Best power sander?

[John Sincerbeaux]

Electric angle drill or air sander like the "apprentice" offered by Craft Supplies. Looks like the air sanders would be lighter, easier to use, and would last longer?

Thanks for any advice.

[Don McClure]

I use an inexpensive angle drill from HF for power sanding. I have an air sander and found it consumes a lot of compressed air making my compressor run all the time to keep up plus you have the bulky air hose to deal with. I bought a brand name angle drill first thinking expensive ( 3 X the HF price) was better, but it has gone back for repairs 3 times while the $35 HF keeps on going on. When my HF wears out it will be back to the store for me.

[Fred Belknap]

John I have both air and electric sanders and I seldom use the air sander. The air sander is very noisy and requires a lot of air. I have a 60 gallon air compressor and it keeps it working pretty hard. I have the Gretz air sander and am not familiar with the apprentice as I don't get CUSA catalog anymore.

[Mike Campbell KS]

I second the HF angle drill. Its cheap, light, and keeps going. During the winter months I take my Jet 1014 down to work and turn in the workshop. I used to use the air powered sanders there, but they just aren't as efficient. Too much noise from the compressor, and the air hose is much heavier than an electric cord.

[John Keeton]

Definitely electric over air. Milwaukee is probably the "best" brand, but unless you are going to be able to justify the substantial cost with heavy and frequent use, the less expensive close quarter angle drills work well. Harbor Freight or Neiko are mentioned often and $35 is about right on cost. My Neiko has been around for several years.

[Reed Gray]

You must have received the same e-mail from Craft Supplies that I got. I also go for the angle drills. They are drills, not grinders, which is really how we use them, and this is the main thing that causes them to wear out. The pneumatic drills do keep the compressor running non stop, which is noise, adds heat to the shop (not always a bad thing), and burns a lot more electricity. I was looking at the new Fordham 1/3 hp motor. I asked them about it, and they said it should handle a 3 inch disc no problem.

My Sioux and Milwaukee angle drills are good for about 400 or so bowls before the bearings need to be replaced. I am not gentle on them. Sanding at slow disc speeds, maybe 600 rpm for 80 grit and much less for 400 grit cuts much more effectively than running at high speeds. The drills last longer too, especially if you use bearings that are double sealed so no dust gets into them.

Now, I am trying to figure out how to do a flex shaft articulated arm sanding thing for bowls that will handle 5 or 6 inch discs. It is looking like a mini lathe would be the best variable speed drive motor out there....... More to come later...

robo hippy

[Jeff Gilfor]

I have both a Grex air powered orbital sander and a Klutch magnesium body close quarters drill.
i use the electric 90 percent of the time.

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

I use this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-8-Inch-5...ds=angle+drill

no problems so far, and I use air to blow all the dust out of it periodically while sanding.

[Jack Mincey]

I have two Milwaukie old style angel drills I picked up on E-bay and use them all the time. I have a Gretz air sander that I haven't used in three years. I just checked E-bay and think that if they sell for the price one seller is trying to sell his for I would have to sell mine. He is asking over $800.00 for a Milwaukie angle drill. There is one for sell at around $90.00 though. I have taking mine apart a few times and cleaned them out real well and then packed good grease around the gears and bearing that already have grease on them and they work as well today as they did 7 years ago.
Jack

[John Beaver]

I think for the standard angle drills, the Milwaukee is the best. Quiet compared to the others, and easy to adjust speed.
Best sander for turning hands down is the Metabo SXE 400 3" ROS. Random Orbit and Vibrates at the same time. Amazon has them down to $129 from $228.

[Hayes Rutherford]

Another vote for electric . Tried the Harbor Freight right angle drill with keyless chuck and favor it over my Sioux, Milwaukee, and a Chineese copy all of the keyed variety. A big time saver if you change pads but not an issue if you pull the hook and loop off the pad each time you change grit.

When John Beaver mentioned the Metabo was 129.00 (shame on you)I went and ordered one. Even though I will not be changing pads for each grit, I hope it will be good for certain conditions.

[John Sincerbeaux]

Thanks everyone. Electric it is

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Here's another vote for the cheap HF close Quarters drill - I've got an air sander, but can't handle the noise and it is harder to control for speed than the HF. The HF is cheap, I buy the 2 year replacement and get a new one every two years which is about how long the bearings last. Cheaper than the alternatives...

[Dune Crane]

I bought a Makita DA3010F based on generally favorable reviews online. I love it.

[Thomas Canfield]

I like to use my 5" Random Orbital Dewalt sander as much as possible for external work and some internal work on flat platters or very large bowls. I wish there was an electric 3" ROS available and tell everyone I can that there is a market for one to woodturners. Air sanders are out of the question for me due to the large air volume requirement and my little compressor. I do have 3 cheap angle drills, 2 like Milwaukee, and one a right angle. I had a Milwaukee that ended up with a seized bearing that scored and ruined the plastic housing.