Looking for a DA

B

black88coupe

Looks like I may need to get a new DA. I have two and neither one seem to be working. One is a Sears that has very little time on it but it is just blowing air out of the exhaust. The other is doing the same thing. I picked it up used and it may be junk. I'm thinking I may just get a new one and call it good. Any recommendations on a hobbyist DA? Thanks, Mitch.
 
By hobbyist, do you mean cheap? I'm afraid I don't know about that end of the market. But if you have the budget for a really sweet tool that will get your work done fast and help you avoid vibration-related injury, get a Dynabrade.
 
crashtech;29898 said:
By hobbyist, do you mean cheap? I'm afraid I don't know about that end of the market. But if you have the budget for a really sweet tool that will get your work done fast and help you avoid vibration-related injury, get a Dynabrade.
Click to expand...
It's not how I make my living so I guess I am looking for something that's priced accordingly. Thanks for the link.
 
Sorry for being snotty about it. I just have a really low opinion of cheap tools. I got my most recent Dynabrade USED about 11 years ago, and it still works like new, whereas some Harbor Freight type tools I have bought in desperation because of a time crunch, and they barely make it out of the box before they're broken.

Maybe a used craigslist or ebay find is what you need. Dynabrade and Hutchins are tops, but most tool truck brands (Snap-On, Blue Point, Mac, Matco, Cornwell) are decent stuff. IR and CP used to be good, but now they are not so much, but don't pass up an "antique" version with these names. Astro is a half decent cheap brand, but they are hit and miss on the QC. Maybe some other posters can relate their experience with some other brands.
 
are you putting them sanders on a surface when ya pull the triiger to see if they are workin?
gotta ask as I blew a nut after returning a da for the same reason, only to have the replacement do the same thing unless it was on a surface.
 
From the title I thought you were looking for a District Attorney ,lol.

The sander motor is a vane motor, and what normally happens in it does not get clean dry air and occasional lubrication.
It is a simple assembly to take apart and repair.
The internals consist of a rotating piece that has a number of slots in it.
In each slot is a vane, the vane is most likely made from resin board, ie. micarta .
Each vane should freely move in its slot.
You will most likely find the vanes cannot move in their slots, a thorough cleaning and a touch of air tool oil and they will most likely work like new.

Doesnt matter if it is a $10 special or a $1000 diamond, dirty air and lack of oil will cause the failure.

14105_161_2.jpg
 
National Detroit is also a brand name with a long lasting reputation. Dynabrade is really really good. Most of my sanders see very little lubrication-I don't like air tool oil blowing all over when sanding primer or porus substrates like filler, fiberglass, etc.... so they take a beating. A few of the older blue-point/snap-on sanders lasted a long time. Sunnex is also an option if you something slightly better than Harbor Freight.
 
I am hobbyist and have a bunch of Harbor Freight air tools. Most are OK for my limited use but I broke down and bought a Dynabrade 69025 DA sander and it really is a different animal. It weighs almost nothing so you can use it for hours and not feel tired. Somehow it works without giving me the 'dead hand' feeling I get from the cheap ones. The cheapest DA runs about $40 and the Dynabrade is more than triple at about $140.
13F637_AS01


I justified buying the Dynabrade based on my portable drill experience. The cheap drills came with batteries that lasted about a year of light use and by then the replacement batteries were no longer available or cost more than a new drill and battery. At least the parts and batteries are available for years if it's better quality brand name tool. If and when your Dynabrade DA dies, they sell new air motor cartridges for $107, turning it back into a new sander. If you decide you want to convert it to self or shop vacuum, the adapters are about $15. They sell all the parts at: http://www.ereplacementparts.com/dy...ital-sander-parts-c-129042_129044_129359.html
69025_WW_1.gif


If you shop around, that model sells for $250 at a lot of places and I think it's around $155 at Amazon. Did a quick google and this place sells it for $136.90.
http://www.industrial-toolcrib.com/product.asp?itemid=182&gclid=CPzxvK3l17gCFUlp7AodCEQAhQ
 
tomsteve;29912 said:
are you putting them sanders on a surface when ya pull the triiger to see if they are workin?
gotta ask as I blew a nut after returning a da for the same reason, only to have the replacement do the same thing unless it was on a surface.
Click to expand...

Tried that with no luck. I decided to put some oil in them and let them sit for awhile. I got lucky and when I hooked up my no name DA and hit the trigger a bunch of dried up compound blew out the exhaust. She works great now! No such luck with my Sears DA though. I have almost no time on it whatsoever so this really baffles me. Thanks everyone for all the advice. I'm going to see how my no name DA works. I may still end up replacing it before this is all over with.
 
Thanks SOF.
Senile Old Fart;29913 said:
From the title I thought you were looking for a District Attorney ,lol.

The sander motor is a vane motor, and what normally happens in it does not get clean dry air and occasional lubrication.
It is a simple assembly to take apart and repair.
The internals consist of a rotating piece that has a number of slots in it.
In each slot is a vane, the vane is most likely made from resin board, ie. micarta .
Each vane should freely move in its slot.
You will most likely find the vanes cannot move in their slots, a thorough cleaning and a touch of air tool oil and they will most likely work like new.

Doesnt matter if it is a $10 special or a $1000 diamond, dirty air and lack of oil will cause the failure.
Click to expand...
 
Bob Heine;29925 said:
I am hobbyist and have a bunch of Harbor Freight air tools. Most are OK for my limited use but I broke down and bought a Dynabrade 69025 DA sander and it really is a different animal. It weighs almost nothing so you can use it for hours and not feel tired. Somehow it works without giving me the 'dead hand' feeling I get from the cheap ones. The cheapest DA runs about $40 and the Dynabrade is more than triple at about $140.

I justified buying the Dynabrade based on my portable drill experience. The cheap drills came with batteries that lasted about a year of light use and by then the replacement batteries were no longer available or cost more than a new drill and battery. At least the parts and batteries are available for years if it's better quality brand name tool. If and when your Dynabrade DA dies, they sell new air motor cartridges for $107, turning it back into a new sander. If you decide you want to convert it to self or shop vacuum, the adapters are about $15. They sell all the parts at: http://www.ereplacementparts.com/dy...ital-sander-parts-c-129042_129044_129359.html

If you shop around, that model sells for $250 at a lot of places and I think it's around $155 at Amazon. Did a quick google and this place sells it for $136.90.
http://www.industrial-toolcrib.com/product.asp?itemid=182&gclid=CPzxvK3l17gCFUlp7AodCEQAhQ
Click to expand...
Thanks Bob.
 
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