"Loved It!" Just finished a large trim project at home and couldn't be happier. This sander was smooth, quiet and easy to handle. I still have an old Makita BO4510 sander(12+ years old) that still works great but this one is even better yet. The hook-and-loop sand paper was easy to change and seemed to last forever(they were even included with the purchase). This is the third Makita tool I have purchased and have yet to be disappointed.

Up until now, I have been a solid Porter Cable guy. But, after going through two 5 inch sanders in a year, I decided to try something different. I felt the difference as soon as I took the tool out of the carrying case. It is noticeably heavier than the Porter Cable model I have been using. When I turned it on, I noticed that I didn't have to fight the torque like I did with other sanders I have owned. There is significantly more vibration when the tool is not on the work piece, but it is acceptable when it is engaged on the wood. The dust collector works as well as on comparable sanders I have used. The added weight means that I am less inclined to bear down on the tool. It cuts aggressively by weight alone. It isn't Fesstool, but it's a pretty good sander. I'll tell you in six months whether it holds up better than the others.

Smooth, strong, ergonomic. I'm very satisfied with the job it does sanding. My main gripe is how much sand it spews. I have a downdraft sanding table and a large air filter, and this guy still fills the air with dust. Even worse, the seal around the cloth bag recently failed (duct tape partially fixed it).

I have been using one of these sanders for over four years and it just recently died (free spinning disc and no power). But compared to the sanders my co-workers have been using I can't complain. The makita has outlasted several Rigid's, Ryobi's, and a very new Bosch. All of the others stopped orbiting randomly and basically turned into grinders. I am currently ordering another Makita and expect it to last just as long.

I've had this sander now for over 2 years and it works great. Does a nice job, and I've had no problems whatsoever. My (very) old palm sander was the 1/4 sheet type and it was a real pain to change paper. Because the hook loop is so fast, I now do a better job because I'm much more inclined to "step down" with the grits. My Dad just tried this and now he wants one too.

This model was recommended to me by a professional furniture maker. He was right. Works well and is lightweight so there's no wrist fatigue.

This sander works well enough at removing stock (coarse sandpaper) and fine sanding (fine grit paper) that I may not replace my old Harbor Freight belt sander that died recently.
br /
br /The motor is powerful, yet there is almost no vibration and my hand doesn't end up sore even after a significant amount of sanding. It's heavy enough that I don't have to apply pressure, but not so heavy that it's hard to maneuver.
br /
br /The only thing I wish for is that the unit was designed a little better for dust collection. The connection to the dust bag will accept a 2 1/2" shop vac, however, the tube coming off of the sander is probably only 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter--not even 1 1/4". What this means is that the weight of the shop vac hose can cause the dust collection adapter to come off, especially with how the location of the dust output is fixed. If the tube was a bit bigger, the shop vac would also be able to collect more dust and stay on better. That being said, there is a huge improvement in performance with the shop vac versus just the bag, even with things like MDF. Just don't expect to use this without some goggles maybe a mask / air filter. I'd guess with a shop vac that about 90% of the dust ends up in the vaccuum.

I've abused and manhandled this little sander for nearly 5 years now. I've racked up countless hours of use, never replaced the brushing, simply stuck new paper on it again and again. It's gotten to the point were the velcro is completely worn out from the amount of sandpaper this little beast has chewed through and it still keeps on going. Absolutely fantastic tool, best money I've spent.

All I can say is I love it!! It works great even though it's small and compact.

It's a good little sander. It does it's job fairly well. Problem is the dust. The dust collector works but by no means does it collect all the dust. After about 7 or 8 uses dust also started spewing out of the little holes in the sander above where the disk is attached. So while I recommend be warned - extremely dusty. Better to use it outside if you have the luxury of an outdoor space.

Smooth transaction with Amazon. Product as described. Owned older model, love the newer model even better.

I originally had purchased at about half the Makita price a smaller orbital sander than Makita which came without a carrying case. Used it for about a half hour on flaking trim paint on my home, but progress was slow. When walking dog noticed professional painters using the Makita which seemed a lot more substantial. Checked theirs out and they said it was the way to go. Returned the small one and bought Makita and got extra sanding disks and a convenient carrying case. Used it on my home and was pleased with the speed it removed paint. There are bigger orbital sanders vthan Makita, but heavier and harder to hold at the top of a ladder. Also Makita is a nice size for smaller window trim.

Bought it and used it right out of the box. Great replacement for one I wore out after 12 years of nearly daily use.