Sanders

Sanding quality comes from three things: the right sander type for the job, fresh abrasives in a sensible grit sequence, and dust extraction that keeps grit from being ground back into the finish. Random-orbit sanders are the generalists, sheet finish sanders excel on flat work and corners, belt sanders remove material brutally fast, and detail sanders reach where orbits cannot.

The ten sanders below span cordless flagships from DEWALT, Makita, and Milwaukee, palm and sheet sanders for finish work, the Festool ETS 125 for dust-obsessed woodworkers, and budget detail sanders for small projects.

Most shops end up with two sanders rather than one perfect one: a 5-inch random-orbit for the bulk of flat work, plus either a belt sander for serious removal or a detail sander for corners and spindles. Buy the orbit first, learn its grit discipline on a real project, and let the gaps in that project, not a catalog, tell you which second sander to add. The picks below are grouped by that logic.