Which wood sander?

[Snapped-off]

I'm pretty green on the woodworking side of tools. I have an old bench/chest I'd like to sand down and refinish.

Would I want a random orbital or a finish sander? Any recommendations? Only requirement is I want a corded tool. What should I look for in one of these?

Dimensions of the chest are roughly 33"x22"

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

A RO downs every thing, Bosch 5" is the one most recommended for the homeshop.

 

[RTM]

If you use a RO, you can get away with much finer paper. 150 on a RO removes stuff like 60 or 80 on a finish sander.

The finish will get up to the edges better than the RO tho.

 

[dogdog]

I have the ridgid 6" one then changed the sander pad to use 5" or was that 4.5" sanding hook and loops... the sander it self is super smooth on the hand compare the the craftsman. saying that.. RO are great for surfaces that are flat and open... not great on inside corners... so... you'll probably needed more than one type of sander.

 

[exmaxima1]

My Bosch 5" RO is the best tool investment I've made in a long time. The key to the performance is the vac system on it that keeps the paper from clogging up.

 

[rider]

The Swiss-made Bosch ROS65VC is really unsurpassed in power, low vibration, and dust removal efficiency. Also, on paper the motor only consumes 50% more power than the Malaysian manufactured ROS20VSK, but it works at least 4-5 times as quickly, whether finish sanding or standing in for a belt sander with coarse grit paper.

 

[macgee]

I agree with with what others have said about Bosch Sanders. I currently own these two and sold my Festool after I acquired these for $20. The Swiss made Bosch 3727 DVS felt just as good as the Festool. The Ridgid 6” isn’t bad especially since I bought a new pad for it; it works well and is my disposable don’t give a damn sander.

I like the 6 inch size because I can cover a lot more surface area but a small detail sander is recommended for the small detail work.

After saying all this, it looks like you don’t do too much sanding and I’ve had some good luck with Harbor freight Sanders that I considered as disposable for a project but it kept going on strong. Having the vacuum connection option is highly recommended and very useful. What a joy it is to sand and not have dust everywhere. Using the correct and good sandpaper is almost more important. I like Festool, Klingspor and buy Bosch if I find it on sale. That reminds me, I need to buy more sandpaper.

Whatever company you go with and type of sander, I strongly recommend that it has hook and loop sandpaper for a quick and easy change outs And has matching holes for the vacuum dust collection. Having variable speed is also very useful to dial in a better finish. If you buy a harbor freight sander, don’t go cheap on the sandpaper, harbor freight sandpaper is terrible and the finish on your project will show that.

 

[theoldwizard1]

If you are just refinishing, get a finish, square pad, palm sander.

Some other day you WILL need a good RO and Bosch is an excellent choice. My favorite seems to be discontinued Bosch 1250DEVS

 

[Snapped-off]

Man there's a lot of different sanders. I'm guessing this specific project is best served by a finishing sander. I don't have any other need for one for the near future.

HF would probably be the economical choice but I'd rather pick up a name brand.

Does Bosch still have Euro made models or are they all Asia now?

I checked some out at HD yesterday and they all felt about the same in my hands. I didn't care for the on/off switches on some of them. They had makita, milwaukee, rigid, ryobi, dewalt, and bosch. Just had 1 of each.

Any better place to get one than the box store?

 

[Kscardsfan]

Random orbit. You’ll be able to do the whole job with it. But spend some time researching what brands have been tested with the least vibration when they’re running. You don’t want to spend a weekend with one that will leave your hand numb and throbbing.

 

[Snapped-off]

Random orbit. You’ll be able to do the whole job with it. But spend some time researching what brands have been tested with the least vibration when they’re running. You don’t want to spend a weekend with one that will leave your hand numb and throbbing.

You think so for this chest? What kind of finishing work are the little ones made for?

I'm going to have to do the vertical rails by hand anyway so I guess the corners won't be a big deal to do by hand.

 

[macgee]

Snapped,

Looking at what's available at big box stores and your needs and based on price and performance & reviews; I recommend checking out the Bosch's RO 5" sander, model ROS20VSC, it's only $69 and compares to ones selling for way more. Anything selling for less doesn't seem justifiable or worth it. You'll always be able to pull it out when needed and will do a good job. It will be a good investment.

Comes with its own dust collector or you can hook it up with your wet vac. Has variable speed and vibration is reported to be low.

The stroke length is not fine nor course and will be a good performer for most jobs. Vibration seems to be pretty good and there's a bunch of good reviews on it.

