Do I want a ROS or a sheet sander?

[Rich Engelhardt]

Pretty much as the title says.

My DeWalt ROS (5" single speed) has seen better days.
I should replace the pad, but, I don't want to stick about $15 into a $60 sander that might croak off as soon as I do that.

Both Lowes and HD carry a new Bosch 5" variable speed for $49 that claims to have the worlds best dust collection.

I don't know though......

I'm tired of paying through the nose for junk hook and loop disks
That got me looking at sheet sanders.

Decent sand paper is available at both Borgs, unlike the junk disks they sell.

[Scott Buehler]

I have the Bosch and love it

[Mike Cutler]

Me personally, I'd stick with an ROS and buy your paper online. I have 4 DeWalt ROS's, yep the same $60.00 sander, and I kind of like them. I have an older Makita sheet sander, somewhere, that I cannot stand to use. It's just awful!

[Marc Burt]

I had a sheet sander once. I think I used it twice before I threw it away. As mentioned above don’t buy your sandpaper at the box store. Industrial Abrasives rhynogrit is a great and believe it or not the Festool paper is actually excellent.

[Art Mann]

My experience with several sheet sanders is that they simply don't work very well.

[Dave Sweeney]

I've been very happy with my Makita BO5041 5" ROS. I probably have 5 or 6 ROS's but the Makita is the one I usually pick-up. If you don't mind buying Certified Refurbished tools this one might interest you, https://www.cpoindustrialpowertools.com/factory-reconditioned-makita-bo5041-r-3-0-amp-variable-speed-5-in--random-orbit-sander/mktrbo5041-r,default,pd.html. The price is right and free shipping.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

Pretty much as the title says.

[...]

I'm tired of paying through the nose for junk hook and loop disks
That got me looking at sheet sanders.

Decent sand paper is available at both Borgs, unlike the junk disks they sell.

For a couple of decades I had a Bosch 1/3 sheet sander... something broke inside it and it started to make an horrible noise... I decided for a new one as certainly the repair costs, if available, would cost close or even more than a new one. I went to Bosch GSS 23AE (https://shop.bosch-professional.com/gb/en/product/orbital-sander-gss-23-ae--9803), also 1/3 sheet sander but with variable speed and a good dust collection, both features missed in my previous sander.

I can purchase excellent sheet paper from Norton and 3M broadly available locally. I really like to be free from special format disk sanders with much less options than sheet sand papers.

Although I have used it less than five times since I purchased it some months ago, I am very glad with the purchase. Very good bang for my hard earned bucks... :cool:

All the best.

[Matt Day]

ROS for sure. You’ve don’t have a ROS yet? I have 4, and no sheet sander except the one that went in the trash years ago.

Any sander will be a lot better if you buy quality sandpaper instead of the crap the BORG’s sell.

[Ray Newman]

Maybe it is what I started out working with, but depending upon the work, I either turn to a finish sander (PC 505) or a ROS (PC 7336).

For certain jobs, the ROS is easier and move convenient to work with. But for large flat work, I think a finish sander is superior. The ol' 505 just seems to glide across the work and I believe gives a superior finish, especially with the finer grit papers.

[Andrew Seemann]

I use a pair of Makita 5" ROS. I'd probably get more of them before I would get anything else. They are aggressive enough but don't have as much vibration in your hands as some others that I have used. They replaced a 1/4 sheet Makita sander about 15 years ago which is now relegated to sanding drywall and sheet metal. The 1/4 sheet sander was a huge upgrade to the 1/2 sheet sander. I'm sure some people still like them, but I don't even like seeing mine in the tool cabinet. I can still feel my back teeth rattling.

If you are going through the regular borg discs (Norton, 3M) too fast, you might want to use less pressure on the sander. Too much can cause the abrasive to heat up and the glue to soften.

[Frank Pratt]

I've never had any use for sheet sanders. An ROS just does a much better job in almost every situation. Shop around for the discs & they are not costly. I just got a bunch of 6" Klingspor discs & paid less than $.30 ea, and that's in Canada where everything costs way more.

[Cary Falk]

Sheet sanders are horrible. I don't know why they still make them. Mine always left circular scratches. Every since I went ROS, I never went back.

[Mike Henderson]

There's a reason ROS sanders replaced sheet sanders - they work a LOT better. I have a couple of old sheet sanders somewhere. I should sell them or throw them away and make some room in my shop.

I had really forgotten about them until this thread came up.

Mike

[Dave Zellers]

ROS technology was definitely a big step forward power sanding wise. I remember my first one. But I'm also lucky enough to have an old Rockwell 1/2 sheet sander that you would have to try and pry out of my hands and I doubt you'd win. Same goes for my 1/4 sheet Porter Cable but I'd let go before you hurt me re that one. That one is great for edges. There are no simple answers here but Rich seems to be looking for the best technology if you are only going to own ONE sander and there is NO question that would be a ROS whether 5 or 6 inch. Unless you are going to step up to something like a Festool or one of the air powered ones, you have to accept that at some point after 4,5,6 years it will break and need replacing.

