The Best (Cordless and Corded) Power Sanders

A power sander is a basic a power tool, but it does more than smooth a table top or the side of a bookshelf. You can use it to abrade a painted surface so that the next coat of paint adheres more firmly. Paint chemists call that process, giving a surface “tooth.” A sander also removes light rust, smooths drywall, de-burrs the edge of a piece of metal you’ve just cut to length, rounds the corner of a wood post or handrail, smooths body filler on an old jalopy, and even takes off the dried and nasty stuff on the bottom of a boat before you launch it in the spring. In order to help you find a machine that’s a good fit for you, we gathered a group of corded and cordless sanders and tested them.

The Differences in Motion

Most of the sanders in this test are random-orbit types with a round pad measuring five or six inches across. Random orbit means the pad spins and oscillates in a random motion. This action reduces the chances of leaving swirl marks on the surface and allows you to move the sander with and across the grain. We also tested an orbital sander with a square pad (also called a quarter-sheet sander). These tools sand with a consistent orbital motion and work more slowly than random-orbit types. The square pad also allows them to reach into corners. Another difference between these machines is that random-orbit sanders take a sandpaper disc that attaches to the tool’s base with a hook and loop. Orbital sanders use peel-and-stick sandpaper that comes precut or that you cut to fit, or you attach an abrasive sheet to the tool with the clamps on the sander’s sides.

Cordless Versus Corded

We initially wondered how practical cordless sanders would be for most jobs, thinking their batteries wouldn’t provide enough charge to get the job done and would make the tools too bulky. But we found that cordless sanders work well and have some advantages of their cabled counterparts.

It turns out that a corded sander weighs about the same as a cordless, when you factor in cord weight. A battery-powered sander has a distinct leg up when you’re working on a ladder, we learned, because the cord (and an extension cord) aren’t adding weight and creating drag. Also, cordless sanders are preferable if you’re working outside where you may not have access to a power outlet. On the other hand, for long sanding sessions at a bench, a corded model is preferable. Otherwise, you’ll need a bank of batteries to keep working as the hours roll by.

How We Tested

Our test was simple but thorough. We drew rectangles on pieces of oak and maple, plywood, and softwood and sanded each rectangle with an 80-grit disc. Next, we emptied the dust container or bag to check the volume of dust the sander collected. We also carefully wiped down the work surface to get a sense of how much dust the sander missed. As we worked, we assessed the sander’s vibration and whether it produced an unpleasant gyroscopic effect when we lifted it off the test board. As important as any of the other tests was to examine the sanded surface to see whether the tools left swirl marks.

All of the sanders in this test did well­­–any would serve a homeowner. Professional-grade models vibrate less and are more durable than a homeowner-grade tool. But a less-expensive tool equipped with a high-quality abrasive sheet will prove more than adequate for most uses around the home.

Toward the end, we include a few tips on getting the most out of your sander and how to protect yourself from dust. Read on for that and our reviews of the best sanders you can buy today.

DEWALT

amazon.com

$184.75

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Weight: 3.4 lb.
Battery: 5.0 Ah, 20 V

At full speed, DeWalt’s DCW210D1 was the fastest and most aggressive machine we tested. Yet it still sands with very little jarring vibration feedback. It’s also important to note that it did better than many other sanders at lower speeds. Some machines exhibit more vibration and loss of effectiveness as you dial back their speed, but not the DeWalt. If you’re already invested in the company’s cordless system, this tool is a sensible addition. Even if you’re not, it’s a great place to start since you get the sander, a charger, a battery, and a bag. And the company makes a wide range of equipment from drill drivers and impact drivers to saws that work with the same battery.

Ridgid

amazon.com

$64.95

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Weight: 4.8 lb.
Battery: 6.0 Ah, 18 V

Nearly as good as the DeWalt, this Ridgid has a soft-start feature that brings the machine up to speed with a gentle ramp-up. Our only complaint is a small one: A tight fit between the dust-bag collar and the battery makes removing the bag somewhat difficult.

Kobalt

lowes.com

$89.00

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Weight: 6.5 lb.
Battery: 4.0 Ah, 24 V

If you’ve already invested in the Kobalt 24-volt power tool system, you can feel good adding this to your fleet. Although it's heavy, in part due to our equipping it with a 4-amp hour battery, it packs a fair amount of sanding power. Part of that is due to its weight bearing down on the surface. In any case, it will get you a finish-ready surface in no time. We found its dust collection to be very good, while its vibration isolation is pretty good—just not so much as most of our corded models. The KOS450B-03 sands smoothest and with reduced vibration on its full-speed setting, so we recommend turning the speed dial to six and leaving it there. That’s not a complaint, just an observation. But we do have a beef with the fact that the tool isn’t available as a kit, only bare. A big deal? No. But be aware of that when you go to buy it.

Makita

amazon.com

$329.00

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Weight: 3.8 lb.
Battery: 5.0 Ah, 18 V

The Makita seemed to sand as fast as the DeWalt, which is surprising given that its top speed is 1,000 rpm less than its yellow competitor. Even with the big battery, it felt well-balanced, and its dust pickup is good. Downsides? The sander does has a powerful gyroscopic action that requires a slight forward bias to keep it sanding on track. Once you get used to that, you’re good to go.

(The price above is for the whole kit, two batteries, charger, and case included. If you’re after the tool by itself, look here.)

