Metabo cordless or mains orbital sander
Updated: 21 October 2026
You are comparing a Metabo cordless orbital sander with a corded FSX or SXE, and the £164.95 sticker on the SXA looks like a simple step up from a £31 or £88 mains tool. It is not the same kind of price. The SXA 18 LTX 150 BL is a bare 18 V body. The FSX 200, the SXE 3125, and the SXE 3150 plug into a 240 V class supply with no pack to buy. This page is the power and money fork. The [main comparison](/hub/sanders/metabo-orbital-sander) lists all five tools. Shelf prices are amazon.co.uk figures from 19 October 2026.
You are comparing a Metabo cordless orbital sander with a corded FSX or SXE, and the £164.95 sticker on the SXA looks like a simple step up from a £31 or £88 mains tool. It is not the same kind of price.
You are comparing a Metabo cordless orbital sander with a corded FSX or SXE, and the £164.95 sticker on the SXA looks like a simple step up from a £31 or £88 mains tool. It is not the same kind of price. The SXA 18 LTX 150 BL is a bare 18 V body. The FSX 200, the SXE 3125, and the SXE 3150 plug into a 240 V class supply with no pack to buy. This page is the power and money fork. The main comparison lists all five tools. Shelf prices are amazon.co.uk figures from 19 October 2026.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Supply | Battery | Pad | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Metabo Metabo SXA 18 LTX 150 BL | 18 V | Not included | 150 mm | 7.8 | about £164.95 | View offer |
 Metabo Metabo SXE 3150 | 240 V | Mains | 150 mm | 9.2 | about £87.95 | View offer | |
| Best value |  Metabo Metabo FSX 200 Intec | 240 V | Mains | 125 mm | 8.8 | about £30.95 | View offer |
On this page
What the SXA listing actually includes
The SXA 18 LTX 150 BL, ASIN B0BQQYVHG7, is £164.95 and rated 4.9 from 21 reviews. Metabo UK scope is a pad, one P120 sheet, textile dust bags, a wrench, and metaBOX 215, with no battery and no charger. The listing weight is 1.32 kg. Metabo UK gives 1.3 kg without the pack, so that figure is the body. Bullets name a brushless motor, variable speed, and soft start, plus a motor and plate brake. The vacuum coupling bush is an accessory. Twenty-one ratings is a thin file next to 712 on the SXE 3150.
When a corded FSX or SXE wins
Corded wins when you do not own Metabo 18 V batteries and the work stays near a socket. The FSX 200 is £30.95, 4.5 from 378, 125 mm, with no speed dial. The SXE 3125 is £70.95, 4.4 from 224, with Variospeed on 125 mm. The SXE 3150 is £87.95, 4.5 from 712, with Variospeed on 150 mm. Each is a ready 240 V class tool. The bare SXA is not. FSX reviews mention a short cord, and a 4 m note on the SXE 3125 is German marketplace text, so lead length is not one figure. The best Metabo orbital sander page calls the SXE 3150 the top pick and the FSX the best value.
When cordless wins
Cordless wins when Metabo 18 V packs are already on the shelf and the job moves between rooms. The SXA is 150 mm, so it lines up with the SXE 3150, not the FSX. You can set the speed, which the FSX does not offer. Soft start and the plate brake change how you put the pad down. They do not add runtime, and we will not invent a minutes-per-amp-hour figure. A large pack is heavy on the wrist. The platform has to be Metabo’s 18 V line. Another brand’s pack does not belong on this body.
Costs to add before you compare
Compare a ready-to-run cost, not the bare sticker. The SXA at £164.95 still needs a Metabo 18 V battery and a charger. We do not lock a pack price, so we do not print a guessed figure. Any genuine pack and charger puts the SXA further above the £87.95 SXE 3150. Some FSX reviews mention a European plug with a UK adapter, which is a delivery check, not a second product. Discs are extra except the single P120 sheet in the SXA scope. A first sander for furniture should start corded.
110 V corded is a different fork
The SXE 450 TurboTec at £148.37 is corded, and it is not the mains alternative to the SXA. The title is 110–120 V, the file is 3.9 from three reviews, and the weight is 3.3 kg. A 110 V lead will not run from a normal UK 13 A socket. This page uses amazon.co.uk listings and Metabo UK scope lines from 19 October 2026. It is not a runtime test. A purchase through our links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Common questions
Does the SXA include a battery?
No. Metabo UK states that this SXA 18 LTX 150 BL scope is without a battery pack and without a charger. You get the body, a pad, one P120 sheet, dust bags, and a metaBOX 215. The £164.95 amazon.co.uk price on 19 October 2026 is that bare listing.
Which Metabo batteries fit?
The tool is in Metabo’s 18 V cordless line. The pack has to match that platform. We do not treat other brands’ 18 V batteries as compatible, and we do not name a specific amp-hour as the pack, because runtime is not stated as a measured figure in the file we used.
Is cordless worth it for one door?
Usually not, if you have no Metabo packs. One interior door near a socket is a corded SXE 3150 or, for narrower work, an FSX 200. Cordless earns its place when you will sand in several rooms and the batteries are already bought. One door does not spread the pack cost.
Will I lose power versus the SXE 3150?
We cannot claim a winner on cutting power. The SXE 3150 is listed by Metabo UK at 310 W on mains. The SXA is brushless 18 V with a maximum of 10,000 rpm in the Amazon file, and the SXE 3150 file lists 12,000 rpm. Those are not the same kind of number as watts. The corded tool does not fade when a pack empties.
What about cable length on the corded models?
FSX reviews often call the cord short. A review stored with the SXE 3125 mentions about 4 m, and that text is from a German marketplace review in the raw file, not a UK measurement we repeated. Do not assume every corded Metabo in this set has the same lead.
Does brushless justify the price on its own?
Brushless, soft start, and a plate brake are reasons to want the SXA once the packs exist. They do not close a gap from £164.95 plus a battery down to £87.95 for a corded 150 mm tool with 712 reviews. Pay for cordless because of how you move around the house, not because the motor word sounds newer.
Should a first-time buyer go cordless?
No, unless the Metabo 18 V batteries are already in the house. A first sander for furniture on a normal UK socket is the FSX 200 if you want the lowest spend, or the SXE 3150 if you want a 150 mm pad and a speed dial. Add the SXA later if the platform grows.
Related pages
Sources
Sources listed below, last checked on 19 October 2026.
- Metabo UK FSX 200 Intec (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Metabo UK SXE 3150 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Metabo UK SXA 18 LTX 150 BL (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Metabo UK random orbital sander category (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- HSE: Cutting and sanding wood (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- HSE: Hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings for the five Metabo ASINs (19 October 2026) (retrieved 19.10.2026)