On Mon, 04 Dec 2006 20:31:52 -0700, Argon wrote:

as Bugs would say. FWW had a review of spindle sanders in their Tools &
Shops issue. The $200.00 RIDGID took Best Overall *and* Best Value. It
just so happens that I'm interested in making some bandsaw boxes, and
I've had my eye on the RIDGID one for a long time, so I had to run out
to Home Depot and buy one. :-)

So I ask the guy where the sanding spindles are, because I want to get
some extras. He says, "We don't carry any spindles except we have this
one pack" -- and he drags out an old shopworn plastic bag of sanding
spindles for the Ryobi, which they also sell.

I don't know why everybody complains about this--the Ryobi spindles work
fine, they're about as cheap as spindles get (try to find another set for
less), and they're in standard sizes--there's nothing magic about the
Ridgid that makes it require a special spindle.

So I ask him if they will
be getting some in, and he says, "No, we don't carry them at all."

I'm thinking why on earth would somebody sell a sander with a lifetime
guarantee and not sell the sanding spindles for it?

Would you be this upset if those spindles came in a package that said
"Norton" or "3M" on it instead of "Ryobi"?

None were to be found on the HD web site when I searched for "sanding
spindles" or "sanding sleeves." Klingspors has a wide variety, of
course.

You won't find them on the Ridgid web site either.

Just another chapter in the story of the long, slow slide of HD into
irrelevance.

I'm sorry, while I loathe Home Depot this seems to me to be complaining
for the sake of complaining. If you think Ridgid should go into the
sandpaper business you really should take the matter up with them.

Main thing Klingspor gets you over Ryobi is choice of grits.