THAT said, I'm not sure I wouldn't pay the fifteen bucks and buy the new pad.

[Bill Carey]

I too have the Bosch. It's great.

[Rich Engelhardt]

ROS for sure. You’ve don’t have a ROS yet?Hi Matt,
I have a DeWalt 5" ROS that's seen better days. The pad is really dinged up.
I also have a Porter Cable 5" that I got free when I bought my PC 690 router a few years back.
The PC is a piece of junk. It started to vibrate so bad it was hard to use 1/2 hour after I first used it.
Then the dust bag blew off and now it won't stay on.
So much for my freebie...:rolleyes:


Anyhow - -

I decided to give the Ridgid 6" ROS a try.
I might have a whole house of floors to scuff sand & I figured if I do a 6" will work better.

[Mitchell Ristine]

I have two bosch ROS20VSC. I also have a DeWalt sheet sander ... somewhere.

[Joe Jensen]

Just to add, the larger the pad the flatter your surfaces will be. I use 6" ROS 99% of the time but I do have a 1/2 sheet sander (Festool) that I use on table tops or any other flat surface where you can see any irregularities. If I had a giant shop I'd love to have a stroke sander. I would seriously consider a 6" ROS if you are changing.

[Pat Barry]

One advantage of a small sheet sander is getting into corners, inside a box for example.

[Joe Jensen]

I have a small rectangular sander to get into corners. 5" round gets just a bit further into a corner than a 6" and you get a lot flatter result with the much larger area of the larger pad.

[Ed Edwards]

Don't everybody bid a once... Maybe it's the water in Clearwater Only $425.00 shipped ???


PORTER CABLE 505 TYPE 2 HEAVY DUTY SANDER - *** MADE IN USA *** >> NEW <<
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[lowell holmes]

What kind of woodworker are you. I would get two sanders. :)

[Miles Williams]

I replaced my Dewalt sheet sander with the 5” Bosch 2-3 years ago and have been so much happier. Better results and quicker to change sheets. +1 to the Norton 3M sheets. You can normally save some money by ordering them online.

[Stan Calow]

Lowell's right. You need more than one. If you only have one, get an ROS. I've been picking up others at garage and estate sales, mostly quarter sheet, for $5-10 each, with the goal being to set them up to have one with each grit I'm going to use. Lots of old PC and Dewalts out there.

[Doug Hepler]

Rich,

I have an old Craftsman sheet sander that can be set to oscillate or to move back and forth. With the latter setting it is occasionally useful for finish sanding large surfaces with fine sandpaper. IMO that is their reason for being. I rarely use power sanding but when I do, I normally would use my Bosch ROS.

Doug

[Bill Adamsen]

The better quality ROS - especially the new brushless models - are really fantastic. The 150mm (6") units like the Festool ETS 150/3 (and other brands of a similar ilk) are really versatile performers. If you are getting just one sander, as other folks have mentioned, consider one of the modern ROS.

I also have a number of Porter Cable half and quarter sheet sanders. They work well for prepping finishes (paint and clear) for the next coat. They don't have dust collection, they're loud, and functionally they have a very narrow use. But I love the finish and the stickit sandpaper. I have a buddy with a Festool (RS 2 E) that does have dust collection and works extremely well for the narrow scope for which these sanders are designed. I will likely upgrade at some point to get the dust collection. To my knowledge they are technically not ROS but rather just an orbital sander.

My view is that the large 150mm ROS by firms like Festool or Mirka are the most versatile and efficient electric powered hand sanding machines out there.

[jack duren]

I still use my Porter Cable 332 and 333 sanders. Still work good...

[Brian Henderson]

The ROS is always my go-to sander, although I have piles of them, belt sanders, palm sanders, half-sheet, even one of those Mouse sanders that is great when you need something really small. right now I have 2 DeWalt ROS, one of which I just ordered a new pad for and the other I've worn out the switch on so I have to order one of those as well. As pretty much everyone has said, it's not so much the tool, it's the paper you put on it, just buy online from a reputable company and you'll do fine. I've tried a lot of them, everything from Klingspor to Mirka and really, so long as it's a good brand, I don't think one is any better than any others, just find something that you like and stick with it.

[julian abram]

Seems like I got trapped in the endless vortex of building a lot of large panel cabinetry the past few months. I purchased Bosch OS50VC 1/2 sheet to help on the large panels, it has been a wonderful tool. Smooth action and best sander dust collection filter/canister I've experienced.