random orbit sander questions

[shannonw]

Hi,

I've been looking at picking up a decent random orbit sander. I repainted by outboard and for the outboard cover picked up a HF freight one but it didn't seem to last more than an hour just wouldn't spin, but it lasted enough to get the project done.

I don't have a decent sized air compressor so that's out of the question, though am considering a 60 gallon. I don't refinish cars though i work on ours when i can and would fix some body work if i needed to, i like small projects, refinishing metal stuff, or i work on boats a lot (fiberglass, outboards,etc).

I was ignorant before and using a square pad for everything which now i know is slow as hell and meant for for furniture. Now I use paint stripper for some stuff, poly wheel on angle grinder for other things, I need I think something between the two.

I've seen:
* 5" like the dewalts,etc you see in the big box stores, which was what i was planning on getting but then I saw online:

* 5-6" Ones shaped like my porter cable polisher (7424), the orbital is 7346, but bosch,etc make ones like this too classified as random orbit

* I just saw a Metabo SXE400 2 Amp 3-1/8-Inch Random Orbit Sander, that looks more like an air 3" sander i see people using online.

I'm just curious of what the "use" cases would be for each of these types?

 

[ZRX61]

Get a 6in Ingersol Rand DA sander. The HF ones are beyond useless, friend of mine went thru 5 of them in a few hours use spread over 4 mornings

 

[Monte]

5" for smaller surfaces, 6" for larger. Electric ones are avaialable at a very good quality from Festool, Rupes/3M, Metabo or Bosch. For boats i would look for the 6" (or larger ?)
For air sanders i would look out for Hutchins or National Detroit.

 

[bignick]

I bough a farmhand from tractor supply and use it everyday for 2 years now with no problems. Only one ive used and liked better was a snap on one.

 

[4x4gearhead]

The ingersol palm sanders are nice, they are about the same as a snap on (but consume a little more air) and can be found at sears for like $100

 

[shannonw]

I take it a 60 gallon would be marginal at best for a sander and cycle a lot? I'd guess even these 3" would too?

What about those 3" electric metabos? Only 2 amps though. I guess 3" sanders (air or electric) are used more for detail work around curves, planels etc?

I looked around a bit more and I guess the palm sanders stop at about 5", the ones with form factors like this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002EQ96NK/?tag=atomicindus08-20

are for larger work areas I guess, they seem to be 6 inchers.

For what I typically do smaller stuff electric would probably be ok for a bit.

 

[Weps]

unless you are working on an industrial level, i'd look at the electrics. for common projects, managing a power cord is much easier and user friendly than an air hose. having a vacuum port for quick indoor use is also a very useful feature. although i guess if you are working on boats, you might be mostly outdoors and wearing a respirator anyway.

for size, i'd go right to the 6" and supplement with a smaller model like the metabo you mentioned. if you use any specialty abrasives, you'll want to make sure they are available in that size though. at this point there are more choices with 5", but i think the 6" market will eventually be as well supported. the extra inch may not seem like much, but on a large surface, it really does save a lot of time.

the big box models you ask about are ok for occasional or typical homeowner/contractor use. look at the professional grade sanders on the web and see where your projects fit. they are typically going to be quieter, with less vibration, and simply more solid all around.

your porter cable is very similar to a 6" random orbital, in motion and speed, but is a little light on power. i think it has hook and loop too. have you tried sticking a 6" sanding disc on there? it may be acceptable for some of your projects.

and smaller sanders like the metabo have their place. much lighter weight and great for delicate or touch up work.

 

[shannonw]

Hi thanks for the info!

Yeah i'm thinking now a 5 or 6" incher handle type and a 3" is ideal from reading and the input here, instead of the big box store types I was originally planning to get. Air would be nice but I'll put that off a bit.

Yes I thought about using porter cable polisher,buffer as it's hook and loop, but right figure the power is lower, it would probably work in a pinch, but I'll get something purpose built instead of dirtying up sanding something i use for polishing/buffing, would **** to have some pad abrasives hop out onto the pads at some point.

 

[Di Trut]

I would definitely stick to a unit that has a 6" pad, much more common and easier to get paper.

Hutchins are excellent sanders, and dynabrade makes a very good one as well.

 

[shannonw]

from googling the difference between the pc polisher and the sander is only the backing plate and counter weight. The polisher has 5, the sander has 6 so seems I could use this temporarily to finish up two small home projects while I read up on these nicer ones.

 

[dwm]

If going pneumatic, I like Dynabrade. Even their low-end stuff is very good.

 

[shannonw]

Hi all, ok I'm revisiting this topic. Getting the sanding pad for my porter cable worked out fine actually, got me through my projects last week, wish i had thought about that before.

