Hyde Tools 09175 Drywall Vacuum Sander, SILVER ,GRAY, With Pole

Does a great job of keeping down the dust when sanding. Easy to attach to your shop vac. I am short so it's was bit difficult for me, I think if you 5ft 9in or taller it would be perfect. I am 5ft 5. I "fixed" this issue by adding a section of my shop vac wand to the pole length...lol! It makes it a bit awkward because of the extra length making the head a little off balance...but it worked and it is way better than using a traditional poke sander and dust flying everywhere! I also have the same problem with my tranditional pole sander too, but can't add any length to it. So, for me there is a double reason to use this tool instead of a pole sander! That's to say, it's my best option for sanding ceilings and I am thrilled that I have it!

It does a great job reducing the dust. But it can’t sand for crap. The position you want to take to use it causes the sanding pad not to glide across the surface. It sands in a forward but not in reverse. The head wants to flop around if you don’t keep the proper angle. I can get 10 times the amount of work done with a standard pole sander. Makes a mess, but the $15 pole sander gets the job done.

Perhaps I didn't hold my mouth just right, but the pad on this pole sander could only be drawn toward me. Because of the way the pad is pivot-mounted on the end of the assembly I could not move the sanding pad away from me on wall or ceiling.

I used this on a couple of my drywall projects. It works ok but not great. I guess its good for the price.

I had a crack in my ceiling that required reinforcing with lath backing plates. I ended up with a 20 feet of joint that needed to be filled and sanded. I used a 45 min setting compound. I discovered that working on the ceiling is way more difficult than working on a vertical wall. After much cursing and fuss, I was ready to sand, at which point I discovered how messy working on the ceiling was - dust went everywhere, and there was a LOT of dust. I taped poly sheet tarps from the ceiling to the floor which worked, but which was a pain and marginally helpful. The compound is harder than 'spackle' and requires some sweat to sand. I got this unit, some 100 grit sanding screen and attached it to our Dyson vacuum. I attached the hose to the pole through the vacuum travels to the head. I found it to be very convenient and almost totally dustless. I open the adjusting vents and used the least amount of vacuum. It works great.I had to spend extra time cleaning the Dyson (which is designed for easy disassembly and cleaning) . My shop vac was too powerful and made it hard to move the sanding head.

I've used a basic pole sander (http://www.amazon.com/Goldblatt-G15353-Pole-Sander-Handle/dp/B000BOB8RY/ref=sr_1_8?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1332603477&sr=1-8) , the Magna MT800 Sand & Kleen Hand Sander System (http://www.amazon.com/MT800-Sand-Kleen-Sander-System/dp/B00005A1K8) and the Hyde dust-free sander depicted above. Of the three, I rate the Hyde as the best overall when dust control is a must and the basic pole sander for areas where dust control is not a factor. Here's the breakdown:Hyde dust-free sander: Virtually dust-free sanding when used with a fine dust filter or HEPA filter vacuum. I attach the vacuum to the back of the pole instead of using the "Y" connector which keeps the hose out of the way. The suction at the sanding head is great and is adjustable to keep the sanding head from binding on the work surface due to too much vacuum force. Considering that, the sanding head will still grab the work surface and turn on edge causing it to dig into compound and leave a gouge if you are not careful. The swivel at the base of the sanding head is a little stiff which seems to exacerbate the grabbing, rolling and digging tendency. I suspect the swivel will loosen up as it wears. For those two reasons I gave it a 4 instead of a 5. The versatility of being able to use the pole or hold the sander in hand is a nice feature.Pole Sander: It's cheap, extremely light, streamlined (no hoses), easy to maneuver, and gets the job done quickly. Its fatal flaw is obviously the resulting dust cloud that is nearly impossible to contain.Magna MT800 Sand & Kleen Hand Sander System: Cheaper than the Hyde dust-free sander but more expensive than the pole. It controls the dust reasonably well. Its problems are numerous however. The hose is only about 7/8" in diameter. That narrow vacuum hose kills most of the vacuum's power and also causes an intense whistle as my shop vac strains to draw air through the tiny orifice. No adjustment works at quieting the noise without killing whatever suction remains. The small dust collector grooves in the sanding head clog with drywall dust after 30-45 minutes and the tool has low suction compared to the Hyde system. There is no pole and the sanding head is awkward to hold and use, especially on ceilings. When finished, there is a bucket of drywall slurry to dispose of. And lastly, some damp dust escapes the bucket and forms a drywall dust crust inside the vacuum hose.In conclusion, for small drywall jobs where dust control is a must, the Hyde dust-free sander is worth the money. Be sure to use it with a fine particle filter in the vacuum.

I was determined to not have to shave my beard so that the respirator would fit snugly. I know that is kind of silly. I also didn't want all of that dust making its way around the house.This product, if you use an easy pace, collects all of the dust made by sanding compound. Sometimes you have to start an area with less pressure, but you'll get the swing of it within five minutesI also used it to smooth drywall paper that was damaged during wallpaper removal.I was afraid the product would be cheap plastic and break within the first project. I am happy to say that it has worked well, the suction adjusters do their job to keep the unit from sucking onto the wall. I absolutely recommend this package, with the pole included, since the hose attaches to the end of the pole. The package comes with an attachment so that you can also use a broom handle and hose, but the pole is much easier and telescopes nicely.Well worth the purchase, Nice to take a chance on something that turns out to be a helpful product.

I don’t remember the last time I had to give a product a one star. Theoretically, this is a great idea, but this item is a complete failure. The articulating joint is too stiff so the head does not freely travel. It only sands in the forward stroke. Don’t waste your time or money.