I sometimes fail to remember that one gets what they pay for and this sander was no exception to that rule. I saw the 'price' and the 'intent' of this tool right off the bat. The price was right in that it was practically free compared to its nearest competitor! Unfortunately, the competitor sander had a lot more 'intent', and consequently... higher quality, durability and reliability in mind during the design and manufacturing process. My new Porter Cable 550 will probably end-up in my Great Grandchildren's hands in serviceable condition, and I am not a Grandpa yet! p After taking this sander out of its box, and putting it to use, it soon became clear that I could not keep sandpaper on it. As a result of its Billion RPM orbital action, it kept tearing off along the securing clamps on either end of the sander. I tried about every little trick I could think of before tossing this tool into the "lesson-learned pile" of other bargain-priced power tools in my shop. You know, the ones too worthless to really use, and too valuable to throw away? Don't end up spending your money twice on the same sort of tool. GO GET A PORTER CABLE, OR EQUIVALENT!!! If you want the Black and Decker Sander above, send me an email and you can have mine for the cost of shipping!pHandy Dan

I have spent countless hours and reams of sandpaper using this sander for at least 8 years and it's still going strong (used mostly on softwood). It is powerful enough using 60 grit paper to take down dowel ends, round edges and level uneven wood height (even end grain). After 60 grit, I use 100, 150 and finally 220 grit for a perfect finish. The 1/3 sheet size gives the unit a stable footing on the work. The unit is made for two hands but you can use one hand comfortably especially with fine grits. Paper changes are pretty fast but could be easier if they made the lock levers a little bigger. The best way I found to get the paper on easier is to clamp and crease one edge first, flip the paper around, clamp the other end then attach the first pre-creased edge. pBe warned that you can expect dust to go all over the place using this unit. It is best used outdoors or like I do, with the garage door open and a fan blowing out over the work. If I do replace it, it will be to upgrade to a 1/2 sheet sander with a dust bag (at four times the price!!).

I own two of these, and they both have given up the ghost. This is the first bad review of a tool that I've given here[...], But I feel that the truth should be known. First of all, this thing takes way to long time to sand down anything. Either it eats the paper too fast, or like on my second one, the clamps were not strong enough, and the paper kept falling off. Not to mention that this thing is louder than my table saw.It's been a few years since mine died, and I've come to learn one undisputable fact. If you buy a low cost tool, you'll get poor results. What upsets me is that Black and Decker knows what kind of tool this is, but they still continue to make it the same way. No improvements at all. When I compare this to what I have now, they'll never get my money again. Don't put good money after bad. If you can't afford a high dollar sander, Ryobi has got a dandy little sander at an affordable price, and it's a heck of a lot better than this one. Buy anybody's but this one, you'll be glad you did. Sorry, Black and Decker, But I call it as I see it.

I've had this sander for so long I can't remember when I bought it (must have been late 80's). While it's still going it needs a new rubber pad and bearing, so for me it's just going to be cheaper to get a new one. I've never had a problem with the paper releases as someone else mentioned, nor do I think it rips the sandpaper all that often. Most of the time when a paper rips a hole it's because I've tried to go over a sharp edge. It would be nice to have a variable speed, but I've lived without it this long...
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br /Very reliable and dependable tool.

I have owned this sander for several years its a real workhorse.I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TOOL. A name you can trust and a price you can afford. I've put this sander through some tough projects and,It's never let me down.

I've had this sander for more than 15 years! I sanded everything from cars to sheetrock! I can't count the times I've dropped it, and it still worked. The felt pad has worn completely off to the base. I just placed an order for a new one for $25.00 it's not worth fixing it, or maybe if I make the time to find the parts. All around sander, light weight no frills.

I concur with Handy Dan. The paper simply will NOT stay clamped down. After fighting with it for 3 days I took it back to the store. Other than that it was doing fairly well. I plan on spending more money to get a quality tool that will work as it should.

I concur with Handy Dan. The paper simply will NOT stay clamped down. After fighting with it for 3 days I took it back to the store. Other than that it was doing fairly well. I plan on spending more money to get a quality tool that will work as it should.

I have had an excellent experience with this sander. It handles all jobs, big and small, and cost next to nothing. I have built at least 35 different projects and have used this sander for a wide range of applications, from stripping to finish sanding. The only problem I am having is finding a new pad for it. Nobody seems to carry it. I guess it is considered a disposable sander.

I was delighted to find a model similar to the one I had 20 years ago.

