Stood my ground on palm sanders vs. orbital sanders for a deck job last month

I was refinishing a big deck in Portland and had to pick between using my old palm sander or buying a new orbital for $140. I went with the palm sander because I figured it would give me more control on the railings, but after 8 hours I was fighting swirl marks on the flat boards. Did I make the wrong call or is the orbital really worth it for speed on big flat surfaces?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_holly9d ago

Orbital is absolutely worth it for flat surfaces.

richard_anderson9d ago

Remember trying to sand a tabletop with a cheap palm sander years ago and ended up with more swirl marks than a carnival mirror. Orbital was a game changer once I finally upgraded. Still use it for every flat surface project, never looking back.