Adhesive or hook/ loop sanders?

[ironhat]

For those of you who have had both, what are your experiences with these types of pad attachment systems? I'm still using the old 1/4 sheet, pad sander and I'm cosidering a move to a round ROS.

TIA!

[crokett]

I prefer hook/loop. I have both - my ROS is hook/loop my belt/disc sander is adhesive.

[dkerfoot]

Definitely Hook & Loop for ROS.

[cabinetman]

Hook and loop for me. Less of a hassle. Also, with H&L, Scotchbrite pads will also stick.
.

[LCHIEN]

H&L, definately.

On a slightly different tack, anyone here have their adhesive disk come off from the 4" belt/6" Disk sander like the Ryobit BD4600? Dang disk came flying off at speed while I was using the belt portion. Some of those PSA disks are thick and heavy... pretty dangerous.

[Ed62]

Hook and loop for me.

Ed

[eccentrictinkerer]

Changed all sanders to hook and loop. I got tired of cleaning glue residue off the pad.

Porter-Cable guy said that production shops still use adhesive disks.

[ironhat]

Changed all sanders to hook and loop. I got tired of cleaning glue residue off the pad.

Porter-Cable guy said that production shops still use adhesive disks.

That's what I wondered and feared. A friend is sold on adhesives but he has a pile of the pads that he bought at an auction. I informed him that the adhesives lose their stickiness over time. He doesn't believe it.

[LarryG]

I'm like David -- H&L on my ROS, PSA on my disc/belt sander.

PSA discs can be considerably cheaper: I've seen 100 packs of PSA discs for not much more than a 50 pack of otherwise-equal H&L discs. But this can be a false economy. The adhesive on a PSA disc is usually a one-shot deal whereas an H&L disc can be removed and reinstalled later. If you have multiple sanders and can leave a given grit on until the disc is worn out (as is often the case with commercial shops), PSA can save you some money; but if you have to switch grits while the disc still has some life left, PSA may actually cost more in the long run.

[poolhound]

H&L for me. Go and get yourself that ROS, the difference between the 1/4 sheet is amazing. You will need to do a little testing before you start sanding youir latest project so you can avoid over sanding it as the ROS needs much less effort than what yo0u have been using.

[ironhat]

One other Q with regard to brand. Are they all pretty much equal or are there ones to avoid? Does size make a difference - usefulness vs cost of pads?

[poolhound]

Not sure what you mean about size most ROS are 5"

I use Mirka (I got a deal on Amazon a while back) but have also used Norton.

I got this mixed pack and it has lasted a while. I also got packs of the fine grits.

http://www.amazon.com/Mirka-23-615-A...5769468&sr=8-1

Its worthwhile buying these bigger packs, they last a while (unless you go in for Olympic sanding). @ approx $20 or less for 50 thats much cheaper than your local HD.

[ironhat]

Sorry for the poor post, Jon. I was referring to the sanders themselves which come in 5" and 6" pad sizes. I expect that the 5" pads are a little cheaper but does the 6" machine offer much other than being able to cover an area more quickly? Is it much different with regard to getting into corners? (Being round I do understand that it's not geometrically possible to get into a 90*, inside corner.)

EDIT: I just found this on Amazon per your post, Jon.. No variable speed with this one and I thought that that would be important. Just an FYI.Items: Need to ? Shipping to: Chiz
Porter Cable 343K 5-inch Random Orbit Sander Kit - Hook & Loop Pad
$53.99 - Quantity: 1 - In Stock
Condition: new
Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC

[LCHIEN]

One other Q with regard to brand. Are they all pretty much equal or are there ones to avoid? Does size make a difference - usefulness vs cost of pads?

You might look up a review in different woodworking magazines. I recall reading one a few years ago, the design options for ROS you can vary the orbit size and pattern and IIRC the reviewer found they differed markedly in their aggressiveness because of this. Also the Vacuum characteristics and attachability varied greatly.

[poolhound]

The vast majority of ROS sanders are 5". IMHO the extra you get for 6" is minimal. You are of course right that you cant fit a round disk into a square corner . For tight corners you can sand to finish before glueup and/or get a corner/detail sander (the triangular pointy sanders). Certain small or awkward areas are always going to be tough and need to be hand sanded. ROSs and other power sanders are primarily for larger more open areas.