straight line sander recommendation

ksungela

Member
I'm preparing to start my next project, so lots of body work in the near future. I really need to use more "machines" when sanding so my arms don't fall off. Any recommendations for a straight line sander?
 
I bought a hutchins straight line sander and never use it. They sound good on paper for your arms but the thing only strokes a 1/4" vs. a long block stroking as long as your reach. No comparison for quality and speed.

A guy I know let me borrow a hutchins orbital board sander and it was better than the inline but still felt like I was just wasting time.
 
I bought a hutchins straight line sander and never use it. They sound good on paper for your arms but the thing only strokes a 1/4" vs. a long block stroking as long as your reach. No comparison for quality and speed.

A guy I know let me borrow a hutchins orbital board sander and it was better than the inline but still felt like I was just wasting time.

x2. My Hutchins sits unused. Juice is not worth the squeeze....

Don
 
I too have a Hutchins air file but only use it on panels where flexing presents a problem. Not talking oil canning but large areas where pushing too hard on a sanding block can cause deflection.
 
Hutchins long board for me. I have been using one for the last 30yrs I'm on my second one. The first was rebuilt 2 times and had countless hours on it and needs rebuilt again and there is no shame in that given the amount of work I put it thru. I like the handle design far better then any other manuf.'s design it just works for me and the fact I have been using that style for so long. It can handle more abuse then a Viking any day of the week and twice on Sunday, Vikings that Co-workers have had jumped timing and had to be repaired the design of the Hutchins IMO is far superior, and has saved my arms and joints from having to man handle a long board.

Once you use one (IMO) you will see, I don't know a bodyman who does this for a living that doesn't have and use one. If there is one piece of sanding equipment I own that is the one that I won't get rid of.

I have the Hutchins orbital long board too that I used a couple times and find it extremely hard to control, for me it dances around uncontrollably if not held exactly flat, so for me I can do without that tool so it just sits there in my box.
 
Funny Datec I'm the complete opposite. I had both the reciprocating and orbital Hutchins, never liked either one. For my size hand the handle and trigger were awkward. Used a Viking and several cheap IR knockoffs mainly over the years. At one time I used it a lot but the last few years almost never. Especially on new cars and trucks. Metal is so thin now it makes it hard to keep the tool from flexing the panel. I use a grater alot now and an extra extra coarse body file (5 or 6 TPI). Work it down with the grater, use the 14" body file, then hand block. Just as fast and more accurate than the air longboard. Certain situations the 8" Mudhog works but I pretty much only hand sand filler now.
 
i have the hutchins air file. its a very well made piece and it does work but as other said...it is slow. stroke i think is 1" or maybe 3/4". something like that. you an cut way faster by hand but then again you busting your ass doing it. it is great on flat panels that flex. i rarely use mine though. i ended up getting an 8" mud hog sander. now that thing cuts filler fast and pretty flat. it will get you 80% where you need to go then the last 20% or the final round of filler you can do by hand or finish off with the air file. i have found this to be the fastest way to get the job done and still come out with great results.
 
Funny Datec I'm the complete opposite. I had both the reciprocating and orbital Hutchins, never liked either one. For my size hand the handle and trigger were awkward. Used a Viking and several cheap IR knockoffs mainly over the years. At one time I used it a lot but the last few years almost never. Especially on new cars and trucks. Metal is so thin now it makes it hard to keep the tool from flexing the panel. I use a grater alot now and an extra extra coarse body file (5 or 6 TPI). Work it down with the grater, use the 14" body file, then hand block. Just as fast and more accurate than the air longboard. Certain situations the 8" Mudhog works but I pretty much only hand sand filler now.

I too use a grater for those large first cuts when needed. As for the metal being too thin I haven't found that to be an issue. In fact I am working on a 2018 Jeep Wrangler and the rear door needed 2 dents repaired in the center not big enough to replace but big enough to skim coat 1/2 the panel with icing (Allstate Ins. claim) and I cut it all with my Hutchins, done ready for primer and that's on the new flimsy aluminum doors they now put on them.

I guess it is all what you are use too using there isn't much I can't use with my long board except those rounded fenders like the Porsch 911 quarters and fenders I did once but did use it on the doors. Anything to save my joints I'm all in.
 
A Mud Hog would be nice and I want to get one but getting the boss to buy the paper for it.... well that ain't gonna happen.
 
Thanks guys. Anything is better than shoulder surgery, so I'm going to give both the Hutchins straight line sander and the mud hog a try. Would anyone with either one of these tools collecting dust want to sell them?
 
my mudhog is an ingersol rand. its built well, woks great and its not an expensive piece like a dynabrade. i think i paid about 120 for it. not even worth buying a used one. i run the blue norton 36g discs on it. the discs last forever when sanding filler so a box will prob last years for the avg user.
 
A Mud Hog would be nice and I want to get one but getting the boss to buy the paper for it.... well that ain't gonna happen.

that sux to have a boss like that. with the amount of labor he would save on a big job it would pay for the paper in the first day lol
 
that sux to have a boss like that. with the amount of labor he would save on a big job it would pay for the paper in the first day lol

Yea it kinda does at times. But on the other hand I kinda understand, in a way, 90% of what we do is insurance work because we are a PRO shop for multiple Co.'s and what they pay us for in the estimate for materials is a joke.

I've always wanted to get one for the work I do in my shop and you guys got me thinking on it again. How you like the IR compared to the Hutchins?
 
Thanks guys. Anything is better than shoulder surgery, so I'm going to give both the Hutchins straight line sander and the mud hog a try. Would anyone with either one of these tools collecting dust want to sell them?

I can see the need for both IMO there are times that one could be better suited then the other in a given area of repair. I just have been using the straight line for so long I have become very proficient with it.

When you do acquire them let us know what your opinion is on them. I would be interested in hearing what you think.
 
Yea it kinda does at times. But on the other hand I kinda understand, in a way, 90% of what we do is insurance work because we are a PRO shop for multiple Co.'s and what they pay us for in the estimate for materials is a joke.

I've always wanted to get one for the work I do in my shop and you guys got me thinking on it again. How you like the IR compared to the Hutchins?


well cant really compare. 2 entirely different types of sander. not that the ir is light weight or light duty or anything like that but the hutchins is heavy as all hell. its just built real solid. reminds me of an antique power tool the way its built.
 
Just to follow up, I bought a Hutchins in line sander model 2000. The goal was to use a machine to do the initial sanding to save manual strokes. I only used 40 grit paper on it and used it on filler and fiberglass panels (corvette). It was easier to use the sander than sanding by hand. But, it gets heavy after a while and sometimes doesn't have enough power when the hole surface of the sander is in contact with the panel. ie it stalls out. I think a rotary would cut way faster, but perhaps not get the surface as flat. I'm going to stick with the hutchins for now since I'm almost done with the sanding on my current project, so won't be trying a rotary any time soon.
 
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