Makelift Drywall Sander Review: My Honest Experience Removing a Popcorn Ceiling

Thinking about buying the Makelift Drywall Sander? Read my honest review after using it to remove a popcorn ceiling during my bedroom renovation. Learn what worked, what didn't, dust control tips, beginner mistakes to avoid, and whether it's worth the investment.

Fred Artisan

8/5/20264 min read

If you're planning to remove a popcorn ceiling or sand large drywall surfaces, the Makelift Drywall Sander can save you hours of hard work. It isn't perfect and has a learning curve, but once I became comfortable using it, it made one of the toughest parts of my bedroom renovation much faster and easier than sanding by hand.

Why I Bought the Makelift Drywall Sander

Removing a popcorn ceiling was one of the biggest jobs in my bedroom renovation. I knew sanding everything by hand would take a long time and leave me exhausted, so I decided to try the Makelift Drywall Sander.

Looking back, I'm glad I did.

This wasn't a sponsored review or a demonstration. I bought the tool because I needed it, used it throughout my renovation, and these are my honest thoughts after completing the project.

My First Impression

When I first turned it on, I quickly realized this wasn't a tool you master in five minutes.

The Makelift is powerful.

If you press too hard or move too slowly, it can remove drywall faster than you expect. During my first few passes, I had to learn how much pressure to apply and how quickly to move across the ceiling.

My advice for beginners is simple:

Let the tool do the work.

Don't force it.

Once I relaxed and allowed the weight of the sander to glide across the ceiling, controlling it became much easier.

Start With Finer Sandpaper

One of the biggest lessons I learned was choosing the right sanding disc.

If you're new to drywall sanding, start with a finer grit rather than an aggressive coarse grit.

A coarse sanding disc removes material quickly, but it can accidentally gouge the drywall while you're still learning to control the tool.

Starting with a finer grit gave me more control and helped me avoid unnecessary repairs.

It Saved Me Hours of Work

This is where the Makelift really impressed me.

Large ceiling areas that would have taken a very long time by hand became much easier.

Instead of climbing a ladder every few minutes and manually sanding overhead, I could cover a much larger section while standing comfortably on the floor.

The difference in speed alone made the tool worth buying for my project.

Don't Expect a Dust-Free Job

The Makelift includes a dust collection system, and it definitely helps.

However, don't expect it to capture every bit of drywall dust.

Fine dust still escaped and spread beyond my work area.

Before starting, I recommend:

  • Remove as much furniture as possible.

  • Close all doors and windows.

  • Seal doorways, vents, and openings with plastic sheeting and painter's tape.

  • Wear safety glasses, hearing protection, and a quality dust mask or respirator.

Even with dust collection attached, I still swept and vacuumed regularly throughout the project. Keeping the room clean made it easier to see my progress and helped prevent dust from spreading through the rest of the house.

Where the Makelift Works Best

The Makelift performs best on:

  • Popcorn ceiling removal

  • Large drywall ceilings

  • Large wall surfaces

  • Drywall finishing

  • Home remodeling projects

It works especially well when covering large open areas.

Where It Falls Short

Like every tool, it has limitations.

Corners and tight spaces are difficult to reach.

For those areas, I switched to a palm sander and a manual scraper to finish the job.

Using all three tools together produced the best results.

What I Liked

✔ Saved a tremendous amount of time.

✔ Easier than sanding by hand.

✔ Excellent for large ceiling areas.

✔ Good value for a homeowner tackling a renovation.

✔ Became easier to control after some practice.

What Could Be Better

✘ Takes practice for beginners.

✘ Coarse sandpaper can damage drywall if you're not careful.

✘ Dust still escapes even with the vacuum system connected.

✘ Corners still require hand tools.

✘ Overhead sanding can become tiring during long sessions.

Would I Buy It Again?

Yes.

Removing a popcorn ceiling is one of the messiest and most physically demanding parts of a renovation.

The Makelift didn't eliminate the work, but it made the job significantly faster and much easier than doing everything by hand.

If I had another ceiling to remove tomorrow, I wouldn't hesitate to use it again.

My Overall Rating

CategoryRatingEase of Use⭐⭐⭐⭐☆Performance⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Dust Collection⭐⭐⭐☆☆Build Quality⭐⭐⭐⭐☆Value for Money⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Overall9.2 / 10

Tools I Used During This Project

During my bedroom renovation, I used:

If you're planning a similar project, these are practical tools worth considering. If you're using affiliate links on DIY Handymen, you can naturally link to the exact products you used without interrupting the flow of the article.

Continue Reading on DIY Handymen

This tool was part of my complete bedroom renovation. If you're following a similar project, you may also find these articles helpful:

These articles follow the same renovation from start to finish and share the lessons I learned along the way.

Final Thoughts

The Makelift Drywall Sander isn't a miracle tool, but it is a tool that made a difficult project much more manageable.

It has a learning curve, creates plenty of dust, and still requires some hand finishing around edges and corners. Even so, the time and effort it saved made it one of the best purchases I made during my bedroom renovation.

If you're planning to remove a popcorn ceiling or sand large drywall surfaces, I'd recommend taking the time to learn how to use it properly. Once you get comfortable with the tool, you'll appreciate just how much easier it can make the job.