Being a cabinetmaker I’ve come to relay on random orbit sanders over the last few years. They’ve made the task of sanding more productive and that’s why when I was in the market for a new ROS I purchased a Ridgid ^TM R2600 5 inch ROS.

I had the chance to “see and feel” the new sander in my local Home Depot and when I picked it up I liked what I felt. It was cushioned and fit well in my hand (egomaniac design) and had a good bit of weight as well.

It had a variable speed control from (A) 7,000 to (F) 12,000 RPM and a “duel” on/off switch and a pad brake all features that I liked. The only thing that I had issue with was that it had an 8 hole base and I had a boat load of 5 hole paper. I figured it wouldn’t be hard to “adapted” my 5 hole paper to use on an 8 hole machine. Based on liking what I felt and not to add at the time Home Depot and Ridged where running a “life time guarantee” promotion on the tool it was easy for me to purchase it.

The sander came in a great carrying case, two pad bases, one for PSA discs and one for hook and loop a 12 foot cord with lit plug and a Velcro strap to contain it, a vacuum bag and port that will accommodate either a 1-1/4" or 2-1/2" vacuum hose. I needed to make an adaptor to fit my PC vacuum, but this didn’t bother me because I needed to make one to fit my PC333 ROS too.

The first time I removed the sander from the case I noticed that everything fit well inside. This is a plus because most time things don’t. The plug had a plastic protector on it as well. The vacuum bag was tight and had a good seal though I wouldn’t be using it. I proceeded to plug it in and it was quiet, had very little vibration and was easy to control. It also had a display light built into the plug which would light up when plugged in, it also had the shape of the tool so you could tell which tool it was.

The first task I had for it was to flush up a pilaster base I was making. I set the speed control to (d) and put on a 220 grit disc and sanded. The sander felt well balanced comfortable in my hand and preformed great. I then needed to sand the sides of this pilaster after I applied some “Bondo” in the screw holes because the side will receive a mahogany veneer. It sanded the dried Bondo without a hitch.

The vacuum worked well too considering I had to modify my 5 hole paper to work on the eight hole base pad. For the $69.00 I paid my only regret is that I didn’t buy two. Only time will tell how long this ROS will hold up, but I’m guessing it will be for a life time.

Well time did tell. After owning this sander for the better part of 3-1/2 years it was well worth the money. Personally I can't see a better ROS for the money.