94 Random Orbit sander
Description
This article is from the Woodworking FAQ Collection 5, by multiple authors.
94 Random Orbit sander
From: jchen@flash.bellcore.com (Jason Chen)
Date: 19 Dec 90 07:48:34 GMT
Being tired of using a Makita palm sander to sand 4x8s, I decided to treat
myself a decent finish sander for Xmas.
I originally wanted to get a 1/2 sheet PC505, then I heard about this new
random orbit sander. For those who have no idea what it is, it look like a
small grinder/polisher, using 5" or 6" sand discs. According to the
manufacturers, this breed can do swift rough sanding (like a belt sander)
as well as finish sanding (like a 1/2 sheet sander).
However, I am very skeptical about this claim. For one thing, the motors
for this type of sanders are very small. The PC brand uses a 3.7 amp motor
while the Bosch brand uses a 2.3 amp motor. How can they compete with a
10+ amp belt sander in speed? Even 1/2 sheet sanders have more powerful
motors. Secondly, they are relatively inexpensive, the PC stuff starts from
$120, while the Bosch model costs around $100.
I wonder if anybody in this group owns one of these things? Are they
really capable of replacing a belt sander and a finish sander or they
simply do neither function well? Has any of the magazines reviewed
this new breed? I would appreciate your comments as soon as possible.
BTW, if no convincing evidences appear, I am inclined to get a 1/2 sheet
sander. What do you think about PC vs Bosch? PC does not have a dust bag
options and the motor is smaller (2.3 vs 4.6 amps), but I have heard
good things about the PC505.
Continue to:
My Books
