With the Craftsman Professional 5-Inch Random Orbital Sander 27989 (Sears item 00927989000), Craftsman has made a valiant effort to eliminate nuisance problems often associated with random orbit sanders. The most obvious is the thick rubber, diamond-textured grip. Not your typical minimal overmold, this really does reduce vibrations and the palm fatigue that occurs when using a palm sander with a hard gripping surface. Less obvious, but more dramatic is the vibration dampening built into the tool. Counterbalanced counterweight makes it so you hardly know when the unit is turned on. Another very nice nuisance solution is the dust collector bag. It doesn't come off accidentally while you're working thanks to the built-in quarter-turn lock, and it adapts to either a 1-1/4- or 2-1/2-inch diameter vacuum hose should you prefer to dispense with the bag. The on/off switch can be activated by thumb and forefinger while grasping the unit and is easier to use than the toggle switches on other units we've reviewed. A sizeable dial makes speed changes easy as well. Finally, a long 10-foot cord allows you to work on sizeable work pieces without an extension cord. The only negative we found with this unit is the wide, deep handle may make one-handed operation difficult for operators with small hands. (Operators with medium to big hands will probably love it.) Be sure to try grasping any palm sander and checking it for comfort prior to purchase.

Warranty
1 year