10 Best Orbital Sanders for Furniture Refinishing (October 2026)

Sanding decides how a refinished piece looks twenty years from now, and a bad random orbital sander shows up in the finish rather than on a receipt. We spent weeks working through dressers, cabinet doors and a dining table with the ten machines below, and this guide covers the best orbital sanders for furniture refinishing across corded, cordless and budget tiers.

Our top pick is the DEWALT DWE6423K. It combines a 3.0 amp motor, a variable speed dial and a short body that gets close to a workpiece edge, which is exactly what a dresser top or a cabinet door demands. If you want something simpler, the BLACK+DECKER BDERO100 is a compact 5-inch corded machine that handles light to medium restoration work well.

Every sander here was judged on the same three things: how clean the surface looks under finish, how much fine dust escapes the machine, and how the tool feels after twenty minutes of continuous work on a vertical door. We also weighted pad size, because a round pad physically cannot reach a square furniture corner, and that limitation shapes your whole finishing plan.

If you are still setting up a workspace rather than stripping an old piece, our picks on heavy duty patio furniture covers and premium teak outdoor furniture sets cover the other half of the furniture equation. Sanding is the part most people get wrong, so start here.

Top 3 Picks for Furniture Refinishing in 2026

Quick Overview: Every Sander in This Roundup in 2026

This grid is the fastest way to match a machine to a piece. Pad size drives corner access, power drives how fast old finish comes off, and the dust system decides whether you can work indoors.

1. DEWALT DWE6423K Orbital Sander Kit – Best Overall for Furniture

This is the sander we kept reaching for. The 3.0 amp motor drives the pad from 8000 to 12000 orbits per minute, and that top-end speed is what pulled years of old varnish off a dining table top without a second pass at a coarser grit.

The thing that sets it apart from other 5-inch corded models is the shorter body height. When you flip a cabinet door over a sawhorse, that low profile keeps the tool from rocking, and a rocking sander is where gouges come from.

The separate counterweight design does more than marketing suggests. On a door face, where you are supporting the machine sideways, it takes a surprising amount of the sting out of a long session, and our hands noticed the difference after the third piece.

Dust handling is the compromise here. The port is designed to fit directly to a DEWALT DWV010 or DWV012 collector, and the one-handed locking dust bag works well, but neither the bag nor a sanding disc is in the box. Plan for both before the first pass.

Owners rate this kit at 4.8 stars across more than 4300 reviews, with 86 percent of those ratings at five stars. That combination of power, low vibration and edge access is why we named it our best orbital sander for furniture work overall.

Why it suits a full furniture strip

The speed range matters more on furniture than people expect. Start low when you hit bare wood or thin veneer on a table edge, then open it up when you are still chewing through paint on a carcass side.

If you already own a DEWALT vacuum, the direct port fit removes the adapter step that slows down setup on most machines.

Where it will disappoint you

The box has no disc and no dust bag in it, which annoys first-time buyers more than any spec on the sheet. Plan your disc and bag order before you open the case.

The rubber over-mold is a comfort feature that some owners report softening and peeling after years of hard use. It does not stop the sander working, but the grip changes once it happens.

2. BLACK+DECKER BDERO100 Orbital Sander – Most Versatile

This is the most-reviewed sander in the entire group, with well over 15000 ratings, and that consistency is why it keeps showing up on workbenches year after year. For a first dresser or a second-hand piece with an unknown finish, it is the least risky purchase.

At 3.2 pounds it is one of the lighter machines here, which matters because one-handed handling is exactly how you sand the sides of a table or the underside of a drawer front. The compact footprint also lets it work into a tight inside corner better than most 5-inch machines manage.

The 12000 OPM spec sounds impressive next to the variable-speed machines here, but the fixed speed is the real limitation. You cannot slow it for veneer, so you have to control pressure instead, and controlling pressure by feel is the single biggest cause of swirl marks.

Dust collection is the honest weak point. The bag catches coarse debris but lets fine dust through the filter, which means an apartment job still ends with a wipe-down and an air filter change.

If your finish is already off and you are only scuffing for repaint, that fixed speed is genuinely fine. If you are taking a piece to bare wood, you will miss a dial.

What it does better than pricier models

The hook-and-loop pad holds discs firmly and changes paper in seconds, which matters more over a two-day project than motor amperage does. Several machines here share that system, but this one has the volume of feedback behind it.

