I’ve had a LOT of different sanders over the years: belt, square, little triangle shaped ones…but the random orbital sander is my Go-To. I just recently bought another one and wanted to give you a quick review. The reason I had to buy another one was because I was in the middle of sanding my library when the hook and loop on my old one died.
I went to Home Depot and held each one of their sanders in my hand. I wanted to find one that fit in my hand and that wasn’t too heavy. Two complaints I had with my last random orbital sander.
I chose a Bosch random orbital sander because it fit those requirements the best.
It fits in my grip perfectly and feels about half the weight of my old one.
I always buy hook and loop because it is so quick and easy to change the sanding disc. Eventually the hook part on the sander can wear out but that is replaceable.
There are two more awesome features that I didn’t even know were possibilities (it’s been about 5 years since I bought my last one).
1. It has the added benefit of having a vibration reduction feature. SWEET! Seriously, after sanding for a couple hours, my hand and arm will feel like … well, like when you take a metal rod and hit it hard against another metal rod. Kind of vibratey. It’s not fun. So — I was SUPER excited about that feature.
2. It has a fancy schmancy filter in the dust caniser that catches super fine dust. I was sold.
I get asked all the time for recommendations for tools that one should invest in when they want to get started in building their own furniture and cabinetry. A random orbital sander is definitely one of the first items to add to your power tool arsenal. You might not want to spend $70 on the Bosch Random Orbital Sander so I’ll tell you the features I always look for when selecting my sanders and you can shop around for something that will fit your needs and budget.
What to look for in a random orbital sander:
- Variable speed: because sometimes you need to s…l…o…w …it …down. It’s a gut thing.
- Some wood fillers aren’t supposed to be sanded with a motorized sander because it can knock it loose completely– but you might be ok if you just use a slow speed.
- Also, sanding a piece painted with latex enamel can cause the paint to soften and gum up on your sanding pad from the heat cased by friction. Sometimes if you slow it down it helps — a bit.
- Why Random Orbital? Random orbital means that the sanding pad rotates and also gyrates so you get sanding motion in a whole lot of different directions. All you have to do is guide the sander and let it do it’s thang!
- I look at maximum RPM’s. How fast will that baby go? Compare all the units you are considering. This one does 12,000 rpm’s. I wouldn’t want one that only got up to …like 8000. When I want to remove a lot of material, I use a course grit sandpaper and run it full blast. I do that a lot because my projects usually have to be coaxed into perfection.
- How does it feel in your hand?
- Dust collection. You don’t want it all flying around in your face.
How to use a random orbital sander.
- Start with a course grit and move up to fine. I generally start with 80 then move up to 120 and finish with 220.
- Don’t apply pressure. Just let the weight of the sander do the work. All you have to do is guide it.
- Keep it moving. Even thought the sander is orbiting randomly and kind of moving in a whole lot of directions, I still move it along with the grain of the wood. I honestly don’t think it matters what direction you move it. Just keep it moving. Unless you want to sand your surface unevenly, then by all means, hold it in one spot and sand away. Ha!
Camile says
Sandra, I’m LOVIN’ your tool suggestions and tutorials! I’m a newbie at doing the work on furniture and using tools with an expert sweetie that’s teaching me…but these help me understand the whys and wherefore. He just says ‘don’t do that, do it this way’. Really? lol One of these days I’m gonna be a big girl and buy my own! lol
Sandra says
LOL That’s funny (because I think I might be like that with Madison). Glad to help fill in the blanks. 🙂
Maren says
Thanks for the suggestion! I’m needing a new sander, and this one looks perfect. I’ll have to go check it out. I love finding a good tool that fits my little hands. And BTW, I love all your workshop fav posts. Keep ’em coming.
Sandra says
Thank you SO much for letting me know that you like the series. I really appreciate knowing that the information is useful. <3
Erin's Creative Energy says
I hate my current orbital sander because it’s big/bulky and weighs a ton. Hmmmm, I wonder how much arm twisting to get my hubby to agree to buy a new one.
Sandra says
LOL Hopefully not too much! I completely feel ya ’cause that’s where I was last month. I haven’t shopped for sanders in so long I was surprised at how much more compact and light this one is. It’s still a 5″ pad but the unit is smaller. Good luck.
Cyndia Montgomery says
A girl after my own heart! I love my DeWalt palm sander but its getting pretty old (15 years and counting) so I’m gonna check this one out! I need better dust collection anyway.
I also consider if it’s gonna make my hand fall asleep with the vibration. 😉
Sandra says
This dust collector rocks. My old sander used to spit dust out at me every time I turned it on. LOL I stuck with that bad boy for years though. LOVE this one so much more though.
Linda Harms says
PERFECT timing on this post! Having never had one, I mentioned a sander as a possible Christmas gift from my husband. Now I know what to suggest for type as well as brand.
Thank you for taking the time to share this valuable information. This “newby” (but of retirement age) DIY-er appreciates all the details!
Sandra says
I am glad it is helpful. AND, btw, there is never a bad time to start DIYing. Yeah you!
Chantelle - ThousandSquareFeet says
Just bought one myself but nothing fancy. Need it to grind the counter tops so went with a not-too-expensive one, in case we burn it out. I hear they are the best for sanding down furniture that needs to be repainted. I will be doing that as well and I look forward to seeing how it works. I just may buy a better one when I get used to it.
Sandra says
I bought a grinder from Harbor Freight Tools for like $30 that is awesome. That thing has power! If your ROS isn’t doing the job, check out HFT. or…
LOL I just pictured you up on your countertop with a floor sander which was my next suggestion. Ha. It’s late!
Enjoy your new ROS. 🙂
kinzie says
I’m a big fan. Loving your videos and posts. Q: I have a palm sander, no complaints, but I’ve never used a ROS. Would an ROS help me get big jobs completed more quickly? Does the type of sander make a difference if I’m going to stain rather than paint the wood? My palm sander does a good job as long as I stay with the grain. But it is slow going.
Sandra says
If you need to remove a LOT of material you’ll do best with a drum sander but you have to be careful with those because it’s easy to take off TOO much — fast!
Mark says
My experience with a ROS is when I have to stain and poly the wood,the ROS leaves a very visible swirl pattern. Is there a way to avoid that?
Sandra says
You may be applying too much pressure. Just let the sander to the work and don’t push. And work down from a low grit to higher grit in sequence ending with 220 or higher.