We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links. The LA Times editorial staff was not involved in the creation of this content. Learn more

Smooth Out Any Surface with the Best Sander

  1. Dynabrade Dual-Action Sander
  2. National Detroit Sander
  3. Ingersoll Rand Heavy Duty Dual Action Sander
  4. Chicago Pneumatic Dual Action Sander
  5. Black & Decker MS2000 with Smart Select Multi Sander
  6. Milwaukee 5inch Random Orbit Palm Sander
  7. Hitachi SV12SG 1.7 Amp Orbital 1/4 Sheet with Cloth Dust Bag Sander
  8. Rockwell Sonicrafter Hyperlock Universal Oscillating Sander
  9. Fein FMM Top MultiMaster Oscillating Detail Tool Kit Sander
  10. Dynabrade 57900 DynaFine Detail Sander
  11. Proxxon PS 13, 12 Volt Pen Sander #28594
  12. Festool 567696 RS 2 E Orbital Sander
  13. Bosch OS50VC 120-Volt 3.4-Amp Variable Speed 2-Sheet Orbital Finishing Sander with Vibration Control
  14. Makita BO4900V 2.9 Amp Variable Speed 1/2 Sheet Sander
  15. Festool 567863 RTS 400 EQ Orbital Sander
  16. Craftsman 2.5 Amp, 1/3 Sheet Sander
  17. Buyer's Guide

Of all the power tools manufactured, there are probably more types of best sanders in 2022 than any other category. A wide variety of sanders have been developed through the years, each of which performs a specific function different than the others. While there may be some overlap between different types of sanders and their use, there is enough difference to justify each style.

Sanders are used more for finishing work than anything else. They’re intended for final shaping and smoothing after cutting to remove tool marks while smoothing out the shape of the workpiece. Determining the type of sander to use for a particular project depends upon the shape and size of the workpiece as well as how fine of a sanding job needs to be performed.

It is not unusual for a do-it-yourselfer to buy several different types of sanders. Since there’s no one sander which can work for everything, having several different ones to choose from in the toolbox is a real advantage. To help you pick the best sander for your needs, we have prepared an informative buyer's guide provided for you below.

Best Sanders of 2022 Reviewed in Detail

Dynabrade Dual-Action Sander - Best Sander Overall

Dynabrade makes an entire line of high quality sanders for both the automotive and industrial markets. This particular one produces its own vacuum when in random-orbital mode for collecting dust and sending it on to a dust-collection system. There is a 1-1/2 inch vacuum port on the handle for connection to standard hose fittings. It’s adjustable speed, with a high end of 12,000 RPM and the orbital action is 3/16 of an inch. The control for switching between standard and random orbital is recessed to prevent accidental bumping and the motor is covered with a soft grip housing to protect the user.

National Detroit Sander - Runner Up

This is the original version of National Detroit’s sander which has been copied successfully by many other manufacturers. Since the pad is always changing planes, you don’t have to worry about the abrasive clogging up while the motor produces up to 10,000 RPM. One really nice thing about this sander is the larger orbital action which is much larger than most at 3/8 of an inch. This allows faster material removal, less scratch tendency, lower heat buildup, and longer pad life due to less loading. It comes vacuum ready, so you can hook it up to your shop vac or dust collection system.

Ingersoll Rand Heavy Duty Dual Action Sander - Honorable Mention

The 311A from Ingersoll Rand features a built in muffler for quiet operation and could make a real difference in your work experience. It weighs just four pounds, one of the lightest around and makes a big difference for operator fatigue. This air powered sander runs at 10,000 RPM and the air consumption is 4CFM and 17CFM under load. It has an adjustable built in regulator for speed control.

Chicago Pneumatic Dual Action Sander - Consider

The Chicago Pneumatic CP870 is a manual set dual action sander running at 10,000 RPM, consuming 5 CFM and produces .5 horsepower. It has a regulator to match the speed to the job and there is also a lock off feature in the handle to prevent accidental starts, adding to power tool safety. At a total weight of 4 pounds, it matches the Ingersoll Rand for lightweight use.

Black & Decker MS2000 with Smart Select Multi Sander - Best Palm Sander

If you’re looking for versatility, this sander from Black & Decker wins, hands down. They’ve really put a lot into this package, creating a sander that can be used for a wide variety of applications. The “SmartSelect Dial” automatically adjusts your sander for your application, changing speed and sanding style to be best for your substrate. The two amp motor runs up to 8.000 rpm, or orbits per minute (OPM). They’ve even included four interchangeable bases for all sanding needs, including a round replacement shoe for use as an orbital sander, such as in automotive finishing applications.

