How to use a Metabo orbital sander
Updated: 21 October 2026
You have a Metabo random-orbit sander on the bench and a door, a dresser, or a painted panel to flatten, and the usual faults are swirl marks, a grit that jumps too far, and a pad tipped on its edge. This guide is how to use a Metabo orbital sander on those jobs with an FSX or an SXE, with a short note where the cordless SXA behaves differently. It is technique, not a second catalogue. The [main comparison](/hub/sanders/metabo-orbital-sander) lists the five tools, the voltages, and the review counts. If you buy through our amazon.co.uk links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have a Metabo random-orbit sander on the bench and a door, a dresser, or a painted panel to flatten, and the usual faults are swirl marks, a grit that jumps too far, and a pad tipped on its edge.
You have a Metabo random-orbit sander on the bench and a door, a dresser, or a painted panel to flatten, and the usual faults are swirl marks, a grit that jumps too far, and a pad tipped on its edge. This guide is how to use a Metabo orbital sander on those jobs with an FSX or an SXE, with a short note where the cordless SXA behaves differently. It is technique, not a second catalogue. The main comparison lists the five tools, the voltages, and the review counts. If you buy through our amazon.co.uk links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Pad | Speed control | Dust | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Metabo Metabo SXE 3150 | 150 mm | Variospeed | Textile bags | 9.2 | about £87.95 | View offer |
| Best value |  Metabo Metabo FSX 200 Intec | 125 mm | No dial | Dust cartridge | 8.8 | about £30.95 | View offer |
 Metabo Metabo SXE 3125 | 125 mm | Variospeed | Textile bag | 8.4 | about £70.95 | View offer |
On this page
Before you switch on
Fit a disc that matches the pad, then check the holes. The FSX 200 and the SXE 3125 take 125 mm discs. The SXE 3150 and the SXA take 150 mm. A disc that overhangs, or whose holes miss the pad, dumps dust back onto the face. The cartridge and the textile bag still leave a dusty room on their own. The Health and Safety Executive expects suitable extraction and, for many enclosed jobs, a mask of at least APF 20. Do not dry-sand paint that might contain lead. The SXE 450 here is 110 V, and some FSX reviews mention a European plug in a UK adapter.
Grit sequence for wood and paint
For bare wood with machine marks, begin around P80 or P120 and step to the next grit rather than jumping from P80 to P240. For a sound painted door you are keying, start around P120 or P180. Change the disc when it clogs, because a loaded disc polishes and heats the paint. The SXA scope includes one P120 sheet, which is a starting point, not a full sequence. Keep one grit across the whole panel. If the pad is wrong for the moulding, the 125 or 150 page is the buying question.
Using Variospeed Metabo models
The FSX 200 has no speed dial. You keep the pad flat at a fixed rate, up to 11,000 rpm in the listing. The SXE 3125, the SXE 3150, and the 110 V SXE 450 list Variospeed. The SXA lists variable speed and soft start. Use a slower setting on thin varnish and paint you are only keying. Full speed on a soft finish is how swirl marks appear in the first minute. Let the pad sit flat before the tool comes up to speed. Metabo UK publishes 5.5 m/s² for surface grinding on the SXE 3150, with K of 1.5, as laboratory data, not your daily exposure. Take breaks on long jobs.
Avoiding gouges and swirls
Let the weight of the tool do the cutting. Extra pressure stalls the pad and digs a crescent where you tipped the edge. Move slowly with the grain, overlapping each pass. On an FSX or SXE, lift only after the pad has stopped. On the SXA, Metabo UK describes a motor and plate brake. Keep the pad fully on the face near the arris, or the rim will round a door edge. If a swirl is already there, drop one grit, sand it flat, then return to the finer disc. Empty the cartridge or the bag before it is packed solid.
Jobs to avoid
Do not expect floor-sander speed from a palm tool. One SXE 3150 review describes a small oak floor done with patience, and that is the limit of the anecdote. Stop if you smell burning, see sparks, or the tool stalls under light pressure, and unplug a tool that shocks you. Do not dry-sand lead paint. Metal is outside these listings unless the disc and the Metabo page name it. The FSX at a fixed speed will mark a delicate finish sooner than an SXE with the dial down.
Common questions
What grit should I start on?
For bare wood with obvious marks, a rule of thumb is P80 or P120, then the next grit up, without jumping to a fine paper in one step. For paint you are keying, start finer, around P120 or P180, and stop when the film is even. Clogged paper is spent. Those bands are practice, not a Metabo listing figure.
How do I avoid swirl marks?
Keep the pad flat, use light pressure, and overlap slow passes. Do not start or lift with the disc touching at an angle. On an FSX or SXE, let the pad stop before you lift it. On the SXA, Metabo UK describes a plate brake, which shortens that spin-down. If a swirl is visible, remove it with a coarser grit, then refine again.
Can I sand paint indoors?
You can sand ordinary domestic paint if you extract the dust and you know the paint is not lead. The cartridge or textile bag is not enough on its own for a closed room. HSE guidance on wood dust is the standard to read, and lead paint should be left to someone set up for it.
How hard should I press?
Press only enough to keep the pad in contact. The tool’s weight is the cutting force. Harder pressure slows the orbit, heats the disc, and gouges where the rim digs in. If the motor note drops sharply, you are pushing. Ease off and let the grit work.
Do I move with or against the grain?
Move with the grain in overlapping passes. Random orbit is forgiving, and a cross-grain scrub still shows once the finish goes on, especially on a door stile. Keep one grit for the whole face before you change discs, so the edges match the centre.
When should I use a slow speed?
On Variospeed models, use the slower end for veneer, thin varnish, and paint you are only keying. Use a higher speed when a coarse disc is removing a worn finish and it is still cutting cleanly. The FSX 200 has no dial, so that choice is not available. The 110 V SXE 450 has a dial, and it still needs a 110 V supply.
Can this sand a whole floor?
Not in the way a floor sander does. The SXE 3150 review file includes a small oak floor done slowly, and the same reviews say it is not a floor-sander replacement. For a room-sized refinish, hire the right machine or call someone who does that work. A palm pad also leaves you kneeling in the dust the bag does not catch.
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)