8 Best Bench Sanders - Reviews in 2022

Tried and Tested Bench Sander Options to Upgrade your Workshop This Year

Introduction

Whether you’re a small-scale manufacturer or find leisure in fixing things, a bench sander is a must-have in your workshop.

The initial step in any woodwork endeavor is to remove the excess wood and get a neat primary structure. Manually sanding down wood can take a lot of time and energy. However, this energy can be used more productively than slaving for hours only to attain the basic structure. This is where a heavy-duty sander comes to aid.

For the newbies, a brief definition of sanders is given below:

A sander is a machine with a rotating abrasive belt that removes waste material from woods for shaping or rounding off edges. (Bitesize, BBC)

These heavy-duty machines are electrically operated and generally carry exceptional weight to maintain stability.

You can make a permanent home for yours on a workbench in your garage, where it will serve to sand down your next project.

What Specifications to Note When Buying The Best Bench Sander

If you’ve finally decided to upgrade your workshop arsenal, let’s look into a brief buyer’s guide to help you through the choices.

One can’t just pick up any bench sander and expect to fly through their DIY projects. So here are a few points to take note of when making your next sander purchase.

Type

A bench sander is a versatile tool with multiple variations to cater to the maximum needs of users. Different species of sanders having specialized functions fall into a single unifying category of the ‘bench sander.’

Here are the different types with their functions:

Belt disc sanders are a crossover between the belt and disc sanders. The belt is attached either horizontally or vertically. This type is convenient for beginners, especially new DIY enthusiasts. It is relatively simple to use and serves multiple purposes like shaping or sanding.
Oscillating spindle sanders consist of vertically shaped spindles. These spindles embody sharp sleeves and move in an oscillatory motion. This helps form a smooth finish on the piece of wood and is used to obtain a finer quality of woodwork.
Drum sanders started off as free-standing equipment, but contemporary models have a convenient option of resting on a workbench. This variation is known as a drum benchtop sander.

These sanders can be synonymized as stationary belt sanders with respect to their mechanism and uses. They are used for sanding down large pieces of wood, such as panels.

Power

The power of a sander plays a significant role in defining the type of usage one can get out of it. For example, a newbie working on a small-scale project would prefer a piece of lower power equipment. These are much easier to control and don’t cause abrasion to the wood structure.

Contrarily, large-scale woodwork requires high-powered machines that can provide maximum output as well as time efficiency.

These exhaustive machines are also helpful when the woodwork is a little rough and utilizes larger pieces of wood.

Finally, do look into the horsepower of the sander you’re about to buy. If you’re new to woodwork, a light-duty motor ( ⅓-¾ HP) will work perfectly for your DIY endeavors.

Speed

A high-speed bench sander is suitable for more strenuous and time-consuming operations such as construction. If you’re building a personal bookshelf or any other small project, one with a lower RPM will cater to your needs just fine.

Adjustability

The superior quality of the best bench sander is its ability to alter rotation speeds according to the user’s needs. Moreover, an adjustable sanding angle and form are additional perks of good quality equipment.

The angle adjustment features are vertical and horizontal, and the sandpaper attachment adds functionality to the tool.

Dust Collector

Dust collectors are significant to protect the user from wood waste produced by the sander. As the equipment sands down wood, the lightweight debris tends to fly around. This can be dangerous for the eyes and might irritate your airways as well.

A dust collector will save you from the trouble and health hazard by a suction mechanism at the source of wood pollution.

Miter Gauge

A miter gauge can prove to be a helpful bench sander accessory when sanding is to be done angularly. In addition, it functions to keep your workplace stable as you tear through the wood.

A premium quality bench sander should have a slot incorporated in it for miter gauge attachment.

Bevel Capacity

The bevelling phenomenon is used to chisel a piece of square wood into a refined slope structure. Beveling capacity is the corresponding extent to which a bench sander creates the slope mentioned above.

A bevelling device is used to manipulate the bevelling capacity of a sander.

There is no doubt that a bevelling device has a significant function. However, miter gauges are the go-to equipment for wood contouring.

Safety

Like any other outstanding quality hardware, safety accessories are sure to accompany a good bench sander.

A safe working environment enhances productivity and the quality of work. Some safety essentials include the following:

An in-built, removable power key prevents any mishaps from accidental or unintentional turning on of the bench sander.
A power switch that can be locked
Protective gear like eye goggles, face masks, and noise protection gear.

Our Top Picks

Now that we are done with our primary bench sander education, let’s look at some of the best bench sanders in the market.

The variety and features are abundant when it comes to hardware as typical as a bench sander. However, choosing one specific to your craft can be an arduous task. For this, we have gathered the eight top bench sander varieties to choose from.

Their specifications are provided below so you can successfully add the proper hardware to your workshop.

Name	Brand	Speed	Price
Woodskil 4.3A 3/4 HP Bench Sander	Woodskill	3600 RPM	$145.09
Dutoofree Bench Sander	Dutoofree	2850 RPM	$358
VEVOR Bench Sander	Vevor	1420 RPM	$137
WEN 6502T Bench Sander	WEN	3600 RPM 1900 FPM	$155.38
SKIL 3376-01 Bench Sander	SKIL	3450 RPM	$179.99
RYOBI BD4601G Bench Sander	RYOBI	3600 RPM	$255.15
3M – 33575-case File Belt Rockwell Belt/Disc Bench Sander	Rockwell	3450 RPM	$128.99
BUCKTOOL BD4801 Bench Belt Sander	Bucktool	3450 RPM	$211.59

1. Best For Home Use Woodskil 4.3A 3/4 HP Bench Sander Disc Combo Sander

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Type

Belt plus Disc Sander

Features

● Motor

The motor runs at ¾ HP that provides an output of 3600 rpm with 1800 fpm. This is enough power to carve down even the most stubborn pieces of wood.

● Adjustable Belt

The bench sander is an adjustable crossover between a belt and a disc sander. The belt is 4×36″, accompanied by a 6×6″ disc. It can be angled from zero degrees up to 90 degrees.

Furthermore, the belt can be tilted in both vertical and horizontal positions, depending on your requirement.

● Miter Gauge

The miter gauge attachment complements the adjustability features of the bench sander. It can be used to adjust the work table up to an angle of 45 degrees.

● Dual Exhaust

Dual dust exhaust ports are provided separately for the belt and disc sander wastes.

● Safety Switches

Dual Safety switches have been added to prevent accidents while the bench sander is not in use.

● Structure and Construction

The structure consists of a robust platform made of cast iron material. The purpose of incorporating such sturdy material is to stabilize the equipment during the sanding process.

● PC Guard

A transparent PC guard allows you to conveniently observe the belt’s condition without opening up the machine.

Why Should You Buy It?

Pros

It is simple to operate
Exceptional battery life. This owes to the multi-wedge belt drive built into the equipment
The company provides a warranty of two years
A detailed user manual accompanies the package to help you. From setting the machine up to contouring your first piece of wood, the manual has detailed instructions to guide you
The perfect equipment for a beginner DIY enthusiast
Extensive customer support is provided by the company to answer your queries in time

Cons

Disc sander table is tricky to adjust
Disc hook and loop need to be bought separately

2. Great For Everyone Dutoofree Bench Sander Belt and Disk Sander Tabletop Belt Sander

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Why WEN 6307 Mini Belt Sander?