adhesive.

For modern furniture you can freely do that provided you exercise caution.

Can I remove old paint on my car with this belt sander?

Uhm, I must say this is a challenging question.

But I say yes you can try that provided you’re an expert in smoothening surfaces because it may produce rough surfaces otherwise.

It involves lots of risk to accomplish.

If you’re an amateur please do not attempt it.

I have never used a belt sander before, could this be easy to operate?

Certainly yes it is easy provided you follow the guidelines as furnished in the operating manual dispersed by the manufacturer.

Take note of precautionary measures, particularly those changing the belt and emptying the dust bag.

Jerry's Take
I was a bit skeptical at first of buying this belt sander after reading someone’s review complaining about belt adjustment.

I made a purchase anyway, but then never encountered any problem with adjusting the belt.

Well, I guess it depends how well-versed you are.

The DS321 is a powerful, compact and lightweight belt sander that yields optimal results when sanding a broad array of surfaces.

Its adjustment knob and the 3-way handle helps with optimal performance.

I would surely recommend the belt to any carpenter.

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Pros:

• Relatively powerful 7 AMP motors for optimal performance
• Adjustment knob for the belt to help keep it in position.
• Quick release lever for belt changing. It reduces the pause time when your belt has frayed, or perhaps you just want to change the grit level.
• Has a dust collector bag for a cleaner environment

Cons:

• It has no variable speed. It makes it hard to vary your speed for different approaches to sanding. Meaning you have to master the speed of 800 FPM.
• Manual adjustment knob for the belt. Some belts do this automatically
• The pre-installed 60 grit belt is ineffective for final finish of smooth surfaces. So you have to make a separate purchase.

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With the DS321, your woodworking, metallic finish or furniture manufacturing projects will be an absolute breeze.

The belt sander helps eliminate some of the bulky sanders that have once been popular.