Random Orbital Sander vs Palm Sander

[roger wiegand]

I still have my longe beloved PC330, which was the go-to palm sander for decades. I never use it any more, I only keep it for sentimental reasons. My Deros and Festool sanders sand rings around it.

[glenn bradley]

I have a Makita and a Bosch 1/4 sheet sander. The Makita I use with a syntho pad when cleaning cast iron surfaces. The Bosch probably has less than an hours use on it; had it well over 10 years.

[Alex Zeller]

There's a number of tools that still exist simply because some people feel that there's always an option of a power tool to save time in doing something by hand. I suspect that those buying them are not woodworkers but carpenters.

[Frank Pratt]

There's a number of tools that still exist simply because some people feel that there's always an option of a power tool to save time in doing something by hand. I suspect that those buying them are not woodworkers but carpenters.

Or mostly home handy persons. The don't have the knowledge set to choose tools that will be truly useful & those that won't.

[Bill McNiel]

I us a Festool DTS 400 EQ for inside corners and edges. that's what is was designed for and it does a really good job. My only complaint is that it will not accept the square base, that sucks.

[Jim Dwight]

I will try a different way to make the point I tried to make earlier. It isn't the shape of the pad that determines whether a sander is useful, it is the action of the pad. Linear motion leads to very slow progress and is to me a useless sander. I'd rather sand by hand. A square pad sander with orbital or random orbit motion is useful. Orbital will leave scratches, however. But they can be removed with a little hand sanding. A round pad random orbit sander is not better or worse than a square pad random orbit sander. The square pad can be an advantage in the corners.

[Frank Pratt]

I will try a different way to make the point I tried to make earlier. It isn't the shape of the pad that determines whether a sander is useful, it is the action of the pad. Linear motion leads to very slow progress and is to me a useless sander. I'd rather sand by hand.

Precisely this.