Base change-out is push button and accomplished without any tool. Their integral dust collection system is probably one of the best on the market. Like other mouse-type sanders, the sandpaper at the point of the sander tends to wear out faster than the rest of the pad. Black & Decker has dealt with this problem in the common manner, by making their sanding sheets with extra points which can be replaced, leaving the rest of the sheet intact.

Milwaukee 5inch Random Orbit Palm Sander - Best Palm Sander

It’s hard to have a list of power tools, without including Milwaukee on it. More than anything, they’re the experts in high power tools. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about an electric screwdriver or a worm drive saw, theirs will put out more power than anyone else’s. Such is the case with this 1/4 sheet palm sander as well.

With a 3.0 amp motor, it’s a powerhouse which allows you to really bear down on the sander when you need to get some impurity out of a finish or some deep saw marks out of the edge of a board. The cast pad is nicely padded, reducing any risk of swirl marks, so you can have a smooth finish. The top of the sander is removable for easy brush replacement and other service tasks. Although it comes with a dust-collection bag, it works better when connected to a vacuum hose. Adapters are provided for both 1-1/4 inch and 2-1/4 inch hoses. The large paper clamps make changing sandpaper easy.

Hitachi SV12SG 1.7 Amp Orbital 1/4 Sheet with Cloth Dust Bag Sander - Best Palm Sander

There are two really great things about Hitachi’s entry in the palm sander competition. First of all, their overmolded handle is probably one of the most comfortable available. This is something that Hitachi really shines at and overall, their power tools are extremely comfortable to work with. The second thing is the speed. This baby runs at an amazing 14,000 OPM, making it the fastest palm sander I’ve seen. The advantage of this great speed is it helps maintain an incredibly smooth finish, not giving opportunity for gouges caused by the same oversized sanding particle staying in the same path.

This is the first traditional styled palm sander I’ve put in this list. Overall, I think the mouse style sanders have it beat for versatility. However, if you’re after economy, a traditional square 1/4 sheet sander will beat a mouse any day. The one drawback to those mouse style sanders is paying for the special Velcro backed sanding sheets.

Rockwell Sonicrafter Hyperlock Universal Oscillating Sander - Best Detail Sander

Although this is technically a multi-tool, I rate it the highest for both multi-tools and detail sanders. The main thing that this tool has going for it, when compared to others, is the clamping system, the only truly universal clamping system out there which is able to accept anyone’s accessories. It’s also extremely easy to use since the clamp is tool-free, with a top mounted over-center lever. This clamp provides over one ton of clamping force, so you never have to worry about your sanding pads or other accessories coming loose. This upgraded version of the tool has a 3 amp motor to provide plenty of power. It comes with a number of accessory blades, plus a sanding backing pad and several sanding sheets/pads.

Fein FMM Top MultiMaster Oscillating Detail Tool Kit Sander - Best Detail Sander

I had to get Fein on this list, as they are the ones who invented the detail sander/multi-tool and their quality is excellent even though they are a bit pricey. However, as with any other tool, you get what you pay for. This upgraded tool has a 350 watt motor, making it more powerful than the older 250 watt version. Although this is called a detail sander, it comes with a wide assortment of accessories for cutting, scraping, and sanding. Like the Rockwell, this has a top mounted tool clamp. The clamping system is tool-free as well, although not as universal as Rockwell’s system. Overall this is an excellent tool.

Dynabrade 57900 DynaFine Detail Sander - Best Detail Sander

This is an air powered detail sander, so you’ll have to use it with a compressor. While that might be a bit inconvenient for some people, one nice thing it does is to make a smaller barrel diameter and a lighter tool. That’s great for people with small hands, such as women. The head is angled from the handle, giving more clearance for your hands. It is only designed to be used as a sander, not a multi-tool. In fact, I don’t think multi-tool accessories will fit on this one.

Proxxon PS 13, 12 Volt Pen Sander #28594 - Best Detail Sander

If the other sanders are detail sanders, than I’d have to call this one a fine detail sander. This tool is designed to run off of 12 VDC, from a 1.0 A or larger Micromot transformer so don’t think you can just buy it and plug it in. Check their website to make sure you’ve got everything on hand you’ll need.

