Drywall Sander

[tri4sale]

Has anyone ever used one of these:

5 Amp, 9 in. Variable-Speed Drywall Sander

Amazing deals on this 5A 9In Drywall Variable Speed Sander at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I'd love the Festool version but it's almost 10X as expensive (I have a $70 off coupon for the Harbor Freight version). Hoping that this one is good enough, and hooks to my Festool Dust Collector.

What about using a Festool random orbit sander like the EST 125 or 150 for sanding drywall?

 

[Henry W]

Has anyone ever used one of these:

5 Amp, 9 in. Variable-Speed Drywall Sander

Amazing deals on this 5A 9In Drywall Variable Speed Sander at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I'd love the Festool version but it's almost 10X as expensive (I have a $70 off coupon for the Harbor Freight version). Hoping that this one is good enough, and hooks to my Festool Dust Collector.

What about using a Festool random orbit sander like the EST 125 or 150 for sanding drywall?

No, not yet. I have bought one, but the project hasn't got to the stage where this is needed, so mine is still in the box.
My thinking was that I am not a pro user and it will see limited usage. We'll see if the $100 I spent was worth it. I do know that I will not be spending the $ for a Festool, as I can not justify for the very little usage it would get.

This item is todays coupon in HF's '10 days of coupons' sequence - either $90 or $99 I forget.

What about using a Festool random orbit sander like the EST 125 or 150 for sanding drywall?
Drywall dust is in my view a great way to ruin a tool - NO direct experience ruining tools this way, I have other ways. Being certain the bag or filter in the vac is up to the task (of capturing drywall dust), and hopefully ensuring the tool internals do not get caked with the stuff... that's what I'd be concerned about. I'd rather use a manual pole sander (9" disk, and I may still choose that myself) for already painted walls as the dust should be quite minimal. Prefer no dust control over the use of a fine woodworking tool for drywall.

If this is your own drywall work you are doing - and NOT trying to be condescending here - then hopefully understand that 'less is more' when it comes to mudding. The sanding should not be about removing compound, rather about smoothing the more minor imperfections and transitions.

 

[Ecr1]

I have one. It works good, dust collection is good with a good shop vac

 

[Echd]

I've got the Wen version which is probably similar. It works well. I've also used it to scrub paint off a garage floor prior to epoxying and to scuff up a deck prior to painting. It did a passable job on all fronts despite some of those tasks being way more than what its made for, so I have no complaints.

 

[bowman]

Using on the deck, i had not considered that. I've got some 2x6 deck boards that have rotted and will need replacement soon. I could use this to strip the finish from the remaining boards. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Echd]

It will help, just don't expect it to do a perfect scouring. You'll still be scraping spots.