380W Random Orbital Sander, 125mm, 6000 to 13000rpm

This is the sander most workshops reach for first. The random orbital action leaves a fine even scratch pattern with no swirls, which is what you want under varnish, lacquer or gloss paint, and the 125mm round pad covers a surface quickly without being too big for a rail or a frame member. Doors, tables, shelving, window frames, cabinets and filler all get finished on a machine like this.

The interchangeable base system is what sets it apart. The same tool takes a random orbit pad for open surfaces, a one third sheet base for flat work along edges, and a delta base for corners and the inside of a frame, where a round pad cannot reach. That means one machine instead of three, and one set of habits. Variable speed from 6 000 to 13 000 orbits a minute lets you run slow on paint and varnish, which clog at speed, and fast on bare timber. The dust extraction canister empties without a bag to buy, and the push on switch is dust sealed, which is the part that usually fails first on a sander.