3 Harbor Freight Sanders That Can Help With Prep On Your Next Big Project

One of the most vital implements of the workshop hobbyist's arsenal is the sander. No matter how confident you are in your ability to lop off chunks of wood with a power saw, the surface that gets left behind won't exactly be smooth to the touch. You can't have a bunch of exposed, untreated wooden surfaces on your project, especially if it's something people will be physically touching, like a table or a chair, as sitting on an untreated wooden chair is a great way to get covered in splinters.

To get your wooden creations ready for prime time, you need a sander in your hands or on your workbench to forcefully rub out all the pointy ends and imperfections. A saw may be able to cut raw wood down to size, but with a sander, you'll do all the finer detail work. Luckily, there are a variety of different sander types on the market, all of which you can pick up at your local Harbor Freight.

We've got three sanders to recommend you, all different types, and all available at Harbor Freight. More information on our selection methodology is available at the bottom of the page.

If you're working on something large, you're going to need an equally large sander to whip it into shape. You need a sander with both size and muscle to swiftly shave down any large, unwieldy surfaces on your burgeoning project.

Bauer's combination belt and disc sander can meet this need with confidence. This folding dynamo packs a 4.3 amp motor to deliver up to 1800 SFPM on its main sanding belt, as well as up to 3560 RPM on its side disc sander. The belt, in particular, can be tilted and locked at any orientation between 0 and 90 degrees, giving you some extra flexibility in your angling. All of this is built into a steel body and base that can be clamped to most workbenches.

The Bauer Belt and Disc Sander is available at Harbor Freight for $119.99, where it has a user rating of 4.6 out of five stars. DIY YouTube channel Poor Man Mods had high praise for this tool, calling it a worthwhile investment for any kind of home fabrication project, whether it's made of wood or aluminum.

When you think of sanders, you probably think of power tools first and foremost. While the mighty belt sander has become the face of the concept, it's not the only kid on the block. For instance, as far as natural forces of sanding power go, you still can't beat a mighty gust of air.

Baxter's Professional Straight Line Air Sander utilizes an attached air compressor to deliver potent surface-shaving action in as little as one stroke. The dual piston design keeps the airflow smooth and consistent, while the large 1-in. stroke allows you to plow through large surfaces quickly and cleanly.

The Baxter Professional Straight Line Air Sander is available at Harbor Freight for $99.99, where it has a user rating of 4.6 out of five stars. The air-powered punch of this tool makes it excellent for large-scale projects and restorations, with users making extensive use of it for sanding down back decks and removing rust and contaminants from project cars.

Once you've gotten all of the large-scale sanding done on your current project, it's time to switch to something a little more small-scale. After all, unless you have an incredibly steady hand, placing a small corner or speck on a belt sander will completely obliterate it. You're going to want a precision implement for this situation.

The Warrior, a corner and detail sander, is your handheld detailing buddy, utilizing a 1.1 amp motor to deliver up to 12,500 OPM of sanding, finishing, and removal power. The device's small size and triangular sanding pad make it great for tiny details and cramped spaces. Don't worry about sawdust accumulating in nooks, as the built-in collection bag will suck up the lion's share of the mess.

The Warrior corner and detail sander is available at Harbor Freight for $17.99, where it has a user rating of 4.6 out of five stars. Users agree this sander is both comfortable and easy to use thanks to its compact design, with several users adding that it's also surprisingly quiet compared to other palm sanders.

The preceding products were selected from sander tools available at Harbor Freight. Preference was given to items of different sander types with user ratings of at least 4 out of 5 and/or positive feedback from YouTube channels with at least 10,000 subscribers.