Popular Woodworking 2008-10 № 171, страница 46

Popular Woodworking 2008-10 № 171, страница 46

Makita B05012K

Control is good, but there is a slight vibration and gyration as you wodc with this sander. The oblong handle fits nicely into your palm, is easy to grip and is comfortable. Dust collcction is a cloth bag affixed to a soft plastic transition piece. That transition piccc slips onto the tool's dust port with a press-fit. Also, you have to position the bag correctly to keep tin' receptacle above the surface of the work piece. Without the use of an adapter, which Makita sells but doesn't inc lude in the kit, hookup to an external vacuum is not possible. I he BOS012K has a soft sanding pad nuking it ideal for sanding contours and profiled mouldings. We wish the cord were longer.

Milwaukee 6021-21

We were pleasantly surprised with this sander. Control is fairly smooth on the flats and a bit grabby around the edges so it gets an average rating. The on/off switch is clearly marked and easily located while operating the tool. The dust collcction is far better than many sanders in the test, but we did notice a fair amount of residual dust near the seams on the cloth bag The dust receptacle twist-locks onto the transition piece and is easy to use. The bag itself slips over a spring that's attached to the transition piece. This entire assembly is securely affixed to the dust port. One oddity ft * me as I tested the tools was how the dust-collcction assembly angles from the sander; it bumped into me at times.

Porter-Cable 343SVK

We found this sander to be a little jumjjy. Even on slower speed settings {that are easily adjusted with your thumb as you operate the tool) the sander runs with a jerky motion causing the tool to walk when you change hand pressure. Dust collection is an issue. The canister is tilted toward the sander, and spills dust bac k toward the dust port after a fair amount of sanding. Also, the canister is attached to a transition piece that is press-fit to the tool. There is an O-ring, but the improvement makes it only slightly better than the previous model. You can bypass these problems with an external vacuum - the 343SVK has built in adapters for two hose sizes.

Porter-Cable 390

This is a new design for Porter-Cable and it looks more like an air-powered sanding tool. It has a low profile that gives you the feel of increased control, but the Endura Tech motor must require a wider tool cap because this is the widest sander tested. Braking is excellent - once turned off, the tool stops qukkly. The 390 sander b great at stock removal and is a good choice for flat surfaces. But, if you have to pick up the tool or hold it while you sand, be prepared. This tool has the same issues with the dust canister as docs the 343SVK. In addition, we noticed more airborne sanding dust while using this tool.

Ridgid R2600

This sander rates second for overall control. The operation is smooth w ithout any wobble or jerking motion. The soft-start feature is good, as is the braking, so gouging the surface is not a worry. The best feature of this sander is the method used to attach the dust-collection assembly to the body. A doth bag is slipped over a sturdy plastic frame that is threaded onto the tool's dust port. The speed-adjustment knob is easily reached and dialed-in with your thumb. Make adjustments on the fly if you want. The amount of residual dust gathered on the bag was a bit more than wc would have liked, but the overall amenities of this sander make it our winner - even if it does have a slide switch.

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