So I finally got around to refinishing my hardwood floors. I went out today and rented a drum sander (Hiretech HT8-1) and edger. I installed the sandpaper over the drum as instructed by the owners manual that I had to find online (thanks for the rental company not including one!) and began the work. I had been working for about 10 minutes and everything was going fine until all of a sudden I looked down and noticed that the drum had gouged a deep 1.5 foot line into my floor.

I immediately stopped, tipped the dang thing over and saw that one of the screws on the clamp bar was the culprit. The screw had wood all over it so I figured it was what ruined my floor. I looked at the screw and noticed that part of the screw head was no longer flush with the clamp bar.

So now I am in a predicament.
1st, can the gouge be filled with wood paste and then sanded down, stained, and finished?
2nd, should I just try and replace the screw and keep using this sander? I'm worried that it will just ruin more of my floor. Or should I return it to the rental company and demand a new one?
3rd, is this negligence on the rental companies fault...or is it my own fault?

Thanks for all your help
David

the gouge can be sanded out with your edger most likely, however, since you are not seasoned, it may not be a task for you.
Board replacement can be another option.

As for the machine, you may want to return it for another if there is something wrong.
As for fault..stop looking for it and just accept what happened and move past it.