I’ve been doing a lot of sanding lately and mostly with a heavy-duty electric random orbit sander, so I when I got the opportunity to test the new Dynorbital Silver Supreme sander from Dynabrade, I was ready.

Pneumatic sanders have a lot of advantages in a production environment, not the least of which is the compact size and light weight, and if you can isolate the noise of your compressor in the background, they tend to be quieter, too. This new Dynabrade sander takes those basic advantages and builds on them.

Basic specs

The Dynorbital Silver Supreme comes in several configurations. We tested the Model 69020, which is a 12,000 rpm unit with a 3/16-inch random orbit. It takes 5-inch pressure sensitive abrasive discs. This one has no onboard dust collection, but you can get adapter kits to modify it for either self-generated vacuum or central vacuum. It has a floating rotor with five blades and is designed to use less air and require less maintenance.

Ergonomics are a big advantage of pneumatic sanders, and this unit capitalizes on that with some new features. There is an extension off the back that Dynabrade calls the Comfort Platform. What it does is provide some additional wrist support for more control and less fatigue. Also, the extension serves as a shield to protect you from the cold exhaust stream.

Trying it out

Certainly less fatiguing that a big electric random-orbit sander, the diminutive Dynabrade is a pleasure to use. The low profile, with your hand close to the work, gives plenty of control and great visibility. The throttle lever drops into a semi-circular recess when depressed, so there are no pinch points to catch your hand or gloves.

Of course, the biggest advantages of pneumatics in a production situation, is the low maintenance and longevity of the tools. While we can’t say how this unit will fare in long-term use, the build and quality are excellent, and we have no doubt it will hold up as well or better than other pneumatics and certainly up to the high standards we’ve come to expect from Dynabrade products.

Priced on the street at about $150, the Dynorbital Silver Supreme seems like a great value in a production sander to add to your pneumatic arsenal or a good opportunity to give pneumatics a try. For more information, visit www.dynabrade.com.