Skil 5" Random Orbit Sander with Pressure Control
Have you ever been using an orbital sander and all of a sudden you realize that you've gradually gotten to the point where you're putting about 90% of your body weight on it? It seems to happen to us all the time. We're not sure why, but it's our natural tendency to really lean into it. We know that it doesn't improve the efficiency of the tool, but we end up there anyway. Apparently we're not the only ones with this problem because Skil has recently released a new orbital with something called Pressure Control.
Pressure Control is some sort of warning system that lets you know when excessive pressure is being put on the tool. From the image, it looks like there are a number of warning lights, sort of like the Homeland Security threat level system. The sander probably makes some kind of noise too. Maybe an electrical pulse as well.
In all other respects, this looks like a regular old orbital; it has a vacuum attachment, a filtered bag, a nice grip, etc. It costs about $40 which sounds like a good price.
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Posted by Tool Snob at February 9, 2010 5:00 AM
I had a palm sander of similar design from skil for less than a day.
First off, the pressure indicator was basically useless. It's not really that big, or easy to read when in use (and covered in sawdust and my hands). It's not really useful outside the "Don't put your back into it" moments, but at that point you're not bothering to look at a tiny indicator on the side of the tool anyhow.
Secondly, Skil quality was such that I took it back the very next day and bought a Bosch, because the first piece I sanded managed to break the tool.
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