Random Orbital Sanders - AGAIN ! Sorry

[Robert Wilson]

Well. Just picked up a JCB brand ROS from B&Q, for under £40 and it was adequate for the task of preparing our topsides for painting. I am sure it won't last as long as say a Makita but for occasional lightish use it is fine.

Time, and elbow-grease, will prove who made the wiser economic decision!
Good luck, and show us pics of your topsides when finished, please.
I have a feeling they'll look better than my bottom!

 

[Amulet]

I replaced an expensive Bosch one with this one http://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb289sdr-random-orbit-sander-230v/46113 for £40. Early days, but doing OK so far.

Maybe spoke too soon about this one. Not so sure about the "random" in its "random orbit". Some work I did with it shows swirl marks like a simple orbital - which is what you buy them to avoid! Can't see why - it seems to be doing the right thing - but it is a pretty cheap tool.

 

[lumberjack521]

Hello everyone, i just came across this website by doing a google search. By reading the whole thread i saw that the most recommended ones are Feastool and Bosch however it's been 2 years since the last reply in the thread. By searching on Amazon and reading some sander reviews i was able to see that there are some new brands in the industry like Dynabrade and i am not sure which one i should go with. Please help!

 

[savageseadog]

Festool, Bosch and Metabo

 

[ghostlymoron]

I have a cheapo palm detail sander, McAlister from B&Q which has been absolutely brilliant. It cost only 15 quid. However, it has no started shedding sanding sheets and, on examining the 'hooks' on the machine, they have become very sparse so don't grip the sanding sheets very well. In the past, I have restored the grip by brushing the base but think I have thus removed some hooks. I don't imagine that spares are available for it and would like some suggestions for restoring it's grippiness. (Apart from buying a Makita).

 

[Davegriff]

I have used a porter cable for years 5 inch works good with 80 grit disks no need for the variable speed dust collection is a must !! I keep my 33 formula in hi & dry I'm to lazy to bottom paint anymore been there done that

Too lazy for punctuation too, eh?

 

[Happy Dayz]

You do get 3 a year warranty from Liddle and ALDI, not tried their orbital sanders though.

Is using steam cleaners on GRP hulls not recommended? I ask as in conversation with a boat owner next to mine, said for £300.00 the marina will lift and re-float my boat and dry dock it for a week.

You can hire an industrial steam cleaner from them too. Obviously care would need to be taken not to blow holes through but surely far easier?

Alan

 

[Goldie]

For a similar job a few years ago I spent £19.95 at Toolstation for a 450W R.O.S. on the basis that if it failed, it was under warranty. 6 or 8 years later it's done a lot of hard work and is still going strong.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

A tip for those that use a heavy sander or polisher for that matter, rig up a line with some bungee cord of appropriate strength and suspend the machine of it be careful as to how you attach it! Perhaps not for the weak willed but it takes a fair proportion of the weight of it. The disadvantage is that you have to keep moving the line as the work progresses.

 

[Binman]

Robert what you have chosen should be fine, I think the Makita BO 5031 has the edge though, slightly slower, can both be polisher as well.,the 5031 is lighter to,at least it's a round and not square, as they can dig in.i cannot find the height of either of these, but the lower the better for a palm sander.

 

[lumberjack521]

Thanks for the reply's everybody, much appreciated!