DeWALT DCW211 vs DCW210: Same Vibration. Keep the $100 One?

DeWALT just updated one of the most common 20V MAX tools on a jobsite: the 5-inch random orbit sander. The new one is the DCW211 XR. The old one is the DCW210, still around $100.

I put them next to each other. Design, grip, dust bag, pads, vibration, then I opened both up.

Watch the test on YouTube: 

The new body First thing you notice on the DCW211 is the design. It looks good. Looks high-tech. The grip changed. The head is smaller and sits a little lower.

Balance went the other way. The battery hangs more than it did on the DCW210. I still like the old sander better in the hand.

Dust bag and AirLock The bag on the DCW211 is bigger. Different material. AirLock changed a little too. On my unit the bag broke the first time I tried to put it on. The old DCW210 does not do that.

Pads and sanding net I ran the test on sanding net, not sandpaper. It is reusable, and you do not have to line up holes.

On the old pad you just slap it on. The new plate is different. Holes do not match, so you need the adapter from a Diablo set. I like the old plate more. It is cheap, and it takes any paper or net I want.

Vibration and power Max speed is 7 on the DCW210 and 5 on the DCW211. RPM is the same. Vibration is the same. Power is the same, as far as I can feel it. I cannot say the new grip is better. Maybe that is just because I have used the old one a lot more.

What is inside Totally different technology than the previous one. Closer to Bosch than to the old DeWALT. The DCW210 was cheap and still very effective. Reliability on the new internals is a wait-and-see.

Verdict If you already have a DCW210, keep it. Small, light, $100, cheap pads, any abrasive you want.

Buy the DCW211 if you want the new shape and you are already shopping. Do not buy it expecting less vibration or more power. I did not feel either.

Full side-by-side, the bag, the pads, and the teardown are in the video above.