Sanding wood is one of the most time-consuming and daunting parts of any woodworking project. However, it’s an extremely essential step for the aesthetics and cleanliness of your finish.
Electric wood sanders can help you finish this task in a fraction of the time, all while maintaining the condition of your workpiece. If you’re looking for a good wood sander and don’t know where to start, you’re in luck. In this article, we’ll walk you through a brief guide with reviews of the best sanders for wood to pick the ideal one for your needs. Plus, the different types of sanders available and they’re common usages.
The problem with buying a low-quality electric sander is that it’ll leave noticeable swirl marks on your workpiece. To help you with the process of choosing a high-quality option, here are seven of the top choices.
Table of Contents
Top 7 Wood Sanders Reviews
1. Makita BO4556 Finishing Sander
Makita BO4556 is one of the overall best choices if you’re looking for a finishing sander. The sander uses a knob-style construction that is fairly common among 1/4 sheet wood sanders.
The Makita BO4556 offers excellent handling thanks to its smooth performance as well as a rubberized grip that is designed to fit the contour of your hand for the maximum level of control over the sander. Plus, it helps with comfort levels.
The sander comes with a two amps motor, which may sound a bit less than other options. However, it offers a constant speed of 14,000 revolutions per minute, which is pretty high and guarantees a remarkably smooth and polished finish.
All that is possible due to its all-ball bearing design that also helps lower the noise produced by the sander and minimize wasted electric power.
The electric sander also has a fairly efficient dust collecting system and a protective rubber casing that is fitted over the power switch to keep the sanding dust out and extend the life of the sander.
Things We Like
Padded clamp handles for easy sandpaper replacement
Smooth design with grippy handles that ensures high stability
Powerful and relatively quiet performance
Things We Don’t Like
The dust collection system may fail to collect everything.
2. DEWALT DWE6411K Palm Sander
Dewalt is considered one of the best tool brands worldwide that make a wide range of power tools, and their DWE6411K Palm Sander lives up to the name.
The design of the DWE6411K is remarkably powerful and produces much less vibration when compared to older models. This is due to the separate counterweight that absorbs the vibrations before it reaches your arm.
Additionally, this palm sander features a potent 2.3 amp electric motor capable of sanding at 14,000 OPM, resulting in silky smooth finishes. The highly efficient motor also guarantees a quiet and seamless performance.
The Dewalt’s handles are also padded with rubber for extra grip while sanding, and you can easily replace and stabilize the sanding paper thanks to the improved clamp.
What’s more, the dust collection system in this sander comes with a locking dust port and works significantly better than the Makita’s system.
Things We Like
- Vibration-free performance
- Lightweight and stable
- The reduced size allows the operator to have a clearer view of what they’re sanding
Things We Don’t Like
- It might have a loose fitting and require tedious adjustments at times
3. TECCPO Compact Mouse Detail Sander
TECCPO is another power tool manufacturer with several successful products, including the Compact Mouse Detail Sander.
This sander has an electric motor with a maximum power of 1.1 amps, which is relatively low compared to other options out there. However, the sander runs at a pretty fast rate of 14,000 orbits per minute.
What makes this sander stand out is that it weighs as low as 2.6 lbs, which allows you to take it just about anywhere to work on any remote project, provided that you have a power source. It's also easy to control when you place it on a workbench.
The sander has an ergonomic design that gives you excellent control for a one-handed operation.
Things We Like
Ideal for buyers on a tight budget
Incredibly compact and lightweight
Comes with a wide variety of sanding paper for added value
Things We Don’t Like
Not powerful enough for heavy woodworking projects
4. BLACK+DECKER BDERO100 Random Orbital Sander
The Black+Decker BDERO100 is an excellent option if you’re looking for an inexpensive random orbit sander that still delivers decently high power.
The electric sander is equipped with a 2.0 amp motor with a very high-efficiency rating, despite being a bit slower than other sanders on the list, standing only at 12,000 orbits per minute.
This one is designed with a random orbital mechanism, which guarantees a smooth finish without noticeable swirl marks.
The sander comes with a comfortable handle with a decent grip, although it would have been much better if the device had a longer handle.
Another excellent feature of this sander is the built-in dust collection system that guarantees a mess-free workspace. Regardless, it's always recommended to wear a dust mask.
Things We Like
- The dust collection bag performs decently well compared to its size
- A capable orbital sander that doesn’t leave swirl marks
- Compact and easy to use
Things We Don’t Like
- The handle is a bit small
5. Bosch ROS20VSC Palm Sander
If you don’t mind spending more out of your budget to land an immensely powerful sander that can work seamlessly on all kinds of surfaces, you should keep the Bosch ROS20VSC Palm Sander in mind.
A remarkable feature is that it comes with a 2.5 amp motor, which is one of the most strongest motors in this price range.
This allows you to work at incredible speed and remove large chunks of material from the workpiece in record time. The variable speed control gives you more control over the speeds while working on any wood surface.
Moreover, the palm sander has an easy disc configuration and attachment system that uses a simple hook and loop to attach the paper to the sander disc. This makes it as easy as attaching velcro tape!
