By Mark Paterson Email: pato@netspace.net.au

Triton â

The Random Orbital Sander Adapter for Angle Grinders
Use your old 100mm/4" or 115mm/4.5" Angle Grinder.

• Why did I buy it?
• Good Points.
• Not so good points.
• The Manufacturer.
• Some images of the unit.

The story goes like this.

My nifty little random orbital sander came to an early demise one day after sanding some fine sawn beams. It was quite warm but going well until I decided to have a break and rest it on the stool, but clumsy me caught my foot on the lead as I was walking away and caused the sander to fall and hit the concrete floor. Even though the fall wasn't great it was enough to damage the armature, after that the trusty old sander had to be retired.

Some weeks later I was lurking around in the tool department of a large store near home when I spotted the Triton â display center, up there at the top was the new Random Orbital adapter head. Hmmm say's I as the old gray matter calculates the difference in cost between a new dedicated sander and this new do-hickey.

To replace the old sander with something similar I was looking at around $350 Au(there are cheaper units around but don't fooled, pay good money for a good quality unit, the benefit will be a long relationship). The Triton â Sander adapter was only $85 Au, even better was the fact that I had a perfectly good 100mm grinder sitting around doing nothing so this looked like a great solution. After three months of usage I would say I'm very impressed with the performance.

Points in favor:

• Low cost compared to alternatives.
• Converts easily into sander or angle grinder as needed.
• The cost of an average angle grinder plus the Triton â adapter is still cheaper than a dedicated sander on it's own.
• It removes material faster due to the higher revolutions of the angle grinder.
• The sanded surface is left with almost no swirls.
• Most angle grinders have a side handle and lock switch, so it's comfortable to use. This means more accurate sanding.
• Uses the normal hook and loop style Velcro on the pad.
• Sanding pads seem to last just as long as they did on my old sander.
• Replacement sanding pads are easy to get in any store.

Points against:

• It is noisier than most good sanders.
• Has a slightly higher vibration factor than my old sander.
• Lacks any sort of dust extraction or containment. (A dust mask is a must have with this unit)
• User must remember to place the pad on the surface (before) switching on, or the grinder will spin it up too fast so that surface damage could be caused.
• The pad can generate heat. (I have found that normal use with the occasional stop to check on progress doesn’t generate enough heat to cause damage)
• That's about all I can come up with on the against side. If you are looking at buying a sander and already have an angle grinder then this really is a great alternative, with good savings to be had.

And now some info about Triton, the innovative all Australian tool maker.

Triton Manufacturing & Design CO. PTY. LTD