If you want to refinish cabinets then you need a sander. You can use the sander to get an even surface, strip paint, or get a smooth finish before applying paint to the kitchen cabinets. Your kitchen needs to have a smooth surface before you apply the paint to get the best results.
There are many different sanders available with many different features. That’s why finding the best sanders for kitchen cabinets can be challenging sometimes.
To help you save some time we have decided to do the heavy-lifting for you and make a list of recommendations for the sanders you should buy.
| Products | Product Name | Details | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Professional  | Professional |
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Fewer Vibrations  | Fewer Vibrations |
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No Swirl Marks  | No Swirl Marks |
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Very Powerful  | Very Powerful |
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Pressure Light  | Pressure Light |
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F.A.Q
Q: What should I use to remove dust after sanding?
A: Most of the sanders come with a dust collector system, meaning that the sander will get rid of most of the dust, if not all. But if for some reason the sander doesn’t get rid of the dust, then you can always use a vacuum cleaner or even water to remove dust.
Q: Should I sand kitchen cabinets before painting?
A: Not necessarily, the rule of thumb is to make the surface even before painting, you can do that manually with sandpaper or with a sander. I’d recommend you using a sander to get the best results possible.
Q: What do I need to clean the cabinets after sanding?
A: As we mentioned earlier, sanding produces a lot of dust, so once you are done you need to get rid of the dust or any other unwanted material. You can start by using water to remove the unwanted materials, if that doesn’t work then you can use a wet towel and a dish soap that cuts through.
Best Sanders For Kitchen Cabinets
1. Bosch OS50VC – Best Sander for Cabinets
Best Features 
- Variable Speed Settings
- Paper Clamping System
- Professional
My Overall Rating
(5 / 5)
More detailed review ↴
This one is a professional sander, meaning that its used by a lot of contractors because it gives you the best results. It costs more than a “DIY” sander, but you will get better features, better results and it will last longer. I usually recommend this to people who plan to use the sander for different projects not only for cabinets.
The Bosch OS50VC has a very powerful motor (3.4 Amp). This sander comes with variable speed settings, meaning that you can change the speed. You can change the speed from 8,000 to 11,000 OPM. The changing process is easy and it doesn’t take a lot of time.
Although you won’t need to change the sandpaper a lot because of the variable speed feature, still, this sander makes the changing process easy if you compare it to other professional sanders.
It comes with a Supreme Paper Clamping System that makes the sandpaper to fit perfectly, you can even add stick-on paper. Because of the flush sanding, this sander is able to sand vertical surfaces on 3 sides.
What makes this sander special is that it comes with a vibration control (Bosch-made) that reduces the vibrations a lot. A very effective system that gives you comfort too. It comes with a rugged aluminum gear house that also helps a lot with vibrations plus gives the tool a longer life.
Pros: Best Features
2. DEWALT DWE6423K – Best Sander for Kitchen Worktops
- Variable Speed Settings
- Dust Collection System
- Fewer Vibrations
My Overall Rating
(5 / 5)
More detailed review ↴
If you are looking for sand only your cabinets then you probably don’t need a big sander, a medium one will do just fine. One of the best DIY sanders for kitchen cabinets is the DEWALT DWE6423K.
The things that make this sander special is the speed and its power. It features a very powerful motor (3.0 Amp). The motor comes with variable speed settings meaning that you will be able to change the speed to match your project. The motor spins the pad at 8,000 – 12,000 OPM.
Since you probably don’t have a lot of experience with sanders then you are going to need a sander that doesn’t vibrate a lot. The DWE6423 comes with a great feature that most of the sanders have; a separate counterweight that reduces the vibrations a lot.
Moreover, the overall height of the sander is reduced to allow the user to get closer to the work, this gives you better control of the tool and helps you get better results.
This orbit sander has a very good dust collector. It features a one-hand lock system, plus the size of the bag is big enough if you are working on medium-sized projects ( sanding cabinets ). If you have other DeWalt sanders then you can use their dust collectors ( DWV010 or DWV012 only). If you don’t then you need an adapter to connect the sander with another dust collector.
Pros: Best Features
3. Bosch ROS20VSC – Best Sander for Refinishing Cabinets
- Variable Speed Settings
- Dust Collector
- No Swirl Marks
My Overall Rating
(5 / 5)
More detailed review ↴
When you are dealing with cabinets, you have to remove the paint from them, then get a good finish before adding the paint. A sander that I use a lot for these two processes is the Bosch ROS20VSC.
This sander is fast enough to remove paint, and at the same time, it gives you a very smooth finish, a big reason for that is that this tool allows you to change the speed settings.
The Bosch ROS20VSC comes with a 2.5 amp motor that delivers 7,500 – 12,000 OPM. Since this tool allows you to change its speed, then you can use the fastest speed to remove materials, and then you can use a lower speed to get a good finish. At least that’s what I do.
This finishing sander has a great dust collection system. The dust collection system comes with an in-built microfilter system, this system is able to collect even the finest dust, it collects dust as small as 1/2 micron in diameter. I find it very effective. Moreover, the dust canister shows dust level and is easily detached.
A big reason why I recommend this sander before other random orbit sanders is because the Bosch ROS20VSC comes with a feature that eliminates swirl marks. This is a very common problem with random orbit sanders, but luckily Bosch has figured a way to get rid of it.
Pros: Best Features
4. Bosch GET75-6 – Best Sander for Stripping Cabinets
- Very Powerful
- Dual-Mode
- Durable
My Overall Rating
(5 / 5)
More detailed review ↴
If you are dealing with old and rusted wood then you need a powerful sander to get through it. One of the most powerful sanders that I use for old rusted kitchen cabinets is the Bosch GET75-6.
