I would turn it up to 12,000 orbits, sand with it, then raise it up to see what happens. If nothing happens, or you are still not happy with the operation, take it back to Home Depot and ask for a demonstration of the features. If the features can not be demonstrated...then you have a choice to make. The feature you are describing sounds desireable. I always turn a sander off if I raise it up for more than...say...30 seconds. I don't like it freewheeling without a load. Keep us posted. I need a new ROS.