This review was created as part of a paid affiliate program with the Home Depot.

My first order of business with this and every product review is a disclaimer: I am not a professional contractor. I am a farmer and a fine furniture maker. When it comes to construction and renovation projects, I’m a DIYer and weekend warrior. That said, I doubt many professional contractors will be reading my tool reviews. My goal in reviewing tools and products is to provide honest feedback based on my own use and experience with these tools to other regular folks like me- wanting to get their hands dirty, try new things, and get the best value for their hard earned dollars.

Let’s Talk about the Dewalt 20-Volt MAX Cordless Brushless 1/4 Sheet Sander

I didn’t much use for sheet sanders (or any sanders for that reason) before moving to Tennessee because I focused so much on my handtool skills in the furniture shop, but now that we are on bigger property and I’m doing a whole lot more rough work, this sander has come in quite handy to say the least. The Brushless motor runs really cool, so no more burned fingers from an overheated motor through the air vents. Running more efficiently also offers better run-time and is easier on battery life. This sander has a variable speed control so your run speed can match the application for which you’re using the tool. This sander is ergonomically designed, it’s comfort to use and hold, and it’s low profile offers more versatility getting into tough-to-reach bits. The other thing I really like about this sander in particular is the way the paper clamp is designed, it makes for super quick, easy, frustration-free paper changes.

Dust collection with the bag isn’t great, as I’d expect, but I do appreciate that the standard dust port allows for easy connection to my sanding vacuum. When hooked up to the vacuum, dust is definitely still present, but greatly reduced. The sander comes with a puncture plate so you can create perforations in your sandpaper that will GREATLY improve the dust collection ability of the tool. If you’ve read any of my reviews, you’ll know how much I LOVE battery operated tools, and this one is certainly no exception, especially because it is designed for rougher work, which makes it’s portability vastly more important, because the rough work I generally do around the farm tends to be pretty dang far from the nearest power outlet.

If you are on the Dewalt Battery platform and find yourself in need of a sheet sander, this is a great value for the money.