As a DIY expert, these are the 4 types of electric sanders I actually use (and when each one wins)

You might think that owning four electric sanders is just plain greedy. Surely one is enough? Or maybe two if you are feeling extravagant. But it's not how many sanders you own that matters. What matters is that you have the right sander for whatever sanding project you are working on.

Use the wrong sander, and you will make the task more difficult and most likely not get the finish you should. I’ve built up my collection of sanders as DIY projects have come and gone, and my advice to you would be to do the same.

The following types of sander are what I have in my collection, and I find that each one is perfect for a different type of DIY task.

Orbital sander – my go-to option

If you only have one sander in your DIY toolkit, I’d make it an orbital sander.

The best orbital sanders are a great choice for most sanding jobs, especially on flat areas such as doors, window sills, tabletops and wooden kitchen worktops. It's also a good choice for sanding skirting boards.

For decorative items, such as architrave or ogee skirting boards, I use an orbital sander to tackle the flat areas before switching to an alternative option.

A key feature of random orbital sanders is that the sanding pad spins and oscillates simultaneously, which helps produce a smoother finish with fewer sanding marks. However, you will notice the marks if using coarser grits.

The best way to get rid of these is to progressively use finer grades if you need a smooth, mark-free finish for surfaces that will be varnished or polished rather than painted. I suggest you use an 80- or 120-grit for the first run, followed by a 240-grit to finish.

Great for: doors, tabletops, wooden kitchen worktops, sanding down wall filler.

Detail sander – when detail comes calling

An orbital sander may be a great all-rounder, but when it comes to 90-degree angles, its round sanding pad simply doesn’t fit. This is when you need to embrace the triangular sanding pad of a detail sander.

A detail sander is perfect for a whole host of DIY jobs. The most common jobs I use it for are stairs and doors. My latest detail sander is a BLACK+DECKER Mouse (available from B&Q), which has a compact design and fits neatly in the hand, making it easy to get into corners and edges on stairs and ideal for panels on a door.

But these are not the only areas I use it. I’ve used it on flat stair spindles, bannisters, furniture, corners and edges on walls and ceiling, for sanding MDF edges and small filled wall holes, among others.

Some detail sanders, including mine, have an extension (known as a ‘finger’ or similar). These fit on top of the pad, making it easier to get into tight corners and areas like door slats. If you don’t have one, check whether your sander has the capability, and check online for one like this OTOTEC 2PCS Sander Finger Platen on Amazon.

Great for: door panels, board edges, stairs, small filled holes.

Sheet sander – ready to finish up

The beauty of a sheet sander is that it typically has a larger sanding pad than other sanders (like this Makita BO3710 Sheet Sander from Amazon). This covers more area with each pass, effectively removing more material faster. However, some sheet sanders have a smaller square pad, which makes them great for straight edges and corners.

My sheet sander, which has the larger rectangular pad, is used much less than my orbital or detail sander. I typically use it for sanding plywood and MDF to get a fine finish on the face of the board and to smooth out the edges to match.

Another bonus is that I don’t need specific sanding discs to fit the sander, like an orbital sander, detail sander, or belt sander. I just buy sheets of sandpaper in the grits I want and cut them to fit the pad. This works out cheaper.

Great for: large flat areas such as doors, walls, boards (plywood, MDF, OSB), corners and edges.

Belt sander – when you need more power and speed

Belt sanders are not for fine finishing, and while a useful sander to have, in my opinion, they are not a necessary purchase unless you have a DIY project that benefits from what they have to offer. And that's exactly why I have a belt sander.

The reason I purchased a belt sander (like this Lumberjack 4" Belt Sander from B&Q) was to give my old parquet floor a refresh. I didn’t want the cost of replacing the floor or destroying the original floor. There’s an art to using a belt sander to sand floors, so I suggest you get a few practice runs in before starting on flooring that will be on display. It's easy to get unwanted ridges.

Since then, I’ve used my belt sander to level out floorboards, remove paint from old doors (again, wanted to keep costs down and retain the original doors), and finish off old boarded floors (remove leftover glue debris and rough areas, ready for new flooring). They are typically more expensive than other sanders, but I would say they are definitely worth the investment.

Great for: levelling floorboards, smoothing out rough timber, material removal on larger areas. It can also be used to sand engineered wood flooring.

Shop these sanders and add to your toolbox

Multi-tool sander attachment – a bonus addition for greater flexibility

I know I’ve already covered most bases when it comes to sanding, but alongside my four sanders, I do have a multitool with a sanding attachment. The sanding pad on my Black + Decker MultiEvo Multitool is very much the standard triangle shape, making it ideal for small detail jobs.

Do you need one? Not if you already own a detail sander. However, if you already own a multitool, it will most likely have a sanding attachment, so you don’t need to invest in a detail sander. I’m lucky to have both, so I use whichever is closest at hand and has the right grit sandpaper for whatever I’m working on.

Great for: panelled doors, wall repairs, shelf edges, window sills, door frames, skirting boards

Do you really need four different sanders?

There isn’t a simple yes or no answer to this question. What you do need is a sander that fits the job you are doing. If looking to remove material, fast, from a surface, a belt sander is a more obvious choice than a detail sander.

However, as a general guide, for most common DIY projects, I would recommend a random orbital sander and detail sander as the best combo. This deals with most flat surfaces, corners, and edges. However, if you are straying into larger, more heavy-duty DIY tasks, then sheet sanders and belt sanders will be needed.

I would start with an orbital and detail sander and add as needed. Also, if you do a lot of sanding, I would suggest stepping up the quality ladder and making a larger investment in your tools. Brands such as DeWalt and Makita are quality DIY products. If you really want to spend big, Festool and Mirka are good brands to consider.

Sanding is all part of the preparation process, commonly used to get wood ready for painting. Sanding walls can also be a smart move to ensure the surface is smooth and ready for paint application.

Sanding can obviously be a messy job, but there are ways to make sanding less dusty, such as using a sander that captures dust at source.