palm sanders...disc or square?

Larry asks:

Slow removal; leaves swirl marks if you're not careful.

Having to cut the paper to fit is also a con.

Let's call this an ROS, random orbit sander

You're kidding, right? All over the place. It costs a little more than sandpaper sheets, but is available at most places that sell tools in a wide variety, Lee Valley, McFeeley's, Klingspor, are among the many who sell a variety of grits and styles (get hook and loop: it saves more easily than PSA).

Removes more wood faster with fewer marks than square or rectangular finish sanders. It doesn't get into corners well, which is why most of us have both.

Charlie Self

"I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family." George W. Bush, Greater Nashua,N.H., Chamber of Commerce, Jan. 27, 2000

best help I can give you is:

Buy one of each kind, Larry, as they are not that expensive. If you can afford to buy wood for a project you can afford to have a disc AND a 1/4 pad sander. It's easier to use a 1/4 pad sander on edges, and yes, it is less aggressive than a disc sander. You'll find distinct needs for each sander, so get both.

dave

Larry wrote:

Trashed a couple of rectangular Makita sanders which had long outlived their useful lives.

You need to get into corners?

That's probably why Fein offers their detail sander.

IMHO, coupled with a good ROS, it's the only way to go.

Thanks everyone for the replys....very informative......will get both....looked at what HD and Lowes had available....may just go mail order....of course, the gentleman that suggested the Fein did strike a chord, as I have been looking at that for quite a while.

Larry

CW wrote:

plus the finish sander works better with finer grits and works better on smaller area's.

---snip---

I have a Makita "rectangular" sander and it hardly ever gets used. But the PC-333VS circular gets hammered almost every day. It's great. My 2c worth

I recently bought a Black and Decker one here in Australia, which has interchangeable pads, One for rectangular with a point at one end, one for circular, and one for detal work lick sanding in cracks or curves in skirting boards.