Random Acts Of Smoothness

Some call ’em random orbital sanders — I always call ’em jitterbugs — either way, they’re the go-to tool for a smooth surface finish.  The vigorous circular motion of the sandpaper helps prevent sanding lines and swirl marks, and you don’t have to worry about the direction of the grain.  3M has released a new line of random orbital sanders with the catchy name “Random Orbital Sander.”  I guess the marketing department had the day off.

For a new twist on an old tool, 3M added features like multiple grip sizes and color-coded levers to identify the orbit size.  Bells and whistles aside, this tool still brings the oomph with its 0.28 HP motor spinning at 12,000 RPM.

3M makes it in 5″ and 6″ versions with 3/16″, 5/32″, or 5/16″ orbits.  It also comes with 3M’s Hookit pad for use with their Hookit sanding discs.  They don’t say if you can use other brands of sanding discs.

3M sells both sizes for $195 on their website.  To help introduce this new product they’re offering 20% off if you enter code M20 when you purchase it on their website.  That brings the price down to $156, close to the low end of street pricing, which starts at $144.

Random Orbital Sander [3M]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]