Sander Selection Guide: Orbital vs. Belt

Planning to restore a piece of furniture? Or do you need to smooth an uneven wood surface? Sanders can handle either type of job — but you’ll need to make sure you choose the right one.

The main types of portable sanders used for DIY projects include:

• Belt sanders
• Orbital-finishing sanders
• Random-orbit sanders

Which type should you use? We’ll explore belt sander vs. orbital sander vs. random-orbit sander to help you make the right selection for the best results!

What Is a Belt Sander?

These are powerful sanders known for their speed. Belt sanders can quickly sand coarse or rough surfaces. They move in a linear direction rather than moving in circular patterns as orbital sanders do.

Types of Belt Sanders

These sanders come in two main types, including:

• Stationary: Large sanders that are usually mounted on a flat surface, such as a workbench
• Handheld: Smaller sanders that are portable and can be used for many kinds of tasks

When Should You Use a Belt Sander?

Does your sander need to tackle a rough surface? Belt sanders are a great choice for these kinds of jobs. You can use a belt sander to get a wood surface ready for a woodworking or home-improvement project.

These sanders can remove thick layers of varnish or paint from wood — leaving a surface that’s all set to be refinished. You can also use them for the following kinds of projects:

• Leveling uneven joints in floors
• Sanding long boards and planks
• Smoothing tabletops, doors, and other wood surfaces

Which belt sander should you use? Stick to stationary when you need to take heavy material off surfaces or when you need to sand a large, flat surface with as much precision — and speed — as possible.

Need to smooth, level, or shape rough surfaces? Choose a portable belt sander for this kind of work.

What Is an Orbital Finishing Sander?

These sanders aren't as powerful — or as quick — as belt sanders. But they’re more suitable for working on more intricate surfaces, such as curves. An orbital finishing sander is the least aggressive power sander, making it useful for smoothing slightly roughened surfaces and varnish coats, and for rounding over sharp edges. It has a square sanding pad that vibrates in tiny circles--or orbits. It has two spring-loaded paper clamps that hold the sandpaper against the pad. In fact, this sander is often called a quarter-sheet sander because it uses one-quarter piece of a 8x11-inch sheet of sandpaper.

When Should You Use an Orbital Finishing Sander?

How do you know when to use a belt sander vs orbital? Save belt sanders for larger, rough-cut surfaces. Choose an orbital sander for smaller surfaces when you need finer results. Examples of tasks you can use orbital sanders for include:

• Rounding edges
• Shaping curves
• Sanding hard-to-reach areas, such as corners
• Putting finishing touches on smaller surfaces, such as wood birdhouses or chairs
• Preparing surfaces before you apply finish, paint, or varnish
• Removing scratches and other blemishes

What Is a Random-Orbit Sander?

Like the orbital sander, this type moves in circular patterns — but these movements are in random directions. Doing this helps prevent you from ending up with swirl marks on your wood surface. A random-orbit sander has a round sanding pad that uses abrasive disks. This type of sander employs dual-sanding motion: its pad vibrates in tiny circles and spins 360 degrees simultaneously, making it versatile enough to handle virtually any sanding technique ranging from lightly de-glossing fine varnish finishes to smoothing rough boards.

When Should You Use a Random-Orbit Sander?

How can you tell if you should use a random-orbit sander vs orbital finishing sander? The random type offers more adaptability than an orbital sander. It’s able to remove more material overall — though not as much as belt sanders. And it results in a smoother surface without swirl patterns.

But note that these sanders have a round shape, while orbital sanders have a square shape. This makes random-orbit sanders unsuitable when you need to reach into corners and similar tight areas.

You can use a random orbital sander for many projects, such as:

• Doing fine sanding
• Stripping wood surfaces
• Preparing surfaces for paint, varnish, or finish

Tips for Choosing the Right Sander

So, which type of sander would best suit your project? To determine this, you’ll need to compare belt sander vs orbital finishing sander and/or belt sander vs random-orbit sander while considering these factors.

Workspace Size

How big of an area are you working in? If you need to set up a stationary belt sander, make sure you’ll have enough room. Or choose a handheld belt sander if space is limited or you need portability. Workspace size isn’t as important with orbital sanders, since they’re used on smaller surfaces or areas.

Material

What kind of material will you be working on? You’ll need a belt sander if you’re going to work with heavier materials, such as a thick layer of varnish. Choose this type of sander for long or large pieces of wood, too.

Working with a smaller surface or material that’s not as heavy? Go with an orbital or random orbital sander for this type of job.

Versatility

Planning on tackling different kinds of projects? You may want to go with a random-orbit sander — the most versatile type of sander. But note that you might need to switch to a belt sander for working on thicker materials or larger surfaces.

Speed

How quickly do you need to get your project done? Using an orbital sander on a large piece of wood means you’ll be spending lots of time on it. For quicker results, choose a belt sander. These sanders give you higher speeds compared to random orbit and orbital sanders.

Precision

How much precision does your project require? Belt sanders aren’t made to produce accurate results. They’re built for strength and speed. Choose an orbital or random-orbit sander for better precision, such as when you need to sand around curves.

Dust Collection

Any kind of sander can produce a lot of dust! That can easily lead to a work area that’s covered in dust, resulting in time-consuming cleanup for you. Look into sander models that offer one of these options:

• On-board dust extractor
• Efficient dust-collection system with vacuum port

Ready to start your woodworking or home improvement project? The right sander can ensure that you get the results you want — without damaging your workpiece or wood surface. As always, keep safety in mind when working with these kinds of tools! Put on a dust mask and goggles, and keep your hands away from the sander belt, disc or pad while it’s running.