Renegade 2.0 Drywall Sander 750W

The Porter Cable Drywall Sander 7800 is the most popular and standard sander in the drywall industry. It is really hard to debate that fact. However, we get inquires all the time about an alternative drywall sander to the Porter Cable. Does one exist that can stand up to the Porter Cable Sander in terms of performance at a similar price point? But Renegade Tools came out with the Renegade 2.0 Drywall Sander 750W. 

PORTER CABLE DRYWALL SANDER 7800 VS RENEGADE DRYWALL SANDER 2.0

We advise customers to take a look at the Renegade Drywall Sander 2.0 if they are looking for an alternative to the Porter Cable Drywall Sander. In turn we get a lot of questions asked as to the difference between the Porter Cable Sander and The Renegade Drywall Sander 2.0 and which one we like the best. We, at Timothy's Toolbox, carry both sanders. So I am going to be completely honest and open to everyone as I address this question

PARTS AND REPAIR NETWORK

The Porter Cable sander has been around for a long time and has an extensive parts and repair network. Everyone who has ever used a power sander for drywall has probably used a Porter Cable. When you go on the workplace and there is a drywall sander chances are it is a Porter Cable Sander.  So the PC sander has stood the test of time and still continues to go strong. So from that stand point alone we like the Porter Cable. 

However, as we all know the Porter Cable Sander has its problems. Since Stanley Black and Decker bought Porter Cable the products durability and reliability as a professional everyday tool is not the same as it has been in the past. As a supplier of Porter Cable Sanders we have our problems as well. The warranty claims on the Porter Cable are through the roof. We have product that doesn’t work out of the box, drive shafts that snap the very first week and motors that seem to burn up way to fast.  What does that mean for us at Timothy’s Toolbox? A lot of returns during the warranty period, a lot of wasted shipping back and forth and frustration on both ours and the customers’ part. The plus to Timothy’s Toolbox is that we sell a lot of Porter Cable parts, drive shafts and motors.  We actually do better on the parts than we do on the sander itself.

The plus to the customer is that if they do need work on their sander (other than normal wear replacement parts) chances are there is probably a Dewalt service center not too far from them. Also since the PC sander has been around forever, the familiarity of how to do basic repairs and just how the sander feels and works is very high.

GREAT PRICING AND QUALITY DESIGN

Now let’s jump to the Renegade Drywall Sander. We carry a lot of Renegade products and are very impressed with the quality and the value that they provide to our customers. We have never had any issues dealing with our supplier when there has been a problem with one of their products (and there haven’t been many). They truly are a customer satisfaction driven brand and their motto is take care of the customer immediately so that they can go back to work.

When you look at their pricing you would consider them a discount brand but when you look at the quality you will be pleased. If you want to test out their products we recommend trying out a set of their taping knives. We were actually skeptical when we were first approached at carrying Renegade Tools before we actually put their products to use. So with this past experience dealing with Renegade we elected to start carrying the Renegade Drywall sander 2.0. What we immediately noticed is some really great innovation. Renegade Tools 2.0 Drywall Sander is packed with what they call Lunar-X Technology.

WHAT IS LUNAR X TECHNOLOGY?

Essentially what this means is that the Sander Head is designed with dual-positioned LED lighting .This LED lighting design drastically increases the visibility for the user. Think about it! How many times have you needed extra lighting in certain workplaces or in certain corners of the workplace?

Have you needed to get worklights or someone to follow you around with a light? Moving them is a headache and waste precious time. Well, the Renegade 2.0 Drywall Sander 750W fixes that issue with the lighting on the sander head. Not only does the lighting help with low visibility workplaces but it also helps you see imperfections so you can get them the first time and don't have to duplicate your efforts.

POWER 750W vs 450W

They also beefed up the motor to 750W as compared to Porter Cable’s 450W.  This stronger motor provides more torque and power so that it never gets bogged downed when someone has put too much drywall mud on the joints. Also they have designed the motor so that changing the brushes are so simple and can be done in less than one minute (also the sander comes with an additional set of brushes as well). The drive shaft is 25% thicker than that of the PC so it doesn’t break near as often. In fact, we have sold very few drive shafts compared to the number of sanders. This, alone, attests to the durability of the Sander.

SANDER WEIGHT

As far as the weight of the (2) sanders is compared, the Renegade is about ½ lb heavier. We tested both side by side when we first decided to carry the Renegade Drywall Sander 2.0. The Renegade Sander did feel slightly heavier when sanding for an extensive amount of time but the difference was minimal. Also, the Renegade Sander is set up out of the box to handle hook and loop sanding discs which is much more economical for the contractor.

 DOWNSIDES?

What is the negative about the Renegade Sander for Timothy’s Toolbox?  Well we don’t sell near as many replacement parts because they don’t break as often. Renegade is still a relatively new brand in the United States having been established for around 5 years. The sander was launched about a year and half ago so the support system and the ease at getting parts is not as easy and abundant as the Porter Cable. However, if you need any parts we will be able to get you whichever parts you need. If we don’t have it in stock ourselves our supplier has agreed to supply parts to you for the Renegade Sander 2.0.

The relatively low price of the sander ($339) and other Renegade products makes some professionals hesitate because they think the quality will be substandard.  We know this not to be the case since we carry most (if not all) of Renegade’s product offerings.  In fact we have encouraged Renegade to increase the price of their sander to eliminate this price versus quality misconception.  However, they are sticking to their market concept of being a low price, high quality brand for the professional drywaller. 

GUARANTEED SATISFACTION 

When people ask us about the Renegade Drywall Sander and seem hesitant we have a simple solution.  Renegade has a no questions, 30 day money back satisfaction guarantee!  If you don’t like it send it back. We will be happy to apply what you have paid to a Porter Cable Sander or refund your money.  When someone is still hesitant we encourage them to spend a few dollars and order a set of Renegade Taping knives. We believe you will not find a higher quality taping blade on the market (blue or stainless steel) at any price.  When you receive the taping knives you will know exactly why we say don’t judge a book by the price alone. 

FINAL THOUGHTS AND RECOMENDATIONS

If you are currently looking for a new sander and have used a Porter Cable for a long time and love how it feels –buy a Porter Cable (we will be happy to sell you one).  We will also be happy to sell you the parts as well and we have great parts pricing. If you buy a Renegade sander expect it to feel and work a little different.  Don’t run the motor full blast like you do with the PC but instead run it at 60-75%. Remember the added torque and the power of the motor (750W vs 450W)! Be careful at max speed as to not gouge the wall. Also, the head of the Renegade Drywall Sander 2.0 does not rotate exactly like the Porter Cable. It has all of the same head maneuverability ranges but works slightly different and requires different pressure points.  Does this make it inferior? Absolutely not! It is just different.  If the Porter Cable sander was new to the market and the Renegade had been around for years then people would be saying that the PC feels slightly different.  

 

To whom would we recommend a Renegade Sander over a Porter Cable: 

1. Customer is complaining about having to replace parts too often on their Porter Cable or that it spends too much time in the shop
2. Customer is looking for better quality and can do basic wear and tear parts replacement themselves when needed

Our bottom line is very simple because we sell both sanders!  If you want a sander that is more powerful - reliable and cost less to operate then buy a Renegade!  But you must be willing to allow a small adjustment period to get the feel of how it is designed to operate. If you are looking for something that feels just like a Porter Cable or you can’t do basic maintenance like drive shaft changes and need a repair center then buy a Porter Cable. Either way, we at Timothy’s Toolbox would like to assist you in your new purchase. We will work hard to make sure you are 100% satisfied. 

 

Try it out, you will never go back. Let there be Light!