Help with a ROS sander

[Joe Chritz]

My very old and over worked PC 333VS just blew a belt and I am looking at other options before getting a replacement part.

I have read a lot of the posts in search but they mostly go over the pros/cons of individual units. Can someone point me to an article or web page that details the difference in ROS sanders, like orbit size and the like.

I end up doing lots of flat panels and wouldn't mind a larger sander, maybe even something in the 1/3 sheet area if anyone makes something like that.
If I get a new 5" I am sure it will be the ES125 festool.

Thanks in advance

Joe

[Derek Arita]

Funny you should bring this up. I just had the same kind of thing happen to my 333. I called my local PC repair center and they helped find the part # I needed, then they went ahead and shipped me the part in 2 days. It was great.
Just prior to that I went out and purchased a new VS model, not realizing that it was 8 hole instead of 5. I was curious about the quality of the new machine, so I removed the pad just to take a look inside. Turns out the base that the pad mounts to is some kind of plastic and not very sturdy at that. The old one is metallic and very sturdy. I was not pleased, so back it went.
The old one works like a charm and I still have lots of 5 hole paper, so I'll be sticking with it at least until I run out of paper. After that, it's a Bosch for me.

[Bert Johansen]

Joe, one of the woodworking mags did an article on just this subject sometime about a year ago. I know this isn't much help--I don't remember which of the mags I subscribe to ran the article, but I'll take a look and re-post if I find the article. In the meantime, I remember the Bosch scored very high.

When my PC 333 needed a new thrust bearing (prior to the article being published) I opted for the five-hole Rigid, and I'm very pleased with it. Here's why--relative to the PC, of course. The Rigid is quiet, has superb dust collection, has a motor brake that stops it in a few seconds, and is smaller and lighter. Although I went ahead and rebuilt the PC, I never use it--I always reach for the Rigid.

[Eric Haycraft]

If you are referring to the clear rubbery belt, I think that it cost me like 90 cents when I got a new one a few months back. Very easy to replace and my service center kept it in stock. I paid in quarters it was so cheap.
There are a few variations of the 333, but you can look the part up on this site. I don't recall paying nearly as much as they are charging here though.

http://www.ereplacementparts.com/porter-cable-333-type-random-orbit-palm-sander-parts-c-129_1997_2005.html

At a minimum, you can replace the belt and put the ROS up on ebay or something if you are really determined to get rid of it.

[Jesse Cloud]

Joe,
If you are looking at Festool, why not one of their 6 inch sanders. I know it sounds crazy but a 6 inch sander has almost twice the sanding area (pi times radius squared) as a fiver.

I retired my PC333 about a year ago and have been breathing better ever since.

[Joe Chritz]

Joe,
If you are looking at Festool, why not one of their 6 inch sanders. I know it sounds crazy but a 6 inch sander has almost twice the sanding area (pi times radius squared) as a fiver.

I retired my PC333 about a year ago and have been breathing better ever since.

Cost mostly and only having to stock one type of disk. Thats why I was interested in a bigger pad sander (already have to stock sheet paper) if there were any with a real random pattern as opposed to the old jitterbug thing.

Mine was the belt and if I can find someplace to ship one out for less then the $9 from DeWalt then I plan to repair it.

Joe