What is a good brand random sander

[lhmayberry]

I'm at the point I'm going to have to replace my Black& Decker R O S . I am using 5" H&L and would go to 6" but was wandering if any are interchangeable between 5 and 6 .
I am looking for something mid price range that I hope will last a long time and be less hassle to handle as the B & D .
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Les Mayberry

 

[Craptastic]

Maybe a bit higher on the $ scale but you will not be disappointed.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MMVFZC1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[lhmayberry]

That looks like what I have in mind and have looked at the fein or festool lines andwas interested in seeing what others have used. I remember the one Bill Clemons had us use in the finishing class and could not remember what model he has.

 

[Echd]

I'd consider the Bosch GET65N or 75N (5 and 6 inch dual action orbital sanders). I have the 65N. I've considered also picking up the 75. I have no complaints at all about the sander and in my opinion it compares well with the festool sanders it competes with. I generally use it with 3M cubitron mesh sandpaper and a festool midi dust extractor. It does an excellent job with dust collection and leaves a great finish, and the turbo setting can really hog off wood.

If you're not averse to factory recon tools here is a six incher for $210.

Bosch Reconditioned 6 Inch Dual-Mode Random Orbit Sander

Bosch Reconditioned 6 Inch Dual-Mode Random Orbit Sander - GET75-6N-RT

www.acmetools.com

 

[tvrgeek]

Had several. Bit the bullet and bought the 3M. Now, I am a real cheapskate, but it was well worth it.
I also have the bigger heavy Bosch with 5 and 6 inch pads. Good for bigger things. Happy with it.

The Dewalt is on the list of every DeWalt tool I have ever had and hated every single one of them. I would rather buy a Horrible Freight!

 

[Wilsoncb]

Makita BO5041 - 5” ROS variable speed. It‘s more in the palm sander catalog. Was $100 a year ago, now $120. I’ve had mine for a year now and very happy. Does a good job on a variety of sanding situations and dust removal.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Les, this is the sander I used in the finishing workshop. Here are a couple things to consider, regardless of which sander you choose:

I would get a 6" model rather than a 5". Covers more surface, quicker.

Get one with dual mode, coarse and fine.

Make sure it has good dust collection and get a dedicated dust extractor/vacuum with it. Your lungs will thank you.

Make sure you can easily find sandpaper for it and at a decent price. Klingspor carries paper for this sander and at a better price than the special Festool brand.

 

[SabertoothBunny]

When my old Black & Decker died I switched to the Bosch which is arguably the best 5" random orbiting sander you can get and it also affordable. If you can afford to go 6" then go for it, if not go with the Bosch.

 

[cyclopentadiene]

I agree with Bill. I completely destroyed Dewalt and Bosch sanders every 6 months as a hobbyist woodworker. After switching to Festool, I have not replaced a sander in over 5 years. Festool is expensive but virtually indestructible. Short term cost is higher but long term much less expensive.

 

[Chaz]

I have a Ryobi One+ Random Orbital Sander. 18v. Not bad.

 

[mquan01]

Bosch here, both 5 & 6 inch versions. work extremely well with vacuum attached.

 

[ashley_phil]

i have a porter cable that i loved. one day my daughter gummed up the pad so i picked up a heaver bosch one i have as well.

i've never picked the porter cable one up and the new sanding pads are in their packaging from when amazon brought them to me 2 days after it happened.

both are good, but man that bosch is awesome

 

[lhmayberry]

I want to thank you all for your input. The only reason I wanted one to change to 5" is to be able to use the inventory of 5" abrasives I have collected over the past few years. The festool is what I have been pondering on and the MAXXD looks interesting also. I have a shop vac I use with the B&D so I'm not running the larger dust collector all the time and this setup has really been a good combination. It's just going to take a little more savings to get the higher priced one at this point.
The bad part to me is ordering something online and not being able to see what i'm getting until it is shipped to me.

 

[cyclopentadiene]

Does Klingspor have what you want in stock? Best option to see, touch, feel and possibly test. Online mistakes take time to arrive, send back and receive a replacement. Far less hassle at Klingspor

 

[Martin Roper]

The thing to remember about Festool is that they have their own proprietary dust collection hole pattern. They make their own discs, but Klingspor also makes compatible discs. If you have a big supply of standard 5" discs it might be worth looking into Bosch or Makita.

I bit the bullet and went Festool Rotex a while back with no regrets. I also have the Ryobi 18v sander depicted above which is nice to have when plug-in access isn't available, but that means I have to keep two hole patterns in stock. The nice thing about mesh discs like Diablo or GM Xtract is they work with any sander.

 

[wsrhue]

We have 7 or 8 random orbit sanders in our shop. There are probably have 3 6" porter cable sanders, a couple 5" air sanders, a Festool Rotex and most recently the 3m electric 6". My favorite to use is the 3m. It is most like the dynabrade air sanders that have long been my favorite and it has excellent dust collection using the 3m cubitron disks. It's light and well balanced. Unfortunately I have had to send the 3m sander back to 3m twice (since February) because of an electrical problem. Each time they have repaired it and returned it within 10 days (knowing this now, maybe I would have spent extra for the Mirka). I cannot recommend the festool rotex as your only finish sander. It's simply too heavy. It will wear you out if you have to sand a project for a couple hours. I usually use it for coarser grits and then switch to another sander for higher grits. I wish that I had gotten one of Festool's smaller sanders. People seem to really like the Bosch, I'd probably recommend the Bosch. I don't think the price difference for Festool or Mirka is worth it for someone that isn't a full time professional. The festool is not going cut your sanding time drastically. Just make sure which ever sander you choose is comfortable to use.

 

[teesquare]

Why is no one suggesting air powered sanders?

 

[KenOfCary]

Bill said it well. I've got more than one Festool ROS's. Use the 3" for small items or getting into corners with the triangular attachment. They work well and are virtually indestructible. Klingspor carries the sandpaper at a much cheaper price than the Festool brand paper. Klingspor is also a good place to purchase the sander.

 

[wsrhue]

Why is no one suggesting air powered sanders?

They require a large compressor. Also, if you are concerned with hooking it up to a vac for dust control, it makes since to just go with an electric. I much prefer a 5" dynabrade to 6" electric hooked up to a vacuum, but my shop and my lungs are much cleaner with a vacuum.

 

[cyclopentadiene]

The thing to remember about Festool is that they have their own proprietary dust collection hole pattern. They make their own discs, but Klingspor also makes compatible discs. If you have a big supply of standard 5" discs it might be worth looking into Bosch or Makita.

I bit the bullet and went Festool Rotex a while back with no regrets. I also have the Ryobi 18v sander depicted above which is nice to have when plug-in access isn't available, but that means I have to keep two hole patterns in stock. The nice thing about mesh discs like Diablo or GM Xtract is they work with any sander.

A hole punch and a Festool sanding pad for a template easily converts existing sandpaper. I ran across boxes of 100 sheets of Klingspor paper at $5 per box. A $10 throw away hole punch and hammer was all I needed. There were some extra holes but it really seemed to have limited impact. $5 vs $40 per box causes no reason to use sandpaper beyond its prime abrasiveness.