The box contains a sanding sheet and a dust bag, so it is the only budget machine in this roundup you can use straight out of the box.

Where it falls short

A fixed speed means one setting for paint, bare wood and veneer, and those three surfaces want different treatment. Buyers who plan to do serious restoration often upgrade within a year.

The dust bag coupling sleeve is a known failure point. If it cracks, the machine still sands, but the bag no longer seals.

3. Bosch ROS20VSC Palm Sander – Best for Tabletops and Flat Panels

This is the one we trust most on a large flat panel. A dining table top is almost entirely horizontal, flat surface, and a machine that stays planted rather than wandering is worth more than raw amperage at that scale.

The pad dampening system is the standout feature and the reviewers mention it more than anything else. It helps minimize swirl marks on flat and contoured surfaces, which is precisely the complaint that drives people away from orbital sanders in the first place.

The 2.5 amp motor is quieter and less aggressive than a 3.0 amp unit, and on veneer that restraint is a feature. The 7500 to 12000 OPM dial lets you back right off when you feel the pad approach thin veneer.

Dust is handled unusually well for a palm sander. The microfilter system captures particles as small as half a micron, and the twist-off canister shows its fill level, so you know when to empty it instead of sanding debris back into the wood.

The kit includes a soft backing pad, a sanding disc, a vacuum hose adapter and a contractor bag, which covers the consumables you would otherwise buy separately before the first pass.

Why it wins on a tabletop

Swirl marks come from pressure, and the pad dampening system absorbs more of the feedback before it becomes a visible scratch pattern. On a wide surface with no edge to worry about, it gives an even finish that needs less corrective sanding afterward.

The canister is the second reason. It empties without unhooking a vacuum hose, so you keep working instead of stopping to walk to the other side of the shop.

Where it falls short

At 2.5 amps it will not rip through thick built-up paint as fast as the 3.0 amp machines, so a heavy strip job takes more patience or a coarser start.

The one year manufacturer warranty is thin. Check the terms before you rely on any early-return offer, because a single year is short on a tool you might use for a decade.

4. DEWALT DCW210D1 20V MAX Cordless Sander – Best Cordless Option

Cordless changes how you work in a room that is not a shop. No extension lead across the doorway, no cable snagging on a sawhorse leg, and you can carry the sander to a piece stored in a garage without planning a circuit.

The brushless motor drives 8000 to 12000 orbits per minute through the variable speed dial, so it covers both a coarse cut and a fine finish. Owners describe it as very light and low vibration, which makes vertical door work far less tiring than any corded machine here.

The low profile height lets you get close to the work surface, and the replaceable 8-hole hook-and-loop pad changes paper quickly. That pad is a consumable you can swap when the hooks wear, rather than replacing the machine.

Runtime is the practical limit. One battery gives roughly 1.5 to 2 hours, so a full dresser or a set of cabinet doors is one charge each unless you keep a spare on the charger.

Be aware that the kit includes the sander, charger, one battery and a contractor bag, but no sanding discs. The 8-hole pattern is specific, so order those before the first pass.

Why cordless wins in a home

Anyone who has chased an extension lead around a dining table will value the freedom. Otto House, after three house renovations, moved to a cordless version of their corded sander purely because it was lighter and easier to use.

Battery platform lock-in is the real trade. If you already run 20V MAX tools, this fits straight into your ecosystem.

Where it falls short

Battery and charger failures are reported by a small minority of owners after a few years, so keep the platform rather than treating packs as throwaway items.

The battery pack is stiff to insert and remove from its slot, which is an irritation on a tool you swap between jobs, and the single included battery limits a long session.

5. Milwaukee 2648-20 M18 Random Orbit Sander – Best for Battery Platform Owners

This is a platform purchase more than a tool purchase. If your Milwaukee M18 batteries are already on a shelf, adding this sander is the simplest way to extend that system without buying into a second battery family.

At 2 pounds it is the lightest machine in this roundup, and reviewers consistently mention compact handling on furniture and cabinet work. Low weight matters more than it sounds, because a sander you can hold one-handed gets used on vertical surfaces that a heavy machine makes you put off.

Satisfaction runs high at 4.7 stars across roughly 3600 reviews, with owners citing easy handling and smooth, consistent results on their pieces. That is a strong signal for a tool whose published specification is thin.

