A sander is a key tool that will get used in almost any DIY projects that involve wood. Sanders can remove large amounts of material or paint easily and quickly, as well as being able to create a smooth surface on your projects. But there are several types of sanders out there, and several of them can only be used for certain applications. One key to buying a sander is to get the one that will meet your needs best. Here are the types of sanders to consider:

-- Belt Sanders --

Belt sanders are good for use during the initial phases of big sanding jobs as well as for the initial phases of refinishing jobs. Belt sanders take away large amounts of material quickly, so a careful touch is needed to avoid gouging the material being sanded. Belt sanders also tend to be heavy. Consider one that has an adjustable speed control as well as a button that allows the speed to be locked which will allow you to position your hands in the most comfortable position when using the sander; this also helps minimize user fatigue when using a belt sander.

-- Detail Sanders --

Detail sanders are littler sanders usually designed to sand around odd shapes and in small nooks and crannies such as grooves, carvings, curves, and slats. Detail sanders are often used on craft projects and on mill work such as window and door casings. To get the best usage out of your detail sander, look for one with a lot of attachments as this will make your sander more flexible and make it usable in more locations and shapes.

-- Disc Sanders --

Disc sanders come as both bench-mounted and hand-held models. The hand-held varieties are most suited towards DIYs while the bench-mounted varieties are most often used by those who are working with their disc sander on a larger scale. But there are some smaller bench-mounted models that are still cheap enough for consideration by the occasional user. Disc sanders are excellent for sanding angled edges and for finishing the end grain of wood. If you are looking at a bench-mounted disc sander, additional features you will want to look for are: a tilting table, a sliding miter gauge, and a belt sander someplace on the frame.

-- Random-Orbit Sanders --

Random-orbit sanders have round pads that vibrate/move in a circle with a random pattern. The random pattern allows the user move the sander in any direction on the material being sanded, even across the grain, without scarring the material surface. This is the "safest" type of sander and it is one of the best available multi-purposes sanders, so it is an excellent choice for the novice user. Most random-orbit sanders necessitate the use of special sand paper specific to the brand and/or model of the sander being used.

-- Sheet Sanders --

Sheet sanders are available in different sized models that make use of 1/4 or 1/3-sheets from standard sizes of sheet sandpaper. Some brands of sheet sanders require the use of specialized sand paper with adhesive or velcro designed to adhere the sand paper to the sander. Other models can make use of use any type of sheet sand paper. Obviously, the latter type of sheet sander is more flexible for the everyday user. Sheet sanders are different from random-orbit sanders in that the sheet sander vibrates the sand paper along the axis of the tool, so sheet sanders must be moved along the direction of the grain of the material being sanded to avoid scarring the surface. Like the random-orbit sander, sheet sanders are very versatile and they can be used on a wide variety of projects.

-- Spindle Sanders --

Spindle sanders are the best choice for edge sanding, especially on curves. Spindle sanders are bench-mounted tools with a cylindrical spindle located in the center of a worktable. As such, spindle sanders tend to be used by more industrial users and wood-working enthusiasts. If considering a spindle sander, look for one with the oscillating feature; the oscillations increases the removal rate of material and reduces the probability of gouging the material being sanded.