Which sander/grinder should I choose?

Angle grinder

An angle grinder is made for cutting and grinding metal — quick and powerful, but also aggressive. It is not automatically the best tool for wood, even though people sometimes use it that way.

Belt sander

A belt sander is better for flattening large surfaces — boards, doors and worktops where you need an even result across the whole face.

Straight grinder

A straight grinder is for tight spaces, corners and internal areas where an angle-grinder disc is too large.

Many people lump “grinding” and “cutting” together. With metal, the same angle grinder often does both with different discs — but with wood the goals are different: smoothing a surface is not the same job as cutting through it. Keep the end result in mind: do you want to remove material, flatten something, or separate a piece?

For light, occasional work, a battery gives freedom: no cable, no socket needed. For heavy metal grinding in a workshop, corded power is often preferred so you never run short. PALĪGS considers both the job and how comfortable it is for you to work without a socket nearby.

• Using an angle grinder to flatten wood because “it is the one I have”.
• Choosing by power alone and ignoring how big and heavy the tool is in tight places.
• Forgetting that discs, belts and sanding sheets are consumables — the right one changes the result.
• Skipping eye, hearing and breathing protection — grinding throws sparks and dust.

Each answer shifts the score between tool types — which is why it matters to describe your real job. If you answer “I don’t know”, PALĪGS leans towards the safer, more versatile option instead of guessing.

Choose what you do most often and where it is more convenient to work. If you are unsure, pick “I don’t know”. The recommendation narrows down the type — it does not force one “universal” grinder on every job.