Unless the sander has a good dust collection system, you're asking for trouble, especially if you have lead paint. And I think the dust from a sander would be worse to work with (because of particle size) than the leavings from scraping by hand.

I have never used the Silent Paint Remover, however it seems interesting, if a little pricey, and perhaps heavy as well. I have used a heat plate, which takes some experience to avoid scorching your building, and always carries the risk of structure fire if used carelessly. In addition lead paint is reported to vaporize at the working temps of the heat plate. However, used outside that may not be such a larger personal protection problem.

I would not use a heat gun on exteriors because of the risk of igniting hidden bits of stuff within the walls. I have only used heat guns on pieces removed from the structure, e.g complicated molding pieces, etc.

I have also read very good things about steam paint removal. You can check out info about at JOhn Leeke's website: www.historichomeworks.com. I have not done much with that myself, just odds and ends of tests, but it seems promising. I don't know whether you could do a whole house that way or not. But you could ask on his forum and get some experienced users to describe their process.

HTH

Molly~

Porter Cable makes a rotary scraper with carbide blades. It's less dusty than a grinder disc, I believe. You should still do some kind of dust abatement. Drop cloths, water sprayer, don't work in windy conditions. Wear a respirator, change your clothes before leaving a trail through the house!
Casey