Best power sander?

[John Sincerbeaux]

Electric angle drill or air sander like the "apprentice" offered by Craft Supplies. Looks like the air sanders would be lighter, easier to use, and would last longer?

Thanks for any advice.

[Don McClure]

I use an inexpensive angle drill from HF for power sanding. I have an air sander and found it consumes a lot of compressed air making my compressor run all the time to keep up plus you have the bulky air hose to deal with. I bought a brand name angle drill first thinking expensive ( 3 X the HF price) was better, but it has gone back for repairs 3 times while the $35 HF keeps on going on. When my HF wears out it will be back to the store for me.

[Fred Belknap]

John I have both air and electric sanders and I seldom use the air sander. The air sander is very noisy and requires a lot of air. I have a 60 gallon air compressor and it keeps it working pretty hard. I have the Gretz air sander and am not familiar with the apprentice as I don't get CUSA catalog anymore.

[Mike Campbell KS]

I second the HF angle drill. Its cheap, light, and keeps going. During the winter months I take my Jet 1014 down to work and turn in the workshop. I used to use the air powered sanders there, but they just aren't as efficient. Too much noise from the compressor, and the air hose is much heavier than an electric cord.

[John Keeton]

Definitely electric over air. Milwaukee is probably the "best" brand, but unless you are going to be able to justify the substantial cost with heavy and frequent use, the less expensive close quarter angle drills work well. Harbor Freight or Neiko are mentioned often and $35 is about right on cost. My Neiko has been around for several years.

[Reed Gray]

You must have received the same e-mail from Craft Supplies that I got. I also go for the angle drills. They are drills, not grinders, which is really how we use them, and this is the main thing that causes them to wear out. The pneumatic drills do keep the compressor running non stop, which is noise, adds heat to the shop (not always a bad thing), and burns a lot more electricity. I was looking at the new Fordham 1/3 hp motor. I asked them about it, and they said it should handle a 3 inch disc no problem.

My Sioux and Milwaukee angle drills are good for about 400 or so bowls before the bearings need to be replaced. I am not gentle on them. Sanding at slow disc speeds, maybe 600 rpm for 80 grit and much less for 400 grit cuts much more effectively than running at high speeds. The drills last longer too, especially if you use bearings that are double sealed so no dust gets into them.

Now, I am trying to figure out how to do a flex shaft articulated arm sanding thing for bowls that will handle 5 or 6 inch discs. It is looking like a mini lathe would be the best variable speed drive motor out there....... More to come later...

robo hippy

[Jeff Gilfor]

I have both a Grex air powered orbital sander and a Klutch magnesium body close quarters drill.
i use the electric 90 percent of the time.

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

I use this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-8-Inch-55-Degree-Quarters-Right-Angle/dp/B000XUHA8C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1409072127&sr=8-2&keywords=angle+drill

no problems so far, and I use air to blow all the dust out of it periodically while sanding.

[Jack Mincey]

I have two Milwaukie old style angel drills I picked up on E-bay and use them all the time. I have a Gretz air sander that I haven't used in three years. I just checked E-bay and think that if they sell for the price one seller is trying to sell his for I would have to sell mine. He is asking over $800.00 for a Milwaukie angle drill. There is one for sell at around $90.00 though. I have taking mine apart a few times and cleaned them out real well and then packed good grease around the gears and bearing that already have grease on them and they work as well today as they did 7 years ago.
Jack

[John Beaver]

I think for the standard angle drills, the Milwaukee is the best. Quiet compared to the others, and easy to adjust speed.
Best sander for turning hands down is the Metabo SXE 400 3" ROS. Random Orbit and Vibrates at the same time. Amazon has them down to $129 from $228.

[Hayes Rutherford]

Another vote for electric . Tried the Harbor Freight right angle drill with keyless chuck and favor it over my Sioux, Milwaukee, and a Chineese copy all of the keyed variety. A big time saver if you change pads but not an issue if you pull the hook and loop off the pad each time you change grit.

When John Beaver mentioned the Metabo was 129.00 (shame on you)I went and ordered one. Even though I will not be changing pads for each grit, I hope it will be good for certain conditions.

[John Sincerbeaux]

Thanks everyone. Electric it is:)

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Here's another vote for the cheap HF close Quarters drill - I've got an air sander, but can't handle the noise and it is harder to control for speed than the HF. The HF is cheap, I buy the 2 year replacement and get a new one every two years which is about how long the bearings last. Cheaper than the alternatives...

[Dune Crane]

I bought a Makita DA3010F based on generally favorable reviews online. I love it.

