Autobodystore.com

The smooth action of the Airvantge produces a lot less numbness in the hands, and a better finish in the color coats. Because it is not as agressive as a regular DA, it does not cut as quickly or bounce as much (if at all). Because it does not cut as quickly it is not intended to be used as a primer sander between primer coats. A lot of guys use them for sanding the final primer coat. They say that it produces a finer finish with less sanding scratches which is desirable prior to painting.

I like them because they produce a smoother more even textured surface on clear or color coats and that reduces buffing effort and time.

I have a Hutchings DA. It is bigger and heaver than the Airvantage but works the same way. Palm grip sanders like the Airvantage and Hutchins give a more uniform pressure over the sanding pad. This reduces the chances of gouges and groves in the surface that can occur with a "handle" type DA. Regular DA's require 2 hands to control effectively, palm types one require 1 hand.

I have no experience with autobodystore.com...however I will pass along my thoughts on the sander.

I have used an air-powered DA sander by Chicago Pneumatic for some years. I never used the straight circular motion though...just the random orbit. The straight circular motion of a DA sander has very little, if any, use in fine finishing systems, at least in my opinion.

A few years ago I bought an electric random orbit sander...the Porter Cable #7336. It has variable speed with a 6" dia PSA pad. Also available are 5" pads and polishing foam pads. The market is geared toward woodworking rather than auto refinishing to be sure but it does all the work my air-powered one did and I much prefer it. It also does not have any lubricant mist spitting out the exhaust. I likely will never use my CP sander again.

I suggest you give air vs. electric finishing sanders some thought if you haven't done so already. The PC electric likely will be less expensive too. And unless you have huge amounts of compressed air, it will save on your compressor wear and tear. Some will say that the air powered units will have a longer life. I have not found that to be true...at least not yet.

Rod