Random Orbit Sander Recommendations?

[HankB]

I'm considering purchase of a random orbit sander, which I hope will do a better & faster job on achieving a "furniture grade" finish than my old B&D 1/3 sheet sander.

For my occasional use I can't justify buying a Mirka or Festool, so I'm looking at Bosch, Dewalt, Makita, and Ryobi units in the $50-$75 range - the sort of things you can buy at HD, Lowes, etc.

Recommendations (Buy This Model!) and warnings (Don't Buy This Model!) would be welcome.

[Kingcreek]

I have a Dewalt and it’s ok but if the price is close I would go with Bosch every time

[RoadKingLarry]

I've got a Dewalt corded RO sander that has held up very well for me. I have used to sand for bottom jobs on 3 different sailboats over the passed 7 years as well as many woodworking projects. I have used it hard, possibly bordering on abuse and it still keeps right on going.
This looks like the current offering of the one I have.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-3-Amps-Orbital-Sander-with-Bag/1002342778

[Unisaw]

I have a Bosch ROS and have been happy with it.  But, I don’t have anything to compare it to.

[cordex]

I got a corded Makita and it works great so far, but like Unisaw I don’t have much to compare it with.

[tokugawa]

Mine are all PC, 5" disk, dump the dust can and hook it up to a small shop vac with a 1" hose, with a fine bag and a pleated filter.
I would not bother with a battery type for much use, as the vac needs a cord anyway.

[HankB]

Looking at the reviews, Bosch ($59), DeWalt ($75), and Makita ($89) all seem to have their adherents.

Bosch seems to lead in smoothness and dust collection, but is slowest at removing stock and is more easily stalled if you press down too hard. (Ok, ok, "Let the sander do the work and don't force it!") Some have commented that they don't use it at any but the highest speed. I have a Bosch 1590EVS jigsaw I purchased gently-used on Ebay and really like it; it has secondary blade guides similar to Festool's to keep the blade straight. So I know Bosch made some good stuff.

DeWalt and Makita both are praised for their higher power. I have a little detail sander from Makita that does what it's supposed to, but I owned a DeWalt jigsaw for about 6 hours before I returned it because the blade kept falling out - a problem other people had with it, too. (A B&D drill I have works fine - made, of course, by the same parent company as DeWalt. BUT - I DID have trouble finding a replacement switch. As I did for a B&D router.) One Makita review was critical of the dust collection bag, but I figure I'll either be using it outside or using my shop vac to collect the dust.

Decisions, decisions . . .

[cordex]

One Makita review was critical of the dust collection bag,

I have mostly used mine with the shop vac, but I guess the bag works okay - just fills up fast.

[zahc]

What do you actually use these for?

I've never had one or wanted one. What am I missing?

[HankB]

What do you actually use these for?

Since I don't have one (yet!) I was hoping for someone else to jump in, but I'll try to answer your question.

You use them for sanding.

 


Seriously, random orbital sanders both spin a round piece of sandpaper around the axis of the sander, and move the center of the rotation as well - this randomizes the motion and helps to prevent swirl marks as well as producing a fine finish with fast stock removal. They're popular for sanding the top of surfaces like butcher block tables and/or cutting boards since they can level surfaces made up of different woods and grain directions. Like all tools, you have to be aware of what you're doing and manage your technique, sander speed setting, and sandpaper grit in order to get good results.

[RoadKingLarry]

They also employ dust collection to an attached collection bag or alternately to a vacuum hose. I think most have the option for both.

[HankB]

Just an update - I ended up buying the Makita BO5041 at Home Depot. It was just a little more expensive than the comparable Bosch, but the additional power sold me.

So far I've used it for several hours and have to say it works well - the dust catcher bag catches a good portion of the sawdust, but some leaks through and is scattered to the side; not much of an issue since I've been using it outside, but relying on the integral dust collector would still mean a mess if you were to use it indoors. The dust catcher exhaust seems to be an oddball size, so a shop vac or other dust collector vacuum might need an adapter.

Discs with "hook and loop" attachment seem to attach securely and are easy to center up to this point.

I looked at various YouTube videos on "how to sand" which discussed grit progression & removing pencil marks, and the stuff they talked about works.

So far, so good. 

[cordex]

That's the exact model I have.  Glad it's working well for you!