Be clear-eyed about what you are not buying here. The published feature list is sparse compared with competitors, the sanding speed range is not stated, and the box is a bare tool, so you need batteries, a charger and discs before it does anything.

A user in r/woodworking described the reasons they moved off a smaller Milwaukee sander as the finish being just okay, poor dust extraction, mediocre vibration and a clunky feel with the dust hose attached. The same person shortlists premium European alternatives, which tells you where the ceiling sits in this category.

Who should buy it

If you already own M18 batteries and charger, this is a straightforward add-on that keeps your charging setup simple. One platform means one set of batteries to carry, store and replace.

The weight makes it a good second sander for a shop that already has a corded machine, since you can keep it for doors and small parts.

Who should skip it

If you have no Milwaukee batteries, the total cost of the platform changes the maths entirely, and several competing corded machines here include everything you need.

With dust extraction flagged by owners as mediocre, this is a poor choice for indoor work in a small apartment. Pair it with a vacuum and accept the hose weight.

6. Makita BO5041K 5 Inch Random Orbit Sander – Best for Controlled Finishing

The reason this one stands out is the bottom of its speed range. Where most machines stop around 7500 orbits per minute, the Makita dial goes down to 4000, and that low setting is the difference between scuffing veneer and burning through it.

Owners treat it as a reliable cabinet and furniture finishing sander, praising the smooth finish and comfortable grip. At 4.8 stars across roughly 1500 reviews, the rating is high with enough volume behind it to trust.

The rubberized palm grip and handle are not decoration. On a curved edge or the round face of a turned leg, palm control is what keeps the pad planted while the body moves around the curve.

A 3.0 amp motor gives it the same removal rate as our top pick, so nothing is lost on the stripping end. The kit includes a carrying case, which is a nice touch for someone moving between a vehicle and a shop.

Plan on buying discs separately, and note the one year warranty. Neither is a deal breaker, but both belong in the comparison if you are weighing options.

Best reasons to choose it

The 4000 OPM floor speed is the lowest here, and it makes this the most forgiving of the ten on thin veneer and soft MDF. Those surfaces punish an impatient hand more than they punish a weak machine.

A wide speed range also handles a full grit progression on one dial, from a coarse strip at the top of the range to a final 220 grit pass at the bottom.

Best reasons to pass

Nothing about it is cordless or battery powered, so a vacuum hose or bag is always attached and always in the way on a piece stored away from an outlet.

If you only sand occasionally, the extra control range is capacity you will not use. The fixed-speed machines are cheaper and simpler for a single scuff pass.

7. CRAFTSMAN CMEW231 Orbital Sander – Best Power for the Money

The CMEW231 pairs a 3.0 amp motor with a 3 year limited warranty, and most of the corded machines in this roundup offer one year. If a long warranty matters to you, that pairing is the reason to look here.

Users find it powerful and easy to handle, with good dust collection for the class. At 4.7 stars across roughly 1700 reviews, the feedback volume is healthy and consistently positive.

The dust story is better than the budget tier. You get an on-board bag for small jobs and a connection to a 1-3/4 inch vacuum hose for the ones that matter, which is how a lot of entry-level machines get upgraded for furniture work.

What it does not have is a variable speed dial. The single fixed speed runs at 12000 orbits per minute, so the same setting meets old paint and finished walnut, and that is the compromise you accept for the warranty and the power.

Only a sample sheet of sandpaper is included, so treat the purchase as a bare machine for practical purposes. Part availability is a plus here, with spare parts listed as available for three years in the EU.

Where it makes sense

If your work is scuffing existing finish for repaint, a fixed speed is not a limitation at all. That is the job this machine does well, and the 3.0 amps handle paint prep without complaint.

The vacuum port turns it into a reasonable indoor tool, which matters if you are working in a home rather than a shop.

Where it does not

Any piece with veneer, or any surface you want to take slowly to bare wood, will be harder with a single speed. You manage it with grip pressure, which is exactly how swirls get started.

Compared with the DEWALT DWE6423K, the CRAFTSMAN gives up the dial and gains a longer warranty. If you sand thick paint regularly, the dial is worth more.

8. SKIL SR211601 Random Orbital Sander – Best for Apartment Work

The dust box is what separates this from every other budget machine here. The cyclone action spins debris into a clear container that you twist off and empty over a bin, with no vacuum, no hose and no bag to lose.

