Scored a DeWalt 5" Random Orbital Sander for $50 — Worth It?

So I was at a garage sale this weekend and found a DeWalt DWE6421 5" random orbital sander. It looks barely used, but it was covered in dust. The guy said he used it once and didn't like it. He let it go for $50! I couldn't pass it up. I already have a Makita, but for that price I couldn't resist. Is this a good sander or did I waste my money?

Dude, that's a steal! I've used that DeWalt model at work and it's solid. I mean, it's no Festool, but for $50 you can't beat it. I'd say you scored big. I've got a Porter-Cable myself, but I've heard great things about DeWalt's dust collection. Just make sure you hook it up to a vac or at least a dust bag, or you'll be eating sawdust.

Nice find, Mike! I've restored a bunch of furniture with that exact sander. It's a workhorse. The variable speed is great for different grits, and it's pretty smooth. One tip: check the velvet pad on the back of the sanding disc. If it's worn, get a new one—they're cheap. Also, if you're doing finer work, you might want to get some better sanding discs. The ones that come with it are meh.

@PlumberPaul248 Thanks for the tip about the pad. I'll check that. It came with a box of new discs, so I'm set there. I'm planning to use it for a big refinishing project on some old kitchen cabinets I got from a flipper. Figuring it'll be a good test. Now I just need to fix the wobble in my table saw... but that's a story for another thread!