Which Sander Is Better Eccentric Or Vibratory

Posted by Aleksey Ryndya

Category expert “Power tool”

To obtain a flat and perfectly smooth surface when grinding, I always recommend that the masters use two grinders. One for primary rough roughing, the other for finishing stripping.

If everything is clear with the primary processing. Here you need to take a belt sander, then when you bring the surface to perfection, you can use one of two types:

Vibratory (another name for surface grinding, or in abbreviated form. Пшм);

Both that, and another are intended for grinding of the bases at the end of work. Which of these machines is better in which situation. Vibration or eccentric sander? I will tell today in this article.

You will find out what their main differences are, how their design determines the capabilities of each device, what their strengths and weaknesses are.

The information presented will give you the necessary knowledge on how to use these aggregates to grind surfaces of various shapes, and which one is more suitable for you.

Design difference between two machines

Both machines are capable of delicately grinding the surface with emery skins. In fact, they do the same thing, but there is a difference between them. They differ in both form and principle of operation. In FSM, the surface is often rectangular (but can be deltoid and square). And the eccentric. The sole is round. Therefore, depending on the complexity of the grinding work and the shape of the workpieces, you choose a machine with a comfortable shape of the sole. For example, steps or shelves are quietly polished by the PShM, thanks to the angular sole, you can get it to any angle.

The eccentric machine is used for work with both flat surfaces and radii, as well as wooden parts of various shapes. Orbital and eccentric grinders are used in construction workshops, in car services they perform not only finishing work for polishing wood, but are also convenient for various kinds of finishing work. But still, their main purpose is to ideally prepare the surface for painting or to give the details the necessary shape.

In fact, these are two identical tools, but there is some difference. Surface grinding (vibration) grinder will cope with any surface: wooden, plastic, metal, walls (drywall). But she does it a little rudely, unlike ESM. In turn, the orbital sander will perform this entire list of work more delicately due to the fact that it has the function of additional rotation, which helps to hide traces of grinding.

We pay attention to the parameters when choosing a grinder

It should be noted that both of these grinders for the most part carry out finishing work and if you have the task of carrying out work on a large scale, then the wrong choice will bring you not only financial losses, but also time spent for free.

Vibration or eccentric grinders can be of different purposes:

• For domestic use;
• Professional scope.

When choosing a grinder, you should pay attention to such technical characteristics:

1. The amplitude of the platform. This is one of the main characteristics of grinding machines. The average value of vibration. 2-3 mm. The higher the amplitude, the higher the performance of the grinder, but the grinding becomes much coarser. That is, if you need a grinder for primary processing, pay attention to high-amplitude models. For the same. On the contrary, cars with an amplitude of 2 mm and below;
2. Sole size The soles of PShM and EShM come in different sizes and shapes, although generally accepted standards are present. For eccentric diameters of 122 and 150 mm, for PShM 187×90, 115×230, 114×105 mm. Just models with a small sole will help when working in hard to reach places;
3. Speed ​​adjustment. Thanks to this function, you can customize the operation of the machine. Primary or finishing processing, as well as choose the optimal speed for grinding a particular material. For example, if we are polishing soft wood or plywood, it is recommended to choose medium speed, and if hard wood. High;
4. Power. Power consumption of machines can range from 130 to 900 watts. But, as a rule, for most jobs, a power of 200-300 W is quite enough, because such models are light and compact, are conveniently controlled, work with them is more comfortable;
5. Mounting sanding paper. The manufacturers of the surface grinder provided 2 types of fastening: a clip (similar to a regular latch with a spring, which is on most household class grinders) and a Velcro (with it less trouble, since you do not have to cut paper, it has a standard size, but the cost of such machines , like a consumable, above).
6. Extra grip. In PShM and EShM the additional handle happens either cast or removable. If it is removable, this reduces the dimensions of the device and allows you to work the tool in one hand. This is useful when grinding small parts.

The basic principles of grinding

These two types of grinders differ significantly in the principle of grinding. First, let’s review the vibrating tool. The mechanism of operation is quite simple, reciprocating movements with an amplitude of 1-3 (low-power) to 5-8 mm (powerful) are used to clean the surface. This allows you to cope well with a metal surface or plastic, unlike ESM. However, on a tree PSHM leaves traces and will not be suitable for opening with varnish, but only for coating with paint.

The principle of operation of an ESM is that with the help of a round sole, not only vibration occurs, but also rotation around its own axis. Thanks to this double movement, the ESM perfectly prepares the surface for varnishing. In the process, does not leave any traces of grinding. Models of this type ideally create the effect of abrasive grinding. Widely used for furniture restoration or decoration.

To summarize

Advantages of random orbit sanders:

• Cleaner sanding;
• Ability to grind curved surfaces;
• Possibility of polishing.

• It is not possible to process corner surfaces because the sole is round.

Advantages of vibration grinders:

• Effective polishing of wood, stone, primer, metal;
• There is a wide selection of sole sizes and shapes — a rectangle or delta;
• It copes with corner surfaces perfectly, leaves no worn zones at the edges, close to the edging, in tight places.

In the cons of PSHM we count:

• Not as high quality grinding as EShM. Often leaves scratches on wooden areas.

If we talk about surface cleaning, then for more delicate grinding it is better to choose and use eccentric machines. They cope better at the finish stage and are designed for perfect grinding. Although their performance is much lower than that of vibration. However, an orbital tool is indispensable on voluminous surfaces with curved and shaped parts.

On a large area, it is better to use a vibration grinder, since its power and performance are much better. If you need to process a surface with corners, then you can not do without a vibrating machine. Due to the rectangular shape of the sole, corners and hard-to-reach spots, as well as the edges of the product, are easily processed.