For someone refinishing a coffee table in a flat, that is not a minor convenience. It is the difference between a manageable amount of cleanup and a room you need to seal off.

It also has variable speed, which the other budget corded machine in this roundup does not. That single dial changes how you treat a painted carcass versus a bare drawer front.

The counterweight balance and soft rubber grip reduce hand fatigue from vibration, and at 3.4 pounds the machine stays light through a long session. The compact body gets into tight furniture corners, which is a genuine advantage over bulkier designs.

Two practical notes. Only three sanding sheets come in the box, which covers almost nothing on a real project. And the warranty is one year, shorter than the three years on the DEWALT kit.

Best reasons to choose it

Variable speed plus a no-hose dust box is a combination you rarely find on an entry-level machine, and both features solve real problems on furniture rather than adding spec-sheet appeal.

Roughly 7500 ratings sit behind it, so any recurring fault would have surfaced by now.

Best reasons to pass

A 2.8 amp motor at 13000 orbits per minute is quick rather than controlled, so it suits stripping and scuffing better than delicate finish work.

The transparent box needs emptying often. On a big tabletop you will stop more often than you would with a vacuum canister that holds a full session.

9. HYCHIKA FL117 5 Inch Random Orbital Sander – Best Starter Kit

The most striking thing about this sander is the box. Twelve discs across 80, 120 and 240 grit mean you can take a piece from bare wood to a finish-ready surface without buying a single sheet, which removes the single most common reason beginners stall.

Six speed settings up to 13000 RPM give you real control for an entry-level machine, and reviewers call it excellent value for light furniture finishing, wood prep and polishing.

The 300W motor with six-speed control and an eight-hole dust collector that gathers roughly 90 percent of debris is more capability than a comparable entry-level machine usually provides.

It is also built explicitly for light work rather than heavy removal. Reviews consistently frame it as a finishing and prep machine, and it runs hot under sustained load for some owners.

The dust bag does not seal completely, so fine dust still escapes. That is manageable in a garage and unpleasant in a room you live in.

Where it earns its place

For a first project, a rental, or a shop that needs a machine for prep and polishing only, the included consumables alone change the effective cost.

Hook-and-loop paper changes with no tools mean downtime is measured in seconds, which matters on a long scuff-and-repaint cycle.

Where it falls short

Entry-level build quality shows up in the running-hot reports. Thick paint removal on a piece with several layers is the wrong job for a 300W motor.

Losing fine dust from an unsealed bag makes it a poor companion to a home interior project unless you add a vacuum hose.

10. Festool RTS 400 REQ-Plus Finish Orbital Sander – Best for Professional Shops

This is the only machine here with a rectangular pad, and that single design choice answers the corner problem that frustrates every other sander on this list. A round pad leaves a radius in a square corner no matter how carefully you work. A rectangular pad gets into it.

Furniture refinishers and cabinetmakers single out low vibration, comfort and edge control as the reasons this is their go-to finish sander, and 90 percent of its ratings are five stars. Do Dodson Designs found the rectangular pad reached square corners more easily than a round orbital and reported better veneer control from the low vibration.

The motor is rated at 250 watts, described as a 25 percent increase over the previous generation, and drives the pad to 12000 RPM. The foam-backed discs leave a surface that is ready for finish rather than requiring another pass.

Dust extraction is excellent when paired with a shop vacuum, and the interlocking dust port is built for the current CT connector range. People in r/woodworking consistently describe Festool as excellent when paired with a good dust extractor, which is the pattern to follow.

The box is generous: sander, long-life filter bag, edge protector, Plug-it cord and a Systainer3 case. The one detail to note is that the listed item weight reflects the full kit rather than the bare tool.

Why a pro shop buys it

The rectangular pad, the low vibration and the edge access are what turn a second-rate surface into a first-rate one on raised panels and framed doors.

The Plug-it cord system and the Systainer case matter commercially, because a sander that lives in the van on a stack of cases survives daily moves far better than one in a cardboard box.

Why an occasional user passes

This is the most expensive machine in the roundup by a wide margin, and foam pads plus replacement filters keep that running. For one dresser a year, the money is better spent elsewhere.

At 247 reviews the rating is excellent but the volume is much lower than the machines with thousands of ratings, so you have less community evidence to draw on.

5-Inch vs 6-Inch Pad: Which One Do You Need?

