Let's talk tools!

[bigeasy1]

I used my #343 Porter cable RO sander and worked the heck out of it for three years of sanding,sanding,and more sanding on my 23' project.If it bit the dust today it would have owed me nothing.Reasonably priced and took a beating.Starting with coarse discs of 60 and moving progressively finer,it did a good job of smoothing out a surface after grinding with the disc sander.

http://www.portercable.com/Products/...roductID=15053

I used my Makita GV5000 5" disc sander for a load of grinding and sanding with zero problems.This is a great tool and will take a beating and just keep on going.I used fiber backed discs from #24 grit to 80 grit depending on what I was doing.

http://makita.com/en-us/Modules/Tool...ls.aspx?ID=261

Went through a couple of Rigid shop vacs which I think are junk.

I Used a Rotozip with the masonary wheel to zip right through the glass when I was cutting out the transom and deck.Worked great for a couple months then crapped out.Bosch sent me another one at n/c and that one crapped out as well.I think it just needs brushes,and they list them in the manual,except they don't sell them.
Should have stuck with an air powered die grinder.

Festool? I guess if you have that kind of dispoasble income,or do it for a living then it's worth it,Not for me.I know they are high quality,but $535.00 for a sander? I don't think so.