Bought a $400 'pro' edge bander from an online auction. Junk. Motor seized after two panels. Anyone got a reliable budget brand? | Cabinetmakers - nhfree.com
Watched my buddy grab a "pro" drill from a flea market last year. Thing smoked on the second screw he tried to drive. Plastic gear inside just melted. He was so mad he threw the bits across his garage. Total waste of twenty bucks and a Saturday morning. Now he just borrows my old one when he needs it.
Gotta ask if an edge bander is even worth the headache for a home shop. Most guys I know just use iron on tape and a trimmer for the odd project. That pro label is just spray paint on the same cheap parts. Seen it a hundred times. Spending real money on a tool like that only makes sense if you're running a business and using it every single day. For the rest of us, it's a solution looking for a problem.