What are you using for a good RO Sander

I have a 4 inch Ryobi – not very heavy duty and a Dewalt 5 inch my go to RO. Both are 8 hole with Velcro. My next one, in a few years, will have an adjustable speed. Neither of mine do and the Dewalt will spin up when you leave the work piece to go to another and leaves swirl marks when you hit the new spot. It takes maybe 10 seconds for the disc to speed so I try to get to the new piece quickly.

-- Chris K

I am looking for a 5” Really not going for the Festool brand…I don’t like the vacum assc. What will your future sander be?

I also like my 5” Dewalt. Didnt get the variable speed and sometimes wonder if I would have liked it better. Hopefully someone will tell us how different they are. I also noticed the spin-up when I lift it so I try to always shut it off between sanding multiple pieces.

-- Perform A Random Act Of Kindness Today ... Pay It Forward

A very old Bosch 3725. I though it would die soon, so I bought a back up a PC 390. Both are good, but the Bosch just keeps going and going so the PC hasn’t seen much use.

-- I long for the days when Coke was a cola, and a joint was a bad place to be (Merle Haggard)

I am not sure, Not Festool though, probably Porter Cable, Dewalt or maybe Rigid. I use a 24” box fan with a high MERV furnace filter in my sander area, I do not like the noise the vacuum makes and the hose is always in my way.

BTW, The dust bag on my Dewalt works pretty well.

-- Chris K

I have 7 ROS but my Favorite is my Milwaukee. I have recommended it to others and they have sent me PMs saying how much the like theirs too.

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/milwaukee-5-in-random-orbit-sander-6021-21.html#.UNHNROTAcuA

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

I own about 6 different ones, and by far my favorite is the Bosch ROS20VSK. Equipped with a hepa on the back and a dust chamber that ACTUALLY works, with built-in agressive vacuum, (you can actually see it suck in wood dust), this is by far the best I own. Only hit I have on it is the chamber is a little tough to open to dump the dust. On the other hand, that provides a great seal and nothing comes out, so you really don’t need a vacuum hookup.
$65 at Lowes.

-- Paul, Tennessee, http://www.tsunamiguitars.com

I have 4 of the big box Bosch, var. speed, 5” 8 hole, about $70.00. I bought a PC hose online and works well together. After a couple of years of hard use, I am now replacing the pads and dust ring. On the dewalt once the dust ring wears out the sander pad will run wild if you pick it off the wood, it is a simple fix and the dust ring costs about $3.00. hope this helps.

-- Bob, Lewistown, Montana. Kindness is the Language the blind can see and deaf can hear. - Mark Twain

I’ve got a Makita that works pretty well. I think the model is BO5041. It’s got a long side handle, which I inititally thought would be useful, however, I now find it to be in the way and it gives me poorer control. But it works well, dust collection is good. I had two Porter Cables prior to the Makita. Switch went out on the first one. Bearings went out on the second one. Upon inspection I concluded that the problems were the result of poor quality parts. PC doesn’t seem to be the company they used to be. I’m done with them. I think my next one will be another Makita without the side handle, a Bosch, or maybe the Milwaukee.

I’ve been using the DeWalt 5” and the Ridgid 5” and 6”. All are good.

-- Failure does not stop me, it makes me try harder..... because I'm crazy.

AIJim hit it – I JUST got the Milwaukee 6021 – 21 he recommends and I like it a lot. it was about $60 on Home Depot’s site and that included shipping to my home! I also followed Jim’s advice and got 50 packs of sanding disks from Mirka on Amazon. It’s worked out GREAT for me.

Best of luck to ya!

-- Mike from Lansdowne, PA

I just bit the bullet and bought a Mirka Ceros. The price makes you cringe a bit (lot) but the sander is amazing.
They have been reviewed on LJ’s before.
Best features:
Light, ergonomic
Variable speed, two ways
Dust removal
DC motor
Quiet

-- Paul M ..............If God wanted us to have fiberglass boats he would have given us fiberglass trees. http://prmdesigns.com/

I like the porter cable 390/dewalt D26456 (same sander, different color).
Works great.

-- He who dies with the most tools... dies with the emptiest wallet.

I’ve got the Festool ETS150/5, which I love except for the price of the pads, I’m now on my 3rd (but at least they’re replaceable), and the contractor we just had paint our house played with that for a little while and promptly went out and bought the ETS125 with the the small HEPA vaccuum for his house painting work.

Though that Mirka CEROS that Shipwright linked to looks really cool, brushless motors are awesome.

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

I have the Dewalt low-profile 5” ROS, with the variable speed. I really like it. I use mine hooked up to the shop vac with a Dust Deputy, and use Mirka Abranet and get virtually no dust.

-- - The mightiest oak in the forest is just a little nut that held its ground.