Random Orbital Sanders

[morpheus83uk]

Hello,

I currently have a Bosch Multi sander which I bought a while ago which was on sale and cheap and has served me around 4 years of use which is very good. However I am now looking at getting one which can give a finer finish and remove stock quicker when required. So after some reading a random orbital sander is apparently the way to go.

What sort of things would I be looking out for? I am looking at doing normal sanding jobs, sanding my fences outside and stock removal where required if the wood is splintered etc. I know belt sanders are best for heavy stock removal but as this wont be a regular occurrence the internet seems to say that this is the best in between an orbital sander and belt sander where you get the best of both worlds.

I have read that variable speed is a good thing as is dust extraction (obviously) so I am wondering what peoples thoughts are about what to look for? Any recommendations?

Cordless vs corded?

Thanks

James

 

[foxhole]

Have the six inch makita, great sander but needs sacrificial pads to avoid rapid wear of the main pad which is expensive to replace.Also have a belt sander. Sounds like you need a plane as the sander if a finishing tool not intended for removing great amounts of material especially timber.Don't know why you would want to sand a fence?

 

[morpheus83uk]

Hi thanks for the response.

I have an electric plane which I do use, its more for if I need to reduce something as I have filled it too much / small splinters in the stock. The reason for the fence is that it has many knot holes so I am filling them with wood filler and then sanding them down to be painted over as currently kids and adults alike love to have a good nosy in the garden!

Thanks

James

 

[aptsys]

I have the Bosch GEX 150 Turbo for use where the belt sander is inappropriate. The forced rotation mode removes material very quickly and random orbit mode gives a good clean finish.
I also have the Bosch GEX 125-150 AVE which is much nicer to use, but doesn't have the forced rotation mode.

 

[morpheus83uk]

Hi,

Thanks I will have a look out for them.

What sort of things should I be looking for when getting one of these? Corded or cordless and what kind of features?

Thanks

James

 

[morpheus83uk]

After doing some looking around I do like some of the sanders which have been stated (but maybe a little too pricey for me) and so far I have found the two below seem to be good and come up on lots of sites with good reviews such as comparison sites, amazon etc. I am wondering what people's thoughts are between the two if anyone has used them what they are like, pro's and cons.

I like the variable speed on the Makita since it has a bigger range so you can slow the sanding right down but I presume this would be more for polishing say a car but I could be wrong. The Bosch seems to start at 7500 OPM which I don't know if that's good or bad as its slowest speed setting. Both of them seem to be good at stock removal and give good results when finishing ready for varnishing or whatever else.

What do people think?

Makita: https://www.amazon.com/Makita-BO504...003M5IWM8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Bosch: https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-ROS20V...00BD5G9VA/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Thanks

James

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Only cordless sanders I've ever used are multitools and the small 125mm Makita (DBO180). The multitools are specifically small area tools and just won't do larger areas - at least not without inducing deafness, annoyed neighnours and/or vibration white finger..... They are also s - l - o - w. The small Makita random orbit isn't the best example of it's type - it's also slow, a bit gutless, heavy and has peculiar balance and ergonomics as well as having an appatite for batteries. We have one for follow-up work where we may not have access to 110 volt power, but where something heavier than hand sanding is required. As a snagging/touch-up tools it works acceptably and nothing more

 

[morpheus83uk]

Thanks for that so basically cordless seem to be out as I have seen good but mostly bad reviews about them anyway and seem to be very expensive in comparison yo some of the corded models.

Has anyone got any suggestions about the above two sanders or anything in the same range as the above?

Thanks

James