PSA or Hook & Loop?

[Lance Norris]

Yesterday, I started a thread about whether or not I needed a Random Orbit Sander and the replies were a definate yes.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=90343

Ok, now my next question is about the sanding disc attachment. PSA or Hook & Loop? Which should I buy? I am going to buy a Porter Cable 390, and its available in one or the other type attachment. Is the cost of new sanding discs about the same, or is one more expensive that the other? I know that the pads need replacement after a while(hooks wear out, PSA pads tear)can you interchange the pads? Meaning, if I buy a Hook & Loop sander, can I put on a PSA pad if I want to change? Thanks all.

[Jim Becker]

H&L. You need to be able to change abrasives frequently and that's not a great thing with PSA...

[Dar Lounsbury]

Pads can be changed from one to the other. Milwaukee ROS I recently bought came with both. After using a ROS, I think of any reason to need a sheet sander again. I have several but have not used them in a very long time.

Dar

[Dave Sweeney]

Hook & Loop would be the way to go. You'll go through fewer discs and have to pull less maintenance on the sander than with PSA.

[Bruce Page]

I have both. I prefer the H&L's reusability.

[Paul Girouard]

I use PSA , I reused the sheets as hand sand paper for easing edges , using on the lathe etc. Mirka Gold brand from Tool Crib of the north.

H&L cost more going in/ up front but they are reusable sort of but what people tend to do then is use the paper way beyond it's real useful cutting cycle so your sanding with worn out paper.

Either one works so it just depends on your personal habits / preferences really.

Porta Cable 6" sander is one of the best and I've used Fien's , Bosch , Makita's. The smaller Festool is very nice , spendy but nice I tried it at the Woodcraft store in Seattle , IF I didn't have the PC I MIGHT pop for that one with the vac. Some day maybe.

[glenn bradley]

Another H&L vote.

[Kevin Arceneaux]

H&L

I don't know how a Public Service Announcement would help! :)

[Michael Donahue]

Hook and loop... and check out Abranet! :cool:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=5922

[Peter Quinn]

I use H&L in my own shop on a Festool sander, works great. At work all the sanders are Dyna Brade and use PSA, no problems with the pads breaking down, and you can even stick the paper back on the wax paper backer and sometimes get a second use out of it. IMO there is not much difference if you are using quality paper and a good sander though in reality more psa paper probably goes in the trash than H&L. Some of the cheaper paper i have bought seems to stick TOO much and winds up tearing apart the sander's pad.

When possible at work I hog three sanders, put 100G, 120G and 150G on one of each and change sanders rather than paper!

[Bruce Wrenn]

All of my ROS are now H&L. Klingspor sells H&L paper for the same as PSA paper. It is a "no brainer" for me. They gave me my first conversion kit, containing H&L pad and 50 "trial disks." Now I attach my left over PSA to my PC 330. Just attach it to existing piece of sand paper.