re: Belt Disc Sander

Just my opinion, but what do you want it for? If it’s the belt portion, consider focusing on that…and the specifics of what you want from it (belt width, easy size to find, variety of grits and materials, platen options, etc etc). If it’s the disc, focus on that (size, PSA vs H@L, ease of swapping, quality of the stand and tilt options). 

My problem with the combo is they don’t seem to do anything particularly well…or at least there are significant trade offs. Defining what you actually want the machine to do is maybe a best first step to getting what you want. 

As for brands within that combo setup, I don’t think Rikon makes anything bad. Grizzly is also great. 

FWIW, I kinda went down this rabbet hole and ended up building 12” discs for my lathe, and a stand to go with them. Works phenomenally well and waaay cheaper than a stand alone 12” disc machine. I also ended up with a 2x72 belt grinder, but that’s because I wanted more options than what a 1x30 machine would give. Yeah, I spent more money, but I really wanted some specific things…if it’s a ‘once in a while’ tool, the combo machine probably works just fine…but then I’d question spending the money on a Rikon or Grizz. Maybe a HF unit would get it done in that case? I dunno. Just make sure you’ve thought out both sides and uses (and storage!!) before you buy…