But now i'm seriously considering a compressor. I have just a 4 gallon porter cable job site compressor to run nail guns, i bum a 20 gallon oiless when I need to spray something and it's marginal at best.

I have no use for a jobsite compressor, this one is too heavy to carry anywhere for what I'd do I'd use a pancake. And I'd like to stop bumming the neighbors and get something a bit better. Like to just sell it and get a larger compressor.

Without getting long winded on my uses, would a 110 or 220v 60 gallon compressor run small tools like the 3" sanders, polishers, some light cut off tools? I know for example running a 6" da is a no go from what i've read and checking the cfm ratings.

ok let me get a bit long winded...I really don't find that I can't use electric for what I need, I'm not restoring cars, nothing large, but I find "projects", like for example these are recent ones:

* Fiberglass fabrication, hatches, consoles, that type stuff which I've been tinkering with. Mostly just use cut off (angle grinder), buff,polish, sanding, shooting gelcoat.

* Stripped, and resprayed a few outboards.

* Making aluminum dash panels, mostly sanding, spraying there.

* Stripping this snapon cabinet and repainting it, looking to pick up some other cabinets I imagine i'll be doing the same.

* I tore apart my 25 year old dock lift and degreased, stripped, sprayed that.

So i use stripping, sanding, spraying a lot but it's small stuff, not large body panel type stuff.

Nailers and stuff i usually run a line into the house as this compressor is heavy to lug around anyways.

Not that I wouldn't like to do larger projects, just 2 young kids and I like to work on something so if I find something interesting I'll do it if it's not too large that's going to sit around forever with my limited space. If i had the space i'd be upgrading my project sizes =) that's for later.

But I need to get a compressor for times I want to spray something. And I want oiled, not oiless as this pc is a loud sob for when i dust off the work bench or garage.

I was just going to grab one of the wheeled 24-30 gallons, but I hate to spend that as you can practically pick up a used 60 gallon or new 60 gallon for a bit more. Then of course a nice used older one that runs at lower rpms for a bit more than those...or there are 80 gallons but I don't think I have the space for those. 24-30 -> 60 would be easiest spacewise.

I don't need the heavy use air sanders, but it would be nice if i could say run a small cut off, small 3" polisher, or small 3" detail sander (along with the normal stuff for when I have to wrench on my car) if so I'd opt for a 60 gallon, if not then i'd just get the smaller and use electric for my other stuff as it would seem not much advantage with the 60 gallon in my case.

 

[dwm]

I run my Dynabrade random orbital sander and buffers on my 60-gallon SS3L3 regularly. These types of tools are all about the compressor's CFM, not the tank. You'll use up the tank reserve pretty quickly because these aren't intermittent use tools; running them for 15 to 30 continuous minutes is common. I don't have any problems with the SS3L3, it runs a lot when I'm using these types of tools but I don't run out of oomph. Truth be told, I ran the buffers on a smaller 30-gallon Craftsman oil-free for years and it worked too but I'd be down on air power at times (compressor running at 100% duty cycle).

 

[shannonw]

Hi dwm, thanks yeah that makes sense. So since it's about cfm and run time that's why the cfm, continuous duty, lifespan of the pump and motor is more important...I'll have to keep that in mind.

Looks like that ss3l3 puts out 11cfm@90 so nice to know that something in that range will run a sander.

 

[Steve_P]

I have a Dynabrade - and it's 5 zillion times better than the HF one it replaced. Price wasn't bad and it's US made- but not sure if they still are.

 

[dwm]

I'm with Steve, I love my Dynabrades. Even the Spirit line (assuming they still make them) are very good and more than adequate for DIY work.

10+cfm @90 PSI is plenty for a good quality random orbital or D/A that doesn't waste a lot of its air supply.

While some people will say the air hose is more hassle than an electric cord, I got rid of my Porter-Cable buffer when I switched to air and I don't miss it. Most of my use is car detailing and I like having a tool that's comfortable, lightweight (no electric motor), generates no heat even with very prolonged use, and never blinks at being wet or dusty or both at the same time. Plus the blow gun is a click away to blow off what I'm working on. Flexzilla hose is not heavy, and I use Prevost safety couplers to avoid the coupler popping out of my hand and dinging the work. One of my Dynabrade random orbitals is 10 years old and has been my primary, has seen a lot of use, and still runs like new.

 

[shannonw]

Hi dwm, yep that's the same reasoning i've had in my mind the past year or two and that would be my preference. I want to buy a few more tools but really didn't want to put the money into the electrics if I could work out doing it with air. I noticed with air there seems much more room to grow in terms of tools and quality and longevity wise. Thanks, this has been really helpful.

 

[Monte]

Mirka CEROS

www.mirka-ceros.com

Weight of a air sander without a air compressor

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