After going thru the above reviews, it's obvious way too many guys are not reading the directions! there is a valve to reduce suction so that the sander head isn't stuck to the wall and solutions for other problems, too. is it the world's greatest heavy duty drywall sander for production use? no. but is it almost perfect for the homeowner or tradesman who only has to hang and finish drywall once in a while and often needs to keep the mess to a minimum in the process? YES. yeah, it whistles- big deal, get some earplugs. my shopvac is so loud i'm usually wearing them anyway. probably the best part is that it allows you go more than five minutes without the vac filter clogging AND you're dumping thin sludge instead of a huge cloud of dust at cleanup time.

I bought this for a small remodel in my house. I wanted to avoid always putting up plastic walls. This unit is pretty good at picking up 95% of the dust from sanding the sheetrock joints and it keeps the dust from clogging the filters in my shop vac. Now the negatives: The small diameter corrugated tube creates a high pitch squeal--you definately need to wear hearing protection when using this. Also, the sanding block "sticks" to the sheet rock because of the vacuum created by the holes on the flat surface--making sanding more labor intensive (I solved this by buying a sanding block (at my local hardware store) that could also be attached to a vacuum hose that had grooves running to the edge. I would recommend this for small remodel jobs only. I would not use it for a job involving more than 10 sheets of rock--too time consuming.

I just spent half a day sanding drywall with this thing, and I have to say, it delivered as promised. I understand what others are saying, it doesn't look like you're getting much for your half a C-note, but what are the alternatives? The hose looks cheap, but it is very flexible and sprung back when I invariably stepped on it. It's kind of noisy, but I'd rather wear ear muffs than get covered in dust all day. And I'm sure it must be better for your shop vac than sucking dust directly all day.
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br /If I were a professional mudder, I'm sure I would go for the three- or four hundred dollar set up, but for the once-in a whiler, this is about right. The bottom line is I got more done in less time (spent less time choking on dust) and clean up was about 10 percent of what it is when the dust is allowed to run free. You still have to supply the muscle, but at least you're less disgusted when your done (though still tired).

I'm a DIYer for over 30 years. I've used several different methods for removing joint imperfections--the sanding block on a pole, the wet sponge or rag. My orbital palm sander worked well until the plaster gummed up its insides, the best alternative was a Fiba Tape sander hooked up to a shop vac. But that was still dusty.
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br /Not long ago, a fellow DIY friend was DIY-ing his basement. I noticed he was using a Magna MT800 Sand Kleen Hand Sander System. I was curious how improved it would be over the Fiba Tape system, so I borrowed it after he was done. It worked even better! LESS DUST, and no shop vac cleanup afterward.
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br /Some of the critics here say it has a few problems. I have some advice for the new people reading this:
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br /1. Rent this product or borrow it from a friend before you spend $$$ on the expensive one, especially you DIYers.
br /2. CHECK THE PARTS LIST for all the parts. If you don't have all of them, return it to the store or call the seller to get part you need. Get a tracking number from them.
br /3. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS If the unit suctions itself to the wall, ADJUST the pressure valve. If it whistles, tighten the hose and sander seals.
br /4. WEAR HEARING PROTECTION when using loud power tools such as shop vacs. Then the whistling won't bother you.
br /5. Hose clogged? CLEAN IT OUT!
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br /This really is a great product. It eliminates the dust clean up and the arm-ache associated with traditional methods. You cannot beat it for the price. All it takes is some common sense to use it properly.
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I recently put a new ceiling in my cabin. When it came time to sand I was ready to pull everything out. Some people told me my carpet would be trashed as well due to the dust.
br /I found this item and thought I would give it a try. To my surprise it did everything they said it would, Sure you have to play around a bit to get the nack of it but it does work.If you don't have a shop vac you can use an old canister vac just remove the bag. Works fine either way.
br /I bought mine from Amazon. The price here was the lowest. When you add in shipping it was less for a new one than a used on the auctions.
br /So, if you intend to drywall get this thing. It is worth every dollar.

