---
title: "The Best Floor Sander for Beginning DIYers"
description: "Unless you plan to sand many floors in your lifetime, your best choice of floor sander is the random orbital sander from one maker in particular."
date: "2012-04-11"
modified: "2020-02-28"
authors:
  - name: "Joe Provey"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.bobvila.com/authors/joe-provey/"
url: "https://www.bobvila.com/articles/diy-floor-sander/"
categories:
  - "Flooring"
  - "Interior"
  - "Power Tools"
  - "Reviews"
  - "Tools & Materials"
tags:
  - "Commerce"
  - "flooring"
  - "Product Category Reviews"
  - "refinish"
  - "SPR"
  - "tool"
---

# The Best Floor Sander for Beginning DIYers

![JProvey-Random-Orbital-Floor-Sander](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/JProvey-DIY-Random-Orbital-Floor-Sander.jpg>)
*Random orbital floor sander with rectangular base Random orbital floor sander with rectangular base. Photo: JProvey*

Unless you plan to sand many floors in your lifetime, the best choice for do-it-yourself floor refinishing is the random orbital sander. Sure, it may take longer to remove old finishes than it would with a drum sander, but you don't need a lot of experience to operate a random orbital sander and most importantly, it's less likely to permanently damage your floor by causing grooves or valleys that are impossible to fix.

I have found that Clarke-American random orbital sanders on are the easiest to use of the models available for rental at most home centers. (View example of a Clarke orbital floor sander on [Amazon](<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091969BQZ?tag=bovi01-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1&asc_source=browser&asc_refurl=>). Pricey, no? This is why most folks rent.)

In my opinion, the U-Sand—another model commonly found on offer for rent—is far more difficult to control, and because its sanding surface is relatively compact, it can take longer to do the job. Making matters worse, four-disk units like the U-Sand offer little or no padding under the disks, so the abrasive does not lie flush to the floor, further reducing the available sanding area while slowing down the process even more.

![Random Orbital Floor Sander Pads](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/JProvey-DIY-Best-Floor-Sanders-4.jpg>)
*Pads attach to the sander base. Photo: JProvey*

Just because you've rented a random orbital machine doesn't mean there's no need to be careful. Be sure the sander is running at full speed when you lower it to the floor. It is also important not to move the sander too quickly across the boards. Above all, remember to never turn the machine off while it is resting on the floor. For any of these different mistakes, the consequence is the same: circular scratches on the floor surface. They may not be very noticeable as you're sanding, but they'll definitely show up when you apply the finish.

## Author
Joe Provey is an expert on all things home and garden. His work has appeared in many national magazines, including [Popular Mechanics](<http://www.popularmechanics.com/>), [House Beautiful](<http://www.housebeautiful.com/>), [Better Homes & Gardens](<http://www.bhg.com/>), and [Fine Homebuilding](<http://www.finehomebuilding.com/>). Mr. Provey has also written more than dozen books, including [*Convert Your Home to Solar Energy*](<https://www.amazon.com/Convert-Your-Home-Solar-Energy/dp/1600852521?tag=bv-untagged-20>) and [*1001 Ideas for Kitchen Organization*](<https://www.amazon.com/Ideas-Kitchen-Organization-Creative-Homeowner/dp/B0036DE4B4/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1534346633&sr=1-2&tag=bv-untagged-20>)*.* Other titles include *Outdoor Kitchens, Easy Closets, Green-up Your Cleanup, and Design Ideas for Flooring.* Currently, Mr. Provey serves as the president of Home & Garden Editorial Services (HGES), a company that produces books for publishers in the home and garden category. In the past, he has been chief editor to several national home improvement magazines, including [The Family Handyman](<http://www.familyhandyman.com/>), Mechanix Illustrated, and Practical Homeowner. Joe lives in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with his wife MaryAnn, where they have seven children and four grandchildren between them.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-provey-08121aa/>)