Alongside standard orbital sanders, which is what the vast majority of electric sanders for DIY are, you can also buy what are known as random orbital sanders. The best orbital sanders you can buy in 2023 1. Makita DBO180Z: Best cordless random orbital sander Best power-to-size ratio in Bosch´s 18 V category - with brushless motor and impact drilling function Find out more Power-wise, the sanding head spins at a fixed speed of 22,000 opm. It’s a decent, fast rate but for the price, you don’t get the luxury of variable speed control. Without a battery installed, the weight is kept down to just 1.1 kg and the little dust bag doesn’t get in the way and appears to do its job. It doesn’t have variable speed but the RROS18-0 runs at an impressive 20,000 orbits/min, can last for up to 50 minutes on a single charge and runs quietly. Despite being more compact and lighter than its predecessor (10% according to Ryobi), it is a little heavier than some rivals.

Even better than a built-in dust compartment (if you have a power supply nearby) is the ability to attach the sander to a vacuum cleaner hose. That active suction will reduce the amount of dust a lot in comparison. The all-important part of an orbital sander is the grip, and you can tell Bosch have thought hard about ergonomics here. This Bosch sander is nice to hold, and the rubberised overmoulding is in all the right places for grip and vibration dampening. VH1022, VH1035 and VH1635 (by means of VX120 adapter included with those hoses), VAC005 and VAC006 hoses, and most other 22 mm and 35 mm hoses

My Top Recommended Orbital Sanders

In steps the orbital sander. As it sounds, instead of moving in a predictable way that can lead to scratch marks, the path of the sanding pad is randomised with an offset cam that creates ellipses as well as standard rotations. Sounds complicated, but it’s basically a wobbly head that means you don’t get those irritating tiny looping scratches common to detail sanders. Get a Grip If you’ve got large flat areas to sand and they aren’t covered in layers of paint that need removing then the BO3710 is an excellent choice. READ NEXT: Keep all your gear in one place with the best toolboxes What else should I look out for? The best orbital sanders come with a range of speeds that provide you with more control for your sanding jobs. But don’t press too hard. A great mantra for using any piece of equipment is “let the tool do the work”. Your sanding discs will last longer, and you won’t get nearly as tired.

The maximum speed isn’t overly impressive but performance is good enough for the vast majority of DIY tasks and there’s a built-in dust bag which does a good job. This sander also works nice and quietly. The main gripe here is with the grip, which gets in the way of accessing the battery compartment a little bit. Whether you’re a professional builder or a weekend DIYer, the name Makita is hard to miss. The Japanese tool masters have created a huge range of high-quality, innovative products, and the DBO180Z random orbital sander is a welcome addition to the brand. Worx handily supplies the sander in a hard plastic carry case if you buy it with a battery and you get a decent amount of sanding sheets included, too. On the downside, the dust bag is small and doesn’t offer very good suction.ROS20VSC 5 In. Palm Random Orbit Sander/Polisher, (1) Sanding Disc, (1) RS034 Soft Sanding Pad, (1) 2609170071 Dampening Ring, (1) 2609199179 Microfilter Dust Canister, (1) VAC002 Vacuum Hose Adapter, (1) Carrying Bag The GEX 34-150 Professional is Bosch's robust corded random orbit sander with a high removal rate in the 150-mm category. Constant speed and a high removal rate deliver efficient results even on demanding surfaces. An aluminium bearing flange ensures a long tool lifetime and makes it perfect for tough applications. For using sanding sheets with different hole pattern, the GEX 34-150 is equipped with a multi-hole sanding pad that also leads to a significantly increased dust extraction. Equipment & Application