I am stripping my f250 down to the bare metal to prepare for a paint job. I am having trouble with my USED DA Sander. It seems to bog down under a load. It get up to a fast rpm, but when I begin sanding, it slows down a lot like it is worn out. I bought it used and it may well have been worn out. My electric grinder on the other hand does just fine....but it too rough to use for body sanding.

Is this normal for DA air sanders to bog down when you sand with them? If not, what type would be recommended as a replacement? Craftsman? Kobalt...... I know there are more expensive ones...but do I really need to pay that much? I dont want to buy junk....but I am using it for my home shop so I doubt I need a Snap-On either? Any advice would be appreciated...

Tony

 

That is normal. Those things are high speed, and low torque because of it. They don't take bearing down very well. They are meant more for sanding down new bondo for eventual painting and not really for paint removal. They'll work for that but the cutting is slower. An electric grinder, say a 7-9 inch B&D, with a snding pad on it will go as hard and deep as you want all day long.

 

You can get more performance from your tool if you increase the air pressure to the tool. This may be just increasing the switch setting on your air compressor or increasing hose diameter / shortening the legnth of you air hose. My DA does a poor job at 100 psi but if I use it at 150 psi it works well.

 

thank you both for the replies....i will try increasingmy pressure to 140 tomorrow..i was running it at 90

 

I have a smaller shop compressor that can hardly keep up with the majority of the pnematic body tools that I own. Not an authority, believe most DA sanders run the range of between 11-21 cfm to operate where many of the smaller compressors are putting out between 7-12 cfm. May check the cfm requirements before shopping and go with least requirement. Intend replacing compressor at some point with one with most cfm the electrical circuit in garage can handle.

dave

 

thanks for the input......All I did was up my pressure to 140 and it was great. I have a big compressor that puts out 13.5 scfm. NO problem with the air. I ran a 220 line to my garage with a nice breaker box for it 60 gallon compressor...can run my DA all day no breaks

 

Just curious as to what you got for a DA? I have a Dynabrade. Super quiet. Love it.

 

Don't know the brand but I bought it at Harbor Freight. I use mine not for body work but to clean old gasket material from machined flanges befor assembly. Makes quick work of cleaning and they look brand new afterwards. Also removes burrs from the gasket surface from someone getting rough with the gasket scraper or hammer.