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Spent $80 on a cheap orbital sander and it was the best money I ever burned
I was refinishing an old oak dresser and figured any sander would do the job. Grabbed a no-name one from the hardware store for about eighty bucks. The thing shook so bad my hands went numb after ten minutes, and it left swirl marks everywhere. I fought with it for a whole weekend, thinking I just needed to get the feel for it. Finally gave up and borrowed my neighbor's better model. The difference was night and day. The cheap one just couldn't hold a steady speed, and I had to re-sand half the top panel. Anyone have a go-to brand for a mid-range sander that won't shake apart?
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nathan85128d ago
Is it just me or does that same logic apply to nearly everything you buy for your house? I've noticed this pattern where buying the cheap version of something just means you end up spending twice, once on the junk and again on the real tool. It's like the universe's way of charging you a stupidity tax. That numbness in your hands is your body telling you the tool is fighting you instead of working with you. I'd rather drop a little more cash upfront and not hate my life for an entire weekend.
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Oof, been there. That numb hand feeling is the worst. I learned the hard way that a cheap sander just eats up your time and materials. For a solid mid-range option, I've had good luck with the basic Bosch random orbital. It doesn't cost a fortune and it runs smooth enough that you won't ruin your project.
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ivan823mo ago
How many hours did you put in before the Bosch felt like a real upgrade? I'm trying to decide if my current struggle is just part of the process or if better tools would actually save me time.
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