I am refinishing the floors in an old house. The flooring is NOT hardwood but some type of tongue and grove wood that has been painted in the past. I think that a vibrating sander will be too slow and a drum sander is too aggressive. The only other alternative is a floor finisher.(rotary motion) The girl in the rental shop at HD says it is too difficult to handle and only the pros can do it properly.

I test sanded a section of the floor with my belt sander using a 120 grit belt and it seemed to come out OK so I was thinking of using the same grit with the rotary sander.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of sander.

Thanks

Fred Mc.

Those floors maybe pine or fir, which were often painted. Oftentimes, that old paint can be murder sanding off but if you can get it with a belt sander and 120, it sounds like you should be able to sand it off ok. Typicall, we pros use either drum and belt/drum sanders. They are the most effecient. The square buffs are too slow and a typical circular buffer is difficult for the novice to handle. I recommend this type of machine:
http://www.u-sand.com/

I think it will handle that sanding job for you.

That paint may contain lead! be carefull and assume that it is a lead based paint.