The Sand Kleen system worked quite well for me. So far, I have put up about 50 sheets of drywall in my shop half of which were sanded with a "plain" sanding block, and the other half sanded with Sand Kleen. There is no comparison. Very minimal dust left on the floor (and me) using SK. For the homeowner who likes to do his/her own work, it is money well spent.br(Be sure to change the water as recommended - it helps!)

The concept is good. i am a pro painter that does alot of repair work in occupied homes. Dust control is very important. This works, but main complaint is with the hand sander itself. It is not comfortable to use for a length of time and its hard edges cause the screen to rip fast. I converted it for the fibretape sander/pole and it is very good. Do wear earplugs! She's a howler!

I have been using this unit for the last three days on a major drywall project and am dissapointed in the unit. I find that I have to completely clean the unit every half hour or the suction drops to zero. I am using a 16 gal. heavy duty vaccum that starts choking after a few minutes use.
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br /Sorry, I would not recomend this unit for extended use.

Anyone who does drywall near (or in) a living space needs this tool. It worked fine with my small 2 HP shop vac. The only thing that is better is to get the pole sander version, much easier to operate, much less tiring.

I recently was using the MT800 Sander for a major remodeling job. It was working very nicely until I dropped the sanding head off of a ladder and it broke. I called the 1-800 number to order a replacement and they offered to send me a new one for free. I even told them that it was my fault. That kind of customer service doesn't happen too often.

This sanding system acts like a water pipe, where a shopvac creates a vacuum in a bucket half filled with water. A hose to the bucket is connected to a hand sander, and the dust is sucked through the hose and trapped in the water.
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br /Simple, 95% efficient, and priced right! I bought two more after my first one finally broke from years of use. Since I use the system extensively in my contracting business, where I work in people's homes, I've got to keep from making a mess. Because I recognize this sanding system as being one of my most important tools, I bought a spare so that I would not be without one. About six months ago, things shifted in my van when I had to suddenly stop, and the hose connection on the lid got crushed. So I found I had to wait for a replacement lid to be shipped to me... But the company quickly shipped a new lid at no charge! Now, that is true customer service!!!

The Sand Kleen MT800 was simply great! It took a horrible, messy job and made it reasonable. The sanding screens tend to tear and I used about 6 of them sanding about 800 square feet so pick up a supply at your local hardware store before you begin. Make sure you read the instructions to understand how the valves on the unit work so you get the right amount of suction. Having a clean filter in the shop vac is also very important.

Truely a great product for the do-it-yourself person. Although moving the block back and forth to sand the walls is still a lot like work, the process was dustless as advertised. I must confess, though, that I replaced the hand sander block with a small Makita orbital dustless palm sander (it's exhaust port fits the Sand and Kleen hose perfectly.) I, then, was able to sand a 12 x 30 foot room in less than an hour. This is a great product and I wish I had known about it years ago as I really hate wearing a dust mask.

Works beautifully. You don't even need to use a mask, although I highly recommend one. It was a little loud at first but after 15 minutes of use, the whistling had disappeared. I opted to go out and purchase a small dryvac to use with it, but one of the attachments fit my household vac perfectly. The suction issue mentioned in a previous post can be corrected by following the instructions it comes with. The hose is great too because it's so long, I can place the bucket in the middle of room and not have to move it once while working.
br /The reason I gave it 4 starts instead of 5 was because of the lack of screens (only comes with 1), and the lack of some sort of pole attachment. Also, as mentioned in a previous post, I recommend using the 220 grit screens.

This is my second Sand Clean unit. I previously had the smaller capacity unit and it worked fine for me. This newer and larger size will work better and absorb more drywall dust. Of note, I add just a bit of surfactant (TSP) to increase the effectiveness of the dust-to-water-suspension action that this unit achieves. The sanding screen is the only component of this unit that functions just below expectations.
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It is a wonderful sanding system, not perfect, but so much better than without the sanding system.

This product is pretty much a fantastic buy. It really does suck up AT LEAST 95% of the drywall dust. I'm not sure it would hold up to the riggers of a professional drywall contractor, but it's great for a home owner or anyone who only does occassional drywall work. The only complaint that I can come up with (and it's a bit nit-picky) is that the lid is real flimsy. For the nearly fifty bucks that we're paying, the manufacturer could have put a thicker lid on there without denting their bottom line; that is the only reason I didn't give the product a five star rating. All in all, I'm very glad that I bought this product as it has made a PITA job alot less painful.

