I used a 5 inch air grinder I got from Harbor Freight. It was too big for my hand (I have regular sized hands. Not small but not extra, the vibration was tiring my hand and I had to constantly hold on to what I was sanding. This sander solved all those problems. It's much lighter , fits my hand perfectly, works MUCH faster and my work doesn't make a fuss around the table. Overall I'm very happy with this grinder.