# Orbital sanders; do I need both?



## Liko81 (May 26, 2011)

I recently received a Ryobi 18v One+ combo kit as a housewarming/birthday present. So far, so good; each tool seems to have plenty of power for its purpose. So, I was looking at a couple of additions, including an orbital sander. Ryobi has two in the One+ family: a standard disc orbital sander, and an iron-shaped detail sander they call the Corner Cat, in the same vein as the B&D Mouse and Skil Octo.

The question is, would I need both shapes for any reason? Is there anything to recommend a standard disc-orbital over the iron shape? From my point of view, the Corner Cat is the more versatile, and its pads are big enough for large flat surfaces as well, so all else being equal I think that's the natural choice given that I don't have anything right now. What would you normally use a disk-orbital sander for that you wouldn't want to use an iron shape?


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## dodgeboy77 (Mar 18, 2009)

Liko,

I think you'll find that each sander has it's place. The standard ROS with a 5" pad covers a wider area and removes stock more evenly than a Corner Cat. A bigger variety of disks are available, too, and for better prices as they are more common.

The problem with a round-disk ROS is when you have to sand inside corners of drawers or boxes. Then the Corner Cat type of sander shines.

I have a Bosch ROS and a corded Ryobi Corner Cat. The Cat, as it's name implies, is used for corners.

One caveat about the Cat. If your working inside a corner the upper pad can contact the perpendicular surfaces, making marks. If you hear a fast, knocking sound, stop! I found this out the hard way, of course.

Bill


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