The Bosch sander was easy to control but did move the workpiece in testing. Engel also measured the sander for aggressiveness by sanding a poplar board for five minutes and measuring how much wood was removed. Then he measured the amount of dust the sander collected. The Bosch sander removed 10 grams of stock over the five minutes and 13 grams when the vacuum was attached.

In addition, Engel sanded clear Plexiglass to compare the sanders’ scratch patterns. The Bosch sander had an excellent scratch pattern. Engel found that the machines with the most uniform scratch pattern tended to be the most aggressive.

Those with weak hands may have difficulty attaching the vacuum adapter for the Bosch sander. The adapter is not included. With vacuum attached, the sander collects 90% of external dust.

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Festool Rotex FEQ-Plus Random Orbital Sander

The Festool Rotex is a top-of-the-line choice. On its coarse setting, it removed stock nearly twice as quickly as the second-fastest model. But that speed doesn’t mean you’ll have to wrestle with it. It’s no huge task to control it with two hands, and its long body gives you plenty of room to find a sweet spot while holding it.

Buy at Amazon

Festool DF 500 Q-Set Domino Joiner

This joinery machine revolutionized woodworking for so many. There is no easier way to get mortise and tenon joints—but it comes at a cost.

Buy at Amazon

Festool Cleantec CT 26 E HEPA Dust Extractor

The clear winner here is Festool’s CT 48 Dust Extractor. It has amazing capacity relative to its size, and unmatched suction power. It packs in a number of subtle but very helpful design touches, like a clever foot brake and easy hose and cord storage.

Buy at Amazon