As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All claims are strictly my personal opinion.
SanderScore is written by me, James Draper. I run a woodworking shop and sanding is the part of the job I care about most. This page explains how a sander gets onto one of my lists, what I check before I recommend it, and what I do not claim.
Where my picks come from
Some of the sanders on this site I have used on real jobs in my own shop over the years. When a review is based on my own use, the text says so. Many other models I have not had in my hands, and for those I do not say I tested them. I recommend them because the research below says they are a good fit for the job the page is about.
What I check for every pick
- The maker’s own specifications. Motor amps or battery voltage, orbits or speed per minute, pad size and orbit diameter, weight, dust port and warranty, taken from the manufacturer’s product page or the maker’s own listing. When a spec is not published, I say it is not stated instead of guessing.
- What owners report. I read owner reviews and woodworking forums looking for problems that repeat: dust bags that do not seal, pads that wear out early, vibration, switches that fail. One bad review is noise; the same complaint from many owners is a pattern, and it goes into the review.
- The job, not the tool. A sander that is great for furniture can be the wrong tool for a deck or a drywall ceiling. Each list is ordered by how well a model fits that job, then by value.
- Whether it is still made. When a model is discontinued, it comes off the page and the section is rewritten for its replacement. I do not leave a review pointing to a different product.
The date at the top of each page shows when it was last updated.
What you will not see here
- Star ratings or review counts copied from stores. I tell you who a sander suits instead.
- Exact prices. Prices change every day, so I show a price tier ($, $$ or $$$) and the store button shows the current price.
- Stock claims. Availability changes by the hour, so I do not tell you what is in stock.
How the site is paid for
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. When you buy through a link on this site I may get a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It never decides the order of a list: a sander that is wrong for the job does not get recommended because it pays more. The full details are in the affiliate disclosure.
Spotted a mistake?
If a spec is wrong, a model has been discontinued, or you have used one of these sanders and your experience is different, leave a comment on the page. When I am wrong, I correct it.
