ROS recomendations

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Dogpaddlin
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ROS recomendations

Post by Dogpaddlin »

I have been using a Dewalt 1/4 sheet sander for all my sanding and it broke last night. I am going to purchase a new sander and thought I would get everyone's recommendations on what to purchase.
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by barditch »

:D Well, I'm still trying wear one of them out, (DeWalt 1/4 sheet sanders) and 6 years later, I still haven't. I love mine. I'll tell you a couple of projects that I've used mine for that are probably not in the manual: I inherited two commercial flat iron grills (3/4" in. steel cooking surface 24x40 inches. They were in terrible shape. Went from 60 grit to 400 grit to get it clean and smooth, but, it's been humming along for 4 years. The sander never even got hot! Splendid service!
I'll probably close my eyes, grit my teeth and go up for a DeWalt ROS when I start my build this winter, only because they might be faster on lower number grit settings on larger flat surface areas. :D
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Pogo
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Pogo »

I went through a series of Porter-Cable 5" ROS sanders, got about a year and a half and some three boats out of each. Never could repair 'em to run satisfactorily again, though I certainly tried. Then I thought I'd try the DeWalt 5" ROS ..... and it's still humming without a hitch three years later, I'm rather surprised (and happy). All have variable speed, all are used with PSA pads ("pressure sensitive adhesive", or sticky-back as opposed to velcro). I haven't yet disassembled the DeWalt to see what's inside, consistent with my policy of "Don't fix what ain't broke". I do periodically take 5 minutes of my precious time to thoroughly blow out all sanding machines with compressed air.

I love the quarter-sheet sander, but consider it a fine finish sander. The ROS is between that and a grinder. No question about it, the ROS is tops at handling a broad range of coarse to fine grits.

Grinders are useful too, BTW, but better be might-ty careful..... :shock:
Last edited by Pogo on Thu Oct 08, 2009 8:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Iamdamoder »

I don't like yellow tools. I got m/b 3 years out of my 5" Dewalt (blackened pecker). On the other hand I bought a used Porter Cable 6" 10 + years ago and used it yesterday.
Of course things change and this new one is different than the old one.

http://www.cpoworkshop.com/sanders/vari ... /7346.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I beat the heck out of my tools. That sander sometimes runs all day long grinding away old paint.
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Pogo »

Yep, I've got that big 6" too, bought mine in '04, still runs perfectly though it doesn't see real heavy use. In fact, I use it almost exclusively for making short work of primary sanding of stripped hulls and decks before taking it to the 5". I switch to the 5" because it's lighter and more comfortable to wield -- and more difficult to commit sins with.

I have a ten-year-old 14.4 V cordless drill driver that's yeller, and that baby has been through nuclear holocaust. I'm surprised you, a contractor, have had lousy luck with 'em; they're all over the commercial cabinet shop I occasionally play around in. But then, so is Porter-Cable, Makita, Bosch, etc., etc.

Image

And, of course, you bring up an excellent point: the way companies are bought and sold and shipped overseas, no telling where or how a familiar old model is made today... :(
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Iamdamoder »

1/4 sheet sanders and screw guns come from Makita right along with circ saws and one of my favorite routers.

Have you ever seen a belt sander that was not Porter Cable in a working shop.

X2 on the PSA's I buy the disks at the auto paint store (Gladwin). Beats any online supplier I ever checked.
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by gerald »

I use the Dewalt ROS. I've bought a lot of them, but they work fine and last longer than most others. The newer ones are not as handy as the old ones with the body being bigger. I'll try them, but I may look at others. I have wide, strong hands, but short fingers. I like something that fits my hand.
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Pogo »

Iamdamoder wrote:Have you ever seen a belt sander that was not Porter Cable in a working shop.
You ain't kidding about that. For hand-held belt sanders, that is. I think a stationary benchtop belt sander is one of the very best c-notes you can part with.

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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by gerald »

Porter Cable belt sander here as well....
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by barditch »

:? Craftsman on the bench belt sander...can't seem to make it work poorly or wear out, sooo there they are! By the way, Gerald, this is probably ugly and low-brow, but if memory serves, aren't you kinda close to Killeen? If so, take a day off and go pillage the pawn shops...they've got a bunch of good ones and you can pretty much find the tools you want...if you can't find any tools, look at the fishing tackle...I found 4 shimano reels (2 bc/2spin) in top condition for an average of $25 ea! All of 'em were $80+ on the spinners and 100+ on the BC's, and I've bought a dozen round red reels up there for less than $30 ea. It can make for a profitable trip, and it beats gettin' PO'd at Wally World!
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Iamdamoder »

Ah yes I meant hand held. those other bench jobs are called sanding stations, yes we have those too.
Just seems like Porter Cable has been the standard in hand held sanding as long as I can remember. ROS ,Belt sander and arguably the best router in the shop are PC.
Dewalt is kinda' the Pelican of power tools. You get what you pay for.
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Pogo »

Holy smokes!! The Pelican of power tools?? Man, our experience IS radically different. I'd never say that! :shock:

But I will enthusiastically second the motion that P-C is the best router. I have no less than 7 routers in my own tool locker, and 6 of them are P-C's (one's an ancient Ryobi laminate trimmer) (which is a jewel, btw). I can recall specifying any number of P-C 7518's for router tables, CNC machines, etc., in commercial shops, but cannot remember a single solitary one ever failing. The P-C 7529 is my personal fave ..... such a sweet machine! And what shop is even halfway complete without a few of the venerable 690's? Why, they're all nothing less than classics that any shop hand with any skill at all would instantly recognize and know how to handle.
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Dogpaddlin »

Iamdamoder wrote: Dewalt is kinda' the Pelican of power tools. You get what you pay for.