There's a lot of others that are comparable to the Bosch but the low price and performance makes this one seem like a good choice and good allrounder. It's made in Malaysia but you'll have to pay for waaay more for a Euro made one. The other common sanders you see at big box stores even selling at much higher prices are being made in Asia.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-2...sher-Kit-with-Carrying-Bag-ROS20VSC/203866770

Totally agree on doing your research and looking at reviews and seeing if one pops out for you more than the others.

Don't know where you located so hard to recommend a spot other than big stores or buying online like CPO, Amazon, Acme Tools, keep an out on shipping cost. Unfortunately, most local tool shops have disappeared but there maybe one near you?

CPO sells refurbished ones but currently out of stock (leave your email on product page and they'll let you know when they come back in stock but you never know when that will be). I've had good luck with CPO's refurbs and they're still going strong and comes with a factory warranty. Bosch has an excellent warranty and find there is worth the extra money.

https://www.cpooutlets.com/factory-reconditioned-bosch-ros20vsc-rt-5-in.--vs-palm-random-orbit-sander-kit-with-canvas-carrying-bag/bshrros20vsc-rt.html

 

[PugetDude]

My 5" Makita RO died a spectacular shower-of-sparks death recently after 20 years of dedicated service. I gave it a proper burial.
Replaced it with the 5" Bauer RO from HF, I already had a Milwaukee at the cabin I planned on swapping for the Makita anyway. Have to say I'm impressed with it. Good balance, plenty of power, minimal vibration, nice sawdust trap.
$29 on sale. Overall, it's a better sander than the old Makita it replaced, IMO.
Let the HF hatefest begin.

 

[ddawg16]

I have 3...it's not enough.....one of them I don't use....POS Craftsman

The other 2, (both orbital sanders), one is a Ryobi and the other a Bosch. They both do about the same job.

I prefer the square orbital over the round RO's because I can get into a corner with the square ones AND I can make my sanding sheets from standard sheet of sandpaper.

I have one set up with 80 grit....the other with 150. This is for stuff getting painted.

If it's going to get stained....then I finish up with 400.

I'm watching deals for another one so I can set it up with 400 and not have to change paper so often

 

[PCustoms]

^^^hell of a jump from 150 to 400....

Can someone explain to me the difference between a finishing sander and RO?

I've seen a LOT of high end, high quality woodworking and gelcoat. Favorite sander in production shops was always a dynabrade RO if air was available, followed by the electrics.

 

[ddawg16]

^^^hell of a jump from 150 to 400....

Can someone explain to me the difference between a finishing sander and RO?

I've seen a LOT of high end, high quality woodworking and gelcoat. Favorite sander in production shops was always a dynabrade RO if air was available, followed by the electrics.

Because I run that 150 down to the point it's equal to about 300.

When I'm staining, I usually use a wood conditioner which raises the grain a bit...and shows me any scratches....that is when I finish up with 400.

 

[Milton Shaw]

Finishing sanders are much slower removing material than an RO sander. The movement on a finishing sander is just a small circle or slight back and forth if it is a straight line sander. I had a Crapsman that had a lever to change. Worked very slowly on sanding. An RO sander the motion is a circle within a circle and removes stock very fast. The speed of cut is about like a disk sander but the finish is like a vibrating sander if that makes sense. The auto body (pneumatic) sanders the orbit circle is much larger than the electrics and removes finish a lot faster. They are not recommended for wood as they will occasionally discharge water or oil mist onto the wood if your air system is not dry and filtered correctly, and they do use a lot of air. The cheaper pneumatic have to be oil lubricated and that creates a lot of the misting problems. The $400-500 pneumatics are oil free but out of my price range for sanders. I have three Porter Cable RO sanders. Two of them are 20 years old and on second or third PS pads. The newest one is hook and loop with vacuum system that I bought two years ago. All the newer RO sanders have speed limiters that keep the pad from spinning at high speed if not in contact with wood. The older Porter Cables I have don't do that so you don't start the sander until you have it on sanding surface or the disk will dig a divot in the wood. Still better to start all RO sanders after you contact the workpiece. You will notice some spin up of the disk if you leave it running without contact but the speed is limited on all current RO sanders by usually a large rubber "O" ring as a brake for the disk.

 

[CTyankee]

Random orbital...with a variable speed. Could grab a finishing palm sander to, can be had for pretty cheap.

 

[Kscardsfan]

You think so for this chest? What kind of finishing work are the little ones made for?

I'm going to have to do the vertical rails by hand anyway so I guess the corners won't be a big deal to do by hand.

