What benchtop belt sander do people recommend for under $250?
I buy used equipment mostly. Someone else ate the depreciation. I have a 6"x48" belt sander that is an older Sears. It works great. I keep a 150 grit belt on it because it is so aggressive. Harbor Freight carries the Central Machinery but most of it is garbage. They have the Bauer brand that have been getting good reviews but is not as cheap as central machinery.
I also have a Ridgid ossoliating belt sander that is handy for removing tabs on CNC projects. Also has spindles of various sizes. You can hook up 2.5" dust collection. Still makes a mess.
I bought a 1" strip sander at garage sale and it has 5" PSA sanding disk. Not to useful for my work. Bought cheap and belts and pads are more expensive than what I paid for sander.
I have a 16/32" Jet drum sander I use a lot. That is not in your price range. Great for removing epoxy overfill. Also use it for flattering segmented rings for wood turning.
Keep your eye on Craigslist and Facebook marketplace. You never know what you will find.
You have a lot of options!
None, an Orbital sander is my go to. If you are pulling out a belt sander for wood working something is wrong.
(I do have a belt sander but I pretty much only use it for sharpening my garden tools.
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One of the more notable personalities doing DIY archery gear refers to his belt sander as “El Destructo” because of its proclivity to removing too much material.
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I have a BuckTool 4" x 36" belt / disc sander that has come in handy in the past. It’s a solid machine and can remove material in a hurry if need be. It’s been very reliable in the past.
Disagree. You must do only a subset of woodworking or are thinking only of a portable model. I’ve had a Craftsman 6" stationary belt sander since the 70’s and it’s been through many belts. I didn’t get an orbital sander until 35 year later.
The last use, a couple weeks ago, was to true up lids with boxes. The lids for these boxes was a press-fit, initially cut generously to allow for the fitting guides. With the help of the supplied table and a guide I was able to true these up in fractions of a minute. Unlike an orbital sander, the belt sander, with the help of the perpendicular platen, was able to focus on the overlapping tops without sanding the sides until the tops were even. An orbital sander would not only have taken far longer, especially on the end grain, but would have destroyed the right angle relationships by grinding on the sides as well as tops.
I’ve found many other applications for this beast over the years which were totally inappropriate for an orbital.
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Byrne:
I agree with your comments about sanders. I had the opportunity to repair a Craftsman unit from the 70’s which you describe. It had been donated by a resident at a retirement community where I volunteer in the woodshop. He had had it for years and it was rumbling (bad bearing). At 93 years old the resident was still an active / very skilled woodworker but not up to repairing this machine. My introduction to this sander was when I made the mistake of loading it into the trunk of my car to take to my shop. My 70+ year old body did not respond well to the 103 lb dead weight but I couldn’t stop half way. When I returned it I asked for help 
At my own shop I have the Ridgid Oscillating Spindle/Belt Sander which is only 40 lbs. Certainly not build as ruggedly as that old Craftsman but with a few jigs and a dust port update I have found it to be more than adequate for my needs.
Bill
Used Delta 6x48, preferably older rather than newer. Might take a bit of looking to find one under $250, but I’ve certainly seen them in recent times, especially if it is the belt only version rather than the belt/disk combo. Work great, run forever. Dust collection is OK, not wonderful on the version I have.
These are shaping snd stock removal tools, not finishing tools. Completely different applications than you’d use a ROS on. Mine gets used a lot
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I suggest this benchtop belt sander from Harbor Freight.
https://www.harborfreight.com/4-in-x-36-in-belt-and-6-in-disc-sander-58339.html
It comes with a 90-day warranty, which gives you ample time to evaluate its performance.
Alternatively, you could consider any store that offers a strong return policy, ensuring you have the flexibility to return or exchange the product if needed.