Ryobi

homedepot.com

$44.97

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Weight: 4.2 lb.
Battery: 4.0 Ah, 18 V

This little tool hits the sweet spot for Ryobi. It’s not as aggressive as the other sanders, but it does sand well and with a high degree of control. Its dust pickup was surprisingly good for such an inexpensive and simple power tool. And this is more of an observation than a complaint, but the on/off button is somewhat stiff. In all, we rate this little tool as a good fit for the frugal power tool shopper.

BLACK+DECKER

amazon.com

$59.99

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Weight: 2.8 lb.
Battery: 1.5 Ah, 20 V

It’s not pro-duty, but the BDCRO20C is a good little machine for the price and very lightweight. For small weekend fix-up jobs, there’s no question it will work well, particularly when sending less-demanding materials like white pine. While it’s a good idea to wear a dust mask with any sander, it’s necessary here—it has fairly ineffective dust collection.

MILWAUKEE'S

amazon.com

$114.95

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Weight: 4.2 lb
Battery: 3.0 Ah, 18 V

You don’t have to muscle this sander to keep it in place, and it feels as if it floats over the board’s surface. However, the design of the dust canister and the way it cantilevers over the rear of the tool is a bit cumbersome—especially considering that this is a cordless tool, we would have liked if it were a bit more nimble. So the ideal application for this sander is smoothing out a table top or dealing with a rough spot on wood siding. It's better there, let's say, than working inside a drawer. To be fair, however, if you opt out of the canister, you can easily hook up a hose from a shop vacuum to its outlet port. At that point, it's no more cumbersome than other sanders.

PORTER-CABLE

amazon.com

$59.97

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Weight: 3.0 lb.
Battery: 1.5 Ah, 20 V

Porter-Cable’s tool is lightweight and capable, making it a good choice for ladder-based work; you should have no problem holding it overhead as you smooth scraped paint. But before going up that ladder, beware. It’s easy to think that the little plastic finger that locks the dust canister in place is engaged when it’s not. If you're not paying attention, that can result in a dust spill that will make a mess out of you and the work area.

BOSCH

amazon.com

$69.00

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Weight: 3.5 lb.

The Bosch is comfortable, sands fast, and has the best dust collection of the corded sanders we tested. Because its dust control is so good (owing to a rubber O-ring seal on the dust port, good airflow, and an airtight dust canister), less dust stays on the surface to get ground into the abrasive pad. That means the pad stays cleaner and lasts longer. Its speed control dial is behind the handle; you can get at it easily, but it’s possible to accidentally move it out of position. The sanded surface it left is very nice—a hair less smooth than the Milwaukee’s but still of a professional quality.

Metabo HPT

amazon.com

$51.97

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Weight: 2.5 lb.

Metabo's tool was the only quarter-sheet (non-oscillating) orbital sander in the test. It’s a good power tool that transmits a minimum of vibration to the user as it goes about its work, somewhat slowly producing a reliably smooth surface without swirl marks. Its dust collection is quite good (if not as good as other corded models), but its dust port is not easily adaptable to a vacuum. On the other hand, it does have a major advantage compared to other sanders in that you’ve got multiple options for its abrasive sheets. You can use the peel-and-stick kind, buy the pre-cut 5.5 x 4.5-inch sheets designed for such machines, or buy a roll of 4.5-inch-wide abrasive paper from which you cut pieces to fit the sander.

RYOBI

amazon.com

$64.61

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Weight: 4 lb.

The RS290G is a simple and solid sander, but its dust-control bag is not nearly as efficient as the airtight canisters on the Bosch or the Milwaukee. This isn’t to say that it does a poor job picking up dust, considering its competitors do a nearly flawless job. This Ryobi sands with good speed and power and completed sanding its test areas in about the same amount of time as its competitors. In terms of the quality of sanded surface it produces, we’d say that it’s surprisingly good for the price, even if it's not as good as with the Milwaukee or the Bosch.

MILWAUKEE'S

amazon.com

$103.16

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Weight: 3.5 lb.

The Milwaukee was the smoothest-running corded sander of the bunch, with a distinct lack of gyroscopic wobble and a pleasant vibration-free motion. Its dust control was good, but removing the dust lid from the canister was ridiculously difficult. Furthermore, the lid can be applied so that it feels like it’s snapped on when it isn’t. You sand for a few minutes and find that the sander is a dusty mess, as is the surface. Then you have to clean up the sander, the surface, and maybe yourself, too. Just be sure you have that lid attached properly, and you’ll be rewarded with a pleasant power tool that works smoothly and quickly, leaving a flawless surface.

Craftsman

amazon.com

$74.68

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Weight: 3.5 lb.

Surely, if anybody can build a decent power tool, Craftsman’s parent company, behemoth Stanley Black & Decker, can. You’re not going to go wrong with the CMEW231–it’s fast. If you need something heavier-duty, maybe purchase a pneumatic sander instead. That aside, this tool gives you smooth, vibration-free sanding, decent dust pickup, adequate power, and a dust-sealed switch. It’s not particularly loud either. If you’re already a Craftsman user and you like to stick with one brand, you’ll be pleased with this.

DEWALT

acehardware.com

$59.99

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Weight: 2.9 lb.

DeWalt’s DWE6421 is a journeyman power tool—a good, solid, smoothly operating machine essentially identical in feel and sanding performance to the Craftsman. Having noticed the similarity of performance between this and the Craftsman, we did some superficial disassembly of them both, removing their bases and the top housing covers. There may be something tucked deep inside the DeWalt to give it an edge in terms of durability, but it wasn’t obvious from above or below. Putting aside cosmetics of color and slightly different rubberized surfaces, these appear to be identical in sanding performance, start and stop speed, weight, and tool configuration.