Dropped my orbital sander off a 10ft ladder - still works! What's your 'abuse test' story?

Hey all, had a classic 'oh crap' moment yesterday. Was sanding some cedar fascia boards on my ladder, phone rang, and my 5" DeWalt random orbital took a dive from about 10 feet onto concrete patio. Heart sank - figured it was toast. Picked it up, cord was fine, housing had a nasty scuff but no cracks. Fired it up and... purrs like nothing happened! No weird vibrations, still holds paper fine. Honestly impressed. Makes me wonder - what's the dumbest thing you've done to a sander that it survived (or didn't)?

DemoDave, that's rookie stuff. Try dropping a belt sander off a second-story scaffold into wet mud. My old Makita 3x24 took that hit, hosed it off, let it dry overnight. Still runs today, 8 years later. But my buddy's cheap store-brand orbital died from a 3ft drop onto grass. It's all about the housing and motor mounts. DeWalt's decent, but if you want a tank, get a Metabo or Festool. Their stuff eats concrete dust for breakfast.

Whoa, 10ft! My hands sweat just reading that. I once left my Ryobi orbital outside overnight in the rain (oops). Let it dry for 2 days, sprayed some contact cleaner in the switch, and it worked! But last month, my son knocked my palm sander off the workbench - maybe 3ft - and the pad holder cracked. Fixed it with epoxy, but now it wobbles. Are the expensive ones really that much tougher? Asking for a... clumsy friend.

Rick, I feel you on the rain - did that with a drill once. Dan's right about build, but cost matters for us non-pros. My DeWalt's a mid-range, and it survived, so maybe the sweet spot? Though I did kill a cheap orbital by sanding through adhesive residue - gummed up the bearing in 10 mins. Lesson learned: abuse is one thing, misuse is another. Still, after yesterday, I'm team 'buy once, cry once' for sanders now.

Rick, yes, they're tougher. But for DIY, just don't buy the bottom shelf. DemoDave's DeWalt is proof. Check the warranty too - some pro models have 3-5 years, which tells you something. And stop leaving tools in the rain, both of you. My 2 cents: if it survives a drop, keep it. If it dies, upgrade. Threads like this are why I stick to this forum - real talk, not specs on a box.