: I'm looking at buying a random orbit sander. Most have the palm grip, but a
: few have a two handed grip. What are the pros and cons of each style? Is
: variable speed useful and worth the extra money?
: Thanks, Richard.

I have a Bosch 3107DVS, which is a 5", two-handed grip ROS. It is the only ROS I have ever owned or used, so I have no comparison. The pros are that it is easy to handle (with two hands) and it removes material very quickly and smoothly. The cons are the size making it difficult to sand near the ends on the interior of the boat, and it is difficult to control with only one hand, mostly due to weight and balance. The only reason one-hand operation is a concern is that when sanding the ends on the exterior of the boat, where the surfaces are nearly vertical, is that the pressure exerted by the sander will actually cause the boat to rock (and that's with the boat strapped to sawhorses), making it difficult to sand smoothly. The boat movement is easy to stop by resting one hand on it, but that only leaves one hand to operate the sander.

I like the sander, it is just overkill for a kayak. If the only type of boat you plan to build is a kayak, go with a palm grip. If you plan larger projects once your kayak is complete, go with the pistol grip - it is manageable for the kayak, and will be worth it on that next project. And definitely go with the variable speed - it is worth the price.