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What are the best high-end palm sanders?

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Festool 571916 ETS 150/5 vs Festool 571810 RO 150 vs Bosch OS50VC

 vs Festool 567871 DTS 400 EQ

Specs

Weight

3.97 lbs

Dimensions

11.6” x 8.5” x 15.5”

Power consumption

310 W

Additional features

Dust extraction system (27mm); power control; vibration damping system

Accessories

Soft Longlife Sander Backing Pad; Filter cartridge; SYSTAINER SYS 3 T-LOC

Dust extraction

Initially dust collection bag with a holder. Can be attached to corresponding vacuum unit.

Sanding technique

Random Orbital Sander

Sanding stroke

3/16”

Eccentric motion speed

4000 - 10000 RPM

Sanding pad dimensions

6”

Weight

5.0 lbs

Dimensions

15.5” x 11.02” x 11.4”

Power consumption

720 W

Additional features

Dual-Mode Sanding; Jetstream dust extraction design; FastFix tool-free backing pad changing system; Power control; Vibration control

Accessories

Edge Protector; Auxiliary Side Handle; Removable Dust Channel; Plug-it Power Cord, StickFix Sanding Pad; T-Loc Systainer 2

Dust extraction

27mm dust extractor port

Sanding technique

Random Orbit Sander (with aggressive mode for rapid material removal)

Sanding stroke

3/16”

Eccentric motion speed

3300 - 6800 OPM

Sanding pad dimensions

6”

Weight

6.0 lbs

Dimensions

5.8” x 17.9” x 8.9”

Power consumption

400 W

Additional features

Vibration Control™ suspension system; Variable-speed dial; Translucent microfilter dust canister; Trigger switch with lock-on button

Accessories

Microfliter Dust Canister; VAC024 Vac Hose Adapte;, Auxiliary Handle; Punch Plate

Dust extraction

Dust container with integrated paper filter, vacuum hose

Sanding technique

Sheet sander

Sanding stroke

Not stated

Eccentric motion speed

8,000 - 11,000 RPM

Sanding pad dimensions

4-1/2" x 9"

Weight

2.65 lbs

Dimensions

Not stated

Power consumption

250 W

Additional features

Attachable PROTECTOR; Compact; ergonomic and lightweight design;

Accessories

Sanding pad; Protector; Long-life chip collection bag

Dust extraction

Dust-free mobile dust extractor; long-life chip collection bag (provided)

Sanding technique

Orbital Sander

Sanding stroke

5/64”

Eccentric motion speed

6000 - 12000 RPM

Sanding pad dimensions

3-⅗” x 5-¼”

Pros + Cons

Pro
 Great handling

Due to an excellent geometry of the handle and lightweight design, this palm sander is perfect when it comes to working single-handedly. Additionally, as the handle is covered in rubber, the risk of accidental hand slipping is significantly reduced.
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Pro
 Decent build quality

The tool does not feel cheap or loose, as the body of this palm sander is made from high-quality rubber, metal, and plastic.
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Pro
 The vibrations are barely noticeable

Festool palm sanders are well known for their state-of-art vibration damping systems. The manufacturer uses pre-calculated counterweights on the motor shaft to make this tool perfectly balanced for its 6" sanding disks. Build quality also factors into vibration damping, as this sander is made from large, cast plastic parts, which are less prone to vibrations. As a result, the tool vibrates so unnoticeably that you only need one hand to operate it.
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Pro
 Wide speed range lets you set any speed you need

You can adjust the speed of this palm sander according to the needs of your project. It ranges between 4000 and 10000 OPM (Orbits Per Minute). Slower speeds are great for sanding with rough sandpaper, while faster ones can result in better surface finishes when used with more delicate sanding pads.
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Pro
 Versatile

It can be used effectively during all stages of a sanding project, due to having a good compromise between sanding power and surface finish. With it, you can relatively efficiently remove a large volume of material, and then reach an acceptable surface finish. For example, within 10 -15 minutes, this tool can sand an old 36" x 48" hardwood dining table to a surface finish level that's good enough to apply the first level of varnish.
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Pro
 Keeps your hands dry and cool

The motor cooling system also blows air towards the hand grip. As a result, your palms will be dry and cool.
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Pro
 Multiple dust extraction options

This tool offers you two ways of extracting the dust from the workpiece. First, you can use a vacuum unit, compatible with the tool's 27mm dust extraction port. While the vacuum units from Festool are very pricey (starting at $510), more affordable third-party vacuum units can be used. Another option is to use a dust collection bag, which is provided with the tool. However, keep in mind that the manufacturer recommends using the bag only occasionally. For example, while working in tight spaces.
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Con
 Bad for corners

This palm sander is not suitable for sanding corners and edges due to its round sanding pad.
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Con
 Worse surface finish than a sheet sander can offer

