WEN power tools

[SKwiD05]

Hi, I'm looking to get some power tools for my shop but I'm trying to keep costs as low as possible.  I've been seeing WEN power tools on sites like Amazon and they usually have pretty good reviews.  But before I give them a try I thought I'd see if any of you have used them and if they're decent at all.  I know they're not the best tools out there but if they can get me by for a while that would be fine.  The ones I'm looking at in particular are the 5" bench drill press and the 1x30 belt sander.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Save up , or build a 2x72 belt grinder.

Look for used tools on Craigslist, offerup, etc. I have found some screaming deals on those sites.

 

[rockstar.esq]

About 20 years ago I worked for a company that had a couple of WEN cordless drills.  They didn't hold up very well to commercial (every day, all day) use.  That being said, I can see how light duty users wouldn't be bothered by lower speed, torque, and run-time.  

I'd second Biggun's advice and also recommend looking at pawn shops.  Everything I've ever bought from a pawn shop was literally half the going rate.  To find those deals, I had to walk past a whole lot of overpriced stuff.  If you're looking at any kind of power tool with brushes, you can pop them out to see how worn they are.  A lot of clerks will severely discount anything with surface rust, dents, or an ugly paint job.  If whatever it is, was hard to google, the clerks will generally make a low-ball offer when they buy/loan on it.  

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

A note on brushes. Where I work , we have a 18V Makita shop drill, and when I was at the service center getting a new housing for it I asked how long the brushes last, and the tech told me that they pretty much outlast the rest of the drill today. He also told me that if it was a brushed battery tool that they will do a full rebuild for no more than $50, brushless was $75, even if that includes replacing the transmission.  Not sure what the policy is for corded tools.

[rockstar.esq]

BigGun,

That's really good information.  I've seen how brush composition can vary quite a bit.  I replaced the brushes in a Makita Hypoid saw last summer.  The original Makita brushes were harder than woodpecker lips.  In contrast, the "Fit's like OEM" brushes at the local hardware store were soft like chalk.  I ordered the Makita brushes which were surprisingly less expensive.