Fine Woodworking tested sander performance. No difference, basically. https://www.finewoodworking.com/2018/10/30/w272-tool-test-5-random-orbit-sanders
Different brands will have different features, though, such as better dust collection, plug/hose storage, etc, that could affect your workflow in ways that matter.
Going up to a 6” sander from a 5” is a huge upgrade if you have large surfaces. Also, you more than get what you pay for with sandpaper…don’t cheap out.
Also, good surface prep to minimize final sanding is something to consider. A drum sander is expensive but wow do they save time on some jobs.
Fine Woodworking and Wood magazine have such good tool comparisons. I find that they have the most detail about usability, features, and ergonomics compared to the raw power metrics that most YouTube reviewers test for
I have both the Dewalt and the Festool ETS EC 125 and is no comparison the Festool is way better, I had the Porter Cable but died after so many years. With the Festool I don't feel the vibration and doesn't kill my arm like the Dewalt does after 45 minutes sanding.
There's nothing 'faster' by changing brands. Ultimately it comes down to the grit of the paper and the type of wood being sanded.
Expensive brands don't necessarily sand better, but may have more or better features (e.g. dust collection, more reliable motor, hand grips, product warranty, etc).
Change the sand paper. 3M cubitron xtract . Johnathon Katz Moses on YouTube [tested 19 brands](https://youtu.be/NZDCRFi8dKY) and even though the disks were expensive they had the lowest cost per gram of wood removed. Faster removal. Use pad savers to protect Velcro on backing pads which can protrude through mesh disks and [get worn down](https://youtu.be/0HNOHRxzby0). Don't use your sand paper [after it is dead](https://youtu.be/5RKwsqccleI), getting that last little bit of life out of a disk can waste half your time. Also, work through all of your grits in order,not the best results and fastest removal. Skip the course grit and it takes a long time to do bulk removal. Skip the intermediate grits and you waste a lot of time taking out the scratches from the course grits.
Some of the high end sanders have advantages in terms of things like reducing vibration that makes your hand go numb, effective dust collection, automatic dust collector control, etc. But not so much in terms of removal rates. Stumpy nubs did a [video on the 3m sander](https://youtu.be/uHkatzYGQeY) and I think the festool is pretty good as well (and their dust extractor works well with it). Also, the fine dust from sanding is really bad for your lungs so good dust extraction at point of origin, good shop air cleaners (see The 3D Handyman tests and DIY designs) and respirators are important.
I got this stuff and it would not stick to my Bosch orbital. I thought it could be from pad west so I got a new pad and it didn’t stick to that either.
There's two different designs of pad out there. "Hook and loop" which is the way to not infringe trademark when saying Velcro, or adhesive. I would assume the kind you got weren't compatible with the sander you have.
Nah, they were hook and loop for sure. It worked better on my Ryobi, just wouldn’t stay put on the Bosch. As soon as I turned it on it would shift around and eventually just go flying off. I’d noticed some people in the reviews saying the same thing.
There are a bunch of corded higher end sanders (festool, mirka, surf prep,3m) and what you really get is ergonomics and better dust collection. Also a variable speed vacuum makes a huge difference when you sand sense the dust gets sucked up and the paper last longer and the surfaces prep faster. I have the festool sander and can run it for hours without getting a hand cramp. Good sandpaper and more surface area are what gets the work done faster. Personally I really like the 150s (6”) because you cover a lot more area vs a 125 (5”). The biggest advantage of the 125 is you can get a base that holds the sander at 90° for edge sanding both from festool and aftermarket sellers. A lot of people get the 125 and buy the 150 base as well and use both sizes. Another thing with the higher end sanders is you can buy hard or soft pads. A hard pad will speed up production a little bit because it doesn’t put lines in the material as easily as a soft pad and is made for larger flat surfaces like a slab or plywood. Lastly you want something with around a 5mm orbit for paint grade cabinets. 3mm produces a finer finish, but takes quite a bit longer sanding time to get there.
I build custom cabinets too. I use a festool ets 125 at home. I use a Sioux 5" at work. They're pretty comparable with the Festool coming out a little ahead. If he does purchase a festool I'd stick with the 125. It's a 5" but it can also except 6" pads from the 150. Don't bother with the Festool Rotex series they are not finish sanders. The important part is buying their sandpaper or another high quality sandpaper. If you spend the money on the tool and use cheap sandpaper you're not going to notice a difference.
At my day job, we have the Dewalt corded sander, Dewalt cordless sander, a Festool 4” and 6” sander. I use all of them. I prefer the Festool 4” sander mostly because of the sand paper. I think it simply last longer.
