powered drywall sander for Harry multiple home owner recommendations please

[newbury]

I've presently 2 houses and an apartment which I'm going to be doing a bunch of drywall work in .

I've done a bit already over the past 50 years but hand sanded it all. I was thinking of getting a hand/pole sander head that attaches to a shop vac, their prices seem to range from about $20 to $100.

But then I ran across the plethora of "dustless dry wall sanders" with circular rotating heads which looked very nice, but more expensive, going from about $170 to $1500.

So since the top non-powered sander is about $100 and the bottom powered ones go for about $170 my 64 yr old arms are telling me it might be worthwhile to get a powered unit.

Does anyone else here use the powered units? Does one like Aleko look worth it?

And how much does the vacuum piece affect the performance? I've got a relatively new 6.5 HP, 16 gal Shop-Vac, but it's large for some areas and I was thinking of getting a smaller vac to go with the sander. I was looking at the Dewalt 20VMax/corded unit in particular, since I'm invested in the 20V max line.

Oh, before anyone else mentions it - pallets.

So two points - Recommendation for a powered dustless drywall sander and how small a vacuum?

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Dewalt makes a nice one with a vac. Be careful, though, you can sand right into the paper in a heart beat.

 

[Threepoint]

Man, I know the mess and muscle fatigue of hand-sanding drywall joints, with and without an extension pole. I've done a lot of it, with my wife holding a shop-vac wand up to the site. That Aleko sure looks slick. The reviews seem good.

 

[teejk]

Weighs 16 lbs.??? And the wand looks long and somewhat awkward. Seems to me that it would only be good for the wall splices where careful application should leave a minimum of sanding anyway and the dust drops straight down. The bulk of my sanding seems to be in the corners and ceiling joints (just because I find it's harder to control the application of the mud). We taped/finished our new house a few years ago using the hand-held drywall sanders and the typical pole sanders (both using the standard drywall sheets). Wished I had invested in the banjo but lesson learned. Near as I can figure it's always a mess...I buy cheap furnace filters and replace them often until the dust settles.

 

[Threepoint]

Weighs 16 lbs.??? And the wand looks long and somewhat awkward. Seems to me that it would only be good for the wall splices where careful application should leave a minimum of sanding anyway and the dust drops straight down. The bulk of my sanding seems to be in the corners and ceiling joints (just because I find it's harder to control the application of the mud). We taped/finished our new house a few years ago using the hand-held drywall sanders and the typical pole sanders (both using the standard drywall sheets). Wished I had invested in the banjo but lesson learned. Near as I can figure it's always a mess...I buy cheap furnace filters and replace them often until the dust settles.

Very good points.

 

[teejk]

Very good points.

Meant to mention...I think the "pros" use mesh tape on the horizontals that have the tapered edges...more expensive but faster and fills more of the recess. AND they mix their own mud. USG products they use "green" for the first coat then switch to "blue" because it's easier to sand. In either case they mix it "soupier" than what I get out of a bucket. Talking to a remodeling guy recently he mentioned something about everybody going to a "black" single purpose compound but I guess that's only available to the trades.

 

[tbrooks26]

We do a fair amount of drywall work, mostly repair stuff, not new construction. Sometimes upward of a few hundred sqft. Never tried a powered sander. Not sure how that would work, its not that hard to sand by hand with a decent mudder. With something powered I would be worried about over-sanding. We always use mesh tape, easier application, and no chance of peeling. We also always use green, its a little easier to work with for use. The way I see it drywall dust is always gonna get everywhere, that stuff seeps through walls lol. Contain the area as much as possible and go to work.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Mesh tape should really only be used with a quick set type compound. I have seen it crack when used with bucket compound. Paper tape is still the king.

 

[DFB]

Talking to a remodeling guy recently he mentioned something about everybody going to a "black" single purpose compound but I guess that's only available to the trades.

Proform brand General Purpose sheetrock compound has a black lid and that is what my local lumber counter has been stocking now instead of the USG green lid general use compound.

They still carry the blue lid lightweight all purpose USG though.

USG website lists something called All Purpose Total Topping Compound (Black Lid) I have never seen it.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I have used a power "dustless" porter cable sander and it worked very well. It got all but about 1/10 of the dust. I would love to have one and if I did a house I would buy one. Ed