LAllenP

Since both of these fellows have experience with each others' approaches, it'd be interesting to hear them factor in all the ancillary costs (initially learning techniques, trips to the store to buy sandpaper, tool maintenance and longevity, shop clean-up) in their comparison.

Also, I bet a hybrid approach (some hand planing & some machine sanding) may offer the most speed & versatility. For example, I prefer hand planing, but when cleaning up an exterior porch floor prior to repainting, I don't risk damaging a hand plane! Machine sanding with coarse grit gives me a paintable surface with no worries about hitting nail heads or bits of grit embedded in the old paint!

Since both of these fellows have experience with each others' approaches, it'd be interesting to hear them factor in all the ancillary costs (initially learning techniques, trips to the store to buy sandpaper, tool maintenance and longevity, shop clean-up) in their comparison. Also, I bet a hybrid approach (some hand planing & some machine sanding) may offer the most speed & versatility. For example, I prefer hand planing, but when cleaning up an exterior porch floor prior to repainting, I don't risk damaging a hand plane! Machine sanding with coarse grit gives me a paintable surface with no worries about hitting nail heads or bits of grit embedded in the old paint.