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From Workbench MagazineAll rights reserved

page 1 of 6 ©2003 August Home PublishingOne copy for personal use. Other copies prohibited.

Plans N O Ww w w . p l a n s n o w . c o m

®

AW

ARD OF QUALITYEDITOR’S CHOICE

WORKBENCH

®

June 2004

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES SERIES

Workbench TOOL TEST

I’m guessing that most woodworkersbuy power sanders grudgingly. Afterall, I’ve never heard anyone wax poetic

about the satisfaction and inner peacethat comes from hours of sanding. Sothe experience of spending hard-earnedmoney for a sander is, at best, unful-filling.

But among the seven sanders wetested, some elevate these tools from a“necessary evil” to one you love to hate.Hardly auspicious, but hey, sanding willalways be sanding.

Quite frankly, as we began testingthese tools, we had no idea that theymight have such attitude-shifting powers.But our tests revealed that many of thesesanders have made significant stridestoward alleviating the most obnoxiousbyproducts of sanding — noise and dust.Even more, some of these sanders havetaken on dual personalities so that theyare equally effective for aggressive stock removaland finish sanding.

The tests we conducted to uncover all this aredescribed on the following pages.And the some-times surprising results begin on page 3.

6"Random-Orbit SSAANNDDEERRSS

Why Every ShopNeeds One

From Workbench MagazineAll rights reserved

page 2 of 6 ©2003 August Home PublishingOne copy for personal use. Other copies prohibited.

STOCK REMOVAL >Lofty claims about belt-sander like performance prompted this test.Can a random-orbit sander really be expected to flatten anuneven, imperfect panel, as shown at right? Turns out a fewof these sanders are up to the challenge.

To put the sanders on an equal footing, we sanded for10 minutes with a 60-gritdisc to remove as muchstock as possible. Weweighed the panels beforeand after to measure howmuch stock was removed(Photo, left). This was thefirst indication that thesesanders have varying capa-bilities and usages.

{TOOL CONTROLYour sander wants to go in acircle, but you want it to go in astraight line. The outcome of thiscontest will have a big impact onthe quality of your project. Wetested control by sanding narrowboards to see if an errant sanderwould round the edges.

{NOISE LEVELSanding is dirty, hard work. Does it haveto be loud, too? We measured and compared the loudness of the sanders.

{DUST COLLECTIONIt can’t be long before sanders will come withwarnings from the Surgeon General aboutthe health risks of dust. In the meantime, weneed to look for sanders that swallow theirown dust, so we don’t have to. Our measureof this was to sand solid-surface material(which creates very fine dust) and see whichsanders cleaned up after themselves.

} FINISH QUALITY

80-GRIT: At this grit, sanding swirls areobvious, and the finish is muddy. Quitea bit more sanding is necessary.

120-GRIT: Swirls are fewer, and thefinish is clearer, but we we wouldn’tstop here if this were a project.

180-GRIT: By this point, all the sandershad achieved a satisfactory finish. Mostmade the grade at 150-grit.

HOW WE TESTED

From Workbench MagazineAll rights reserved

page 3 of 6 ©2003 August Home PublishingOne copy for personal use. Other copies prohibited.

These are all 6" random-orbit sanders,and they all have electric motors.Those are the only truths that applyto all of these tools without exception.Beyond that, each tool distinguishesitself, for better or worse,in at least oneof the following categories.

Sanding ActionThree types of sanding action are rep-resented by these seven sanders.Namely,single action only,dual-random orbit,and eccentric/random orbit.

The single-action sanders (Porter-Cable, DeWalt, Fein) are those wehave conventionally thought of asrandom-orbit sanders (ROS). Thediscs of these sanders spin whilesimultaneously moving in an ellip-tical pattern.There is no means ofaffecting the size or pattern of orbiton these tools.

One dual random-orbit sander(Ridgid) lets you toggle betweendifferent orbit sizes. And while thecompany claims that this gives thesander more aggressive stock removalcharacteristics,we feel it’s more accu-rate to consider this a finish sander(like the conventional ROS) withan extra measure of versatilitybecause of the two orbit settings.

For rapid stock removal, threesanders (Bosch,Makita,Festool) offeran eccentric, or direct-drive action,in addition to the conventional ROSpattern (see page 4 for more on this).

