Triton TBD1500 Belt/Disc Sander: Discontinued — What to Buy Instead
Triton's bench belt and disc sander is out of the range. The current bench sander is a spindle and belt machine, which is not the same tool.
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The TBD1500 was Triton’s combination bench sander: a sanding belt and a disc on one motor. It is discontinued and the closest current Triton machine is the TSPST450, which is an oscillating spindle and belt sander — a different combination.
That distinction is worth understanding before buying a replacement.
Three bench sanding machines, three jobs
Disc sander. A flat vertical disc with a table. Its job is squaring and trimming end grain — bring a mitred end to the disc against the table and you can sneak up on a perfect fit. It cannot sand an internal curve.
Belt sander (bench). A flat belt, usually tilting between horizontal and vertical. Good for straightening an edge, removing material fast, and — with the belt vertical and the end drum exposed — sanding a gentle curve.
Oscillating spindle sander. A drum that turns and moves up and down, with the table around it. This is the tool for internal curves, and the oscillation stops it burning or wearing a groove.
A belt/disc machine covers the first two. A spindle/belt machine covers the second and third.
Which to buy
If what you used the TBD1500 for was squaring mitres and end grain, you want a belt/disc machine, and Triton no longer makes one. Rikon, WEN, Jet and Grizzly all do.
If your work is curved — bandsawn shapes, templates, internal radii — the TSPST450, linked below, is the better machine and the oscillation is a genuine advantage.
The table is the part that matters
On any of these, check that the table is flat, adjusts square to the abrasive and locks solidly. A table that shifts under pressure makes the machine a rough shaper rather than a precise one, and that is the usual failing of budget bench sanders.