theuerkorn's Full Review: Dewalt D26441 Heavy Duty 2.4 Amp 1/4 Sheet Palm Gr...
During one of my house improvement projects (remodeling a stair case and banister), the Bosch palm sander got a good workout but also finally showed a design flaw of the SheetLock system. What makes it easy to load, eventually also made it easy for the paper to escape with no good way to fix the front clamp. Time to move on and trade up to a more durable design. The DeWalt palm sander was actually a few bucks cheaper than the Bosch and featured the to me very desireable wire clamp in front and back. So this one moved in to finish what the Bosch started ...
IN A NUTSHELL
The DeWalt sander is very much standard in the way it handles the paper and fits the palm of your hand. That's a good thing as it's a pretty established standard. By the way, the closest in design (with many identical features like the paper clamp) is the Porter Cable sander which almost seems to share components.
Either way, the DeWalt is an effective square sander and polisher with 14,000 opm and a durable paper clamp and a few nifty features like a hole puncher (for dust collector openings). The traditional clamps also mean that it's nowhere as easy to install the sandpaper as it's with the Sheetlock in the Bosch unit. Further unregulated high speed keeps vibrations down, but for coarser grits it sometimes feels like an optional slower speed would be more effective to prevent the surface from glazing over. (i.e. when removing polyurethane coatings).
DETAILS
Design: [****-] This is pretty much your run-of-the-mill palm sander design and for good reasons as it's proven and effective. The DeWalt color scheme and moldings give the device a professional look.
Ergonomics: [****-] The handling of this device is good, but once again the grip not as well executed as the Bosch unit. This is mostly due to sparsely used elastomer moldings in the grip compared to the full coverage on mentioned competition. The switch is in the typical position and easy to actuate.
Speed: [****-] The speed rating of 14,000 opm is slightly higher than Bosch's 12,000 opm and it doesn't really translate into more material removal as the "stroke" seems a bit smaller -- probably ending up with a similar sfpm effective speed. Nevertheless, vibration and the typical migration of the sander are seemingly reduced compared to mentioned competitor. The DeWalt also stops a bit faster than the Bosch which is only of importance if you want to put down the sander quickly.
Sandpaper: [***--] The standard double wire clamps (front and back) were the main argument as I expect a much greater life than the front clamp in the Bosch SheetLock system. This is paid for by the much more difficult way to install the sheets, especially when using a very coarse grit which typically makes the paper very stiff. The maximum use of sandpaper in a typical 1/4 sheet leaves less than 5 mm to work with on each side for clamping (under 1/4 inch). A 100 grit and finer paper is okay (relative to the unique SheetLock about twice as long to install), but a 40 or 60 grit can really be a pain to install.
Note: You can buy pre-cut 1/4 sheet sandpaper or by the large (9x11?) sheets and cut them in quarters (hence the name) to make your own a bit more cost effective. Most full sheet packs have templates included and are easy to cut with a utility knife (from the non-abrasive side). Make sure to cut precisely since the clamps can't accomodate much smaller sheets.
Dust Collector: [****-] You will be hard pressed to find 1/4 sheets with holes already in them, and DeWalt included a nifty hole puncher template which makes it easy to put the holes in once installed on the polisher. When using it on a flat surface (to generate enough suction), the collection is fairly effective on its own though by no means perfect. Adding a shopvac is better but also makes the device a bit more difficult to handle. Neither option is too terribly effective when polishing uneven pieces (i.e. handrails) as it can't build up the vacuum to transport the dust. The included bag is easy to remove and the flexibility keeps annoyance out of tight corners. (The Bosch has a more effective filter which is also more difficult to handle due to its snaps and stiffness.)
Backing: [***--] This is normally a secondary concern of mine but the DeWalt sports a soft(er than usual) polishing backing which is both great and not so great. For flat surfaces it helps to disperse the forces more evenly than the harder rubber in the Bosch model. On uneven surfaces it does that too, but wears out very quickly. The backing plate is removable, but I haven't found replacements in the store yet.
Durability: [*****] With the paper clamps being my main criteria for this polisher along with the brand name, I expect great things from it. The clamps have enough spring built in to last a while and could be "easily" adjusted as needed (which a bit of bending). The eccenter mechanism runs with sealed ball bearings and simply judging by the mechanical noise and associated vibrations it appears to be well balanced for minimized wear. After all, DeWalt puts a "Heavy Duty" rating on the box.
Value: [****-] Priced just under $50 it's in good company of the similar Porter Cable and the slightly pricier Bosch sander. The difference isn't big enough to be appreciable in any meaningful way. Yet, at that price it's a strong recommendation to make your polishing jobs much easier.
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
Dual plane, counter-balanced, and low-vibration design for reduced fatigue Sands at 14,000 OPM for a superior finish Sealed ball bearing construction ...More at Amazon Marketplace
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