[Thomas Canfield]

I like to use my 5" Random Orbital Dewalt sander as much as possible for external work and some internal work on flat platters or very large bowls. I wish there was an electric 3" ROS available and tell everyone I can that there is a market for one to woodturners. Air sanders are out of the question for me due to the large air volume requirement and my little compressor. I do have 3 cheap angle drills, 2 like Milwaukee, and one a right angle. I had a Milwaukee that ended up with a seized bearing that scored and ruined the plastic housing.

[Jon Nuckles]

Thomas, Your wish has been granted. See post #10 from John Beaver, above.

[Jeff Gilfor]

Originally I purchased a Neico from Amazon. It was okay, but it seemed heavy, and required a key to change out sanding mandrels. I have a holder for each grit of sandpaper (I use each one till it is no longer usable, which keeps me moving and saves me paper. I know you are not supposed to do that, but it works fine for me).

On a whim, I purchased my Klutch close quarters drill from Northern Tools. It currently lists for $59.99. The mag alloy body and keyless chuck have been great. Less fatigue when using it, and easy sandpaper holder switch out. Although not HF cheap, the price was well worth it. It has been going strong for more than a year now.

[Jim Laumann]

Here's another vote for the cheap HF close Quarters drill - I've got an air sander, but can't handle the noise and it is harder to control for speed than the HF. The HF is cheap, I buy the 2 year replacement and get a new one every two years which is about how long the bearings last. Cheaper than the alternatives...

By cheap HF drill, are we discussing the #60610 unit?

Thanks

[Jon McElwain]

Has anyone used a Festool Rotex RO90DX for turning? Random orbit, 3.5" pad, excellent dust collection, dual mode with fine and course sanding, etc...


An angle drills seem good because you can probably get to the bottom of a bowl better than the 90 degree sanders. Do you guys use a regular drill for the bottom of bowls?

[Jon McElwain]

Originally I purchased a Neico from Amazon. It was okay, but it seemed heavy, and required a key to change out sanding mandrels. I have a holder for each grit of sandpaper (I use each one till it is no longer usable, which keeps me moving and saves me paper. I know you are not supposed to do that, but it works fine for me).

On a whim, I purchased my Klutch close quarters drill from Northern Tools. It currently lists for $59.99. The mag alloy body and keyless chuck have been great. Less fatigue when using it, and easy sandpaper holder switch out. Although not HF cheap, the price was well worth it. It has been going strong for more than a year now.


The Klutch looks exactly like the Hazard Fraught Tools drill that sells for $39.99.

[Jeff Gilfor]

I would not be surprised to learn that the HF close quarters magnesium body drill is clone of the Klutch. I purchased the Klutch model over the HF one due to some negative reviews on The HF model, with no similar negative comments about the Klutch.

i like the close quarters drills, because they feel much better in the hand. They have a much more ergonomic feel and balance during sanding.

for deeper items, I use a drill bit extension (got mine from Vince Welch). You can buy them pretty much anywhere.

the magnesium body is definitely lighter than the Neico unit. After a few minutes of sanding, you'd be surprised how much a few ounces weight difference feels from a fatigue standpoint.

[Scott Hackler]

+1 on the Harbor Freight drill. I am still using the same one I bought in 2010. Just remember to blow the dust out once in a while. When it breaks, I will buy another just like it.

[John Sincerbeaux]

Since "electric" seems to win this discussion, I decided to do a little research starting in my own shop. I have been using a Mirka Ceros 5 electric sander for all my flat work. It blows doors on any sander out there. I have owned a number of sanders over the years including Festool which I love (just not so much the sander I tried). The Ceros sanders are exactly like air sanders but are powered by a DC brushless motor. The sander can be used with a Festool or Fein vacuum and used with Mirka Abranet discs, they are virtually dust-less. So, I went on the Mirka website and sure enough, they make a Ceros 325cv which is a 3" version of the 5 and the 6. I can't see why this sander could not be "ultimate" turner's sander. Well, maybe one small hitch? The price! Nearly $400 for the sander or $300 for the sander without the DC power source (if you already have one of their other sanders?).
Check them out at Mirka/USA.com

[Jeff Gilfor]

I'm sure that the sander you refer to would be excellent, but it would have to do a lot more than perform well as a turner's sander for me to spend 8-10 times what I need to spend to get a "good" one.

[John Sincerbeaux]

I'm sure that the sander you refer to would be excellent, but it would have to do a lot more than perform well as a turner's sander for me to spend 8-10 times what I need to spend to get a "good" one.

Jeff, I bet if you compared a HF "drill" at $30 to a "sander/polisher" at $300 (like the Mirka) you would soon realize there simply is no comparison. Just how far is an angle drill going to get you in the total finishing process? Will it get you a glass polished finish? How much dust will the drill spray all over the shop vs. a dust collecting sander with Abranet discs? How quite is the drill vs. an electric DC brushless, air tight sander? Ergonomics of an angle drill vs. a 3" palm sander? Weight? I think it "would do a lot more" as you say.
When I buy a machine or tool, I find that in nearly every case, the expensive ones are almost always expensive for many reasons.