Things We Like
- Remarkably durable construction
- Mighty 2.5 amp motor
- Easy attachment system
Things We Don’t Like
- The microfilter clogs easily
6. Festool 571782 RO 125 FEQ Rotex Sander
The Festool 571782 Rotex Sander is an incredibly powerful gear-driven sander on a completely different level in terms of quality, price, and features.
What’s impressive about this commercial-grade sander is that it can shave off thick layers of wood while staying relatively portable and very easy to use.
Not only that, but it can also adapt to all kinds of wood sanding projects, from bulk sanding to fine finishing. If you're working with rough wood, it's great for that.
The sander features a jetstream dust extraction system, which doesn’t only collects the dust, but also removes microscopic particles that can create a rough finish. This enables the Festool to give you an astonishingly smooth surface with little to no effort.
Things We Like
- Incredibly potent sander
- Ultra versatile model that can perform in all sorts of sanding projects
- Easy to use and adjust
Things We Don’t Like
- Premium price tag
7. Makita 5-Inch Disc Sander
We end the list with another product from Makita, which shows the level of quality that they put in their products.
This one is a disc sander that features one of the most powerful motors on the list. It features a 4.2 amp motor that delivers a slow but highly effective 4,500 orbit per minute.
The corded sander comes with a 5-inch disc, allowing you to shave a lot of material off large area surfaces, making it ideal for large projects like cabinets and cupboards.
The durability of this sander is its most characteristic feature. It has a ball and needle-bearing construction that reduces vibrations and maintains the motor in great shape for a long time. Also, it’s double insulated on the outside to protect it from fine dust.
Things We Like
- Features one of the most powerful motors on the market
- Ultra-durable and well insulated on the outside for a longer life
- Ideal for large surface area projects
Things We Don’t Like
- A bit costly compared to its price class
Types of Wood Sanders
One thing you should know about wood sanders is that they come in a wide range of types, and some of them are more suitable for specific tasks than others. There are a variety of wood projects you can use them for like building cabinet drawers, removing stain from a deck, or even sanding wood kitchen cabinets. If the project your using them for releases a lot of dust, it might be worth investing in a dust extractor for any of your more intense woodworking projects, unless the sanders built-in dust system can handle it.
In this section, we’ll walk you through a brief guide of the different types of wood sanders on the market, so you can figure out which one is the most suitable for you:
Belt Sanders
Belt sanders are the most powerful types of electric sanders out there. They’re specifically designed for removing the largest amount of wood in the least time possible.
They have a characteristic look that separates them from other types of sanders out there because they use a continuous looping sanding belt, hence the name.
The principle of the sander is that the sanding belt fits on a rotor conveyor that rotates using a motor. The belt is then tightened and held in place using alignment guides. After you cut a wooden board with a saw, make sure to sand it.
To use a handheld belt sander, you start the machine and let the electric motor spin the belt forward. The operator holds the workpiece in the same direction of the wood grain and changes its angles and pressure to adjust the sanding accordingly. Operation might be slightly different for a stationary belt sander.
Belt sanders come in various sizes to suit various wood projects and typically range anywhere from 3 x 18 inches to 4 x 24, with the 3 x 21 inches being the most common size on the market.
Random Orbital Sander
A random orbital sander is one of the most versatile types of sander out there. It's commonly used by woodworkers because it balances between being a powerful tool capable of removing material and smoothing out the workpiece, especially if it’s handled by an experienced professional.
Additionally, it’s a one-handed operation and works like a charm on workpieces with a large surface area like cabinets.
The random orbit sander is slightly superior to its regular counterpart. The reason behind that is that a regular orbital sander is known for leaving obvious scratch marks on the workpiece. However, random orbital sanders’ non-predictable motion eliminates this problem.
A random orbital sander would also use a round abrasive sheet, while regular ones use standard sandpaper.
Disc Sanders
Another highly versatile type of sander is disc sanders, which is any kind of sander that uses disc-shaped sandpaper to get the job done.
These power sanders come in various styles and use different mechanisms, including regular orbital and random orbital sanding.
Since disc sanders can be pretty versatile and compact, they’re used for a wide range of purposes. Additionally, if you're looking for a corded sander, disc sanders might be the right type for you. Some are battery powered sanders that don't need wall electricity, which further boosts the disc sanders portability.
A belt sander can be extremely durable and robust, making it the go-to option for removing large chunks of material. However, since you operate it while holding the workpiece, it can be quite tricky for the belt sander to reach these areas, and that’s where disc sanders stand out as an excellent solution.
Since you can hold these sanders with your hand, you’re able to use them to reach the most challenging areas or work on large projects like furniture.
Finishing Sanders
As the name suggests, finishing sanders also commonly known as palm sanders, are used to fine-tune your workpiece’s smoothness and finish your work and even polish your wood project. Palm sanders are designed to reach a level of precision that most other power sanders can’t reach. Finishing sanders use a specific replaceable rectangular or square sanding pad with either quarter, third, or half sheet configuring.
