Thread: ROS - Corded or Cordless

I have the 18v Makita unit and it is very handy and no regrets buying it.
Having said that, if I was doing a lot of sanding the corded version would come out

What we really need, to go along with a cordless ROS, is a hoseless vacuum cleaner!

Regards from Perth

Derek

Has anyone else on the forum had the problem with the BOSCH ROS Pad securing bolt coming loose? It hasn’t caused any damage as it’s trapped under the sanding pad and you can feel it go straight away. It’s happened to me a number of times using the hard 150mm disk pad accessory but not with the softer pads it comes with.
I was doing the bolt up so tight to stop it, I was worried I was overtightening it so I now use a drop of mild thread locker now and it’s fine.
It has been mentioned on Google searches.

Originally Posted by derekcohen

What we really need, to go along with a cordless ROS, is a hoseless vacuum cleaner!

I'm hanging out for hoseless compressed air

Hmmm, over 1100 views & only one comment on cordless sanders, maybe they haven't been around long enough for many people to have bought them yet.
Beardy, do you think a 1m square table top would be too big a job for the cordless?

They have their place, kinda, but if you're going to sand indoors, most people will prefer to attach it to a vacuum therefore rendering the cordless option pretty much redundant...

Originally Posted by 62woollybugger

Hmmm, over 1100 views & only one comment on cordless sanders, maybe they haven't been around long enough for many people to have bought them yet.
Beardy, do you think a 1m square table top would be too big a job for the cordless?

No not at all, it would do the job fine. I guess the questions you need to ask yourself is
-do you need the portability of a cordless unit?
-will you have a vac connected anyway that negates it’s benefits?
-will you find yourself in a situation where you don’t have enough batteries to keep your tools going during a project?

If I was working in workshop conditions and only wanted to buy one sander I think I would opt for a corded version

Originally Posted by Lappa

Has anyone else on the forum had the problem with the BOSCH ROS Pad securing bolt coming loose? It hasn’t caused any damage as it’s trapped under the sanding pad and you can feel it go straight away. It’s happened to me a number of times using the hard 150mm disk pad accessory but not with the softer pads it comes with.
I was doing the bolt up so tight to stop it, I was worried I was overtightening it so I now use a drop of mild thread locker now and it’s fine.
It has been mentioned on Google searches.

I've personally never heard of, nor experienced, that happening before. What I've found however, is the locking machine screw seizing in the thread, presumably due to combined ingress of resinous swarf & heat creating a vegetable-based adhesive. Our paleolithic ancestors used a similar cocktail to secure lithic warheads on their thrusting & throwing weapons. Using a liberal soaking of turps/metho solvent with a bit of Inox lube is my own personal remedy.

To combat this phenomenon i've taken to loosening & retightening the screw following an intensive workout. I've since changed almost all my own sander lineup in the last 12 months or so, with my ROSs now requiring a (22mm??) spanner to change, with only the baby SXE400s now using an M5 pad screw.

Cordless sanders are a necessity rather than an option, as in if you have a need for a battery operated sander (ie no power on site, too difficult to run extension cords etc. I personally couldn't think of anything more annoying than batteries dying mid sanding session/waiting for sander to charge.

Originally Posted by tonzeyd

Cordless sanders are a necessity rather than an option, as in if you have a need for a battery operated sander (ie no power on site, too difficult to run extension cords etc. I personally couldn't think of anything more annoying than batteries dying mid sanding session/waiting for sander to charge.

if you kit yourself out with 18v gear you usually have several batteries, you never run out of charged batteries, you just have to swap them out as they discharge

Well I bit the bullet yesterday & bought the Milwaukee cordless sander. I gave it a quick try out on a cutting board I'm making & initial impressions are that it will do everything I need from a sander. There is very little vibration, especially compared to my old Ryobi. It's got plenty of power, I pushed down quite firmly with an 80 grit disk fitted & barely slowed. Only having the vacuum hose connected is great, no more getting the power cord & hose tangled together and for quick jobs, the dust collection box that clips on the back seems to do a pretty good job.
I've got two 4Ah batteries which I think should keep me going for as long as I need, but if I run out it means it's either coffee or beer o'clock.

Originally Posted by Beardy

if you kit yourself out with 18v gear you usually have several batteries, you never run out of charged batteries, you just have to swap them out as they discharge

And if you have power available for the battery, just plug in your (cheaper, more powerful and more reliable) corded sander. Really, this whole cordless fad is a nonsence dreamt up by marketeers. Great for extracting more dollars from the punters and selling more batteries chargers etc. Don't get me wrong. Some tools are great as cordless devices, but the majority are not, unless you have a niche requirement.

Sorry Beardy, not picking on you but your comment was a good an example to illustrate this.

Originally Posted by RossM

And if you have power available for the battery, just plug in your (cheaper, more powerful and more reliable) corded sander. Really, this whole cordless fad is a nonsence dreamt up by marketeers. Great for extracting more dollars from the punters and selling more batteries chargers etc. Don't get me wrong. Some tools are great as cordless devices, but the majority are not, unless you have a niche requirement.

Sorry Beardy, not picking on you but your comment was a good an example to illustrate this.

Go onto any building site and you will find your view is in the minority. It is not a fad, they are popular because they are easier, quicker and safer to use in most onsite situations, reliability is same same be it corded or cordless. But agree it is horses for courses, in a workshop environment the advantages of cordless are not so apparent

Originally Posted by Beardy

Go onto any building site and you will find your view is in the minority. It is not a fad, they are popular because they are easier, quicker and safer to use in most onsite situations, reliability is same same be it corded or cordless.

cordless on a building site has several advantages:
1. no cord means no requirement for electrical safety tagging -- but I wonder how much longer the bigger / more powerful battery thing can go before someone in authority (or with an ax to grind) twigs to the possibility that a worker can be zapped by a battery tool.

2. no cord means no trip hazard.

3. no cord means no extension cord means no bastard is unplugging my extension cord halfway through a job.