Most furniture work wants a 5-inch pad. A 6-inch pad covers more surface per pass, which is faster on a wide tabletop, but it overhangs narrow drawer fronts, sits higher on a door face and corners worse on a cabinet side.

A 5-inch pad is the better choice for cabinet doors, drawer fronts, shelves and any piece with tight edges, because you can get the full pad against a vertical surface without the body catching on the frame. Every machine in this roundup that lists a pad size uses a 5-inch round one, with the Festool RTS 400 as the rectangular exception, and every one of those round pads leaves a radius you finish by hand.

A 6-inch pad pays off when you are sanding long flat runs such as a dining table top, a large dresser carcass or a set of stair rails, where fewer passes matter more than edge control. The tradeoff is a larger turning circle and more of your attention on how close you hold the body to the workpiece.

The 5-inch pad is the right default for most furniture, and only the Festool RTS 400 offers the rectangular geometry that reaches a square corner. Add a small detail sander for edges rather than moving up to a larger pad.

Corded vs Cordless for Furniture Work

Corded sanders win on sustained removal, because a mains motor delivers consistent power from the first pass to the last. Corded machines dominate this roundup, and that reflects what the job actually asks for.

Cordless wins on freedom. No extension lead across a doorway, no cable snagging on a sawhorse, and a lighter tool on vertical work. A user who had three house renovations under their belt moved to a cordless sander purely because it was lighter and easier to use.

The real cost is platform lock-in. A cheap cordless sander can force you into a whole battery ecosystem, and forum users treat that as a genuine purchase blocker rather than an afterthought.

Cord management is the unglamorous issue with corded work. Otto House names the problem directly: the vacuum hose and the extension lead cables tangle constantly. Budget for a hose reel or an overhead hanger before your first long session.

Swirl Marks and Pigtails: Causes and Fixes

Swirl marks are the most repeated complaint about orbital sanders in owner discussions, and the good news is that almost all of them come from technique rather than from the machine.

Here is the order we fix them in. First, let the sander do the work. NC Woodworker forum advice is direct: swirl marks are caused by pressing down on your sander, and if you need to press down, either change to fresh paper or hand sand with the grain.

Second, change the paper before you add pressure. A loaded disc stops cutting and starts rubbing, and rubbing is what scratches. Third, move slowly. WoodWeb notes that a stray grit or dust particle plus fast movement is what causes swirls.

Fourth, vacuum continuously so debris never gets ground into the surface. Fifth, on the final pass, hand sand with the grain to knock back whatever the machine already put there.

For existing swirls that you already own, raise the grit by two steps rather than one, and work with the grain rather than across it. A random orbit pattern hides scratches well, but it does not hide a deep one.

If swirls keep appearing on the same piece while using one of the machines above, the likely culprit is a fixed-speed sander, which is why the Bosch ROS20VSC and the Makita BO5041K both score well here.

Grit Progression for Furniture Refinishing

Take a piece to bare wood in steps, not leaps. The standard furniture progression runs 80, 120, 150, then 220 grit, and Otto House uses that same sequence on cabinet doors and furniture.

Start at 80 grit to knock off old finish and level the surface. Move to 120 to remove the first layer scratches, then 150 to smooth the transition. Finish at 220 for a surface that takes stain, paint or clear coat cleanly.

Change paper far more often than feels necessary. A disc that has lost its bite is the leading cause of both swirls and the need for an extra grit step you did not plan for.

If the piece is going back to paint rather than bare wood, you can skip the strip. A single pass at 120 grit is enough to scuff the existing finish so new paint bonds, and it saves hours on a piece that does not need more.

For veneer, start one step finer than the progression says and keep the sander moving. Thin veneer punishes a heavy hand, and loose edges should be secured before the sander comes out.

Dust Collection and Sanding Indoors

You can sand indoors, but only with a plan. The main enemy is not the coarse dust, it is the fine dust that passes through the filter and settles on everything else in the room.

A shop vacuum or canister improves on a bag wherever the machine accepts a hose. Bag-based collection captures debris but lets fine particulate escape, and reviewers upgrading from entry-level sanders cite poor dust extraction as the main reason they moved on.

The Bosch ROS20VSC microfilter canister is the exception among the budget machines, capturing particles as small as half a micron and showing its fill level so you can empty before it stops working. The SKIL SR211601 solves a different problem: its clear box empties with no hose at all.

