Metabo HPT SV13YSTM 5 in. Variable Speed Random Orbit Finishing Sander

I love this little guy, it has never let me down. Plenty of power and the extra long cord is a game changer. It will easily adjust to a vacuum and does a good job dust collecting on its own. I tried the competition and I'm sticking with Metabo.

Great performance at a more then reasonable price. Best value variable speed sander.

Great sander. If you have problems with the vacuum clip coming undone, use a zip tie!

The sander works very well , the variable speed is great to have. The value is great.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Having used this sander on several projects now, I can safely say that there's little reason to look at something else if the following is true for you: 1. You have reasonable expectations about ergonomics -- things like grip shape, weight, etc. 2. You have at least a decent shop vac and something like a DustRight hose attachment for dust collection. 3. You're after a reliable, no frills, variable speed random orbit sander that provides a good finish up to about 320 grit on harder woods, 180-220 on softer woods. 4. You need something inexpensive that still performs well enough for fine woodworking. If those four things are true for you, then this is a great sander. People complain about the dust bag, and I'm sure it is indeed a pain (haven't used it myself), but they all are. DeWalt has the spring that holds the bag open, Bosch has the little plastic bin -- whatever -- at some point you're taking a fiddly little container full of ultrafine dust and trying not to spill it everywhere while also smacking it against the side of a trash can to get the dust out. It's not nice or easy or effective. This Metabo sander comes with multiple fittings for connecting to standard dust extractor hoses/systems, and it works very well that way (mine's been hooked up to a HEPA-filtered DeWalt vac), and that's how you ought to use it. Compared to my "nicer" and more expensive Bosch 6" random orbital sander, this does just as well and leaves about the same amount of fine dust behind when hooked up to the vacuum/extractor (which is to say almost none). Heck, it even compares well to my father in-law's 5" Festool sander. So yeah, the dust bag is a comparatively bad solution, but it's not really meant to be "good," just better than spewing fine dust out directly for you to breathe. This Metabo has very capable dust collection, but if you choose to use it without suction, it will probably be less good. As for the size, weight, noise level, and ergonomics, it's all middle of the road. Having used Festool and DeWalt sanders and owning a Bosch, this Metabo is certainly a little louder. I also paid $50 USD for this, and I'm wearing hearing protection anyway, so in use it feels negligible. It's also marginally heavier than those more expensive sanders, but it's not going to tire you out, nor is it difficult to balance/hold when edge sanding. I don't love the little rubber cover over the on/off rocker switch, but it's true that it will help it last longer and it's ultimately not hard to use because of said cover. The molded grip isn't a perfect fit for my hands, but it's also not uncomfortable. Again, middle of the road. It's a slightly older but tried-and-true Hitachi design that Koki Holdings/Metabo HPT can now sell at a comfortable discount after buying up Hitachi's power tool business, and that's not a bad thing. Indeed, it's more the difference between something being "cheap" vs. "inexpensive," and this sander is decidedly the latter. Finally, the actual performance: In a nutshell, it's good, and considering the price, it's great. Having variable speed from 9-13K RPM at $50 is kind of crazy, and it seems to be a nice, consistent 3mm stroke length that leaves a great surface that takes finish well up to around 320 grit in hardwood while softer woods (poplar, alder, etc.) looks and feels good up to around 180-220, and that's plenty. I've used it on white oak, red oak, black walnut, ash, pine, and poplar, and it's done great on all of them whether I finished with poly, hard-wax oil (e.g. Osmo or Rubio), or danish or tung oil. Bottom line, it's a very good sander if you're buying it at just under $50 like I did. At full retail of $70 (if it ever actually sells for that much), it's perhaps a less obvious but still decent choice. If you're someone who doesn't yet have a $45 dust extraction hose for your shop vac and also wants a decent finish sander, I'd say pass on the $90 options from Bosch and DeWalt and get this Metabo AND the hose instead for the same price.

I bought this several weeks ago for a new project made of recycled materials and was able to make them look good again in a very short time period.

Have done a few projects with this from decks to ship lap and fireplace mantles, it’s been great and the dust bag does a great job as well

Great little sander, dust bag works well, the only issue is that the power switch is a little awkward to push, as it's recessed, so it's well protected

I bought this to replace my old Craf---man sander, which gave up the ghost a year ago. This works very well, is not too loud, and is a great value. I run it for long periods of time occasionally when making cutting boards and it doesn't give up.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I've had this sander for over now. The grip of the sander fits nice to the movements while Sanding. Speed control is a must on any sander or it isn't a sander in my option. Love the extended power cord no need to run a extension cord in almost every situation. Only thing that was a small minus is the dust collection bag some times fall's off as if the rubber fitting could be a 16th bigger but electrical tape does well. I had to get the kobalt cordless be cuz metabo didnt offer it at the time. If that one blows up I would definitely grab my metabo

Purchased the sander from Lowe's at a very discounted price since the Company was swapping out products after the brand name change. Used the sander on numerous occasions and it lightweight and easy to handle

This s a well balanced sander. I am able to easily sand 1/2 solid wood edge. Fells very stable and is a smooth running sander.

Had to let my PC Speed Bloc sander go after 30 years Compared a few models & ended up with the Metabo palm sander on price point & features. The speed dial offers more finish control & lower noise output. Velcro paper replacement sure beats clipping 1/4 sheets to the old sander. The main deal breaker is the dust bag & accessories, I use the bag for small areas & hook up the extra connector to my shop vac with a HEPA bag for large pieces.

I bought this 5 inch random orbital sander because I was getting ready to build some custom speaker boxes and I needed something that was reasonably priced while still being a high quality tool. I already owned a Metabo 10 inch miter saw that I really liked and felt like it was a very well built saw. So I decided to see what they had in their lineup of sanders. I wasn’t disappointed. This sander is the most comfortable orbital sander that I have ever used. It does a fantastic job and as I started using it around the house on other projects I fell in love with it and the extra long cord that it has. It’s really nice to not have to drag around an extension cord all the time. I haven’t explored their cordless tools yet but I certainly will in the future…

Very comfortable to use sanding is never fun but this makes it easy.

Over the years I've burned up a Porter Cable, and my Dewalt is showing signs of age... This Metabo has more features and power than either, and the price was unbeatable. I've known and used Hitachi/Metabo products over the years, but this is my first to own. Likely going to last and last!

I used the sander for my deck along wired bosch and ridgid 5 inch. it is less aggressive than ridgid. It is has less vibration. I used metabo and bosch 5 inch way more than I anticipated. The only negative on metabo, it is taller than bosch, and I could not fit that were I used bosch. I am not trilled with bag, as plastic that holds it rip the bag fast. I used metabo adapter to connect to vac after all. While some comment on vibrational issues, I re-tied screws on sanding pad prior I used it. It is a reliable little sander for vertical sanding as well. No discomfort during use of it. Looking forward to try cordless 5 inch metabo sander.

I was frustrated with the battery operated Porter Cable sander we were using and decided to go corded. I found this model at a local box store and have been very satisfied with its performance. Plenty of power and great dust collection.

Very good quality for the price, it works very well. Minor complaint : Its a bit noisy, the dust bag can be smaller, and easy to fall off while operation.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Powerful little device. Comfortable and does the job. Pad worn fast though. The complaint about dust bag - ver true. While it is simple and no zipper, it has been worn badly as mesh plus dust and metal rods do rip it. Closing bag is a challenge. Worse that bag has been falling if wire tied. The attachment is just half slide into sander. Great sander. Dust attachment i wish would be more 1 1/4 inch hole.