Porter Cable Sander Rant

[Mike Conley]

I have a Porter-Cable 333 Random Orbit sander. The hook and loop pad #13904 wore out and would no longer hold the sand paper so I had to go buy a new one.

The replacements pads cost $15.00. That is ridiculous!!! :(

I guess I expected them to be in the 4 or 5 dollar range.

Maybe I am just cheap.

[James Hart]

A friend of mine has a theory that the price of a hot dog at a golf course is in direct proportion to the green fees. If the cost of a round is $25, hot dog is about $1. If the green fees are $200, the same hot dog is $7.
The same hook and loop pad made to fit a B&D sander is probably $5, assuming the sander lasts long enough for you to wear out the pad.

Jim

[Wade Lippman]

Price a replacement pad for the Multimaster! Talk about ripoffs...

[Dave Sweeney]

Don't think it's just Porter Cable. I recently had to buy a new H&L pad for one of my Makita 5" ROS's and the pad cost $17.95 + $5.10 for shipping for a total of $23.05.

[Larry Browning]

I found a simple solution at lowes. They had a H&L replacement kit with 2 replacement sheets. A adhesive backed piece of sand paper is included that you stick to a flat surface. then you just run the sander on the sandpaper to sand off the remaining hooks on the existing pad. the you glue on a new hook sheet to the pad. This worked great. the kit costs about $6 and has 2 hook sheets. So that about $3 per pad replacement. I still have 1 left. I have had no problems with this at all.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I like the 1/4 sheet Speed-Bloc sander

[julie Graf]

that is a great solution Larry.

i just opted for the sticky pad and paper. the paper is so much cheaper... but you can't switch & save like you can with the hook & loop...

[Rod Sheridan]

I have a Porter-Cable 333 Random Orbit sander. The hook and loop pad #13904 wore out and would no longer hold the sand paper so I had to go buy a new one.

The replacements pads cost $15.00. That is ridiculous!!! :(

I guess I expected them to be in the 4 or 5 dollar range.

Maybe I am just cheap.


Mike, I don't know if you're cheap, however I find your expectation of the replacement parts price to be way off base.

Consider ordering, receiving and accounting for it, paying for it, paying someone to put in the correct location in the store, then making a profit on it.

I think any spare part for $15 is reasonable.......Regards, Rod.

[Chuck Lenz]

I dunno Rod, that price maybe ok if it was made in the USA. But paying the same price on a part thats made overseas isn't something I'm to thrilled about.

[skip coyne]

my dewalt had the same problem a couple of weeks ago , replacement was 17 something , I was just glad HD had one hanging there so I could get back and finish the job

Seems reasonable to me for a part that lasts a couple of years or so

[Paul Greathouse]

Mike

Something to consider, the only thing worse than paying for the $15 pad, is paying for the $15 dollar pad and a few days later the sander goes out.

Thats what happened to me, I just replaced the pad on my PC333 about a week ago. Well, It just gave up its ghost last night. Thats what I get for bragging on it in another thread a few days ago. The Dewalt that I was dogging out in that same thread is still running.

In all fairness the PC333 was a great sander and it has done more than its share of sanding. I wouldn't hessitate to buy another PC but I have heard alot of good thing about the new Bosch, I think I will give it a try next.

The PC sander started losing power and eventually died. I tried bypassing the switch, its not the switch. The brushes and bearings both look OK. Not much left but a shorted motor winding, I guess.

[Robert Waddell]

A replacement for my Festool is $30. Yeah, they all cost money but look at how long they last. Compared to all the toys of this sport I don't see it as a big deal. Also, part of the need to replace is based on how the user uses or abuses it.
Rob

[Mike Conley]

I found a simple solution at lowes. They had a H&L replacement kit with 2 replacement sheets. A adhesive backed piece of sand paper is included that you stick to a flat surface. then you just run the sander on the sandpaper to sand off the remaining hooks on the existing pad. the you glue on a new hook sheet to the pad. This worked great. the kit costs about $6 and has 2 hook sheets. So that about $3 per pad replacement. I still have 1 left. I have had no problems with this at all.

Larry,

What section in Lowes did you find the H&L replacement kit?

[James Suzda]

Mike

<snip>
The PC sander started losing power and eventually died. I tried bypassing the switch, its not the switch. The brushes and bearings both look OK. Not much left but a shorted motor winding, I guess.
Sounds like the way my PC 333 acted when the bearings went out. Take it apart and check to see if the bottom bearing is free and spins easily.
If it is "froze" you can get a new one for only a couple of bucks.
Jim

[Larry Browning]

Larry,

What section in Lowes did you find the H&L replacement kit?
I think the replacement pads were right next to them in the power tool section. However this was also a couple of years ago as well.

[Don Bullock]

.....but I have heard alot of good thing about the new Bosch, I think I will give it a try next...

Paul,
The Bosch is a good sander when it works. I bought one in May. With only very light duty it's now stopped working twice. The first time the variable switch was replaced (repairman said he keeps them in stock - not a good sign) and I'm not sure what's wrong this time. I haven't had a chance to take it in to be repaired. I've seen posts of others who have had the switches go out as well.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
I have to agree with Mike.
That amount of money, in relation to the cost of the sander is rediculous.

The hook and look pad is one small component. To charge roughly, what, 40% of the total cost (?), for one small part is way out of line.

That's akin to charging $9,000.00 for a water pump for my Accord:(

[Allen Bookout]

I got the PC333 along with the PC690 router deal that Amazon had earlier this month. Looks like that I should not count on that sander lasting very long. Maybe PC considers them disposal units and would really not like having to stock parts for them anyway unless they can make enough profit off of the parts to make it worthwhile.

[John Callahan]

That's akin to charging $9,000.00 for a water pump for my Accord:( ............. Rich, I'd wager a dollar or two that if you built your Accord from Honda's parts catalog it would cost well in excess of $200,000. Go price a tailight lens and maybe that sanding pad price won't seem so exorbitant. Parts are pretty big profit centers for manufacturers of all sorts of things. I replaced the canister and o-rings on my decade old 333 and iirc, I pretty much killed a twenty dollar bill. Overpriced? ........... yeah .............. not much you can do about it though; it's a monopoly. All in all I'm happy; for not a whole lot of money my 333 works as new again.

[Chuck Lenz]

I stoped in the local Dodge dealer the other day to see if they had the plastic buttons that hold up the insulation under the hood in my 97 truck. $5.25 EACH ! I stoped at OReillys Auto Parts and bought 3 for $3.00. Still pricey for what they are. On the net I could of bought 50 for $25 shipped. One of my DeWalt orbital sanders had a hook and loop pad. I replaced the pad with a factory sticky back paper pad, I can't remember how much it was, it's been a few years. I very rarely used the hook and loop, the paper was too expensive. I use to do alot of sanding when I was refinishing antique furniture. The DeWalts have been good sanders, but then again, so has my Porter-Cable 330 Speed Bloc sander. I use the Porter-Cable sticky back paper that comes in rolls on all those sanders, great paper.