Dust CollectionMost of these sanders require a shopvacuum for dust control.The DeWaltand the Ridgid, however, comeequipped with a dust collection bag.Although not as effective as a vacuum

connection, they both did a passablejob of minimizing dust.And it’s niceto have the option of a dust bag whena shop vacuum isn’t convenient.

As to what’s required to connecta sander to a vacuum, there are sometelling differences:

• The Festool sander requires aFestool hose because of its oval port.

• It’s hard to get the Makita towork with any hose, as most hosestend to slip off the small dust port.

• The Fein, Bosch, and Porter-Cable sanders fit best with their ownbrand of hose, but can be adapted toothers without much trouble.

• DeWalt requires you to pur-chase an accessory to connect itssander to a vacuum.

• Only the Ridgid comes readyto connect to any standard 11/4" or2" vacuum hose.

6"Random-Orbit Sanders:SAME IN NAME ONLY

Makita

Dual Random-Orbit Sanders

Virtues: Accepts six-hole andnine-hole sanding discs; Dual modesfor aggressive or fine sanding.

Vices: Our test model was poorlybalanced and difficult to control.Dust collection was least effective.

Verdict: We were disappointedwith our test tool because of averagedust control and poor balance.

www.Makita.com800-462-5482

Bosch

Virtues: Perfectly balanced;Awesome stock removal; Excellentfine sanding; Flawless dust control.

Vices: Not louder than othersanders, but quite shrill by compar-ison. Put the earplugs in for sure.

Verdict: Only the Festool matchesthis sander feature-for-feature and onall performance points. And this onecosts about $100 less.

www.BoschTools.com877-267-2499

Festool

Virtues: Smooth, powerful, andperfectly balanced; Outstandingstock removal and fine sanding.

Vices: Requires a Festool hose fordust collection.

Verdict: This is as good as theBosch in every way. Only moneyseparate the two. And you’dnever regret the extra expense.

www.Festool-USA.com888-337-8600

From Workbench MagazineAll rights reserved

page 4 of 6 ©2003 August Home PublishingOne copy for personal use. Other copies prohibited.

{ We prefer the lever-type (Bosch, Makita,Festool) changer to switch sanding modes(Photo, top) over Ridgid’s button (Photo, bottom).

Sanding Modes:RANDOM-ORBIT vs. ECCENTRIC

SIZE OF ORBIT?

AA rreellaattiivveellyy nneeww wwrriinnkkllee iinnrraannddoomm--oorrbbiitt ssaannddeerrss iiss dduuaall--mmooddee ffuunnccttiioonnaalliittyy.. TThhee iiddeeaa iiss ttooooffffeerr aaggggrreessssiivvee ssttoocckk rreemmoovvaallaanndd ffiinnee--ssaannddiinngg aabbiilliittiieess iinn tthheessaammee ssaannddeerr.. TThhee MMaakkiittaa,,BBoosscchh,, aanndd FFeessttooooll ssaannddeerrss aallllhhaavvee tthhiiss ffeeaattuurree..

TThheessee ssaannddeerrss ccoouuppllee ccoonnvveenn--ttiioonnaall oorrbbiitt aaccttiioonn iinn oonnee mmooddeewwiitthh aann eecccceennttrriicc aaccttiioonn iinn tthheesseeccoonndd mmooddee..

IInn rraannddoomm--oorrbbiitt mmooddee,, tthheesseetthhrreeee ttoooollss ooppeerraattee jjuusstt lliikkee aallll tthheeootthheerrss iinn tthhee tteesstt.. TThhaatt iiss,, tthheessaannddiinngg ppaadd ssppiinnss wwhhiillee aallssoommoovviinngg iinn aann eelllliippttiiccaall oorrbbiitt((aabboovvee lleefftt)).. TThhiiss iiss tthhee aaccttiioonn tthhaatthhaass eeaarrnneedd rraannddoomm--oorrbbiitt ssaannddeerrssaa rreeppuuttaattiioonn ffoorr bbeeiinngg eexxcceelllleennttffiinniisshhiinngg ssaannddeerrss..

