RAS disks, Hook & Loop Or PSA?

[John McClanahan]

I recently picked up on a good looking, not abused, porter Cable 7335 random orbit sander for $35 at a pawn shop (mini gloat). It is equipped with a 5" PSA pad. My other cheap RAS has a hook & loop pad. I can get a hook & loop pad for the Porter Cable. I can even get a 6" pad for it. My question is, which type of pad is preferred? Why?

Thanks, John

[Jim Terrill]

I recently picked up on a good looking, not abused, porter Cable 7335 random orbit sander for $35 at a pawn shop (mini gloat). It is equipped with a 5" PSA pad. My other cheap RAS has a hook & loop pad. I can get a hook & loop pad for the Porter Cable. I can even get a 6" pad for it. My question is, which type of pad is preferred? Why?

Thanks, John
When I was in HS and we had a half dozen sanders, they were all psa since each one was for a different grit. Now that I have one ROS and have to switch between grits, I have h&l, where I can get full use of the disc without worrying about the adhesive dying as I switch discs.

[Michael Schwartz]

I prefer Hook and loop, but I am also using a Fesstool ROS so thats the system they offer.

I think some people prefer PSA since its cheaper, but then again you can't re-use discs. I frequently save my used discs for sanding off glue, wood filler, and other junk that will ruin a new disc in seconds.

IMO the best way to get the most life from your paper is to get a sander with good dust collection and run it with a vacuum. I have noticed the Fesstool paper lasts a long time, and there is virtually no dust left from sanding.

You should be able to get a hook and loop pad, but it might cost close to what you paid for the sander. If its already PSA you might just want to invest in some PSA paper.

[Glen Butler]

When I am on site I like to use an electric with hook and loop. Easy to change paper and I only need one ROS. In the shop I use psa discs on pneumatic sanders cause they last longer and I don't need to worry about how many of them I have.

[Rob Holcomb]

I have both and like both. My PSA is air while my H&L is electric. My air ROS does a faster job of things but what I like about the H&L electric ROS I have is that I use primarily for final sanding. I don't know why, but for very light sanding, it does a better job. Another feature of having a H&L ROS is that in a pinch, I can cut out triangles to use with my Dremel multi-max.

[Glen Butler]

I have both and like both. My PSA is air while my H&L is electric. My air ROS does a faster job of things but what I like about the H&L electric ROS I have is that I use primarily for final sanding. I don't know why, but for very light sanding, it does a better job. Another feature of having a H&L ROS is that in a pinch, I can cut out triangles to use with my Dremel multi-max.

I have found that pneumatics are quicker but not necessarily more aggressive. Pneumatics have a much higher rpm than electrics, which will make them quicker at sanding, but I believe aggressiveness comes from the pattern of the orbit. Some ROS's have a 3/16 pattern and others have a 3/8 pattern. Could this be why you like the electric for final sanding? Does it have a smaller pattern than the pneumatic?

[Walter Plummer]

i have both and use both but for most sanding I prefer the psa because the pad is firm. If you are sanding parts narrower than the pad I believe the h&l is soft enough to start rounding over the edges. Sanding large flat panels h&l is fine probably preferable because of the ease of grit change.

[Van Huskey]

I prefer H&L just for the ease of change and reuse.

[Jim Terrill]

i have both and use both but for most sanding I prefer the psa because the pad is firm. If you are sanding parts narrower than the pad I believe the h&l is soft enough to start rounding over the edges. Sanding large flat panels h&l is fine probably preferable because of the ease of grit change.
FWIW, you can get different hardnesses of sanding pad. There is still a tiny bit of "squish" due to the distance between the paper and the pad, but I haven't noticed much softness there when using a hard sanding pad.

[Rob Holcomb]

Glen, to be honest, I can't remember but I think they are the same but I've been wrong before. Actually, I'm falling in love with my Dremel Multi-Max, especially for inside corners. Just the other day, I used it to sand down the top edge of a blanket chest. It worked great and I had more control with it than with any ROS I've used. It has its limitations just like any tool but where I one would think...How am I going to do that without messing up the area around it...I now just grab the dremel and no worries. I highly recommend the tool. Of course Fein, Bosch and a few other company's sell their own Multi-tool I chose the Dremel because of price and availability locally. I'm sure they all work great!

[Lee Schierer]

I prefer PSA because they never wear out. My ROS is over 12 years old, gets used regularly and I still have the factor pad on the bottom and it works as good as it did new. The Hook & Loop types all need to be replaced because the pads material wears out and the paper doesn't stick. If I peel off my PSA paper when it is warm it comes right off and can usually be reused. I see no advantage to the hook and loop. The H&L paper even costs more.

[Bruce Page]

I was a staunch supporter of PSA when I got my first porter cable 333 ROS sander. I lost my affection for it after I bought a bad batch of Klingspor disks that required a heat lamp, razor blade, and a lot of patience to remove the cellophane backing. :mad:
My next sander was a PC333 variable speed H&L and then a Festool ETS 150/3. I love the convenience and re-usability of the H&L. About the only thing I use the PSA sander for these days is rough sanding.

[John McClanahan]

Thanks to everyone for your opinions

Lee, how do you store your used pads for reuse, wax paper?

Thanks, John

[Lee Schierer]

Thanks to everyone for your opinions

Lee, how do you store your used pads for reuse, wax paper?

Thanks, John

I replace them in the box with the un-used disks so they don't get sawdust in the adhesive.

[Prashun Patel]

+1 for Hook and Loop.

If yr concerned with pad life, then consider that a) they are about $10 to replace, and b) by the time they die, you might want to get a new ROS anyway, since they're not so expensive.

I have a soft and hard pad for my ROS. IMHO, a ROS isn't really the best tool for flattening or aggressive sanding, so a super hard pad isn't that necessary anyway.