Pole Sander for Drywall?

[karoc]

I need to get pole sander for drywall. I’m familiar with the 3.5x9” pad on pole.
I started looking check on price at big box stores. I see that there’s now a 9” round sanding pad that cost about 45.00 then have buy pole seperate.
Wondering if anyone has use these round head pole sander and if they think it’s worth extra money? Thoughts?

 

[larry4406]

Those pole sanders give your body a work out. Are you up for that?

At the day job they have battery operated pole sanders, kind of like an upside down weed whacker. Some also have a vacuum attachment.

 

[Hakeem]

The traditional rectangle sander can flip over and mar the mud if you’re not careful, the round ones are supposed to avoid that.

If you have a lot to do and you’re skilled with finishing drywall, the round sander is probably better but it’s a little harder to target “oopsies” than with smaller sanding pads

 

[LXCam]

Good luck catching all your corners. That wouldn’t be my choice.

 

[jar944]

Electric pole sanders are so cheap now, there is no reason not to have one

 

[Firebrick43]

Based on several drywall contractors advise I got a trim tex black widow pole sander. Its so much lighter than a traditional net sander and faster as well, needs hardly any pressure. Of course the down side is that you have to use their hook and loop pad/paper, but its worth it.

It doesn't leave swirls like every rotary sander I have seen does when casting light down a wall.

 

[DGersic]

I need to get pole sander for drywall. I’m familiar with the 3.5x9” pad on pole.
I started looking check on price at big box stores. I see that there’s now a 9” round sanding pad that cost about 45.00 then have buy pole seperate.
Wondering if anyone has use these round head pole sander and if they think it’s worth extra money? Thoughts?

Round works better than rectangular. Less likely to flip as you sand. The job *****, though.

The powered one from HF works well. I did the ceiling and walls of my living room, several times as I was skim coating it over plaster. Dust collection worked well. Still a shoulder workout.

5 Amp, 9 in. Variable-Speed Drywall Sander

Amazing deals on this 5A 9In Drywall Variable Speed Sander at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[The Cobbler]

when I was a contractor I reneged on buying a power pole sander .
I got one cheap at princess auto that was a store return.
after 2 minutes of using it, I wondered why I took so long to buy one.
I then bought a powered (non Pole, hand held) sander to add to the Arsenault .
money wise spend if you do any amount of drywall

 

[karoc]

Round works better than rectangular. Less likely to flip as you sand. The job *****, though.

The powered one from HF works well. I did the ceiling and walls of my living room, several times as I was skim coating it over plaster. Dust collection worked well. Still a shoulder workout.

5 Amp, 9 in. Variable-Speed Drywall Sander

Amazing deals on this 5A 9In Drywall Variable Speed Sander at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Going check into this, and others that was suggested. I do have lot sanding, so may be worth investment.

 

[LXCam]

Going check into this, and others that was suggested. I do have lot sanding, so may be worth investment.

Do you know how to properly thin your mud? Once you have that and feathering down, there’s hardly any sanding to do.

 

[signcrafter]

I have a couple of the radius 360 ones and they work good. They don't get into corners like Cam mentioned but they do make a triangle version for corners that I also have but don't usually use it. I use the 360 to do as much as I can and then run a foam sanding sponge made for corners up and down a few times and it's good.

I bought a HF electric pole sander a few months ago and love it. Works great and goes on sale for 100 bucks regularly. Well worth the investment even if you're only doing one room, especially if you have a good vacuum it will leave very little dust. I've been finishing drywall for over 25 years and used to hate doing it. But with a mud tube and the heads for inside and outside corners along with a couple flat boxes and the electric pole sander now I don't mind it too much. I spend more time cleaning tools then actually mudding.

 

[Ohio Andy]

I have a couple of rectangular ones, this is my round one.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WF6QJV7?tag=atomicindus08-20

I've not had to do a lot of drywall lately, but if I did, for sure I'd buy a powered one.
I'm not very good with drywall or mudding.

 

[rust in the eye]

While I've never used a round one I see the pros use them.
I have used the rectangular ones and find them clumsy, perhaps I'm the clumsy one.

 

[gizardlizard]

Radius 360 sander is awesome and super fast. Anybody using GP mud for second and third coats is creating a lot of work for themselves. Use topping mud and it sands so fast. Electric is overkill.

 

[Beerhippie]

Pole sander for drywall? All the drywallers around here are Hispanic.

My brother hung wall paper for a living. I worked for him one winter back in the '90s and he had the first power pole sander I'd ever seen (drywallers never get the wall smooth enough for patterned wallpaper). It had a linear motion instead of rotary, so no swirls, and was about a foot long, making feathering outside corners a breeze--and dust collection, which was a joy to use.