Hello,

How good are random orbital sanders? I bought a Bosch green 1/3 sheet
orbital sander many years ago but it takes forever. I've read the
excellent uk.diy power tool FAQ and it agrees that orbital sanders are
slow and suggests that random orbital sanders are much faster. I
remember borrowing a random orbital sander (green Bosch 400
something?) a couple of years ago to remove some paint but I don't
remember it being that good. However it was a while ago and I can't
remember the details; perhaps my technique was wrong or I was using
the wrong type of paper?

In addition to removing paint from wood, I've also got a wall I would
like to give a quick once-over before papering, would you recommend a
random orbital sander for this or would a 1/2 sheet be better as it
would cover a bigger area at once? I don't see many 1/2 sheet sanders
for sale at the moment, have they gone out of fashion? Is it worth
buying a known brand like Bosch or do the Aldi/Titans etc. do as good
a job?

Thanks,
Stephen.