Question and recommendation for a Random Orbital polisher, TIA.

No, different but similar in operation. DA sanders are typically air operated and hi much higher RPM's than a DA polisher

 

You would not want to risk getting sanded dust on something that you are polishing! Two tools is the way to go. For polishing the Griots garage random polisher is popular. A lot of places are reselling it so it must be as good as they say. For sanding I have had a couple brands, a Porter Cable that died after many years of hard use and now a Makita. They work similar but these days I prefer the Makita tools because it seems like their storage boxes the tools come in has extra room so it's not such a chore to store the tools away after use. It's been a few years though since I have purchased anything so it's worth it to double check this if it is important to you.

https://www.griotsgarage.com/product/griots+garage+random+orbital.do

 

DO NOT USE THE SAME TOOL FOR POLISHING AND SANDING.

I have the Porter Cable polisher and couldn't be happier.
It may not be as popular as the one from Griots, but I get fantastic results with it:

Porter Cable Product Details for 6" Variable-Speed Random Orbit Polisher - Model # 7424XP
I store it and all it's accessories in a SnapOn bag from Amazon.

 

Hutchins are the best

 

For a beginner the Griot's polishing machine is very forgiving, almost impossible to burn through paint unless you press really hard for a long time.

On the other hand most pro's I've seen use Porter Cable.

 

I have a Rupes DA polisher bought from Todd at Esoteric. It's the absolute best. But, the OP was more interested in sanding.

 

So much confusion in this thread and even the industries that use these tools, so I'll add what I know.

Rotary is the fastest working tool. It works in a single direction / action which is circular. It is used for quick material removal, and body shops for cutting and polishing. It's the most prone to swirl marks as a result of it's aggressiveness.

DA is Dual Action. That means the pad moves in more than one direction. A DA CAN be random, in which case it's a Random Orbital.

A Random Orbital moves in two directions (i.e. Dual Action) but the directions are random. They are not very aggressive, and not prone to swirls.

One of the things that happens with a random orbital, is the action can stall - it has to do with the way the motor works, and I'm not the best person to explain it... So there's another recent category of Forced Random Orbital. That's the category of some of the Rupies, Festool, etc. that are more aggressive.

Now, to answer your question: yes, a sander and polisher CAN be (and even are) the same thing. But, it depends on who's answering the question and how much they know about the types of polishers. Usually a tool for polishing will have a greater speed adjustment and even higher speed than a tool for sanding, which may make a difference depending on your intended application. The tools are also marketed differently, but the specs may be the same, so check with the manufacturer if you are in doubt.

 

+1 for the Porter Cable 7424.

I have had mine for 13 years used several times a month, sometimes more frequently. Here's a tip, if you purchase this from Meguiar's, they give it a lifetime warranty. It's a little more expensive from there, but worth it.

I also highly recommend Lake Country pads for compounding and polishing paint.

Lake Country - Home

 

You seldom hear bad feedback on any of the various brands of quality polishers on the detailing forums so I suspect they all do a very decent job when used correctly. I think the choice of products and technique have a lot more to do with the end results than the specific polisher. A lot of the pros on the forums seem to have two of more brands of polishers and switch easily between them. Agree that a separate polisher and sander is a better idea than trying to cover both applications with a single tool.

I hate to contradict Sunny, but I've had terrible results from Lake Country pads (the glue that secures the backing to the foam fails easily, which is a frequent topic of conversation on the forums, yet LC has not fixed the problem) so I only buy that brand when I need specialty pads that only LC makes. I've had much better luck with the ubër brand pads, sold by Detailed Image. YMMV, of course.

For anyone interested in this or any aspect of the "detailing" hobby I'd suggest spending some time on the detailing forums. There are a lot of people who are as devoted to detailing as we are to Ferraris so there's a huge amount of helpful info to be had if you're willing to do some reading.

Good luck!

 

I can wholeheartedly agree with DaveRocks on the merits of the Rupes DA polishers. I have three of them: the "regular sized" "Bigfoot 15". the Mini and the Nano. All are superbly built machines that perform above my original expectations. And, each has its own purposes and applications. I used a PorterCable for several years and the Rupes macines and accessory line are simply in a totally other league, light years ahead in performance, ergonomics, comfort, build quality and just about every other category. You pay, but get more than you pay for in the end.

 

I'll second what MSWIEK said. I've got three Rupes and they're nice. One of the best things about them is the vibration isolation system. You can use them for hours without your hands getting numb or tingly. I've tried Porter Cable and Flex. The Rupes are also very well built. You get what you pay for.

 

If you are preparing cars and other surfaces for paint on a regular basis, Hutchins are great.
They are quiet, have minimal vibration and the exhaust has a filter to keep contamination from getting back onto your working surface.
They are air powered, so a compressor is a must.
Some have a steel body that is very durable and if you use them a lot, they are rebuildable.

If you are doing miscellaneous household tasks, an inexpensive electric vesion will work adequately.