Best Random Orbit Sanders? Any suggestions?

[Auggie]

I want to get one to help in the remodel of a bathroom -- general purpose usage, for sanding drywall and trim and removing paint. Doesn't have to be portable/battery operated.
Who has one that they like? Thanks.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. Don't use it for sandfing drywall

Drywall is best done by hand. The mud cuts VERY fast. Just don't glob it on and it should need just a few strokes of sanding to be ready for paint.

[Auggie]

2. Thanks

[ret5hd]

6. How to mud drywall and never use a sander or create dust:

1) mud the joints and nail/screw holes using a 3" trowel, keeping it neat as possible.

2) After an hour or so, take one of those heavy sponges that you use when grouting tile and dampen it. Using the sponge, wipe down every where you mudded, smoothing everything out. Rinse the sponge as needed.

3) Next day, do the nail/screw holes again with a 3" blade, and the joints with a 6" blade.

4) repeat step 2

5) next day, repeat the screw/nail holes only if needed. do the joints with a 8" blade.

6) repeat step 2

7) Do the joints again with a 12" blade, trying to get that final "feathering" so it all blends in and looks smooth.

8) do a final smoothing with the sponge, paying particular attention to the far edges of your "feathering" where the mud blends smooth with the drywall.

NO sanding, NO dust. I use this method all the time.

[Warpy]

3. I stripped the wallpaper off a trailer's walls

then taped and mudded the drywall joints. There were a lot of dings because that damn paper had been heat sealed to the drywall.

I found the quickest thing to use was a plastic grill cleaner in a bucket of warm water. That leveled everything out to the point that all it needed was a very quick hand sanding before primer and paint.

The walls turned out looking like I'd known what I was doing. None of the joints or filled dings were visible and the semigloss paint looked perfectly smooth.

[NMDemDist2]

4. the wet grill cleaner kept the dust down did it??

hmmmmmm......


:file that away for future reference:

[ret5hd]

7. see my post #6

[NMDemDist2]

8. thank you!! n/t

[AlCzervik]

5. I agree with not using it on drywall....but Porter Cable imo makes great power tools.