General Purpose Hutchins DA needed

[SouthernIllinois]

Recently retired and setting up a home hobby shop - plan to find a 62-67 Chevy II to restore. Prior to a career in the Navy, I worked in a bodyshop and had a Hutchins DA and now I'd like another but I can't recall what model I had. I am sure I got it off a tool truck at the time. Problem is I'm a little confused by all the different models Hutchins now offers and the descriptions are kinda vauge. I am looking for a general purpose model - no vacuum capability or anything like that but I do want a Hutchins (nostalgia I guess) Input from experienced guys would be appreciated.

 

[txvwnut]

I think you want either the 4500 or the 3500H. My friend that I owned a body shop with used an older version of the 3500H and that's all he would use for fine finishing or heavy stripping.

I have an older version of this https://www.astrotools.com/product/...sander-with-6-pu-psa-backing-pad-3-32-stroke/ and have been really happy with it.

 

[Steve_P]

I know that you said you wanted a Hutchins, but have you looked at the USA made Dynabrades? I have a 5" one and love it; it's also less than half the price of most of those above.

 

[KenC]

I guess DA means different things to different people.

To me a DA is like this one:
https://www.dewalt.com/product/dwmt70780/dual-action-sander.
This type can be used as a random orbit sander or a rotary sander by locking/unlocking the pad to spindle connection.

The other I refer to as a random orbit, or palm sander and cannot do straight rotary grinding or sanding.

For body work involving heavy paint removal, weld seam finishing etc the true DA in rotary is best.

For paint prep or other final finishing the palm sander is best.

Both IMHO of course

I have both. The DA is typically used with coarser papers 80-150, the palm almost never sees anything that coarse.

Not knowing what operations you plan to use it for (or what you used one for previously) I won't offer an opinion as to what's best for you.

But I support you choice of brands, they're great tools.

I have an ancient Hutchins orbital long board that sees a lot of use. Flattens and finishes in one step, unlike 'normal' in-line long board sanders.

 

[mreisner]

I know that you said you wanted a Hutchins, but have you looked at the USA made Dynabrades? I have a 5" one and love it; it's also less than half the price of most of those above.

The original and still the best, used to be called National Detroit. They invented it and everybody else copied it. I have some that are going on close to 30 years of use and still work fantastic. Model da6 or daq are the ones that I have one just has a quiet insulation package on internally it's the same as the other.

 

[Vinny]

I dig brand loyalty and nostalgia, but consider an electric DA. They've come a long way, and are way cheaper to run than air and are as efficient at removing material. At the prices for the Hutchins, you can get a 3M or used Mirka that's just like an air DA you show. I went with a Bosch DA that's a beast. I stripped the entire exterior of a VW Beetle to bare metal in a short afternoon, with little mess with it hooked up to a vacuum.