6.3 Amp 9 in. Variable Speed Drywall Sander with Mid-Mounted Motor

This was my first using a drywall sander, I always did it the old fashion way, by hands prior to using this. Overall this worked well for my needs. This lost a star from me, due to it's power switch. It feels very stiff and at times was cumbersome to turn off and on. Even though it is on the handle and in a great spot, I still found myself having to look down at it to shut it off. The sander was lightweight which is good reduces the fatigue especially for overhead work. To me this sander was not loud at all, I was able to connect my wet/dry vac to it without the need of the 2 additional adapters. The dust collection worked well, even though I used a wet/dry vac instead of a dust extractor the dust collection was great for my needs. I used this on a relatively small area and when I applied the mud I tried to knock down the high spots prior to using the sander, so that could have played a factor. I saw another sander that had leds on the head so you were able to see the area you are sanding better, I would like to see that included in the next model as well. This has a variable speed knob that was easy to adjust. I was able to use the handle as wrapping point for the cord, to keep it out of the way

I know few people that enjoy sheet rocking and sanding. In a search for an easier way of removing texture I ran into the WEN drywall sander. This tool means business. The face of the sander is quite large at 9” so you need special sandpaper. WEN as a company seems to be really innovative in their gadgets, I keep seeing their name on new tools that solve old problems in clever ways. The project I’m using this sander for is my basement stairwell walls that are 20’ or so in height. The location is awkward and positioning the ladder is haphazard over the stairs. This is where the sander’s length was a benefit. I was able to stay relatively low on the ladder and use the length to reach the top areas of the wall. The sand collector connected to the shop vac and cut down on dust quite a bit. I was impressed with the amount of dust it did collect. You will need an additional adapter to attach it to the shop vac hose. It attached directly to the shop vac though. I definitely needed a second person to spot me on the ladder and they helped hold the tool as I repositioned on the ladder. It seems they balanced the machine well and the quality materials and weight was great. I battled fatigue by proping the device up against the ladder and other stable surfaces. Great tool!

Powerful and effective, but ergonomics could be better. Positives: WEN’s DW6394 drywall sander feels well made and sturdy. It’s easy to set up, with no assembly required. Just attach a sanding disk (6 included), connect it to your vacuum, plug it in and start sanding. It connected easily to my 6 gallon wet/dry vacuum using the provided 2 ¼” adapter (see pic 1). A 1 ⅜” adapter is also included. Speed and suction are easily adjusted via thumbwheels, and the power switch is right under your thumb. I started with a 150 grit disk on low speed with medium suction, and it quickly took down the high spots on my (very rough!) skim coat job - see “before” and “after” pics 2 & 3. And it captured most of the dust… as long as I kept the sanding head perfectly flat to the wall. Which leads to the negatives: Bad things happen when the sanding head is NOT flat to the wall - it causes the sander to gouge the surface (see pic 4) and simultaneously spray dust everywhere! The pivoting head should allow it to follow the wall, but the hose that connects the head to the body is stiff enough to prevent it from pivoting easily (see pic 5). It gets better with practice, but even then the ergonomics worked against me. To be fair, this is the only power sander I have used. The handles are not in the right place for holding the tool sideways to work on walls (see pic 6). They’re a bit better when using it on the ceiling. It would be great if the handles could shift position based on which way you’re using it. So, is it worth it? For smaller drywall projects I’d choose a non-powered hand sander with a vacuum attachment. For bigger projects a powered sander will definitely be faster. The question is which one? The WEN DW6394 is worth considering, but try to handle it in person to see if the balance works for you. WEN 6.3 Amp 9 in. Variable Speed Drywall Sander with Mid-Mounted Motor

The Wen 6.3 amp drywall sander is loaded with extras and premium features. Compared to other Drywall Sanders I have used in the past the Wen drywall Sanders variable speed control is the overwhelming feature that I makes this a suitable sander for a DIY and up to a professional. Having the ability to change speeds from 1000 to 2400 RPMs gives you the control you'll need to adjust your style based on the substrate. Another feature I found benificial was the detachable brush. As the name suggest this allows you to get real close to the corners thereby saving you time on the job. Look for the pair of carbon brushes in your box they dont mention them in the manual and if your kit looking for them they'll definitely get lost or thrown in the trash.

The WEN Drywall Sander makes drywall finish work much easier! Manually sanding is hard on my shoulders as well as extremely dusty and dirty. This power sander addresses both of these issues. It uses 9” easily changeable sanding disk that is driven by a variable speed motor. It comes with 6 sanding disks (from 60 – 240 grit) and a 15’ vacuum hose with two adapters that attaches to most shop vacs. The unit weighs just less than 10 pounds and seems pretty well balanced as the motor is mounted lower on the handle. The head pivots to follow the contour of the walls and has a removable portion to allow closer sanding to the edges. Ordering this sander was a good choice for me and I would recommend it.