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?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_holly2mo ago

Orbital is absolutely worth it for flat surfaces.

richard_anderson2mo 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.

sarah_mason1mo ago

Wait, are you saying orbital works fine for rough surfaces too or that it's ONLY worth it for flat stuff? Cause I tried using mine on some curved cabinet doors once and it felt like I was just burning through paper without actually cutting anything. Wondering if I'm doing something wrong or if orbitals really are just for flat work.