Mirka Ceros or RO150 or RAS for removing old house paint?....

[goforbroke442nd]

Hi everyone, thank you so much for all the great advice.  I'm only sorry I didn't read the responses earlier and see the classified posting!

Purchase will probably be a few weeks away, so will keep reading.  I may have to buy two (or three) of them and return the ones I don't keep.  Problem is, I might end up keeping them all  [scared]!!!

 

[mikeneron]

[quote author=Scott B.]None of the above. I have used the Ceros. I have talked to literally dozens of guys who use the Ceros. Two problems there, one is that whole transformer contraption deal...no thanks, and the other is (what all honest Ceros users have shared with me) that Abranet wears the pads out way prematurely. Beyond those inconveniences, it sounds like a great tool, and certainly comes with the price tag that a great tool should. [/quote]

Were they using a pad protector?

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=59471&cat=1,42500 (F)
http://www.woodessence.com/Pad-Protectors-P206.aspx

 

[Scott B.]

[quote author=Scott B.]None of the above. I have used the Ceros. I have talked to literally dozens of guys who use the Ceros. Two problems there, one is that whole transformer contraption deal...no thanks, and the other is (what all honest Ceros users have shared with me) that Abranet wears the pads out way prematurely. Beyond those inconveniences, it sounds like a great tool, and certainly comes with the price tag that a great tool should.

Were they using a pad protector?

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=59471&cat=1,42500 (F)
http://www.woodessence.com/Pad-Protectors-P206.aspx
[/quote]

Not sure. The issue that has been described to me the most about it is that the Abranet doesn't have a very substantial backing (its thin), which can cause premature wear on the pad. Guys who put Abranet on Festool sanders have reported the same issue, so I guess its an Abranet issue. But given the fact that the prices seem pretty parallel, I'd expect a Abranet/Ceros combo to perform at a Granat/Festool sander level.

 

[Michael Kellough]

[quote author=Scott B.]None of the above. I have used the Ceros. I have talked to literally dozens of guys who use the Ceros. Two problems there, one is that whole transformer contraption deal...no thanks, and the other is (what all honest Ceros users have shared with me) that Abranet wears the pads out way prematurely. Beyond those inconveniences, it sounds like a great tool, and certainly comes with the price tag that a great tool should.

Were they using a pad protector?

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=59471&cat=1,42500 (F)
http://www.woodessence.com/Pad-Protectors-P206.aspx
[/quote]

The problem with using the pad protector on the Ceros is that the the pad then becomes equivalent to a soft pad (with limited radius).

You can't use it on stock narrower than the pad diameter unless you want crowned surfaces, and you can't use it on soft wood unless you want a sculpted surface that follows the figure.

Ceros is great for feathering but if you want flat you need a hard platen.

 

[Dogwood]

Scott B:

When citing the sanders you would choose for sanding your house are you thinking about sanding or stripping? If stripping I assume you would be using the RO90 which is a lot jumpier on a ladder than a RAS and less effective strictly for stripping don't you think?