[John Keeton]

John, I know you have a lot of flatwork experience and appreciate fine tools, but as a relatively new turner I would suggest you go the cheap route first in this situation. As you can see, the replies you have received have been from folks that have been turning for many years. As a flat worker of many years, I can tell you that the use of a power sander in woodturning is completely different than in flatwork. For casework, I would readily agree with your position, but as a turner, I think your purpose would be better served with an inexpensive angle drill. But, your financial resources may permit you to do both if you find the Ceros sander doesn't meet your needs. However, for me, I would prefer to make a $35 mistake first rather than a $4-500 mistake. If you find the angle drill a disappointment, you can always buy the Ceros and relegate the angle drill to a lesser use.

Just a thought. In either event, should you decide on the Ceros, please report back on how you like it. These folks love tool reviews!

[Jeff Gilfor]

You are certainly correct about price and quality but at least for me, the marginal difference in capability does not warrant the difference in price for this particular item.

i do not understand how my sanding to 1200 grit, with my Grex or $65 electric sander, then followed with EEE paste, is any less shiny than what you describe. Sure, you can get quieter than using my big gulp hood attached to my DC to collect sanding dust. I don't see how the DC motor can be that much quieter than my electric drill itself, which is pretty darned quiet.

again, it's a matter of opinion here, but I would rather spend the money on other things. Of course, given limitless funding, I would always buy the best equipment in every case.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

John - I agree with you philosophically on the value of well built tools. I've got some tools that I spent a small bundle on that have lasted for years and then been rebuilt with new parts (that are still available) so they'll probably be used for several more years. But sanding on the lathe is a whole different animal, as John Keaton mentioned in his post. Save your money, try the cheap route. I use the HF close quarter drills - the cheaper version without the keyless chuck works best for me (I don't have a need to switch out the sanding disc very often). I found the magnesium version (been through a couple of them) had bearing problems much sooner. The cheaper one works great - but then all I'm asking of it is to spin the paper - a big gulp and DC do the heavy lifting for keeping the air clear, and a Trend Air Shield Pro gets the rest. Just pay the extra $9.00 or so and get a new one in a couple of years.

[David Delo]

There's another option you might consider that hasn't been mentioned yet and that's the Sorby Sandmaster. I use the hand sandpaper strips along with a Neiko drill + Vince's disks. Not to long ago Woot had a sale on the Sandmaster for $9.99 so I said what the heck and ordered it. Well I've used it on a few things and liked the results and slowly is becoming my favorite go to sanding device. I like the Neiko drill just fine but it is a little awkward in your hand and a touch heavy not to mention it's noisy. Here's a picture of it in case you don't know what it looks like on a job I used the Sandmaster exclusively yesterday. Not 1 tool mark or scratch to be found on the outside and got a little better than 5" deep on the inside in the same condition. This is the 2" version with Vince's newer 2 3/8" green disks.
295772

[John Sincerbeaux]

Thanks everyone for your inputs and advise. I decided on the Mirka 3" Ceros. I used it on a mid size Koa HF and it performed beautifully. I really like the dust collection performance of these sanders with the Abranet discs. Hopefully it will last many years. It is basically an air sander ,but electric. Very low profile, fits in your palm, and has infinite variable speed or can be set at select speeds. The palm control lever is very responsive and controlling these sanders takes a minute or two to get used to. It runs extremely quite and smooth.

[terry mccammon]

Under the heading of for what it is worth, I made my own "Sandmaster" by using a 1/4" sleeve bearing with a magnetized ball bearing. Drill a hole near the end of a 2x2x15" blank to fit the sleeve bearing, turn the blank to fit your hand and suit your taste, put the ball bearing in the hole, fit the sleeve bearing and insert your sanding mandrel. As it happens Eddie Castelin sells a kit for this as well.

[Olaf Vogel]

I've tried angle drills, but found they overheat easily.
For rough sanding, my preference is a car polisher like this http://www.sz-wholesaler.com/p/633/650-1/car-polisher-dp1801-242930.html
Cheap, powerful, speed adjust and disposable. Loud, heavy, very messy, but extremely powerful and fast. Definitely need good dust collection.
The original cheapie is still running well. Several felt pads to soften the contact surface, plus velcro to hold the pads.
I buy the sandpaper by the sheet and use a hole drill to create the pads. (i'm cheap..)

For smaller or inside forms, I use this http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-49-22-8510-Right-Angle-Attachment/dp/B000BYEJ02 hooked up to a flex shaft and then to an old furnace motor. Very precise, smooth and quiet.

Olaf