Andy,

As for replacing the sander, you never mentioned if it was round,
1/4 or 1/3 sheet ? Now depending on what/how big of a piece you are
sanding will determine what you get. I have all three sanders which I
use for both automotive and woodworking sanding projects. If you are
using the sander for small projects, the round or 1/4 sheet palm
sander would be fine. On the other hand, if you are doing table tops
or armoir's ( sp? ) then the bigger sander is the one to go with.

The one big kicker for me is how noisy the sander is, not so much how
big the motor is. Cheap sanders won't last as long and are REALLY
noisy, plus a better sander will vibrate less in your hands giving you
more control. If you do any amount of sanding at all it's worth it
to go more expensive and find a sander that's quiet. The one I have
at the moment that I LOVE is my Bosch. Compared to every other
sander I have used it's the least noisy.

As for it slowing down and stopping I would say that your brushes
may be getting a little worn, it may be time to replace your RO.
Unless you really like it and want to spend the money to have the
motor rebuilt. Most alternator/starter repair shops have the ability
to rebuild your motor. They will also re cut your stator winding
grooves and when you get it back it should be powerful as it was when
new. Now like someone else said, pull it apart and make sure it's not
a bushing or bearing that's gone. They don't last forever.

Hope this helps, good luck.

Todd



(Andy) wrote in message . com...
I currently have a "Tim Tayler Signature" (I know, wow!) RO sander. It
has a 2.4A motor and 12,500 orbits/minute. When I apply pressure the
sander slows down and/or stops completely. My first thought is I need
a more powerful motor. But looking at what's currently available,
other than the real expensive ones, most motors aren't even 2.4A. So
what's the deal, is it a feature that the motor slows to prevent me
from scratching my work? Is it a common problem among all RO sanders?
I have had no reliability problems with this sander so I need to
justify replacing it. Thanks.
Andy