No matter how good and expensive a random orbit sander is, in terms of surface finish it will always lose to a lower quality sheet sander. If exceptional surface finish is something you are looking for, consider investing in a sheet sander instead.
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Pro
 Ideal for heavy-duty projects

This palm sander has the precision of a random orbit sander and the power of a belt sander. This is possible because of the Dual Mode Sanding technology implemented by the Festool. It gives the tool two working modes: a random orbital mode and an aggressive, gear-driven mode. You can use the random orbital mode when you need a high-quality surface finish, while the gear-driven mode is perfect when you need to remove a lot of material rapidly.
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Pro
 Built to last

This palm sander is constructed entirely from massive die-cast, high-quality plastic parts. The exterior plastic parts are coated in tough and rigid rubber. This is used as a solid shell that protects the sensitive electronics and the motor. Additionally, the rubber-coated handles reduce the risk of accidental hand slipping.
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Pro
 Easy to control

This tool comes with an ergonomic and reliable handle, together with an optional side handle. With both hands on this sander, you'll always retain full control, even in the heaviest applications.
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Con
 Requires a vacuum unit

This tool will not even start if it's not connected to an external vacuum unit. The vacuum unit must be compatible with the Festool's standard 27mm extraction port.
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Con
 Very expensive

The $595.00 price is the most noticeable disadvantage of this palm sander. With this money, you can buy a professional belt sander, a high-quality random orbital sander, and a decent sheet sander. Even after that, you'll have some money left to spend on pads and sanding paper.
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Con
 Not suitable for surface finishing

The slow speed and large movement amplitude make this palm sander unsuitable for extra fine surface finishing.
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Pro
 Great for surface finishing

This flat sheet sander is an excellent tool when you need to get a perfect surface finish on a flat workpiece. Due to the fast, low amplitude motion, this tool can remove even the tiniest bits of material, without damaging the surface, thus leaving a near-perfect result. When it comes to surface finish quality, this sanding technology is by far more superior than random orbit sanding.
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Pro
 Feels sturdy and solid

As the body of this palm sander is made from sturdy, high-quality rubber, metal, and plastic, the tool does not feel cheap.
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Pro
 Perfect for corners

This palm sander can work on three perpendicular surfaces simultaneously, making it an ideal tool for sanding right angle corners.
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Pro
 Vibrations are reduced

This palm sander has a dedicated suspension system, which isolates the handle from the parts that are prone to vibrating (just like a car's suspension damps the vibrations caused by road bumps).
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Pro
 Works with cheap sandpaper

The clamping mechanism of this palm sander is compatible with the regular sanding paper that you can buy at your local DIY store. You can use the provided punch-plate to make any sheet sanding paper suitable for this tool. This will significantly reduce your expenses as the regular sanding sheets are cheaper than the pre-punched sanding sheets.
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Pro
 Large work area

While the majority of sheet sanders can work only with ¼ sheet sandpaper, this tool is twice as big and accepts ½ sheet sandpaper. Due to the low material removal speed, the increased working area is a huge advantage as it enables you to work faster.
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Pro
 Comes with a dust bag

This palm sander comes with a portable dust container. Having an integrated paper filter, it will keep the level of dust in the air to a minimum. Contrarily to the simple paper bags offered by competitors, Bosch's container is made from high-quality plastic.
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Con
 Not designed for heavy-duty applications

This palm sander is not powerful enough to be suitable for rapid and aggressive material removal applications. Random orbit sanders and full-rotational sanders perform much better in such applications.
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Con
 Suffers from dust and moisture

The body of this tool is made from multiple small elements. Thus the moisture and dust protection is significantly reduced. You will need to occasionally clean this palm sander to ensure its long and productive lifespan.
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Pro
 Includes a handy dust bag

You won’t need to buy an external vacuum unit for this device as its 250 W motor is capable of extracting dust from the workpiece. However, if you do have an external vacuum unit, you can hook it up using the Festool’s 27mm adapter.
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Pro
 Perfect for corners

Due to the specific form of the pad, this palm sander is perfect for sanding right angle and sharp angle corners.
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Pro
 Great for detail finishing

The low amplitude (2mm) eccentric motion, combined with the maximum speed of 12000 RPM, makes this palm sander a perfect tool for surface finishing.
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Pro
 Versatile in light-duty applications

Due to the broad speed range (6000-12000 RPM), you can use the rough sanding pads to start the job and then achieve the perfect surface finish using your finest sanding pads.
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Con
 Expensive to run

It doesn’t accept the self-cut and self-punched sandpaper. You will have to buy the expensive Festool's abrasive sheets, which cost around $27.00 per a 50-sheet pack.
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Con
 Unusable for heavy-duty jobs

The small pad size and minimal material removing capabilities, make this palm sander unsuitable for any heavy-duty applications.
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