Milwaukee M18 Cordless 5 in. Random Orbit Sander

I’ve used this sander for a ton of projects and honestly think it works great for most people. Milwaukee makes a more powerful version that costs roughly twice as much, but unless you’re sanding constantly or doing more demanding professional work, I don’t think you necessarily need to spend the extra money.
 
This one has plenty of power for the woodworking, cabinet, bodywork, and general shop projects I use it for, and being cordless makes it really convenient to grab for smaller jobs.
 
The biggest reason I’d consider stepping up to Milwaukee’s more expensive model is dust collection. It can be connected directly to a vacuum, which would be especially nice with something like the Giraffe Tools retractable vacuum setup. If keeping dust under control is a priority or you’re sanding for long periods of time, I could see the upgrade being worth it. Otherwise, this one gets the job done without spending twice as much.