# Pleasantly surprised by the 93431 HF Random Orbit Sander



## lumberjoe

I have one also. I loved it! Then a month after I got it it started shooting sparks. I did use the hell out of it though, but I have a cheap Ryobi ROS that has held up much longer and is still going. I use it for 60 - 100 grit sanding. After that I get out the PC 330 speedbloc and clean up the scuff marks and finish sand.


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## woodman88

I had 2 of them that my brother gave me after using one time.I used one of then twice and would not hold my Mirka hook and loop and when it did the swirl marks were terrible. Maybe you got lucky but my experience with most of HF stuff has not been too good


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## jumbojack

I have had one for over a year. I use it most every day. Works like a charm. I hit it once a week with a blast from the compressor. I am going to get one or two more soon. I can not imagine being without one. They are too valuable to be without.


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## dustyal

Can't complain about mine… I bought one for one purpose only… to do a double car overhead garage door that was in really bad shape Thought I could use abuse this cheap $25 sander and simply throw it away. It's was abused… but still working fine… I used plenty of 60 and 80 grit paper.

My Dewalt and Bosch sanders are better, more enjoyable to use… but not 3 or 4 times the price better. However, I would still use them for fine woodworking.


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## abie

Our Shop here at the wrinkle farm bought two and have several others but the HF sander is still cranking along,,
the price was right and PC and DW are all made in China too.


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## eccentrictinkerer

I hpe you haven't trash-canned your Porter-Cable sander.

I had the same problem and found a mod kit from P-C.

If your ROS is fairly new you may just have a broken clutch belt.

Video here

Good luck!

J.D.


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## Tennessee

Hey, J.D., thanks for the tip! I still have that sander, exactly as shown in the pictures, and I know for certain that the clutch belt is NOT THERE anymore. Hard to tell where that thing went!
I'll be looking into getting another belt and bringing that sander back online!

Thanks again!
Tennessee


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## Tennessee

J.D., I took my old PC apart and sure enough, the belt was gone. Instead of going to a parts list, I remembered that I keep a full supply of O-rings in house, and some of them are larger. Got them out, one fit pretty good, and it runs like new! Don't know how long the O-ring will last, but it is a .15 cent O-ring so I don't care.
Thanks!!


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## Nighttripper

Paul,

I need a new ROS…I'm really thinking about picking up the HF for $20…..I just am concerned about the higher grits (220) ? I'm aiming for an elegant finish on a box I just made for my wife and I don't want to mess it up by being cheap with a sander.


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## lumberjoe

The short time mine worked, it did a pretty good job. It does vibrate a lot more than other sanders I used, but I was able to get things smooth with no chatter or scratch marks.


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## Workman

Warning! My HF ROS Quickly wore out the damper, which keeps the pad from spinning out of control. HF refused to sell me the replacement part and now I need another ROS.


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