I have used a Model#FS350 Type1 (made in the U.K.)(Blue case) for a number of years and the only problem experienced is a bad on/off switch. I installed a jumper on the switch it is still working. I purchased a Model#7448 (Black case - Made in China) to have as a backup and it broke down on the third time I used it. The motor runs but the pad doesn't vibrate. Another quality? product from China!!! Both units appear identical (inside out) except for color and point of manufacture.

I came to the website looking to see if BD still made this puppy. I bought mine in '84, and have been diligently beating it to death ever since. My first house - total gut job. Used the sander on everything. Second house, much better, lots of woodwork and moldings, and a built-in wet bar all done in cherry.
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br /I built a 20 foot long work bench and LOTS of cabinets for the garage/workshop. A couple of kid's furniture projects later, bookselves, desks and dollhouses - the thing started making a very loud rattling noise.
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br /Its the same top bearing issue mentioned before. Its not really a bearing at all, just a weird metal donut that started to melt the inside of the plastic case. And after only 20 years! What a piece of junk, huh?
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br /Yes, I would love to have kept more skin on my knuckles, but I do change the paper often, and those teeny little levers are a joke. Mine never let go of the paper, though. You've got me a little worried.
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br /I've had good and bad experiences with BD. Their belt sanders are about as sturdy as a styrofoam cup. Had one two months and it crapped out.
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br /I've got other sanders, but this one has the right weight, the right size and (until last week), the right level of invincibility I need from powertools.
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br /I think I'll risk it and go drop another 25 bucks - the same price it was in '84. I'll let you know in 2025 if it was worth it.

I wonder if there's something wrong with the clamps on a batch of these. We bought this a couple years ago and never really used it much. Just started trying to use it in earnest this evening and I will add my "paper falls off" woes to the group.
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br /I tried about ten times with a number of different types of sandpaper - it seems that the clamps tighten down when you pull up on the lever, but in order to lock the levers into place they "relax" just a little bit and the paper doesn't hold in place well. Just a tiny bit of sideways motion and yep, paper starts to slide right off...
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br /Sounds like they've had this model forever - maybe it's time the old BD spent some money on RD and upgraded their product a little bit.
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br /Looks like it goes on the garage sale pile and it's time to try out another...

I had this sander for three years but I have not used it much as there was not much need for it. Lately, I purchased Porter Cable palm sander, which I liked to use a lot. For comparison I used Black and Decker. Wow, BD is very noisy, vibrates so much that it is basically killing my hands. My hands were tickling after few minutes of usage. I paid 20 USD for BD sander compared to 45 USD for Porter Cable one. In my opinion 25 USD investment in PC is a better choice. BD will be retired after not much use at all. Surely it does the job but discomfort and noise make this sander not worth buying it even for twenty bucks.
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br /I also purchased random-orbit sander from Porter Cable (I cannot recommend it though - see my other review) and it is heavier than palm sander, less vibrating, quiter etc. It is a pleasure to use random-orbit sander (sanding ceilings is tough due to its weight). If you can live with more expensive sanding discs, I would recommend 8 hole random-orbit sander.
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br /Reviewer above mentionned that he had his BD sander for 15 years. Maybe so but he paid probably more than it costs now meaning that it had better quality components than today's model. The drop in price is not magic but usually means that manufacturer was able to cut some corners by putting inferior components or by cutting labor expenses (China instead of USA).

I've had my BD 7448 for a bit over 4 years. I use it a lot and use it hard. I'm impatient so I push tools hard instead of letting things take their normal course. brI've never had a problem with the paper coming out, ever. In fact, on mine it's very tight and clamps quite hard. brI wish the levers were larger.brI'd like it to be quieter - however I can't hear the sander when the vac. is running anyway and one SHOULD use hearing protection when using power tools. Like the pros on TV do :-)brAs far as "how it's made", mine finally got VERY loud and ran slow and erraticly - I found the upper "brearing" is a plain sleave. The other sealed ball bearings are perfect, but the top "bushing" by the brushes is shot to heck. It's gone. Yeah, I push, but for a few cents per unit, a ball bearing here would make it quieter and make the whole unit last longer over-all.brSo, out I go looking for a bearing and I'll have my favorite sander running again. (I'm a top mechanic and specialize in electrical systems - and this is the most simple power tool I've ever opened!)brIt's light, easy to use and the next best sander costs over twice as much, so I can replace a couple of bearings in 10 years and still have a cheaper sander .... Takes about 5 minutes to disassemble the sander and replace the bearing - takes longer to go get the bearing.