They square finish sanders are nice for corners etc. but slower overall and can do more harm than good if you get a little heavy handed or slow in one spot. But that’s true of all sanders to a degree. The random orbit gives you much faster results and makes it harder to leave streaks or lines in the finished product. And you can get some amazingly fine grit discs for that last bit of finishing work.

 

[macgee]

They square finish sanders are nice for corners etc. but slower overall and can do more harm than good if you get a little heavy handed or slow in one spot. But that’s true of all sanders to a degree. The random orbit gives you much faster results and makes it harder to leave streaks or lines in the finished product. And you can get some amazingly fine grit discs for that last bit of finishing work.

Agree, the cheap and older square sanders that your father had, left those ultra annoying mini circles on the wood surface. It was always the game of going through many grits to avoid them and they would still show. RO is the way to go.

Another decision is stroke length, shorter is for finer but slower and take forever to get a job done. A large aggressive stroke is quick and and can remove a lot of material but can leave undesired marks.

Most finish carpenters have both or more but when only getting one sander, find an average stroke and work with it for finishing. I have a small corner (Fein) sander (triangle shape) to get into those small tight spots.

 

[Pingel85]

I have a older porter cable random orbit. Looking at your picture, plenty of flat space for the RO to work, you might just have to hand finish in the inside corners. I’ve rebuilt/repaired this RO multiple times, so I can’t justify buying a Bosch yet. Look for a used one on cL or fb.

Using hook and loop is the greatest thing in the world, I hate having to cut down actual paper and then try to get it under the clamps perfect so it doesn’t slide around. Also allows for the ability of dust collection.

I have a finish sander that sits unused in the drawer

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Sanders, I really don't know how many I have. I like shaping wood as well as finishing it.

1/4 sheet, it's the tool I use the most. Mine is an early DeWalt. It's a French design. It's a finish sander, last one used. Luv it

3x24 Makita belt sander, it's THE industrial standard. On sheet of plywood, it's the first tool followed by finish sander.

RO, mine is an early Bosch 5", it's on it's third hook and loop backing plate. They are a wear item.

1/2 sheet. I have a Bosch, it you want a dead flat surface, this tool will give you it. That can be slow and frustrating at times. I used it a lot on a cedar strip canoe, outside and with an adapter on the inside as well.

Detail Sander I have Porter Cable one. It was a short lived model. With an adapter, I used it on the canoe . It works in corners and edges. as well.

Multicrafter, I haven't used that feature of my Fien yet. Another corner and edge tool.

Disc sander. I'm one of the very few that use one on wood. It's a hog.

 

[Sawdust_]

Finishing sanders are much slower removing material than an RO sander. The movement on a finishing sander is just a small circle or slight back and forth if it is a straight line sander. I had a Crapsman that had a lever to change. Worked very slowly on sanding. An RO sander the motion is a circle within a circle and removes stock very fast. The speed of cut is about like a disk sander but the finish is like a vibrating sander if that makes sense. The auto body (pneumatic) sanders the orbit circle is much larger than the electrics and removes finish a lot faster. They are not recommended for wood as they will occasionally discharge water or oil mist onto the wood if your air system is not dry and filtered correctly, and they do use a lot of air. The cheaper pneumatic have to be oil lubricated and that creates a lot of the misting problems. The $400-500 pneumatics are oil free but out of my price range for sanders. I have three Porter Cable RO sanders. Two of them are 20 years old and on second or third PS pads. The newest one is hook and loop with vacuum system that I bought two years ago. All the newer RO sanders have speed limiters that keep the pad from spinning at high speed if not in contact with wood. The older Porter Cables I have don't do that so you don't start the sander until you have it on sanding surface or the disk will dig a divot in the wood. Still better to start all RO sanders after you contact the workpiece. You will notice some spin up of the disk if you leave it running without contact but the speed is limited on all current RO sanders by usually a large rubber "O" ring as a brake for the disk.

I second the recommendation of the porter cable 6" sander (model 7346) Its more expensive but it's a beast and will knock out a big sanding job much, much quicker. The extra bonus is that it's an amazing buffing polishing machine too.
I've had mine for 12 years and its still going strong- the boat building/refinishing crowd swear by them.