This system is only good for small jobs or maybe 1 wall. If you need to finish a big job or 4 walls find something else. I only used it for about an hour and realised it would take days longer to get the job done in the basement. Even after adjusting the vacuum control several times the sanding was still quit tough due to the suction. Overall it actually does work and traps 95% of the dust.

This is a great product! No, it's not a contractors qulity item but it's perfect for a homeowner like me! I used it on my room addition and achieved great results! Price was right and it did the job!

I tested a area that I will be working on later. The unit picked up about 95% of the dust. After my last job here at home without it, I got the word not to try that again. Ever. Now I can continue remodeling the house.

Overall, we are pleased with the results. Flat surfaces are easy to work on, corners and edges require a lot more work by hand. There was hardly any dust left. We used a humidifier as suggested. We think this also helped cut down on the dust.

The whistle of the hose is deafening! I put the bucket(sander system) and my shop vac in another room with the door closed and hose running out to the work area and it is still incredibly loud. You would think that the engineers of the product could have found a way to silence this thing. Comparing the noise of the sander with the shop vac as other reviewers have is like comparing the noise of a box fan with that of a fire engine. Yeah, the fire engine is much louder!
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br /Anyway, it works and cuts down on the dust greatly. Fortunately, I don't do this kind of work often.

This thing works great! We tried its extraction system with an orbital sander and it keeps the dust down so well you almost feel like you don't really need a maask (but of course you do).

This product works as advertised. It collects the vast majority of the dust generated by drywall sanding. Plastic parts are too breakable. That said, for under $50, this is worth every penny and then some. If I floated sheetrock professionally, I'd get something better able to stand up to use/abuse. For the "sweat equity" laborer, it's a gem.

First off - you get what you pay for. But for $42 you can buy this unit, use it on one project, and put it on Craigslist and hopefully get some of you money back. The hose and bucket lid are flimsy but functional. I put the long hose on the lid and it's not coming off. Rub a little oil on the fitting before hand and maybe you'll have better luck. Don't press to hard or you'll push the fitting right through the lid! If you're an old guy like me you will have sore joints in minutes using the hand sander, you'd be much better off with a pole sander. I purchased a Ryobi variable speed orbital sander($39)and duct taped the hose to the outlet on the sander which worked pretty good but I did have some dust cleanup to do. Using the orbital sander I did a 24 X 14 room in a few hours. So the $85 I spent was well worth the savings in time and effort.

This unit is a classic example of a good idea with poor execution. The hand unit on this over-priced system has a tendency to vacuum itself onto the wall surface, making smooth sanding impossible and laborious. The water filter is a nifty idea, but cumbersome. A better solution is a standard shop-vac with a drywall filter bag installed and skip the water bucket. This unit also has a tendency to produce a shrill whistle from the rushing air. Bottom line, if you can't afford the Porter Cable unit (I completely understand if you can't), then rent one until some manufacturer comes out with a decent power sander for the DIY market. You'll never be happy about the money spent on the MT800. Might be worth the effort for [$$$].

This product arrived as promised. This drywall hand sander works as promised. Nice easy to use it. The only problem is that is was missing the 2ea adaptors. I called the company and they sent it in 5 days.

I'm remodeling my living room which opens into the kitchen dining rooms, as well as stairs to 2nd floor. I had used old bedsheets to close off all openings before sanding. I started sanding the room without the MT800 and after a short time dust was all over the house. I ordered the MT800 and received it the next day. I sanded the room twice more and had alomost no dust. This product was excellent. Recommend for any DIY'r.

I should have heeded the warnings of other reviewers regarding the noise level of this device. It may be very effective at removing the dust, but I just can't deal with the noise. I suffer from tinnitus and when this thing began to scream, I thought I was going into orbit! No thank-you, I'd rather deal with the dust.