This random orbit sander comes with a dual-mode. You can change the mode depending on the project you are working on. The first mode is the “normal” mode, I use this mode when I’m dealing with normal cabinets and when I want a high-quality finish.
The second mode is the “turbo” one, I mostly use this mode when I’m dealing with very old and rusted cabinets, the turbo mode is 5 times faster than the normal mode. The switching process is pretty easy.
The Bosch GET75-6 features a powerful 7.5 amp variable speed motor. The first-speed setting is: 290 to 640 RPM and the second one is 3300 to 7300 OPM.
It comes with an auxiliary handle that mounts on each side and it helps a lot with controlling the tool, especially when the tool is on the turbo mode. This random orbit sander features a braking system that helps to get rid of the swirl marks ( a very common problem with random orbit sanders).
What I don’t like about this random orbital sander is that it comes with a passive dust collector, meaning that you need to connect another vacuum to get rid of the dust. Except for this, the sander works very well, it is durable and very powerful.
Pros: Best Features
5. SKIL 7492-02 – Best Sander for Removing Paint from Cabinets
- Budget Pick
- Pressure Light
- Fast
My Overall Rating
(5 / 5)
More detailed review ↴
If you are a beginner and you don’t want to spend a lot of money without having enough experience then the SKIL 7492-02 is the perfect choice for you. This sander is our budget pick, meaning that it costs less than the other tools but still does a great job, not as good as the others though.
A feature that makes this random orbit sander special is the pressure indicator light feature. This feature lets you know when you are applying to much pressure. As you may know, low-quality sanders tend to bog down if you apply too much pretty, this feature will help you avoid that.
The sander accepts universal orbital Velcro sandpaper without any problem. Actually, we got a very good finish with this one, that’s the main reason why we added this tool to this list. The SKIL 7492-02 comes with a good motor (2.8 Amp)that operates at 12.500 OPM.
We didn’t like the dust bag of this tool. It’s low-quality and if you are not careful enough you will break the tabs. The bag itself is not strong either. Except for this, you will get a nice sander for its price.
Pros: Sanding sometime can be difficult; that’s why it is always important to have the right tools so you can get the right results. A wrong sander can make the whole sanding cabinets project go work without you even noticing. You may not know, but kitchen cabinets are different from other cabinets. The kitchen cabinets are specially made air-tight to keep the inside bug-free and to have more space. If you incorrectly sand it then you can destroy its air-tight features. To avoid that, you need to know what features a sander should have. Kitchen cabinets come on various sizes, you have small ones and big ones. You need to reach the inner sides and the corners while sanding. That isn’t possible with every sander. Small sanders are suitable when it comes to dealing with corners, but because they are small that means that it will take you more time to complete the project. You should find a medium-sized sander. When it comes to weight, the sander should be lightweight especially when dealing with cabinets. You will have to hold the sander vertically for a long time. A heavy sander will cause fatigue and make the whole project harder for you. Some sanders come with variable speed and some don’t. This feature isn’t necessary, but it does help a lot. You don’t need to use a lot of sandpapers or change them frequently, you can just change the speed and you are good to go. This isn’t only helpful when dealing with cabinets, buying a variable speed sander means that you can use the same sander for different tasks. Most of the sanders we have listed here come with a variable speed feature. They might cost more, but they are always worth it. When looking for a suitable sander, one of the first things you should look at is power. You should look at the motor specifics to know how much power a sander has. Usually, the motor power is quantified in amps; lookup for numbers such as 2.5 Amp, 3.0 Amp, etc. Most of the low-quality sanders come with a low motor such as 2.0 Amp, 1.5 Amp, etc. When dealing with cabinets, the amount of power you need is 2.5 Amp +. As you can see in our best sander for cabinets list, all of the tools we have chosen come with more than 2.5 Amp. Although the motor power doesn’t determine if a sander is good or bad, it is still a thing you should always check. As you may know, sanding produces a lot of dust. You have to get rid of the dust before you inhale it. Dust can be very bad for your health. Most of the sanders come with a dust collection system, meaning that the sander gets rid of the dust itself. I recommend you choosing sanders that come with this system plus have the option to connect another vacuum. Some of the sanders even come with a micro-filter system that gets rid of even the finest dust. If the sander you are looking to buy doesn’t have a dust system collector then I highly recommend you to not buy it and buy one that has this system. The first thing you need to do when you decide to refinish cabinets is to sand them. You need to sand them and sometimes even get rid of the old color. You can do that by using a sander for removing paint from cabinets. Once you get a good finish with a sander then its time to re-paint the cabinets. To get the best results you need a paint sprayer for this task. Since there are a lot of different paint sprayers there, we have decided to make a list of the best paint sprayers for kitchen cabinets for you. DIY projects can be hard and easy, it all depends on your experience and your tools. It’s always a good idea to get the best tool for the project you are working on, that’s how you get the best results. One of the hardest projects a DIY can do is sanding their own cabinets, there is no room for mistake because after all, your work determines how your kitchen will look. That’s why when looking for the best sanders for kitchen cabinets you should always pay attention to the features you will get, and if you are getting a good or bad sander. We’ve have done all the hard work for you, and now it’s your turn to decide if you are going to buy one of them or not. -Sorry, I haven’t posted last week, I’m doing renovations on my house and I didn’t have enough time to write an article. See you next week guys, and like always, if you have a question make sure to comment or send me an email so I can answer.
What kind of sander do I need for cabinets?
Weight and Size
Variable Speed Sanders
Power
Dust Collection System
Use a paint sprayer afterward
Conclusion