Proxxon 28594 PS 13 Corded 12-Volt Pen Sander

I bought the Proxxon micro sander because I hate sanding my 3D printed objects prior to finishing. To be honest, I was quite skeptical about this sander as the reviews were not all kind, but I hate sanding so much I purchased it anyway. I did NOT buy the Proxxon power supply unit as I have a 3 amp 30 volt variable power supply, but when it quickly arrived (Thanks Prime!) I took a chance and wired it to a an old 12 volt, 1000 milliamp Linksys router power adapter I had on hand. This so far has worked out fine for my usage. The sander is more powerful than I had expected and is actually useful for sanding my plastic models! I was worried that it might tend to melt the plastic, a problem I encountered when using dremel type tools for sanding, but the Proxxon, with its 'side-to side' motion does not overheat the plastic unless you really force the issue. I am glad I decided to try out this great little sander, it makes finishing a much less arduous task!

This is an EXCELLENT little pen sander that works exceptionally well at sanding into those hard-to-get places. Don't force it, just let it do it's thing. You'll need extra sanding replacements because it goes through them fairly quickly, but even the rougher sandpaper leaves the wood at virtual finishing condition. You can save on replacing sand paper by turning them on the sanding heads. They stick really well, even when turning them to use the other end of the sandpaper. If I had to do it all over again, I'd still get this but without wondering if it was going to do the fine sanding like I hoped it would, because it's great. One thing, it is 12-volt, so you'll have to get their transformer for this to plug into for it to work since it will not plug into the wall plugs. This is the only possible downside to this, but it's worth it for how well this works.

Dead after five minutes. I bought this a couple years ago but first used it today. It sanded for a couple minutes and then got slower and slower. I shut it off for awhile. When i turned it back on it ran slow, got hot, and no sanding vibration. Just another fine piece of Chinese manufacturing on its way to the landfill. Now what to do with the extremely expensive high end transformer unit. Definitely not buying more tools to use with it. BTW I am an accomplished furniture maker and was using this to build a model ship.

I love my Proxxon mini-band sander, so I tried this for the spots that tool can’t reach. It’s… okay. The plastic heads are extremely soft so you can only use it with the lightest touch. The sandpaper it comes with are useless: just throw them away and cut your own (slightly larger than the head) and attach them with double-sided tape. I’ve had issues where the product won’t turn on unless I tap it against the table a few times. With those caveats, it does work pretty well for light sanding in tight spots and on small items.

So yes, as many reviewers notice, there is the power connection issue. This sander uses a unique three-pole connector, though only two poles are actually in play. The catch? It’s meant for Proxxon’s own power adapters, which don’t come cheap. Opting out of buying their pricey adapter, I modified the cable myself to fit a standard 5.5mm x 2.1mm connector and hooked it up to a 12V, 5 Amp switching power supply, which matches the specs of the Proxxon adapter. Despite the sander not needing that much current, it’s working seamlessly now. Moving on to the sander's performance, it’s impressively lightweight and feels comfortable in hand during use. A downside is its quick consumption of sanding pads. I’m still on the lookout for how to efficiently use regular sanding paper with it. My primary reason for choosing this tool was for sanding paper sculptures, particularly in tight spots where hand sanding is a challenge and rotary tools risk burning the paper. The Proxxon’s linear sanding action has been effective here, despite the sand pads wearing out faster than preferred. No problems have surfaced so far, which is a relief, especially since modifying the power cable voided the warranty. In summary, the tool is highly functional, user-friendly, and adept at sanding without causing overheating. However, the non-durable sand pads and the hassle of the proprietary power connector are significant drawbacks. If you’re not up for purchasing the expensive adapter or modifying the tool, you might want to consider other options. I’d rate the tool itself highly, but given the adapter issue, I feel a four-star rating is fair without being overly generous.

I use this with the "heavy duty" variable speed transformer unit. (I like to set my speed at 75-90%) I bought 2 pens because i found that the pen get hot after time. And I switch back and forth. (Use one while the other cools down) I also am using it to do a lot of fine sanding. The sanding pens have saved my fingertips! Before I had this I'd get finger cramps from fine sanding all day at work. Yes, it goes thru sand paper pretty quick,(buy your own sticky back sand paper) it's a small contact area, vibrating 80x faster that your hand. I got good at replaceing sandpaper after 5 min or so. I do whish that I could put more pressure on the vibrating tip, I kinda have to give medium pressure and wait for the sand paper to do its work.

I bought this sander for work on a particular model ship project (to sand in the camber of the main decking), and boy, am I glad I got it! This piece gets into places and speeds up finicky work like you wouldn't believe. The control and agility of the thing allow you to work very rapidly and exactly, once you get the feel of it. One suggestion, both to the manufacturer and the buyer: Courser-grit pads would be welcome, instead of having to glue them on yourself. There are places to get into that need a more aggressive touch, and the lighter-grit wears quickly. All in all, if you work on miniature projects, this thing is indispensable.

This requires a power supply of 12 volts which can rigged up easily or else buy the somewhat pricey Proxxon Power adapter which has the ability to control the voltage and therefore change the speed of the oscillations. I had mine connected to a regular DC adjustable power supply. Polarity of the cable is marked on the plug.