I've had my DEWALT sander for more than a year now. It's proven to be one of the best tools I have.

By Sean, DIY enthusiast & master of sarcasm. Last updated May 15, 2025.

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I rocked a Porter Cable corded palm sander for about three years before finally upgrading to the DEWALT DCW210B random orbit sander. I still have that old Porter Cable rig. It’s a great little tool that does its job well - apart from the whole cord thing.

I’ve had my DEWALT sander for about eight months now, and it’s proven to be a fantastic addition to my shop. The DEWALT DCW210B has pros and cons, just like any product. On the one hand, it offers excellent performance and reliability and is superbly balanced if you use a slim DEWALT battery. On the other hand, a slim battery doesn’t give you long-lasting power like bigger batteries do.

So, is the DEWALT cordless orbital sander the right tool for your needs? Let’s find out!

DEWALT Sander Basic Specs

Size: ‎8.8 x 5.7 x 6.3 inches

Weight: 3.13 ounces (excluding a battery)
Motor type: Brushless
Recommended battery type: DEWALT DCB230C
Voltage & Amperage: 20V & 5 amps
Runtime: About 20 or so minutes with a 1.5Ah battery; 90+ minutes with a 5Ah battery

This particular unit is just the tool. I already have a million chargers and 20V batteries in the shop. I didn’t need additional chargers and batteries cluttering up my space even more.

I paid $100 for the tool only. A quick look at Amazon shows that this DEWALT sander is still priced at around $100.

DEWALT Cordless Orbital Sander Features

As I noted in my post on my DEWALT 20V MAX XR leaf blower, I’m a huge fan of the DEWALT grip. The grip is ideal for long sanding jobs, and the texturized finish helps you keep a solid grip on the tool. Even if I’m using the sander for an extended period of time, I don’t feel like my hand gets fatigued.

On top of that, the grip feels familiar, for what that’s worth. The consistency of DEWALT’s grip sizes from one tool to the next helps you know what to expect in terms of the tool’s operation and performance while it’s in your hand.

As with all of DEWALT’s brushless cordless tools, the motor offers excellent durability, performance, and efficiency.

At the base of the grip is a variable speed control (numbered 1-7) that allows you to adjust the speed of the sander from 8,000-12,000 OPM. This range of OPMs gives you the freedom to work on any manner of woodworking projects. And since it’s cordless, you can work anywhere in your shop (or outside of it, too).

The DEWALT orbital sander has many other features that make it a functional addition to your woodworking tool bench. There’s a dust-sealed on/off switch, an eight-hole hook and loop pad (which is replaceable), and a cloth dust-collection bag. Unlike most dust-collection bags, this one is actually pretty useful. Part of the reason is that the sander sucks up dust from below (through the holes in the hook-and-loop pad) and from the sides, just above the sanding surface. I also appreciate DEWALT's twist-lock mechanism to connect the bag to the sander.

Likewise, I appreciate the fact that you can connect the DEWALT cordless orbital sander to a vacuum to minimize dust output in the shop. You can opt for a DEWALT dust collection system, which attaches seamlessly to the sander, or you can purchase the DWV9000 universal vacuum attachment for vacuums with 1-1/4-inch hoses if you already have a Shop Vac. Either of these options will work far better in terms of keeping dust down than if you rely on this sander’s cloth dust bag.

Using the DEWALT Sander

I use this DEWALT sander on every single project I create in my shop. Whether I need to knock down a rough piece of western red cedar with some 60-grit paper or do some fine sanding work on a DIY ceiling-mounted barn door with 600-grit sandpaper, this little guy is my go-to tool.

When I’m working on a particularly rough piece of wood, I can lean into the sander pretty well without it overheating or stalling. I wouldn’t recommend laying into it hard or for an extended period of time, but if you have a difficult patch that needs worked over, you can give this DEWALT cordless sander a little bit of hell, and it’ll keep on chugging.

As I mentioned earlier, this DEWALT sander feels great in your hand. It’s extremely well-balanced, especially if you use a smaller battery. I typically use a 1.5Ah or 1.3Ah battery with this sander, and as long as I have another one fully charged, I can easily swap out batteries and charge the dead one before I run the second battery down to dead. Doing this enables me to retain a smaller footprint with the tool - larger batteries make it feel far less balanced and back-heavy, which obviously isn’t as good of a working experience.

