Is a detail sander worth it?

[Jesse Cloud]

The older I get, the lazier I become... I'm wondering if detail sanders are worth spending some $$ on or do you wind up using a hand sanding block anyhow? Would appreciate hearing your opinions.

If you like detail sanders, please let me know what brand works for you and why you like it. Especially if it has an effective dust control port.

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

[tod evans]

jesse, i really find them usefull, if i run through the grits no hand sanding required. mine has no dust collection...02 tod

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[Chris Dodge]

I bought one about three years ago and have used it maybe three times. I used it for some hard to reach areas and some coved areas of molding. Looking back I probably could have spent the money on something else.

[Don Baer]

I have one and use it a lot. sure does cut down on the work.

[Mike Goetzke]

I have one. I don't use it a real lot but when I do it really is a time saver - especially on small coves/fillets.

Mike

[Carl Eyman]

I think it depends on the piece you are working on. I've got one and on some jobs have used it a LOT! on other maybe not at all. I did ten dining chairs 3 years ago and used it a bunch. I can't imagine having got along without it. This year i did a secretary desk and used it very little. I've had mine ten years or so, and over that time it certainly has paid for itself.

[Mark Singer]

I really use mine often....It requires a bit of care...but a timesaver for sure

[Joe Jensen]

I have a Fein and I've used it maybe 3 times in 10 years. I find that the sandpaper wears VERY quickly and then it's useless. I've never bought any of the other attachements, fearing that they are waste of money.

For those who like theirs, what grits of paper are you using, and how long does a piece of sandpaper wear?

[Craig Feuerzeig]

I have that ridiculous porter cable thing... you want it?

[Ben Grunow]

I have a Fein that is suprisingly powerful. THey look like they would be useless and then you turn them on. Variable speed is nice and they really sand. Partially due to the small pad but also the high speed and pretty large pad movement (more than a vibratory sander I think). I have used the cut off blades for cutting baseboards and crowns (in place) with great success and also the masonry attachments for cutting tile in place. For removing grout (for regrouting bathrooms etc)- this is the only tool for the job. Fast and easy and no scratching the tiles when you slip with the carbide tipped cutter.

I use the Fein to: cut door stops to add saddles to exiting doors, cut electrical outlet holes in prefinished cabinets (no danger of damaging finish and no tool base to ride on finish like jigsaw), cut shingles to install new flashings for new window/door installation, cut/trim tiles around electrical outlets or when replacing shower valves... my list is endless and I obviously love the Fein. Except for the price.

BTW I also have a Porter Cable profile sander (with rubber attachments for every concave and convex shape imaginable) and use it very rarely but when you need it for chair parts or stair parts it's great. I don't think its much faster but it requires far, far less work than sanding by hand. Hope that helps. Ben

[Matt Warfield]

I have that ridiculous porter cable thing... you want it?

You can have my Ryobi for a side to side comparison. :rolleyes:

[George Sanders]

I too have the PC detail sander. I used it on a stairway and bannister. I went with the brand. I have two of their routers and I really like them but I can't recommend the sander for anything but a doorstop.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could try out a tool before you buy it?

[tod evans]

I have a Fein and I've used it maybe 3 times in 10 years. I find that the sandpaper wears VERY quickly and then it's useless. I've never bought any of the other attachements, fearing that they are waste of money.

For those who like theirs, what grits of paper are you using, and how long does a piece of sandpaper wear?

joe, i use 80-120-220 klingspore makes the fien paper...they`re not the highest quality abrasives on the market but when sanding it really depends on what material you`re sanding more than the tool how long abrasives last. the "e" cut saws do work well......02 tod

[Mark Pruitt]

I bought the Ryobi when it first came out. I don't remember the last time I used it, and the only reason I still have it is I can't bring myself to throw it in the trash. While it did sand up to the edge, it also left a black mark on the surface adjoining the edge. Maybe the expensive ones don't have that problem, but IMHO good money is better spent elsewhere.
Mark

[Jim Dailey]

Hi Jesse,

I have owned the following;

1. Bosch - "OK" but get's HOT to hold..

2. PC - is as described a "door stop" ... or a POS

3. Fein pnueimatic - bought for in shop, "OK" but no built in dust collection not used at all since I have Festool sanders

4. Fein single speed that I brought when they first came out, "OK" low vibration sander with no dust pickup built in but the Fein is a better tool to use with flush blades ect. NO COMPARISION grit for grit w/Festool DX 93 E for aggressiveness or finish!!!

5. Festool DX 93 E - totally superior random orbital sander w/reasonal built in dust collection in aggressiveness & finish to "all of the above...... Sand paper does last longer because of the dust collection but is only a delta pad sander, no accessory blade options like Fein. I've sanded thick varnished teak in a single sanding using 40 grit paper that left a finished surface superior to what I could have achieve with multiple sandings using the Fein ending at 100 grit..... The DX 93 E is an impressive tool but at a pri$e....

6. Festool LS 130 EQ - a linear sander that is surprisely aggressive, although quite expensive if you add all the optional contour pads. Again reasonable dust colloction but it varys from pad to pad on effectiveness. One thing to note about this sander is that it uses the same paper as Festools RS 400 EQ. I replace my PC speed block with the RS 400 EQ and have found this a great small sander that can sand close to edges on three sides w/excellent dust collection.

Hope this helps, jim

[Steve Clardy]

I have that ridiculous porter cable thing... you want it?


Lol. I'm on my second one. Gave the first one away.
Second one was a closeout price, could not resist.:rolleyes:
Its just like its brothers, a pos.:(

It hasn't been out of the case in 3-4 years I guess.

Haven't owned any other brands, and probably won't.

[Doug Shepard]

...I can't recommend the sander for anything but a doorstop.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could try out a tool before you buy it?

In addition to a doorstop, it makes a dandy back-scratcher. A cordless back scratcher would be better, but I've already got the PC.:D

I've also got the Ryobi. Surprisingly I don't think it's as big of a POS as the PC (close, but not quite). It hasn't been used in a long while but it's pretty handy for hard to reach stuff and seems to sand pretty agressively.

[Mark Pruitt]

I failed to mention earlier today, I also have a B&D Mouse detail sander. Honestly, I was much more satisfied with its performance than with the Ryobi. I haven't found a lot of need for it, but it's interesting that the thing is so cheap and yet does an acceptable job. I bought the Mouse when I got myself in trouble by letting wood filler dry before I could remove it with burlap (a mistake you only make once!!!). The Mouse was very effective at getting the filler out of all the nooks and crannies.
Mark

[James Ayars]

I bought my dad one of those B&D mouse sanders too. He really likes it. It doesn't get the use his ROS and palm sander get, but he does use it on most furniture projects.
James