I was extremely pleased with the Sand and Klean Machine because it kept the sheetrock dust under control. This is totally essentual when remodling a house while you are still living in it. However, I was truly disappointed when the handle on the sanding block broke off in my hand. It worked great when I used it on the hallway,the family room,the hall pantry,the hall bath and even the master bath until the handle broke off in my hand while sanding the last wall of the master bathroom. Is it possible to get another one sent to me as soon as possible so that I can finish this room without createing a bunch of air born dust? I am awaiting your response.

What looks like a good idea needs some improvement. The only real issue was the absolutely ear piercing, ultra sonic noise this thing made. I had not expected to be wearing ear plugs and ear phones to work. The instructions address the issue but recommendations on how to control the noise were less that adequate. I believe if a smooth sided hose vice the corrugated hose were used it may lessen the noise. The hand held sanding head was awkward to use as well. On the good side it did collect the dust in the water well enough, but after 15 or 20 min. of use the noise was just too overwhelming. Swapping shop vacuums was of no help. I am accustom to nosy enviroments being in aerospace by trade and a woodworker by hobby, but this was LOUD on a ultrasonic level and it grated on the nerves.

My wife just hates it when I do drywall repairs around the house. That dust gets everywhere no matter how well you seal yourself in or how slowly you sand. There are dustless sanders on the market now that do a fantastic job but the professional versions are $$$. I don't do that much drywall sanding to merit that kind of tool. But the SandKleen is just the greatest. It really does suck up the dust, about 95% of it ended up in the water bucket or tubes. There is a loud sucking whistle sound at first but as soon as you place the sanding block to the wall and start sanding that pretty much disappears. The one sold here is a hand sander but there is a pole sander attachment available from the factory that is kind of fun to use. I use the sanding system with a TINY shop vac (one from Home Depot-Stinger) and my sanding projects go well with it. So there isn't a need to have a huge shop vac just about anything will work fine. The whole unit is very small and all the hoses and attachments store in the 5 gallon water bucket. Between jobs the system can be stored easily. I also use this for dust control on my wood sanding projects. I just tape the hose to the dust outlet where the dust bag would attach. Works just as good on wood dust. On clean up quite a bit of the dust remains inside the suction hose. So before you put it away be sure to blow that out really good. The thing is not really designed for heavy professional use, but if you're a drywall pro you already have a the good tool for sanding. But if you're a guy like me, a weekend warrior on a limited budget then this really is the economical answer to a dirty job.

I bought this unit and paid for two day shipping to control the dust in a room addition I am doing.I am skim coating and sanding everything. It arrived as expected but when I started the assembly, I discovered that it was missing one of the clamps that held the sanding screen to the sanding head. I immediately called the number on the product sheet and was assured that the part would be FedExed that day. One week later, after not recieving the part, I called again. The vendor once again assured me that it would be FedExed for next day delivery. That was the day before yesterday.I now dread going to the job. Despite other control measures, dust is everywhere, the part is no where to be found. My evaluation of this product is that it is useless as delivered. It is no better than the support you get when you have a problem.

Sticks to the wall with so much force that within a short amount of time you are worn out with 98% of the job still unfinished. This product should come with a certificate titled "sucker of the year award"......"purchasers name here". It's a very good idea, but not all good ideas convert into good products, not to mention a very EXPENSIVE not-good product. Think about it. How much would you pay for each of these pieces if purchased separately? You are getting a plastic bucket and lid that looks like a 5 gallon paint bucket, 20 feet of light duty plastic hose, a couple of shop vac type nozzle adapters, and the sanding head. Add it all up. Does it come anywhere close to 50 bucks? Here's a tip to reduce dust: Get a sponge and a bucket of water. Wet the sponge and start smoothing out the drywall. With a little practice you not only can smooth out the rough work, but also do most of the final smoothing too. No dust. Period. I used this product for about 10 minutes, then gave up. $50 bucks divided by 10 minutes. Thats $5.00 a minute.

i purchased this from menards for my work on my retirement home
br /finaly gor some dry wall up went to use the sandkleen but the adaptors were not in the box. guess i will try duck tape!

Where can I get the long pole sander to go with this item -- you only solved part of the problem with the hand sander -- I need to work on the ceilings, too.