Stanley Fatmax V20 Cordless Random Orbit Sander Review

Stanley has a new range of power tools out under the FATMAX name, the V20 range. One of the tools in this new lineup is a cordless random orbit sander and I took it for a spin. Let’s find out if it’s any good and if you should think about getting one.

Stanley Fatmax V20 Cordless Random Orbit Sander Review

So, let’s get started with the specs.

The motor provides 12,000 OPM. I have no idea what OPM stands for, Orbits Per Minute maybe? But it is a measurement of speed. 12,000 is really good though, this puts it on the same speed rating as its more expensive stablemate the DeWALT DCW210N-XJ.

Stanley also claims this sander has a high-performance dust collection system, and to be fair to them the dust collection on this thing is good. You can see it sucking up the dust in a way that would make James Dyson himself proud. The dust collection bag is quite large and even after some pretty extensive sanding I never came close to filling it. The bag is also really easy to remove thanks to the twisting lock mechanism.

You can also remove the bag entirely and connect the sander up to a vacuum for even better dust extraction. I didn’t have a shop vac on hand when testing this sander as I was at home, so I did the next best thing and connected it up to my home vacuum. And it actually worked really well, the hose from the vacuum connected straight up. Although the fit wasn’t perfect so it would slip out occasionally. To combat this I just stuck a little bit of masking tape around the hose and it never came out again.

Battery

I bought the package deal that came with the sander, one 4Ah battery, a charger and a carry bag. So for my review, at least, the sander had the 4Ah battery on it. The sliding mechanism on the battery is good and very similar to any higher end battery platform. It feels similar to the Makita batteries that I am more used to, if a little stiffer. This may just be down to how new it is though and might loosen up with age. Even so, it’s not a big problem and all and a firm tap usually seats the battery perfectly.

To test both the charge time and run time of the battery I first discharged it fully. I then put it on the charger and set a stopwatch going. From completely dry to fully juiced up took 1 hour and 57 minutes. Not bad for 4Ah and around the time I was expecting.

So after seeing how long it took to charge up I now wanted to know how much work I could get out of that charge. So I set to sanding, luckily for this test I happen to be in the middle of a big solid wood floor project at home which requires sanding, the perfect opportunity to test this cordless sander out. So I set the sander going and used it continually until it ran flat, this is 100% full out, no breaks at all. The ruin time came in at 34 minutes and 12 seconds. That is solid sanding time and in most real-world situations you will be taking multiple breaks as you look at what your sanding etc.

The batteries also have a great battery charge indicator, a single button press lights up some little LED’s on the front of the battery to show you the remaining charge. This is a quick and easy indicator and from my use at least seemed nice and accurate.

Whilst we are on the subject of batteries Stanley are currently running a promotion where if you spend over £119 on V20 FatMax gear you can claim a free battery, find out more here: www.stanleytools.co.uk/V20REDEMPTION

Sanding

This cordless random orbit sander works great. I had no issues with it at all, it removed as much material as I would expect with lower grit papers and didn’t seem to leave pigtails or the like with higher grit sandpapers. Quite often with random orbit sanders, the paper makes more difference to your overall result than the sander does. I would caveat this by saying don’t go too cheap with your sander, I have tried a cheap non-brand random orbit sander and it was worse than useless, often leaving more marks in the wood than it was getting rid of.

Luckily I had none of these problems with the Stanley FatMax V20 and would easily recommend it to anyone on a budget. I have used a few of the new FatMax range now and they always surprise me with their quality for the price. They are the perfect platform for DIYers and even pros on a budget.

The controls on the sander are really simple, in fact, there is only a single button, so yes no speed control, unfortunately.

Vibrations through the handle also seem really dampened which I was pleasantly surprised at. Of course, they are still there, but they are lessened very well. Even after my near 40 minute all in one sanding session I was still comfortable and could easily have swapped out the battery and kept going longer.

From The Manufacturer

Just in case I missed anything I will include the manufacturer’s speel for you below.

FEATURES & BENEFITS
• With improved battery technology, no memory effect and minimal self-discharge, the V20 lithium-ion battery pack is ready to go to work whenever you are and wherever the job takes you – and it will last longer too.
• Integral battery state of charge indicator for convenient monitoring of battery charge levels.
• Powerful motor provides 12,000 OPM’s for fast material removal.
• High-performance dust collection system to control dust accumulation through an integral dust bag or the use of a vacuum connection.
• Light-weight and low-profile design provides additional control and reduced vibration.
• Dust sealed switch provides for improved durability.
• Connect to a vacuum hose for hassle-free dust extraction and a cleaner workspace.
• Part of the new 18V STANLEY® FATMAX® V20 Cordless System – power all your V20 tools with a common new and improved 18V lithium-ion battery to let you power through work with ease.
• No Load Speed 12000 OPM
• Sanding Disc Diameter 125mm

My Verdict

I would highly recommend this random orbit sander for anyone looking to buy. It comes at a great price while still managing to keep up with the big boys. For the price, I think it would be really tough to find anything better. The V20 platform is also a great platform to be on, I have the brushless drill and impact driver from the same range and they too are fantastic. Keep an eye out for reviews on both of those coming soon.