Several months ago in issue #272, I reviewed a collection of 5-in. random-orbit sanders. The Triton TROS125 wasn’t available to
us at that time, so when one came into my hands, it was only natural to give it a spin. The sander was nice and tall, affording plenty
of places to grip. It was also well-balanced and handled easily when I stuck with on-board dust collection. The tool fought me a bit
when hooked up to a vacuum, but it never got out of control. The variable speed control knob lets you dial in the speed between 7,000 rpm and 12,000 rpm. The kit includes several mesh sanding disks and a circular dust port adapter, which is probably necessary, since the connection is rectangular with rounded corners.

Everything comes in a handy carrying bag. When using the built-in dust collection, the sander removed an average 5.7 grams of material, collecting about 57.9% of it. When hooked up to a vacuum, the TROS125 removed an average of 7.0 grams but collected 90%. It took 2.35 seconds to power off. When compared to other sanders in the review, its numbers trailed the pack in nearly every category.

—Barry NM Dima is an associate editor.

From Fine Woodworking #275

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Festool Rotex FEQ-Plus Random Orbital Sander

The Festool Rotex is a top-of-the-line choice. On its coarse setting, it removed stock nearly twice as quickly as the second-fastest model. But that speed doesn’t mean you’ll have to wrestle with it. It’s no huge task to control it with two hands, and its long body gives you plenty of room to find a sweet spot while holding it.

Buy at Amazon

Festool Cleantec CT 26 E HEPA Dust Extractor

The clear winner here is Festool’s CT 48 Dust Extractor. It has amazing capacity relative to its size, and unmatched suction power. It packs in a number of subtle but very helpful design touches, like a clever foot brake and easy hose and cord storage.

Buy at Amazon

Craftsman Random Orbit Sander

While this sander is among the least expensive models in the test, its performance ranks among the best. The stock removal was excellent, and dust collection was solid when used with a vacuum. It handles really smoothly, too, and has a tall body that fit my hand nicely whether I was holding it from above or around the waist.

Buy at Amazon