Sanders That Can Be Used One Handed

[Andrew Joiner]

I have several 5'' RO sanders that work fine one handed. I hold the work with one hand and grip the sander with the other.

I'm looking for the fastest sanders. I have a Milwaukee 6021-21 that is fast for a 5''. It can remove 3 lines of pencil marks off 1 sq ft of wood in 20 seconds with fresh 100 grit .

I tried a 6'' Bosch RO a few years ago and it was fast, but I needed to clamp the work down and use 2 -hands so it didn't work for most of my jobs.

What would you say are the fastest "one handed sanders"? Do some 6" RO sanders truly work for one handed use and are they way faster than a 5"?

[Matt Day]

Interesting question. I only have 1 5" ROS, a Bosch variable speed one, and have been very happy with it but I don't know how it compares to others.

What kind of sandpaper (manufacturer and type) are you using? I'm sticking with Norton 3x until I use up my supply then might experiment with some others, though I'm happy with Norton I just want to try others.

[Andrew Joiner]

Matt,
The paper I used for the 20 second test was Grizzly's cheapest, silver grey color. My theory may be wrong on paper,but I toss the disk after about 30 minutes of continuous sanding on flat areas. Maybe 20 minutes on curves. I'd rather use fresh cheaper disks than keep more expensive disks on longer.

[John Lanciani]

Hi Andrew,

If you want faster sanding, you might want to change your paper more often. No matter what brand I happen to be using - Mirka, Indasa, Norton, 3M, etc. - I find that changing after 5 or 6 minutes of use is much more productive. After that point, the paper is pretty well shot. Even when I'm not working on pay jobs my time is worth much more than 10 - 12 disks per hour ($4 - $5). As for sanders, my current favorite is the Bosch 3727 6" sander.

[Andrew Joiner]

John,
Do you use the Bosch 3727 6" one handed?

[John Lanciani]

Hi Andrew,

I do use the 3727 one handed if it is sitting on a flat surface. It has very little vibration and it is easy no navigate it with light hand pressure. I also always have it connected to a vacuum (Fein turbo II) and the dust collection is virtually 100%.

[David Prince]

I have a PC, Delta, B & D, and a Festool ETS 125 for 5 inch ROS. I have different uses for each, but for duct collection and rapid removal, the Festool usually wins everytime. Another benefit is that the disk lasts a long time. I would even venture to say that if you compared cost on the sanding disks that they are way cheaper in the long run because of their longevity.

[Steve Griffin]

I gone through a half dozen Bosch 6" ROS's, and I can't think of a time I used them two handed. Any sander which is in-line can be used with one hand. The ones like porter cable which have the motor dangling off the side are two handed affairs and a pain to use.

I also never clamp my work, unless I'm sanding out curved furniture pieces in a vise. I have a sanding board made of blue foam camping pad glued to 1/4" raw mdf. This holds pieces in place for routing, biscuit jointing and router work, saving me a huge portion of my life which otherwise would be spent fiddling with clamps.
-Steve

[Jim Eller]

Since I purchased the Festool ETS 125 it's the only one I use. Yes, one handed only. It doesn't even wander doing edge (3/4") sanding. Jim

[Alan Schaffter]

Dynabrade- got em all beat- small palm sized body. Made for one hand use.

[hank dekeyser]

20-30minutes on a single sheet ???? Wow- 5-6 minutes max for me. I find if I search around on fleabay you can find good quality paper for around 10-15 cents each- and its the same or better paper than available local. My time is too valuable to waste on junk sandpaper. I've used a variety of sanders - PC, Dynabride, Harbor Freight, other generics. I have yet to get ahold of a Festool or other "high-end" machine but can hardly see where their technology is any different. It's a pretty basic machine. I buy inexpensive disposable sanders and have yet to feel the need to spend more money on a tool I will wear out. My PC lasted less than 4 years before vibrating and being obnoxious, believe it or not the HF snaders for $18 sand every bit as good if you ask me. Hey I'm sanding wood for Pete's sake, not a $20,000 car or anything. If money wasn't an issue and I had all the air in the world, I would go with a Dynabride- by far one of the nicest smoothest sanders I've ever used.

[Andrew Joiner]

Actually I went out and timed it in the shop and I do toss disks at way less than 20 minutes. More like 5 or 10 minutes most on a 100 grit .

Thanks for the comments.