Why You Can Trust Our Picks

All of the tested sanders are products by reputable power tool companies that we have long familiarity with and that do well, year in and year out, in our tests. We also include a few tips on getting the most out of your sander and how to protect yourself from sanding dust.

How to Maintain Your Sander

Sanders don’t need a lot of care, but they do need a little. The best thing you can do for it is to blow the dust out of it using compressed air (or a can of compressed air purchased at an office supply store) or use a shop vacuum and work over its exterior, especially over its air vents.

So much for protecting the sander. Now protect yourself, especially your lungs: Wear a dust mask when sanding. Better models have a foam strip to help the mask make a better seal to your face; they may also have a vent that reduces moisture buildup under the mask.

Clean up as you work to prevent large piles of talc-like dust from piling up. And when you’re done sanding and ready to take a break, either brush or vacuum yourself off before going inside the house or other clean area. It’s also a good idea to wear an old shirt, coveralls, or a shop apron and leave that in the sanding area, rather than bringing dust into the house. Having a floor mat outside the shop (or work area) is great. Remember what your mom said: Wipe your feet (or take your work shoes off)! This cuts down on tracked dirt which is more than just a nuisance. Remnants of sanding grit on you shoe soles can scratch finished floors, and tracked-in dust can form an eye-watering or throat-scratching irritant as it spreads throughout the house.

Using a sander is pretty simple and there are only a few key rules:

  1. Move the sander slowly and steadily over the work surface. Racing back and forth is hard on the tool and on the surface.
  2. Don’t skip more than one grade of grit as you move from coarse to smooth. Example, you can go from 100 grit to 150 (skipping 120) but don’t go from 100 grit to 220 grit. It doesn’t hurt to move through each size of grit, from coarse to smoothest, but for all but the finest of work, it’s not necessary.
  3. Vacuum the surface clean with a shop vacuum and a brush attachment when you’re done with each level of grit. This removes any trapped grit particles hiding on the surface. For furniture-grade finishing, wipe the surface clean with a tack cloth (a sticky piece of cloth used to pick up dust; it’s sold in the paint aisle) before proceeding to the next grit.
  4. Don’t tip the sander near the edges because it will round them off. Of course, if you prefer a slightly rounded corner, that can be a good thing. For example, paint sticks better to a gently rounded corner than to a sharp one.