Another feature I appreciate about this DEWALT cordless orbital sander is its quietness. I typically have ear protection on, but when I forget to put my earplugs in, I don’t feel as though my eardrums will burst because of the noise.

Something else I tend to forget is to let my sanders spool down before I set them on my workbench. Fortunately, the DEWALT DCW210B stops almost immediately, so I don’t have to worry about scarring or damaging whatever surface I set the sander on once I’m done with it.

DEWALT Cordless Orbital Sander Pros & Cons

Pros of This DEWALT Sander

Very well balanced
Quiet operation
Good dust collection
Lightweight
Great runtime, even with smaller batteries

Of course, another major benefit of this DEWALT cordless orbital sander is that it’s, well, cordless! I cannot stress enough how liberating it is to have cordless tools after using corded tools for so many years. While cordless tools are more expensive, they pay for themselves with improved functionality and a better workflow in your shop. It’s also safer not to have a million cords dangling over your workspace!

Cons of This DEWALT Sander

Bigger batteries make this an unbalanced tool
Dust port only works with specific DEWALT dust management tools unless you buy an adapter

Really, I have no complaints about the DEWALT orbital sander itself. The drawbacks only stem from the accessories you might use with it. A bigger battery doesn’t make this sander impossible to use by any means, and the adapter you need to fit this sander to a Shop Vac is about $21.00, so it’s not like a huge output of money to vastly reduce the dust in your shop.

If you’re on the fence about buying a cordless sander or another cordless tool for your shop, I say go for the sander first. So much of what you do in a wood shop requires sanding, so having a reliable and durable tool like this DEWALT cordless sander will make your work so much easier. Even if you aren’t in the DEWALT ecosystem, this is a fine tool to have on your workbench - and one that very likely might get you investing in DEWALT tools in the future, too!

If you need some inspiration for your home DIY projects, check out my favorite home improvement YouTube channels!

Update for 2025

When I originally posted this article back in November 2025, I’d had this DEWALT random orbit sander for about eight months. It’s now May 2025, and this sander is every bit as impressive today as it was back then.

I just finished a project in my basement (details to come soon) that required me to sand some pretty rough cedar stock. I hit it first with my belt sander and some 120-grit sandpaper, then switched to my DEWALT orbit sander to do the finish work with 200-grit paper, then 320-grit, and finally with 600-grit. That cedar is as smooth as a baby’s bottom, now!

Sure, the dust collection isn’t stellar (see the FAQ on that topic below), but this tool is easy to use, fits well in the hand, and offers great speed control for different projects. So, roughly two-and-a-half years later, this thing is still a rock star!

FAQs

Does the DCW210B come with a battery and charger?

You can get the DEWALT DCW210B as a bare tool without a battery or charger and use your existing DEWALT 20V MAX batteries and chargers. Conversely, you can also get this sander in a kit with a charger and a 3ah battery.

What size sanding discs does the DEWALT DCW210B use?

The DEWALT DCW210B cordless sander uses 5-inch hook-and-loop (Velcro-style) sanding discs with 8 dust holes.

How long does the battery last during use?

Battery life depends on the battery size and workload. For example, a 5.0Ah 20V MAX battery can provide roughly 30–40 minutes of continuous sanding under moderate pressure. Using a 2.0Ah battery may give you closer to 10–15 minutes.

Is the variable speed control on the DEWALT DCW210B useful?

Yes, the variable speed dial (8,000–12,000 OPM) on this DEWALT cordless orbital sander allows you to adjust the speed depending on the material and task. Lower speeds are great for delicate sanding or finishing, while higher speeds are ideal for removing more material quickly.

How effective is the dust collection system?

The built-in dust bag on this cordless orbital sander works decently for light sanding jobs, but it’s not HEPA-rated. For better dust control, the sander has a 1-1/4-inch dust port that can be connected to a shop vacuum (with an adapter) for more efficient dust extraction.

DEWALT Sander Review: This Cordless Orbital Sander is Worth Its Weight in Gold [Updated for 2025]

Table of Contents

DEWALT Sander Basic Specs

DEWALT Cordless Orbital Sander Features

Using the DEWALT Sander