These Milwaukee Sanders Could Help You Out With Your Next Home Woodworking Project

Woodworking can be a tough task to tackle for a DIYer, but the results of a project are almost always worth it. Instead of winging it and hoping for the best, there are a few things you can pick up that make any job a whole lot easier to complete. Milwaukee offers a range of woodworking tools you can pick up, and their sanders remain an excellent option. The sanding process is a very important step you won't want to skip because it's going to smooth out any rough edges of your would-be picnic table and make sure you won't be sitting on any splinters. 

Each sander on this list is backed up by strong user reviews and a relatively affordable option. Since we're looking at home DIY jobs here, it's good to know the products featured here have been used by other people tackling their projects. Milwaukee is a trusted brand that makes good tools, so you can rest assured your money is well spent. A more in-depth look at our methodology can be found at the end of this list.

If you're looking for something that's going to get the job done for cheap, look no further than Milwaukee's 12V cordless orbital detail sander. With its orbital sander, this tool can cover a 1.5mm diameter, so your project can get wrapped up quickly. The big selling point here is the fact it's cordless and part of Milwaukee's M12 line. This means the same 12V battery you have with other Milwaukee products from the line will work here, which allows you to save a good chunk of cash if you omit the battery in your purchase. You can pick up this sander from Home Depot for $149 in-store or online.

What you'll see on Home Depot's website is one of the highest-rated tools the site has to offer, as it holds a 4.9/5 rating from buyers based on over 200 reviews. Buyers note it can get over an hour of continuous use before having to go back for a charge, so there shouldn't be many worries about the tool dying on you before the job is finished. 

Milwaukee's 18V random orbit sander is a fine option if you're worried about leaving behind swirl marks on the surface you're finishing, as this one will spin in a random motion, as the name suggests. With this being an 18V tool, you'll get a bit more juice than the 12V counterparts you see with some of the others on the list. This one is equipped with a 5-inch sanding pad and gets up to 12,000 orbits per minute. It's also part of the M18 line, so that means your 18V batteries, part of the same ecosystem, will work with this sander.

As for how it stacks up among buyers, there's good news there. The 18V random orbit sander has a 4.6/5 user score based on over 3,800 reviews on Home Depot's website. You can pick it up for $129 online or in-store. Owners note the lightweight build that makes it easy to use either in a workshop or on a ladder. Coupled with the cordless design, you have a very versatile sander here.

An orbital sander will typically cover most of your bases, but there are still situations where a sheet sander can help. These are used to reach corner areas that a circular sander can't do. The Milwaukee 18V cordless sheet sander comes into play here and will make it so you can hit those hard-to-reach spots with ease. It's a nice tool to have around, and with six different speed settings, you can go as fast as you'd like. The sander can be picked up from Home Depot for $149. This is another M18 product, so you can omit the battery purchase if you happen to have another Milwaukee 18V battery lying around.

The sheet sander has a 4.7/5 rating on Home Depot's website, so it's tough to go wrong with this purchase if it fits what you need. There aren't any glaring downsides mentioned by reviewers, so it'll come down to whether you want a sheet or an orbital sander. They each do largely the same thing, but the sheet sander will have a better time hitting corner spots.

Picking up power tools can be expensive, and a lot of people like to save money where they can. Milwaukee offers a corded palm sander that could help out in your next woodworking project. This sander runs you $59 from Home Depot, making it the cheapest on the list. However, it comes with major drawbacks. The biggest thing here is the fact it's corded, so you'll need to make sure you're close to a wall outlet or working with a long extension cord.

Another con is the 3.5/5 user rating on Home Depot's website. A middle-of-the-road score isn't the worst thing in the world, but there are other sanders you can get by spending a bit more money that'll be more reliable, at least going off user scores.

Complaints about the product include it wearing out faster than expected and breaking, but keep in mind that your mileage will vary. Just because something breaks down for somebody else doesn't mean it'll happen to you. This sander is covered by a lifetime manufacturer warranty, so you should be able to get a replacement if something happens.

Whether it's wood or concrete, Milwaukee has you covered with the M18 cordless belt sander. This one ditches the cord to join the M18 line, so you can skip the battery and save some money if you already have an existing 18V Milwaukee battery sitting around. The Milwaukee belt sander comes equipped with built-in LED lights that'll let you sand in low-light situations, effectively giving you a nice amount of versatility. The downside here is the highest price tag of the list, as it'll cost you $279 from Home Depot, and that doesn't include a battery. If you're looking for something that'll be good for woodworking only, you can probably spend a little less cash on something else.

With over 150 reviews on Home Depot's website, this Milwaukee cordless belt sander has a 4.2/5 rating, so you're getting a rather reliable product backed by a five-year manufacturer warranty. Some reviewers do note the battery life isn't what they expected, meaning you might want to have an extra on hand if you don't want to have downtime waiting for it to charge back up.

Milwaukee offers a wide range of selections when it comes to its sanders, and that means you have a lot of choices to make when picking one out. You can opt for an orbital sander or palm sander, and you also have the decision to make between corded and cordless. Everybody has different situations, and that's why this list helps shed light on the different, yet mostly reliable, offerings Milwaukee has. 

Nothing is too pricy that it'll break the bank, and even if you go for the cheapest option on the list, you're covered with a very good warranty that'll keep you protected in the event anything goes wrong. With a good chunk of the list being in either the M12 or M18 line, you can also save cash if you have extra batteries lying around, and you're not losing out on productivity by ditching the cord.