Bought a cheap edgebander to save money and it nearly cost me a whole job

I picked up a portable edgebander for around $200 off a tool site last fall, thinking it would do for small custom pieces in my garage shop. After fighting with it for two days, the glue line looked terrible and I had to redo six drawers by hand with an iron because the thing kept overheating. Has anyone found a reliable budget edgebander that actually works for solid wood edges, or is it just a lost cause below $500?

3 comments

3 Comments

palmer.henry1h ago

Totally get it. I was the same way, always thought a cheap machine was fine if you knew how to work it. Then I spent a weekend peeling melted glue off walnut. @amy858 is right, I should've just hunted for a used Virutex or something.

parker_bell1h ago

Peeled glue off walnut for a whole weekend? That's brutal man.

amy8588h ago

Stick to a used machine from a known brand instead.