Take the pain and suffering out of drywall sanding.
Ask anyone who has done it and they’ll likely tell you that the most dreaded job in home remodelling or renovation work is sanding drywall. More specifically, sanding drywall joint compound. Visions of drywall dust clouds travelling to places in the home you never thought possible, even after carefully sectioning off the work area, are common. I’m happy to say that those days have come to an end with King Canada’s introduction of the KC-8379 Variable Speed Drywall Sander and the KC-8590TTV 8 Gallon Tool Triggered Wet/Dry Vacuum. It’s a terrific combination that eliminates the dust, aggravation and fatigue associated with sanding drywall compound.
King Canada Variable Speed Drywall Sander KC-8379
MSRP: $329
Website: KingCanada.com
The King Canada KC-8379 Variable Speed Drywall Sander is sold as a stand-alone drywall sander that can be easily fitted to an existing shop vacuum, but works exceptionally well when coupled with the KC-8590TTV 8 Gallon Tool Triggered Wet/Dry Vacuum. But this is much more than a drywall sander.
The sander comes with 8-7/8″ diameter eight-hole hook-and-loop sanding papers (two each of 80, 120 and 180 grit), a removable extension tube, dust hose, two vacuum adaptors (1-1/4″ and 1-3/8″) and an adjustment hex key. The entire unit folds neatly into a carrying case.
The 5amp motor delivers plenty of power through its entire 600 to 1,500 variable speed range. Coupled with the right grit paper and being able to “dial in” the speed to suit the conditions makes this drywall sander very efficient. With a range of reach of 45″ to 65″ using the supplied telescopic extension tube, this sander is easy to use when sanding walls or an 8′ ceiling, all while standing safely on the floor. At a weight of 11 pounds, using it all day is not a strenuous task, nor is it difficult to use when working in a confined area; just remove the extension tube and you’re good to go. Dust collection works exceptionally well with this unit. Once you get past the short learning curve, you’re sanding virtually dust-free.
This sander comes with a ring of LED lights that encompasses the sanding head. When you need extra lighting just switch it on and your work area is well illuminated, right where it’s needed the most.
The sander comes with a detachable brush segment on the sanding head and removing it allows the sanding head to get into corners, where the wall meets the ceiling. It works well but I found that this is an area I like to sand by hand.
King Canada advertises this sander as being designed for sanding drywall, ceilings and walls, cleaning floor residues, paint coatings and various adhesives. Give this sander a try on something a little more challenging than sanding drywall compound.
I switched out the 80 grit sandpaper for some killer, third-party 40 grit paper and commenced sanding my workbench top that desperately needed to be refinished. This sander works as advertised and more. I was very pleased with how it easily and quickly removed many coats of polyurethane and gave my workbench top a new lease on life.
King Canada offers three grits of sandpaper for this unit: 80 grit for aggressive work; 120 grit for regular drywall sanding; and 180 grit for a finer finish. If you require a more aggressive or a finer paper, the standard size paper is available through other suppliers. By the way, this sander works exceptionally well when sanding a less than stellar previously painted wall. All those paint runs and globs of paint from a previous paint job come off quickly, leaving you with a smooth finish for painting. This sander makes it surprisingly easy to fix other’s mistakes and poor workmanship.
Sanding drywall with this sander is a breeze. It’s lightweight, easy to maneuver, has plenty of power and comes with all the required accessories to make that arduous drywall sanding task a lot more efficient, pretty much dust-free and, dare I say, pleasurable. A shoulder strap would have been nice for those long 10-hour days of sanding, but who knows, that might be on the horizon.
More articles in Product Reviews