wtnhighlander Posted July 30, 2017 Report Share Posted July 30, 2017 Anyone using a battery-powered random orbit sander? I think just about every manufacturer offers one now. I needed to replace my HF ROS after overheating the hook & loop pad, and a new pad cost almost as much as the sander! Anyway, I happed to spot the Kobolt 24 volt MAX sander in my local Lowe's just before Father's day (imagine that). It was selling for $60 as a bare tool, and the 4 amp/hr batteries were just $20, so I grabbed it. Today, I sanded 32 feet of 2x6 treated pine used for the rail cap around my deck. I must say, I am impressed! I ran the thing continuously, at full speed, for at least an hour, and it showed no sign of slowing. I think the battery indicator still had 3 out of 4 bars showing. Brushless DC motors are awesome. Being outside, I just wore a mask and let the breeze handle the dust, but the dust port is a perfect fit for my shop vac hose, so I'm looking forward to actually using in the shop, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted July 30, 2017 Report Share Posted July 30, 2017 Ross, how does the balance feel with the weight of the battery? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmotjr Posted July 30, 2017 Report Share Posted July 30, 2017 I use the ryobi ROS, and that thing works great. I use the big batteries, and I can recharge one in just about the same time it takes to run down the one on the sander. The little DC bag is nice, but it also easily hooks up to my DC system. The balance with the big batteries is nice, stays level, but as you move it around, it does feel a bit one sided compared to the smaller batteries. I'm not saying there's an issue with the big batteries and balance, just that the small ones feel better. I hate cords. I hate corded tools. Yes, there are some tools that require cords, but I hate having to keep track of the cord. I don't seem to mind the DC hoses as much, they seem to catch on stuff less. I have taken this hate so far as I own the Ryobi cordless hot glue gun. It's one of my favorite tools. 3 hour run time with no cord. 10 hours ago, wtnhighlander said: I think the battery indicator still had 3 out of 4 bars showing. My phone does that too. It will show 3-4 bars the entire time, even when I have almost no signal. It's called marketing. I don't trust little meters like that, unless i built them myself, as they are usually designed to instill confidence in a product, not relay important info. The actual working time of a battery is way more useful than a little meter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted July 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2017 Ross, how does the balance feel with the weight of the battery? Its actually balanced quite well. The battery mounts right next to the motor. It does force you to turn the DC port away from your body to grip the barrel. But a top grip works like any other sander. The extra weight of the battery makes it just right to float along a horizontal work piece, no downward force required. Might get heavy if used vertical, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted July 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2017 I use the ryobi ROS, and that thing works great. I use the big batteries, and I can recharge one in just about the same time it takes to run down the one on the sander. The little DC bag is nice, but it also easily hooks up to my DC system. The balance with the big batteries is nice, stays level, but as you move it around, it does feel a bit one sided compared to the smaller batteries. I'm not saying there's an issue with the big batteries and balance, just that the small ones feel better. I hate cords. I hate corded tools. Yes, there are some tools that require cords, but I hate having to keep track of the cord. I don't seem to mind the DC hoses as much, they seem to catch on stuff less. I have taken this hate so far as I own the Ryobi cordless hot glue gun. It's one of my favorite tools. 3 hour run time with no cord. My phone does that too. It will show 3-4 bars the entire time, even when I have almost no signal. It's called marketing. I don't trust little meters like that, unless i built them myself, as they are usually designed to instill confidence in a product, not relay important info. The actual working time of a battery is way more useful than a little meter. Yeah, the indicator is probably meaningless. I mis-spoke before, I have the 2.0 aH batteries, but 4 aH is avalable. Thought about getting one, but I now have a drill, driver, and sander with the 2.0 aH batteries, and have yet to be able to drain a battery in a single work session. How many aH are th 'big' Ryobi batteries? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmotjr Posted July 30, 2017 Report Share Posted July 30, 2017 1 hour ago, wtnhighlander said: How many aH are th 'big' Ryobi batteries? They are 4 aH, and while I cannot find it on the label, I'm guessing the little ones are 2 aH. The 4aH are 3 rd party refurbs of aftermarket batteries I got dirt cheap, $15 each, but they have held up nicely. Knowing their lineage, they probably aren't actually 4aH, I'd guess 3. Using the 2 aH batteries, I can have 2 on the chargers, and swap out when the one on the ROS dies out. But the 4 aH I only need to cycle one of the chargers. I know ryobi is considered low end, but I got a 7 tool pack for a helluva deal ($200 I think for 7" circ saw, recip saw, Drill, driver, multi tool, ROS, and a light), and have since picked up the Jig saw, hot glue gun, 18g nailer, and something else I'm forgetting. So now I have 2 4 aH batteries and 3 2 aH batteries. I only use the 4 aH on the glue gun (it's an always on tool, and the heavier battery makes it more stable), circ saw, and ROS. I don't use the other tools long enough to need more power. I've never drained a battery using the circ saw to be honest. But I've never had an issue with any of these tools, they've done everything I've asked of them. I doubt they'd hold up in a production shop. And yes, if you put a Festool or Mirka in my hand, I would easily say it's superior, but for the hobbyist, with the deals I got, there's no reason for me to upgrade. Especially since once you've gotten one tool of a product line, your far more likely to get another, as you can swap batteries then. Now you wanna talk budget? I recently picked up a WEN (amazon) RO buffer for $13 for buffing out cutting board finishes (beeswax and MO). It's corded, but for the price, I can deal with the cord. It's basically a 5" ROS with a 1" foam pad instead of a hook and loop, and you slip various covers over the pad. If one were to glue some velcro to the pad, you would easily have a ROS that could do contours, albeit without built in DC. I'm thoroughly impressed with the purchase, and have noticed that the WEN tools are getting good reviews in general for budget tools. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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