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Metabo orbital sander buying guide

Updated: 21 October 2026

You are looking at a Metabo random-orbit sander for a door, a dresser, or a painted panel, and the amazon.co.uk results mix names that are not the same tool. This buying guide puts the socket and the pad ahead of the star line, so the FSX 200, the SXE models, TurboTec, and the 18 V SXA do not collapse into one basket. The [Metabo orbital sander comparison](/hub/sanders/metabo-orbital-sander) keeps five listings after seven wrong-brand or accessory rows were dropped. On 19 October 2026 the shelf prices ran from £30.95 to £164.95. By the end you should know the voltage, the pad, and what the box does not include.

You are looking at a Metabo random-orbit sander for a door, a dresser, or a painted panel, and the amazon.co.uk results mix names that are not the same tool.

Our top picks

Metabo Metabo SXA 18 LTX 150 BL

Best overall

Metabo Metabo SXA 18 LTX 150 BL
7.8/10about £164.95
View offer
Metabo Metabo SXE 3150

Rank 2

Metabo Metabo SXE 3150
9.2/10about £87.95
View offer
Metabo Metabo FSX 200 Intec

Best value

Metabo Metabo FSX 200 Intec
8.8/10about £30.95
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Names and what they mean
  2. 2.Voltage and the 110 V outlier
  3. 3.125 mm versus 150 mm in Metabo
  4. 4.Speed, turbo, and dust
  5. 5.What to buy with the tool

Names and what they mean

Metabo’s short codes are the first thing to read. FSX here is the FSX 200 Intec, corded 125 mm, at £30.95 and 4.5 from 378 reviews. SXE is the corded Variospeed family: the SXE 3125 is 125 mm at £70.95 (4.4 from 224), and the SXE 3150 is 150 mm at £87.95 (4.5 from 712). The SXA 18 LTX 150 BL is an 18 V brushless 150 mm body at £164.95, rated 4.9 from 21 reviews, in a metaBOX. TurboTec is a feature name on the SXE 3125 and the SXE 450, not a size, so a TurboTec search can land on the 110 V site tool.

Voltage and the 110 V outlier

UK mains are nominally 230 V, and a normal domestic plug is BS 1363. The FSX 200, the SXE 3125, and the SXE 3150 sit in the 220–240 V class. ASIN B00308WQMO is the SXE 450 TurboTec titled 110–120 V, at £148.37, rated 3.9 from three reviews, and listed at 3.3 kg. That is a site supply, not a kitchen socket. Metabo UK lists 150 mm and 350 W for that variant, useful only if you already work from 110 V. Some FSX reviews mention a European plug in a UK adapter, so check the plug on arrival.
Metabo Metabo SXA 18 LTX 150 BL

Testsieger

Metabo Metabo SXA 18 LTX 150 BL
7.8/10about £164.95
View offer

125 mm versus 150 mm in Metabo

The FSX 200 and the SXE 3125 are 125 mm. The SXE 3150, the SXA 18 LTX 150 BL, and the Metabo UK specification for the 110 V SXE 450 are 150 mm. A 125 mm disc will not line up on a 150 mm hook-and-loop pad. Metabo UK lists a 3 mm orbit for the SXE 3150, so pad diameter and orbit are not the same number. The Metabo 125 or 150 sander page stays on that trade-off.

Speed, turbo, and dust

The FSX 200 has no Variospeed, so you sand at one rate, up to 11,000 rpm in the file. The SXE 3125, the SXE 3150, and the SXE 450 list Variospeed, and the SXE 450 also lists turbo boost. The SXA lists infinitely variable speed and soft start. The FSX uses a cartridge with a pleated filter. The SXE and SXA listings use textile bags. The Health and Safety Executive expects suitable extraction for wood dust and, for many enclosed jobs, respiratory protection of at least APF 20. Do not sweep the dust. None of these bags is Class M.

What to buy with the tool

The shelf price is the body, not always a ready kit. The FSX 200 includes a dust cartridge and a plastic carry case on the Metabo UK scope. The SXE 3150 scope includes a multi-hole pad, a hex wrench, and textile dust bags. The SXA scope includes a pad, one P120 sheet, dust bags, and metaBOX 215, and no battery or charger. Add a Metabo 18 V pack and a charger before you set £164.95 beside the £87.95 SXE 3150. The cordless or mains page is that comparison. This guide is not a lab test.

Common questions

What is the difference between the FSX 200 and the SXE 3125?
Both are corded 125 mm Metabo sanders for a 240 V class supply. The FSX 200 is £30.95 with 4.5 from 378 reviews, a dust cartridge, and no Variospeed in the bullets. The SXE 3125 is £70.95 with 4.4 from 224 reviews and Variospeed in the title. You pay the extra for a speed dial, not for a larger pad. The Amazon watt line and the Metabo UK catalogue figure do not match.
Which Metabo sander here is 150 mm?
The SXE 3150 and the SXA 18 LTX 150 BL are 150 mm on the listings we kept. Metabo UK also lists a 150 mm pad for the 110 V SXE 450 variant. The FSX 200 and the SXE 3125 are 125 mm. Pad size does not change the voltage, so a 150 mm SXE 450 is still a site tool if the title says 110–120 V.
Can I use the SXE 450 on a normal UK plug?
No. This ASIN is titled 110–120 V. A normal UK home socket is nominally 230 V with a BS 1363 plug. Buy the SXE 450 only when you already have a 110 V site supply. For a household socket, stay with the FSX 200, the SXE 3125, or the SXE 3150, and still check the plug in the box.
Does the SXA come with a battery?
The Metabo UK scope for the SXA 18 LTX 150 BL says the battery pack and the charger are not included. The £164.95 shelf price is the bare body, a pad, one P120 sheet, dust bags, and a metaBOX 215. You need a Metabo 18 V pack that matches that cordless line before the tool will run.
Which models have variable speed?
Variospeed is in the bullets for the SXE 3125, the SXE 3150, and the SXE 450. The SXA lists infinitely variable speed and soft start. The FSX 200 does not list a speed control. If you sand thin paint as well as bare wood, the missing dial on the FSX is the limitation reviewers mention, even though the star rating is high.
What should I check when the box arrives?
Match the voltage on the label to your supply, then the pad diameter to the discs you own. On an FSX, look at the plug, because some UK reviews describe a European plug in an adapter. On an SXA, confirm that no battery was promised on the page you bought. On an SXE 3125, do not expect a hard case or a stated sheet count from the Amazon scope line.

Related pages

Best Metabo orbital sander

Metabo orbital sander

Metabo 125 mm or 150 mm sander: which pad to choose

Metabo cordless or mains orbital sander: SXA price

How to use a Metabo orbital sander and avoid swirls

Sources

Sources listed below, last checked on 19 October 2026.

  1. Metabo UK FSX 200 Intec (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  2. Metabo UK SXE 3150 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  3. Metabo UK SXA 18 LTX 150 BL (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  4. Metabo UK random orbital sander category (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  5. HSE: Cutting and sanding wood (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  6. HSE: Hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  7. amazon.co.uk listings for the five Metabo ASINs (19 October 2026) (retrieved 19.10.2026)