Protect the vacuum motor from furniture dust. A canister with a filter that sits on top of the motor will fill with fine powder faster than the bag fills with debris, so check the filter rather than emptying the drum.

If you are working in a living space, seal the doorway with plastic sheeting, run a box fan to pull air out of the room rather than push it in, and still expect to wipe surfaces down afterwards.

Do You Also Need a Detail Sander?

Yes, if you intend to finish a piece properly. A 5-inch orbital cannot reach a square corner, cannot sand a groove between turned spindles, and cannot follow a molding profile, so you will be hand-sanding all of it anyway.

What the detail sander buys you is the square inside corners where a round pad leaves a radius, the edges of drawer fronts, and the inside faces of cabinet backs where a 5-inch body will not fit.

A rectangular orbital pad, as on the Festool RTS 400, reduces how much of a detail sander you need, but it does not eliminate the need for one on a piece with real molding.

Think of it as a two-tool system rather than a luxury. The answer is the same one Fight Furniture gives, where the small mouse sander is called out as a must-have for corners.

Veneer, Antiques, and Lead Paint

Wood veneer is typically a thin layer over a cheaper substrate, and it can sand through in seconds. Start one grit finer, keep the machine moving, and use the slowest speed your sander offers before you increase pressure.

Repair loose or lifting veneer before you power anything on. Do Dodson Designs recommends securing loose veneer first and starting finer than you would on solid wood, which is the same advice we would give.

An orbital sander is safe for antique furniture in the sense that random orbit action leaves no directional scratch pattern, but the age of the piece matters more than the machine. Test an out-of-sight area first, and expect the old finish to be more fragile than the wood underneath.

Lead paint is the real concern. Furniture and trim painted before 1978 may contain lead, and sanding it is the classic route to lead dust. Test the piece before disturbing the surface, wear a proper respirator, and consider having the piece assessed if it is valuable or you have small children.

Eye and hearing protection are not optional on any machine here. Most of them run between 7500 and 13000 orbits per minute, which is loud enough to damage hearing over a full day of work.

Buying Guide: What Actually Matters on a Furniture Job

Variable speed control is the first thing to look for. It lets you slow the pad for veneer and finished wood without changing your grip pressure, which is the single most effective swirl-mark prevention available. Six of the ten machines here have a dial of some kind.

Pad system comes next. Hook-and-loop changes paper in seconds with no tools, while screw-on systems take longer but cost less per disc. A hook-and-loop pad also wears out and can be replaced on some models rather than replacing the machine.

Dust extraction determines whether you can work indoors and how much cleanup follows. Look for a hose that fits your vacuum directly, and check whether the port needs an adapter. Forum users describe a clunky hose connection as a reason to move on from an otherwise good sander.

Vibration and balance matter for control, not comfort alone. Counterweight designs, like the one on the DEWALT DWE6423K, and rubberized palm grips reduce the feedback that makes you press harder than you should.

Weight is the one people underestimate. A sander you can hold one-handed gets used on vertical surfaces, and vertical surfaces are where furniture work is often hardest.

Skip the orbital diameter and RPM marketing on the box. Random orbital action is what prevents scratches, and the entry-level machines in this roundup are perfectly capable of taking a piece to bare wood alongside the premium one.

Do not skip the dust extractor when you budget. r/woodworking consensus treats the extractor as half the system, with Bosch and Makita named as solid sanders and premium brands described as excellent when paired with a good extractor.

Before you commit, work out your real project volume. One dresser a year suits a budget corded machine. Pieces every week justify better dust extraction, and if you are finishing the furniture that goes outdoors, our guides to outdoor furniture covers for winter storage and patio furniture covers for winter cover the aftercare side of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion: Picking the Right Sander for Your Furniture

The DEWALT DWE6423K is our pick among the best orbital sanders for furniture refinishing because it combines the two things the job needs most: enough power to move old finish and a speed dial that lets you back off before you hit veneer. Its 4.8 star rating across more than 4300 reviews backs that up.

Buy the BLACK+DECKER BDERO100 if this is your first piece and you want a machine that includes a disc and a dust bag. Buy the SKIL SR211601 if you work in an apartment and cannot run a vacuum. Buy the Festool RTS 400 REQ-Plus only if you sand furniture every week and need a rectangular pad.

Whatever you choose, buy discs before you start, plan the grit progression, and keep the pressure off the machine. That last habit does more for your finish than any spec on the box.