Ouch! :shock:

I have to admit I am not very impressed with the quarter sheet sander I have to replace, but I have a refurbished 18 volt reciprocating saw and screw gun that I have had for 10 years! I have had to replace a number of batteries over the years, but the saw and screw gun have never failed me and I have ABUSED the hell out of them. Not many screw guns will punch 3" holes in top plate after top plate after top plate....
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by preacher »

My 2 best are the Dewalt's. 1/4 sheet buzz sander (as somebody called it) for inside corners and edges and the ROS for the flat surfaces and best finish. My 2 hand held belt sanders (3" and 4") are for the heavier work. My grinders (Dewalt) are for the impossible work :wink: and steel.
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Light Keeper's Kid »

I'm one of those that bought the first Dewalt 14 volt screw gun and flashlight combo's when they first came out with battery tools and it's still going today :D and it's drilled and drove more 3 1/2" screws than I can count. I'm :twisted: on my tools and only replaced 1 battery all these years and it's still going :dance: sorry no bunny :lol:

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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Iamdamoder »

So I'm a little harsh on the yellow guys. In the 80's as they changed from B&D Pro to guess my real name yellow I got burned a couple times. Then the tools were yellow and I got burned a couple more times. I have not give them a shot at my wallet in a long while. I try to make a living with these tools so they have always been replaced with something similar in a different brand. When a tool meets its end I assess whether or not I got my monies worth.

Of all the running tools that I carry around the country there only 2 yellow ones, I kinda like the radio that was handed down to me by a guy who moved up to the Milwaukee. Oops that ain't a tool. That leaves 1 abrasive chop saw (metal stud burner) that I do like but it required expensive service in Florida long before I would have liked.

I'd love to discuss screw gun
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Iamdamoder »

So I'm a little harsh on the yellow guys. In the 80's as they changed from B&D Pro to guess my real name yellow I got burned a couple times. Then the tools were yellow and I got burned a couple more times. I have not give them a shot at my wallet in a long while. I try to make a living with these tools so they have always been replaced with something similar in a different brand. When a tool meets its end I assess whether or not I got my monies worth.

Of all the running tools that I carry around the country there only 2 yellow ones, I kinda like the radio that was handed down to me by a guy who moved up to the Milwaukee. Oops that ain't a tool. That leaves 1 abrasive chop saw (metal stud burner) that I do like but it required expensive service in Florida long before I would have liked.

I'd love to discuss screw guns but I have mucked up the thread enough.

BTW I am a little fond of Pelican so I hope they were not hurt by my remark. :oops:
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by preacher »

I don't think you can hurt anybody's feelings, everybody likes you too much for that to happen. It's okay to disagree and it's okay to have different likes and dislikes. Most of the time people get their feelings hurt because they have them in the wrong place (on their shoulder).

Besides that, most people, like me, only have a shallow experience with more than one brand of tool. My boat building and wood working is still less than 1 year old. That's why I can only express what tools I use now and can't argue about other brands.

I only wish they would build a Ford series of wood tools. :mrgreen:
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by bowgarguide »

Boy I am the odd ball here.
I use to employ about 20 folks in my steel shop,for years I bought the best tools,but I stopped doing that,and went to the cheaper brands,If I had trouble with a high dollar tool I had to send it back in to get it repaired,and I was short of a tool.
I could buy 3 or 4 units for what one would cost ,burn it out chunk it and buy another ,I was back in business in just a couple hours.
Money wise it was about the same cost time spent working the cheaper tools made me money.
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Light Keeper's Kid »

:lol: :lol: :lol:

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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Dogpaddlin »

Iamdamoder wrote:So I'm a little harsh on the yellow guys. In the 80's as they changed from B&D Pro to guess my real name yellow I got burned a couple times. Then the tools were yellow and I got burned a couple more times. I have not give them a shot at my wallet in a long while. I try to make a living with these tools so they have always been replaced with something similar in a different brand. When a tool meets its end I assess whether or not I got my monies worth.

Of all the running tools that I carry around the country there only 2 yellow ones, I kinda like the radio that was handed down to me by a guy who moved up to the Milwaukee. Oops that ain't a tool. That leaves 1 abrasive chop saw (metal stud burner) that I do like but it required expensive service in Florida long before I would have liked.

I'd love to discuss screw guns but I have mucked up the thread enough.

BTW I am a little fond of Pelican so I hope they were not hurt by my remark. :oops:
No hurt feelings here, short of insulting my wife or kicking my dog it is pretty hard to get a rise out of me.
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I only wish they would build a Ford series of wood tools. :mrgreen:
I would prefer a Chevy series. :D
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Iamdamoder »

Gee Preacher of all days to say that, My Ford failed to start this morning.

Blame the yellow batteries. No that is Duralast Gold, but they are at that it's time age. :) I could tell the last few cool mornings it did not sound too spry (diesel)
I can't seem to stay on topic... I was at Lowes today and the 5" PC ROS is $20 less than dewalt. Both are 3 amp very similar and even Ron will go for that.
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Re: ROS recomendations

Post by Dogpaddlin »

My neighbor was kind enough to give me his Ryobi (sp?) To finish out my boat. Currently I plan on hand sanding the rest, almost done and dont want any accidents. Thanks for all the sugestions.
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