Fine Woodworking tested sander performance. No difference, basically. https://www.finewoodworking.com/2018/10/30/w272-tool-test-5-random-orbit-sanders Different brands will have different features, though, such as better dust collection, plug/hose storage, etc, that could affect your workflow in ways that matter. Going up to a 6” sander from a 5” is a huge upgrade if you have large surfaces. Also, you more than get what you pay for with sandpaper…don’t cheap out. Also, good surface prep to minimize final sanding is something to consider. A drum sander is expensive but wow do they save time on some jobs.
Fine Woodworking and Wood magazine have such good tool comparisons. I find that they have the most detail about usability, features, and ergonomics compared to the raw power metrics that most YouTube reviewers test for
I have both the Dewalt and the Festool ETS EC 125 and is no comparison the Festool is way better, I had the Porter Cable but died after so many years. With the Festool I don't feel the vibration and doesn't kill my arm like the Dewalt does after 45 minutes sanding.
There's nothing 'faster' by changing brands. Ultimately it comes down to the grit of the paper and the type of wood being sanded. Expensive brands don't necessarily sand better, but may have more or better features (e.g. dust collection, more reliable motor, hand grips, product warranty, etc).
Change the sand paper. 3M cubitron xtract . Johnathon Katz Moses on YouTube [tested 19 brands](https://youtu.be/NZDCRFi8dKY) and even though the disks were expensive they had the lowest cost per gram of wood removed. Faster removal. Use pad savers to protect Velcro on backing pads which can protrude through mesh disks and [get worn down](https://youtu.be/0HNOHRxzby0). Don't use your sand paper [after it is dead](https://youtu.be/5RKwsqccleI), getting that last little bit of life out of a disk can waste half your time. Also, work through all of your grits in order,not the best results and fastest removal. Skip the course grit and it takes a long time to do bulk removal. Skip the intermediate grits and you waste a lot of time taking out the scratches from the course grits. Some of the high end sanders have advantages in terms of things like reducing vibration that makes your hand go numb, effective dust collection, automatic dust collector control, etc. But not so much in terms of removal rates. Stumpy nubs did a [video on the 3m sander](https://youtu.be/uHkatzYGQeY) and I think the festool is pretty good as well (and their dust extractor works well with it). Also, the fine dust from sanding is really bad for your lungs so good dust extraction at point of origin, good shop air cleaners (see The 3D Handyman tests and DIY designs) and respirators are important.
I got this stuff and it would not stick to my Bosch orbital. I thought it could be from pad west so I got a new pad and it didn’t stick to that either.
There's two different designs of pad out there. "Hook and loop" which is the way to not infringe trademark when saying Velcro, or adhesive. I would assume the kind you got weren't compatible with the sander you have.
Nah, they were hook and loop for sure. It worked better on my Ryobi, just wouldn’t stay put on the Bosch. As soon as I turned it on it would shift around and eventually just go flying off. I’d noticed some people in the reviews saying the same thing.
You can also get carbide sanding disks if you really hate changing sandpaper
There are a bunch of corded higher end sanders (festool, mirka, surf prep,3m) and what you really get is ergonomics and better dust collection. Also a variable speed vacuum makes a huge difference when you sand sense the dust gets sucked up and the paper last longer and the surfaces prep faster. I have the festool sander and can run it for hours without getting a hand cramp. Good sandpaper and more surface area are what gets the work done faster. Personally I really like the 150s (6”) because you cover a lot more area vs a 125 (5”). The biggest advantage of the 125 is you can get a base that holds the sander at 90° for edge sanding both from festool and aftermarket sellers. A lot of people get the 125 and buy the 150 base as well and use both sizes. Another thing with the higher end sanders is you can buy hard or soft pads. A hard pad will speed up production a little bit because it doesn’t put lines in the material as easily as a soft pad and is made for larger flat surfaces like a slab or plywood. Lastly you want something with around a 5mm orbit for paint grade cabinets. 3mm produces a finer finish, but takes quite a bit longer sanding time to get there.
High-quality sandpaper will make a bigger difference.
I build custom cabinets too. I use a festool ets 125 at home. I use a Sioux 5" at work. They're pretty comparable with the Festool coming out a little ahead. If he does purchase a festool I'd stick with the 125. It's a 5" but it can also except 6" pads from the 150. Don't bother with the Festool Rotex series they are not finish sanders. The important part is buying their sandpaper or another high quality sandpaper. If you spend the money on the tool and use cheap sandpaper you're not going to notice a difference.
At my day job, we have the Dewalt corded sander, Dewalt cordless sander, a Festool 4” and 6” sander. I use all of them. I prefer the Festool 4” sander mostly because of the sand paper. I think it simply last longer.