The truly great thing about this is that it’s a pencil sander with eight different pads. That’s four straight ones and four angled ones, in a variety of shapes. These can get into places that the other detail sanders I’ve mentioned can’t even think of thus allowing this sander to be used for shaping, finishing carvings, and may other truly detailed jobs with irregular surfaces.

Festool 567696 RS 2 E Orbital Sander - Best Finish Sander

Festool has long been known for their top quality tools. One of the company’s focuses with their power tool line is to have everything designed to be compatible with their dust collection systems, to create an integrated system. This sander, like all the rest of their tools, is designed to be connected directly to their dust collector. It can also be used with the included Turbo dust bag.

Sanding sheets adhere with a hook and loop system, or integral clamps. The 3/32 inch stroke provides for fast action and consistent results, even on lightly veneered surfaces. A variable speed control allows you to match the tool’s speed to the work you’re doing. While these units are expensive, for those that can afford them, they’re worth it.

Bosch OS50VC 120-Volt 3.4-Amp Variable Speed 2-Sheet Orbital Finishing Sander with Vibration Control - Best Finish Sander

Bosch’s 1/2 sheet sander stands out from the crowd for its excellent dust collection system. It really doesn’t couple easily with a dust collection system, but that’s okay, as the integral through the pad system works extremely well. The dust canister is hard, with an integrated paper filter for optimum dust filtering down to 1/2 micron. Not small enough to be considered HEPA, but pretty darn close.

Bosch has added a variable speed control to the powerful 3.4 amp motor on this one, an improvement over their last models. Set the speed, pull the trigger and there’s even a trigger lock to hold it on. Bosch has also put a lot into vibration control, making this tool much more comfortable to work with. Their SheetLoc sandpaper holder works extremely well and you can flush sand up against a vertical edge on three sides. The extra thick closed cell foam pad conforms to the work surface extremely well.

Makita BO4900V 2.9 Amp Variable Speed 1/2 Sheet Sander - Best Finish Sander

Makita actually produces more than one sander in this category; however, I feel this model is their best. It has variable speed from 4,000 to 10,000 OPM to match the work being performed. The pad and clamp are designed to accept both hook and loop sanding sheets and half sheets of standard sandpaper, giving more options to the woodworker. Although it will easily connect to a dust collection system, it has an internal dust collection system, which uses disposable paper bags. The bag itself forms the filter, and can be taken off to be disposed; much faster and better filtration than cleaning out a cloth bag.

Festool 567863 RTS 400 EQ Orbital Sander - Best Finish Sander

I don’t normally like putting two tools from the same manufacturer on the same list, even if they are as good as Festool. Nevertheless, I decided to include this sander from Festool because it’s so unique. While this has a rectangular shape, like the other sanders we’ve looked at, it’s only got a 3-5/32 inch x 5-1/4 inch pad. That doesn’t make it a quarter sheet sander or any other typical category of sander and this has been designed for use in situations where a narrower finish sander is needed, without going to a detail sander. The drive is the same as its larger cousin, just in a smaller package. Sanding sheets are attached via hook and loop.

Craftsman 2.5 Amp, 1/3 Sheet Sander - Best Finish Sander

For those that can’t afford to put a lot of money into their sanders, Craftsman puts out a nice 1/3 sheet sander. The 2.5 amp motor runs at 11,000 OPM, making this a very fast sander to work with. An onboard dust collection system includes a micro-fine dust box for a cleaner work environment. The grip is designed to reduce vibration and rubber over-molded for comfort. Onboard LED work light illuminates your work surface, something you would not normally find on these sanders.

Buyer's Guide

Before sanding, skilled carpenters had to use planes and scrapers to smooth out a piece of wood they were working on. This is why there’s so much old woodwork around in which you can still see cutting marks. Unless it was necessary, the time consuming process of smoothing out a surface was seen as an unnecessary cost.

Sanding has made it possible for anyone to properly finish a project, giving a smooth, even surface to finish. When electric sanders came along, that just made it possible to finish off workpieces all that much easier. For people who don't have a lot of patience for sanding (like myself), having a sander or two (or three) around makes projects much more enjoyable.

The trick is figuring out the type of sander you need in order to provide the finish you’re looking for. While the grit of the sandpaper has a lot to do with the finish a sander gives you, so does the type of sanding action said sander provides.

While we could break down the types of sanders there are into a wide range of specialties, there are seven basic categories of portable power sanders.

