I bought this sander to replace a 3" x 18" belt sander that went up in smoke after using it for more than 20 years.  Compared to the 3 x 18 sander a 3 x 24 sander is more than twice as efficient. The dust collector works very well but only gets about 80% of the dust.  I use a 20 x 20 box fan with furnace filter over the suction side to collect the bulk of the airborne dust.  I read a review about a 4 x 24 sander but opted of the 3 x 24 because of the lighter weight.  I'm glad I did because this unit is a comfortable weight.  You don't have to put pressure on the unit for it to work well.  I'm very pleased with this product and would recommend it for the average home workshop.