 

[strutaeng]

I've got the older PC 7346 and it's really good. It was speed control. When I sanded the exterior of my house I bought a Bosch1250DEVS. It's very nice. Has a course and fine mode. #40 sanding disc on course mode will eat wood! If I have to select one, it would be the Bosch. Also has a nice dust port that works well and the speed control is nice. I don't own a Festool sander, but this is pretty close is what I've heard. Same as the Bosch jigsaw being almost as good as the Festool. I do have a CT36 Festool vacuum and the original Domino.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001408SO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

If you want a good 1/4 sheet look for an old Porter Cable Speed-Bloc. I've used one years ago, and it is really nice for finish sanding (not stripping.) I've been meaning to get one. You can sometimes buy them cheap at yard sales, etc.

 

[Bretny]

I went through about 3 ridgid 1/4 sheet palm sanders just putting new trim in my 1300psqft house. The locks that hold the paper would always get sanded down and the paper would fall off.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Porter-...al-Sander-with-Polishing-Pad-7346SP/202910698
I ended up getting one of these. The variable speed makes the tool so much more usefull and the paper never falls off. I have sanded a bit of hardwood with it and it works very well. Paper is comparable to 1/4 sheet as 6in is a standard in the auto body world. It dosnt do inside corners very well but any sander that does inside corners well prob would take for ever on large flat areas.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

The Porter Cable Speed Bloc was considered best of the 1/4 sheet sanders. But Porter Cable was bought by B&D and sadly is now nothing more than a cheaper brand than DeWalt. The current grey Porter Cable 1/4 sheet has the same look as my yellow one. it might be good?

 

[strutaeng]

The Porter Cable Speed Bloc was considered best of the 1/4 sheet sanders. But Porter Cable was bought by B&D and sadly is now nothing more than a cheaper brand than DeWalt. The current grey Porter Cable 1/4 sheet has the same look as my yellow one. it might be good?

Yeah, that Speed Bloc was considered the gold standard, but unfortunately has been out of production for many years. I'd buy the original one. Either used or NOS.

Since it's "old" they go for cheap at flea markets, garage sales, etc. NOS on ebay will obviously command high prices. There are also Rockwell versions, I think that are basically the same design.

I bought a Skil brand 1/4 sheet a while ago and I just used once. It was a big disappointment. Sanding by hand seemed to get more work done, LOL. I'd probably use it for like scuff sanding or something like that.

 

[tarbellb]

BEST FIRST SANDER= 5/6" RO

BEST $ RO= BOSCH ROS20VSC ($50ish)

BEST $$$ RO = BOSCH 1250DVS or upgraded version.... ($300ish)



Additional sanders are just a luxury for beginners. Plan on hand sanding everywhere the sander cant get to (1/4 sheet sanders ****).

 

[pkpk]

I have the HF Bauer random orbital sander someone else pointed out - https://www.harborfreight.com/28-amp-5-in-random-orbital-palm-sander-63999.html - which I got for $25 with coupon, and it works just fine for me.

Recently I've been helping a friend with a big renovation project and using his Bosch RO sander (looks like the ROS20VSC that's been mentioned here). In terms of performance, I don't notice much difference between that and the Bauer but the Bosch has a slightly bigger handle/grip which feels more comfortable in my hands.

 

[macgee]

Do people still use 1/4 sanders? Thats like still using your dad's old Black & Decker/craftsman corded non reversible hand drill that still needs a chuck key.

There a good reason why there's so many $1-$5 ones at garage sales and I'm not talking about the drill.

 

[Snapped-off]

Man there's a ton of different models. I was kind of already eyeing a Bosch prior to this thread. I think I'll end up picking up the 5" Palm R/O from Bosch, the 20VSC I believe. I had a look at Lowes today, and all they had for sanders was a cordless Dewalt. No other brands.

 

[Snapped-off]

Although I did stumble on the ROS65VSC which is also a 5" palm R/O. It appears to be assembled in Hungary. Has anyone used one of these? Goes for about $220 online but it looks like it's out of stock everywhere. Discontinued?

 

[macgee]

Although I did stumble on the ROS65VSC which is also a 5" palm R/O. It appears to be assembled in Hungary. Has anyone used one of these? Goes for about $220 online but it looks like it's out of stock everywhere. Discontinued?

Now your muddying up the water with that price, you're now opening yourself to all kind of options in sanders.

Thats a great sander, I use to have one. The vibration is super, super low on it and has a hand grip that I like that's farther out in the front that gives you nice stability that helps reduce tilting when sanding and its comfortable; you would love it. It's a pretty big sander and a serious performer that wont make your hands go numb. Mine was made in Switzerland and I would look for one of those if possible. If I remembered correctly I think mine could also accommodate a 6" pad on it (?) but I've had several different models and they all start blending in together. It is a lot of money to sink into for the occasional user, not saying don't get it but the Bosch 20VSC will also do a good job (have u checked your local HomeDepot?). You're talking about a difference between a $67 sander and $250 sander after taxes (apples & oranges).