Types of Portable Sanders

Belt Sanders

Belt sanders, whether portable or hand-held, are designed for taking off a lot of material quickly. This makes them perfect for final shaping of workpieces, before finishing sanding. However, the same thing that makes them good for taking off a lot of material quickly makes them a poor choice for finishing sanding. Even with a fine sanding belt, a belt sander will reshape material quickly and possibly destroy it if you’re not careful; you’re really not going to get a smooth finish with a belt sander either.

Palm Sanders

Palm sanders fall into two sub-categories; quarter sheet sanders and "mouse" sander with both operating the same way, being vibratory sanders. That means the motor is attached to an eccentric cog, which is in turn attached to the sanding pad. This creates the vibratory action which cuts the material. This is a fairly typical sander for wood working and probably the most common one you'll find in a woodworker's shop. It is not used for metalwork at all.
The basic difference between the two types of palm sanders is their shape. Quarter-sheet sanders are designed to use a quarter sheet of sandpaper. There’s a clamping system used to hold the sanding sheets in place but they’ll also work quite well with self-stick sanding disks which stick directly to the pad without having to use the clamps. The mouse style usually uses sanding sheets that stick with Velcro. The biggest advantage of these types is they’re extremely good for getting into inside corners.

Detail Sanders

Detail sanders are the new kid on the block, stealing that title from the mouse style palm sanders. They’re based on the oscillating tools that perform so many tasks and in fact, many are the exact same thing. Like the palm sander they work by vibration; however, the vibration in a detail sander is much finer which helps eliminate scratch marks from the sanding medium. The sanding pad is smaller on these tools so they don't take off a lot of material at any one time.

There are also a few unusual detail sanders which still fit best in this category rather than any other. These would include pneumatically driven sanders and pencil sanders. These don't operate the same way as the oscillating ones do but still designed for detail-oriented work.

Finish Sanders

In reality, all of the sanders we’re talking about can be called finish sanders because that's what they’re used for. However, we are actually referring to a specific type of sander when we talk about finish sanders, either the 1/3 or 1/2 sheet sander. These are essentially the big brother to the quarter sheet palm sanders and have clamps to hold the sanding sheet as well.
These sanders have two main advantages over the quarter sheet sander. First of all the larger pad size means you can cover more territory at a time, speeding up the sanding process. To speed it up even more, they operate at a faster speed. These sanders are usually heavier, meaning you don't need to provide as much pressure when sanding horizontal surfaces; but you might want to have a quarter sheet sander available for sanding vertical surfaces.

Orbital Sanders

Orbital sanders fall somewhere in between the extremes of being a fine finish sander and taking off material like a belt sander will. They can take off material much faster than vibratory sanders, while providing a much better finish than belt sanders can. Originally, orbital sanders were developed for auto-body work, but woodworkers are starting to use them as well, especially for use with tight grained hardwoods. The caution that needs to be taken when using orbital sanders with wood is sanding isn’t done across the grain.

Orbital sanders almost exclusively use self-stick sanding disks, although Velcro sanding disks are gradually replacing them. These higher quality disks will last a long time if used correctly.

Dual Action Sanders

Random orbital sanders, a sub-category of orbital sanders combine the orbital pattern with a second rotating pattern, eliminating the possibility of causing a swirl pattern in the surface being sanded. This is especially good for fine finish work, whether in wood or metal.

Dual action sanders allow you to choose between normal orbital action and random orbital. This allows you the faster cutting of the orbital pattern and then you can switch over to the random orbital for the fine finish work.

What to Look for in a Sander

The first thing is always to select the type of sander you need for the work you’re going to do. Don't be surprised if you can't find one sander to do everything as most people end up with multiple sanders.

When looking at sanders, the issue isn’t power but rather control. Being able to accurately control the sander, especially for finish sanding, is a major issue. Sanders operating at a higher speed will cut faster and provide a smoother finish along with less swirl than slower operating ones.

Operator comfort is a major issue with any sort of sanders. Both vibratory and orbital sanders shake constantly which contributes to operator fatigue. Rubber over-molded handles, shock-mounted mechanisms, and dual hand grips all help in dealing with operator fatigue.

Many vibratory and orbital sanders now use self-stick sanding sheets. These can either be adhesive or hook & loop. The added convenience of self-stick sheets is time since changing sanding sheets is limited to a few seconds, rather than several minutes of struggling with latches and trying to make the sanding sheet smooth. Although costlier, these very convenient self-stick sheets really pay for themselves.

bestcovery team.jpg
Our research team searches out the best of everything so that you can confidently pick the perfect products and services for your needs.
RELATED CONTENT
Go to top