TThhee eecccceennttrriicc mmooddee iiss aallll aabboouuttssttoocckk rreemmoovvaall.. TThhee ppaadd ssttiillll ssppiinnss,,bbuutt tthhee eelllliippttiiccaall ppaatttteerrnn iissrreeppllaacceedd bbyy aa lliinneeaall bbaacckk--aanndd--ffoorrtthh mmoovveemmeenntt ((lleefftt)).. TThhiiss iiss aaddiirreecctt--ddrriivvee mmooddee,, wwhhiicchh ssiimmppllyymmeeaannss tthhee ppaadd wwoonn’’tt ssttaallll uunnddeerrpprreessssuurree.. TThhuuss,, ssttoocckk rreemmoovvaall iissmmoorree lliikkee tthhaatt ooff aa bbeelltt--ssaannddeerr..

TThhiiss ssiimmppllee eexxppeerriimmeenntt cclleeaarrllyy sshhoowwss tthhee ssiizzee ooffaa ssaannddeerr’’ss oorrbbiitt.. AA ssmmaallll ddoott mmaarrkkeedd oonn tthheessaannddiinngg ddiisscc bbeeccoommeess aa cciirrccllee wwhheenn tthheessaannddeerr iiss rruunnnniinngg aatt iittss sslloowweessttssppeeeedd.. TThhee ddiiaammeetteerr ooff tthheecciirrccllee eeqquuaallss tthhee oorrbbiitt ssiizzeeooff tthhee ssaannddeerr.. SShhoowwnnhheerree iiss tthhee 55mmmm FFeessttooooll

RANDOM ORBIT

ECCENTRIC

Ridgid

Virtues: Good price; Dual orbitsmake it a versatile finish sander; Dust control is excellent with the bagand even better with a vacuum.

Vices: Slight wobble requires afirm grip at times.

Verdict: This is an affordable, com-plete package with versatility beyondsingle-mode finish sanders.

www.Ridgid.com800-474-3443

From Workbench MagazineAll rights reserved

page 5 of 6 ©2003 August Home PublishingOne copy for personal use. Other copies prohibited.

Body Type Most of these sanders evolved fromright-angle grinders,and that heritageis clear in their barrel-grip style bodies.

The one exception in this groupis the Ridgid, which is an inline-style sander,with the motor mounteddirectly above the sanding pad.

Beyond the aesthetic differences,inline sanders generally aren’t as pow-erful as the right-angle variety, sothey aren’t well-suited to aggressivestock removal.

On the other hand, inline sandersusually offer up less vibration andnoise than their right-angle brethren,making them excellent for extendedfine sanding. Such was our experi-ence in comparing the Ridgid tothe right-angle sanders in this test.

Handhold Another throwback to the right-anglegenesis of these sanders are their sidehandles.Quite frankly,these have littleworth in a woodworking shop.

An integral palm grip on top ofthe sander is a much better place forthat “other” hand. Of the right-angle sanders, all but the Fein havethis comfort feature.

An even better design is Ridgid’ssander, which has a molded palmgrip and a front-mounted handle.Thepalm grip, just as with those on theright-angle sanders, offers a com-fortable, effective hold directly overthe sanding disc.This hand positionhelps you apply consistent pressureover the full area of the sanding disc.

Where Ridgid went one step fur-ther is with their front-mountedhandle.This simple variation on theside handle makes a lot of sense.

First, the shape of the handle ismuch more ergonomic than thecylindrical types on other sanders.Second, its location — directly inlinewith the main grip — keeps thedownward pressure centered on thesanding disc, instead of to one sideor the other as with the side handles.

Fein

Virtues: Well-balanced; Powerful;Dust free.

Vices: Relatively expensive com-pared to the dual-mode, variable-speed sanders it competes against.

Verdict: Once an industry stan-dard, this sander is now a littlebehind the curve in terms of perform-ance and features. A lower price ormore bells and whistles are in order.

www.FeinUS.com800-441-9878

{A molded palm gripdirectly over the

sanding disc offersmore comfortand better con-trol than a sidehandle. Thepalm grip alsodampens

vibrationfrom thesander.

Single-Action Sanders

Porter-Cable

Virtues: Competitive price;Effective dust control; Not much quieter than others, but less “whiny.”

Vices: Moderate wobble that’s dif-ficult to control at lower speeds; Dusthose interferes with barrel grip.Verdict: This is a basic sanderthat’s quite capable of a fine finish.Partner this with a good belt sander ifyou also want fast stock removal.

www.Porter-Cable.com800-487-8665

DeWalt

Virtues: Low price; Well-balanced(no wobble); Excellent dust controlwith the bag, flawless dust controlwith a vacuum connection.Vices: Hose connector is sold asan accessory.

