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Now 3M, Norton and others appear to have discontinued the product, rendering to tool useless. This is the least expensive, best designed tool for prep work available. We need out paper back. 3M, Makita and others are you listning. It's very tough, light weight so it's easy to use, and best of all it takes 5" center hole sanding disks. They are cheep, come in a very wide varity of grits and can be found at any big box store, hardware store, paint store, ect.That was true up until August of "06.
But for painting houses, I consider it a must-have. I have used this tool for sanding down paint on houses, a job it is particularly well suited for. I have also seen it cheaper than Amazon's current price ($99) at a local home superstore. The only thing I have come across that could use improvement (and it is a bit nit-picky) is that the trigger lock is difficult to operate with the left hand - I am right handed, but sometimes need to use the tool with the left when up on a ladder, etc. The features I appreciated most were:- Light weight (much lighter than a disc grinder - but it still feels well built)- Great balance (making it much easier to use one-handed than a grinder)- Durability and suitable powerOverall, this is a great tool for painters, which is why it seems to be standard issue with many pros. If I were using it for anything else (sanding or grinding fiberglass, for instance), I would personally prefer a sander that has speed control (such as the 7" sander/polishers from Makita or Milwaukee) so that I could have better control of the amount of material being removed.
over using a scraper), it's dirt cheap. One warning though, be sure to use the side handle that comes with it. It does an excellent job without marring the work surface.
With a coarse grit sanding disk you can quickly and easily take an old painted surface down to bare wood. It runs at high speed and if you're using it in only one hand, it can get away from you if the disk gets wedged in a crack or caught between two boards. I learned about the tool from a house painter who told me it was invaluable.
If you need to remove paint from a house, barn or old garage, buy this thing before you start. I only wish their orbital sanders held up this well. The bottom line is, unless you really enjoy scraping paint (in which case you're a little weird), you'll want this tool - it's a MAJOR labor saver.
Considering the amount of effort it saves (esp. It's also very durable (I've had mine 7+ years).
Loved how light and powerful this little dynamo is. Borrowed one of these (then bought one) and used to grind out an old floor that was glassed into a '65 fiberglass runabout. Was super fast and the control was amazing.
I use either 36 or 50 grit discs,and they seem to last very well.This tool is highly recommended. It removes material rapidly,and is very good for removing paint prior to welding. I do alot of metal fabrication and welding,and I recently purchased one of these sanders. It is one of the best purchases I have made.I find myself reching for it more and more in place of my usual grinder.It leaves a much nicer finish than a disc grinder,and it is perfect for dressing welds without having them look like they have been hit with a grinder.
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