Are you interested in making a new home, furniture, repainting, reshaping, and stripping the old one? Well, in that case, you must need a particular sander. But which one will be perfect? Well, this is what the article is about. Throughout the whole article, we will be talking about Belt Sander vs Orbital Sander. And finally, you will get the answer to the question “which is the best tool”.
Basically, both tools come with different purposes. So, you should buy a particular one according to your purpose.
So, stay with us to know everything about the sanders and buy the perfect one.
Belt Sanders
Belt Sanders are basically multi-use tools and they are mainly used for sanding a rough surface, trimming any scribed line, leveling any surface, freehand rounding as well as shaping.
Purpose of Usages
Refinish Metal or Wood:
Primarily, you can use the belt sander for sanding flat and large surfaces like doors as well as wood furniture. This tool contains a sandpaper belt and the belt is wrapped around two drums. You can change the grit of the belt and adjust the amount of wood you want to remove at a single press.
Refinish Wood Furniture:
With the help of a belt sander, you can give your wood table or wood furniture a different new look. The belt sander will help you by removing stains. As a result, you can get a natural finish without any damage to your furniture.
Fix Interior Door:
If the interior door of your house is difficult to close or open, then the belt sander is the best solution to that problem. The belt sander can effectively and quickly fix the doors.
PROS
- Works quickly
- Strips huge amount of wood at a high speed
- Removes stains without damage
- Contains changeable grit
CONS
- Not suitable for any tight spaces or smaller furniture
- Too much wood or metal can be sanded away accidentally
Orbital sander (Orbital sander Random Orbital Sander)
The orbital sander is even known as the finishing sander. It spins in a circle or orbit for polishing as well as sanding. The orbital sanders are of two types-
· Regular orbital sander
· Random orbital sander
A. Orbital Sander
An orbital sander is mainly a handheld tool that contains a square or rectangular sanding pad which moves at a higher speed for removing a small material.
Purpose of Usages
Smoothen out the uneven surfaces:
You can use the orbital sander on any carpentry work. It will help to smoothen the uneven surfaces. After using the belt sander, you can use this tool for a perfect finish.
Sanding difficult corners:
The orbital sander works great on the rounded edges or the corners difficult to reach. If you want to sand furniture and paint it later, then you should use this tool for sanding.
PROS
- Works quickly and effectively
- Sands difficult angles and corners easily
- Perfectly sands furniture that is planned to paint later
CONS
- Leaves a ‘swirl’ mark on the furniture
- Not powerful enough
B. Random Orbital Sander
The random orbital sander contains a circular sanding pad that orbits back and forth. Basically, the difference between the orbit sander and the random orbit sander lies in the movement.
Purpose of Usages
Face frames and cabinet doors:
You can use the random orbital sanders to smoothen the joint of cabinet doors as well as face frames. It will render perfect work without any swirl mark.
Cutting boards, tabletops, flat surfaces:
The sander works smoothly and quickly on flat surfaces, cutting boards as well as tabletops. But you need to be careful while working on veneer tops or plywood.
Painting preparation and refinishing:
If you want to repaint your furniture, you can use the random orbital sander to remove the previous paint properly. You can also use this tool on the metal surface.
PROS
- Sands quickly and effectively
- Doesn’t leave any swirl pattern on the surface
- Removes more material than the orbital sander
- Works on the metal surface
CONS
- Impossible to get into difficult corners
- Can remove too much material by accident
Belt Sander VS Orbital Sander
| KEY POINTS | BELT SANDER | ORBITAL SANDER | RANDOM ORBITAL SANDER |
| Purpose of Usages | Sands flat and large platforms | Smoothen out uneven surfaces | Painting preparation and refinishing |
| Working Principle | Straightforward sanding, designed for aggressive work | Sander spins the sanding pad in an exact pattern | Sander spins the sanding pad randomly following no pattern |
| Work On Surface & Type | Flat and large surfaces | Difficult angles and corners | Wood as well as metal surfaces |
| Working Process | Sander is connected to two rotating drums. The drums turn and move the sandpaper bell. And run through the particular surface. | Works by rotating a sanding disk elliptically | Sander spins as well as rotates at the same time for removing marks after sanding |
| Weight | 13 pounds | 94.8lbs without HTF weight 176lbs with HTF weight | 5-inch sander- 2 to 4 pounds Large sander- 7 pounds or more |
Belt Sander VS Orbital Sander— Which One Should You Get
Till now, we have presented detailed information about the belt sander and orbital sander. Well, both of them are great tools for sanding wood or metal things. But which one should you buy? To know the answer, first, we have to determine Belt Sander VS Orbital Sander.
Basically, the answer depends on the purpose. You have to think about the purpose you are going to buy the sander. Belt sanders are basically aggressive sanders. If you want to remove a huge amount of material in a short time, then you should buy this sander.
But the belt sander is not best for the armature. You can use this sander while you are working with a large piece of wood or metal. This is also best for harsh materials.
On the other hand, the orbital sander is mainly used for detailed work. If you want a sander to work out curves or smoothen out uneven places, or corners or edges, then the orbital sander is best for you. But it leaves a ‘swirl’ mark on the furniture.
Final Verdict
So, we have come to the end of our article on “Belt Sander vs Orbital Sander ”. You know we have included all the information related to the belt sander and orbital sander throughout the whole article. Also, we defined the purposes of each sander.
But if you are willing to be a great professional carpenter, you need to buy both sanders. You may even need a belt sander, a regular orbital sander, as well as a random orbital sander. The purpose of each tool depends on the job you are willing to do.
So, buy the right sander according to your profession and purpose. Be selective and make a perfect choice.