Maybe go for the cheaper one, and then get a small corner finish sander with the $180 you saved, that would cover you for all types of jobs. If you start wanting/justifying a better performer later on, then you know what to get.

 

[Snapped-off]

Now your muddying up the water with that price, you're now opening yourself to all kind of options in sanders.

Thats a great sander, I use to have one. The vibration is super, super low on it and has a hand grip that I like that's farther out in the front that gives you nice stability that helps reduce tilting when sanding and its comfortable; you would love it. It's a pretty big sander and a serious performer that wont make your hands go numb. Mine was made in Switzerland and I would look for one of those if possible. If I remembered correctly I think mine could also accommodate a 6" pad on it (?) but I've had several different models and they all start blending in together. It is a lot of money to sink into for the occasional user, not saying don't get it but the Bosch 20VSC will also do a good job (have u checked your local HomeDepot?). You're talking about a difference between a $67 sander and $250 sander after taxes (apples & oranges).

Maybe go for the cheaper one, and then get a small corner finish sander with the $180 you saved, that would cover you for all types of jobs. If you start wanting/justifying a better performer later on, then you know what to get.

Yeah, I don't mind buying a nice one. While I don't think a Fein or Festool would be worth it for my usage, I can justify a higher end of one of the other brands. I know the 65 above would be overkill for my current need, but you never know. This is GJ afterall.

My local HD has the 20VSC for $70, it was the only Bosch model they had.

 

[macgee]

Yeah, I don't mind buying a nice one. While I don't think a Fein or Festool would be worth it for my usage, I can justify a higher end of one of the other brands. I know the 65 above would be overkill for my current need, but you never know. This is GJ afterall.

My local HD has the 20VSC for $70, it was the only Bosch model they had.

No idea where your located but maybe find a local Festool dealer just to check them out, al the dealers are very informed and helpful. They're considered the best you can get and have an excellent re-sale value, the best of any product so its a much better investment than other similar machines (thats if you sell it).

Be very careful of new Fein's. They were at the very top in quality and you paid dearly for it but they now sell models made in China that are priced much lower and pretty much the same as a Makita or Dewalt.

 

[JeepJohn62]

I have a Dewalt orbital sander. Works good for me.


Sent from my SM-A102U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Bluedodge]

I have the HF Bauer random orbital sander someone else pointed out - https://www.harborfreight.com/28-amp-5-in-random-orbital-palm-sander-63999.html - which I got for $25 with coupon, and it works just fine for me.

Recently I've been helping a friend with a big renovation project and using his Bosch RO sander (looks like the ROS20VSC that's been mentioned here). In terms of performance, I don't notice much difference between that and the Bauer but the Bosch has a slightly bigger handle/grip which feels more comfortable in my hands.

Man, I'm glad you posted this. I also have a cheap and basic HF sander and it works great.

I can't see the need to spend bigger $$$ on such a basic tool.

 

[Showkey]

Another data point on pad sanders..........

Have a Milwaukee pad sander 30 plus years old that has barely been used in the last 15 years.
RO orbit sanders Metabo, Porter Cable and Bosch all are the tools of choice depending on the job.

Find no reason own or use a pad sander. Yes, even the best professional pad sander will put little swirls in the sander surface. Yes, the pad sander was the standard before electric RO became available to the wood shop.

 

[strutaeng]

Do people still use 1/4 sanders? Thats like still using your dad's old Black & Decker/craftsman corded non reversible hand drill that still needs a chuck key.

There a good reason why there's so many $1-$5 ones at garage sales and I'm not talking about the drill.

Yes, I would think so, mostly to get into corners and for finer finishing.

But they have fallen out of favor mostly.

I just trimmed out some stair in a house addition. I sanded risers and treads before installing, but for refinishing down the road a 1/4 sheet will come in handy to get into the corners of each tread.

And I did finally find a use my multitool triagular sander thingy, to sand around the balusters!

 

[dnschmidt]

If you are just refinishing, get a finish, square pad, palm sander.

Some other day you WILL need a good RO and Bosch is an excellent choice. My favorite seems to be discontinued Bosch 1250DEVS

The replacement is much better. For one it rotates the pad clockwise in forced rotation mode and it's more powerful. I use mine for car polishing. I have two of the 1250DEVS' so I can make a fair comparison. Only complaint I have with the new model is that it is LOUD.