Verdict: This is the best single-modefinish sander in the group. It’s effective,affordable, and a pleasure to use.Don’t expect much for stock removal.

www.DeWalt.com800-433-9258

From Workbench MagazineAll rights reserved

page 6 of 6 ©2003 August Home PublishingOne copy for personal use. Other copies prohibited.

} It’s all about the paperwork. Withthe Festool sander, only their paperwill work. Makita, onthe other hand,accepts stan-dard six-holepaper or theproprietarynine-hole varietyinvented byFestool.

Model

PORTER-CABLE

DEWALT

RIDGID

MAKITA

BOSCH

FEIN

FESTOOL

StockRemoval

CCCAABA

FinishGrit

150

150

150

180

150

150

150

DustControl

BAACAAA

Noise(in dbs)

97

99

95

99

97

99

99

Vibration

BAAAABB

Balance

BABCAAA

Amperage

3.7

4.3

3.8

6.6

6.5

6.5

3.8

Orbitsper Minute

2500-6,000

4,300-6,800

4,000-10,000

1,600-5,000

3,100-6,650

7,5004,000-11,200

OrbitSize

3/16"3/16"

1/4",1/8"

7/32"3/32"5/16"5/16"

PaperType

6h

6h

6h

6h

6h

8h

9h

Weightin Lbs.

5.75

5.75

6

5.9

5.3

3.7

5

Warranty

1yr

1yr

3yr

1yr

1yr

1yr

3yr

Price

$180

$160

$170

$260

$300

$379

$395

RANDOM-ORBIT SANDER REPORT CARD

Final Recommendations

Top Value

Editor’s ChoiceBOSCHBBoosscchh ttaakkeess ttoopp hhoonnoorrsswwiitthh aa ssaannddeerr tthhaatt’’ssaaggggrreessssiivvee eennoouugghh ffoorrffllaatttteenniinngg uunneevveenn ppaanneellssbbuutt ssttiillll ddeelliiccaattee eennoouugghhffoorr ffiinnaall ssaannddiinngg..

AA ffaaiirrllyy rreeaassoonnaabblleepprriiccee,, bbeetttteerr vvaaccuuuummccoommppaattiibbiilliittyy,, aanndd ggrreeaatteerraavvaaiillaabbiilliittyy ggiivvee tthheeBBoosscchh aa sslliigghhtt aaddvvaannttaaggeeoovveerr iittss oonnllyy eeqquuaall iinn tthhiisstteesstt,, tthhee FFeessttooooll..

RIDGIDWWee ccaann’’tt aaggrreeee wwiitthhRRiiddggiidd’’ss ccllaaiimm tthhaatt aaggggrreess--ssiivvee ssttoocckk rreemmoovvaall iiss aabbeenneeffiitt ooff tthheeiirr dduuaall--oorrbbiittssaannddeerr.. BBuutt wwee wwhhoollee--hheeaarrtteeddllyy eennddoorrssee tthhiiss aassaann aaffffoorrddaabbllee,, eeffffeeccttiivvee,,dduusstt--ffrreeee ffiinniisshh ssaannddeerr wwiitthhaann eexxttrraa bbiitt ooff vveerrssaattiilliittyy..AAnndd tthhee nneeaarr--ppeerrffeecctteerrggoonnoommiiccss mmaakkee iitt aallll tthheemmoorree aattttrraaccttiivvee..

This made a noticeable difference in the way thissander performed on narrow stock when the toolswere prone to some sideways tipping anyway.

Speed Control Although there seems to be no agreement aboutwhere to locate the variable-speed switch on a sander— some models have it on the side of the barrel,others have it way on the back, while one has itmounted up front — it’s clear that most manufacturersconsider speed control to be a worthwhile feature.Andwe agree,particularly during aggressive sanding withcoarse grits.Being able to slow the tool down adds agreat deal of control and lessens the likelihood ofcareening off line and damaging a surface. In thisgroup, only the Fein lacks variable-speed control.

Model

97366

DW44

R2610

BO6040

1250DEVS

MSf-636-1

RO150

PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS