air sanders vs the cheap angle drills

[allen thunem]

Have gone through numerous cheap angle sanders/ drills and am curious about others thoughts and successes on air powered sanders similar to the cheapo electrics now being offered.
I'm all ears but try to stick to the subject at hand please.

[Reed Gray]

Well, I have a good air sander (Sioux angle drill), and when I used it, it kept the compressor running non stop. 60 gallon tank. I am staying with electric, cheaper and doesn't put a lot of heat in the shop in the summer.

robo hippy

[Fred Belknap]

Air sanders are noisy.

[Dennis Ford]

I had poor luck with the "close quarter drills" that are angled (55 deg?) but have been using a cheap HF version that is about 90 deg for about three years. It is slightly less comfortable to use but has held up to the dust better than more expensive drills. A good air powered version would last a long time but compressed air is very expensive if you consider the initial investment, maintenance and power usage. Cost wise it is less expensive to buy and discard electric drills.
ps; the 55 deg angle drills usually fail in the bearings which can be replaced several times IF:
* you stop using the drill when bearings begin making noise before they lock up and ruin the plastic housing
* you buy the bearings online (pack of 10 for $20 - $30)
* you don't mind fussing with with re-assembly of trigger linkage (it seems to take 3 hands but not much room)

[Josh Bowman]

Allen,
Sounds like you've already done the HF stuff, but since I went to a symposium with Trend Bosch, I bought one of the $15 HF Angle Grinders 32046 that he uses and have enjoyed using it. All my electric sanding stuff fits it and it's fast. But as already said my big air compressor runs a lot and the grinder requires hearing protection.

[Reed Gray]

Does any one make an angle grinder for 4 to 6 inch that has variable speed?

robo hippy

[Lawrence Tarnoff]

The HF unit I have has variable speed. I think it was under $30.

Larry

[Grant Wilkinson]

Robo

I have a 4 inch angle grinder that I made adaptors for to use both 3 and 2 inch disks. It is a Walter variable speed. Home page is http://www.walter.com/Walter/CA/en/home

Allen: I hope this didn't stray from topic. I have not used air powered in my home shop as the air requirements are far and away more than my small compressor can handle. I have an angled Milwaukee drill set up for sanding and a Metabo 3" random orbital sander. The Walter is heavy, but the plus is that it is made for dirty, dusty environments. Drills are not.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

I've been using the cheap HF close quarters drills for several years now. Find the cheaper version they sell to last longer than the other. I have observed that, since heeding the oft heard advice to slow down while sanding - both the lathe and the sander - my finishes are better and the sanders last a lot longer. Not generating heat to effect the piece or the sander. Also, it's a good idea to blow out the dust once in a while.

[allen thunem]

thanks for the input everyone. i have gone through one milwaukee and wont buy another due to cost. and other imported angle drills. i have a p.c. variable speed right angle sander that i use for outsides of larger bowls etc.
have seen the grex sander on one of the oft mentioned vendors in here and thought i would get some input and thoughts on anyone who may have purchased get their thoughts.
never bought anything electric from H.F. just because of my perception of lack of quality. guess its back to the cheap drills.
guess it is cheaper to buy and toss then to run my compressor.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

If you don't mind spending a bit more, order yourself a Makita right angle drill. I am very happy with mine. I also own and use a Chicago Pneumatic 2" and 3" ROS. It is a wonderful tool but not a replacement for the drill and pads.
faust

[Reed Gray]

I don't have any Harbor freight tools. I just can't force myself to buy 'throw away' tools. The drills are drills and not grinders, which is how we use them, so I am thinking angle drill, flex shaft, on articulated arm, and chuck/mandril on a universal joint head....... Of course, it needs to be variable speed.

robo hippy

[Russell Eaton]

Allen, I bought the Grex you are talking about. I power sand my bowls like most. When you reverse the lathe between grits, the grex oscillating just runs it whatever direction the motor is running. It doesn't have the torque to spin the sanding head against the rotation of the lathe. I tried light touch, high rpm, heavy touch, and every other way I could think of, and no change. I have a 2 stage compressor with a 80 gallon tank, and it will keep up but cycles on fairly regularly. One advantage I have found, when you sand beside a bead or a sharp angle like the foot on a bowl. The oscillating keeps the sharp transition very clean, better than the electric drill. Long story short, my 90° electric drill is still my go to for sanding most bowls. Hope this helps.
Russell