I was also trying to upgrade from the Porter Cable 333. I had one for years but when I purchased another Porter Cable as a replacement it died within a few weeks so I bought this Hitachi and now after a very short time in use the Velcro pad is slick and will not hold onto the sand paper. I'm not happy about having to replace the sanding pad so soon after purchase. Maybe I'll just move on to another brand....

I bought this one to replace a $40 Ryobi model from the Home Depot, and I thought it would be an upgrade. This turns out to be not true. As another reviewer said, the orbit is truly random, and sometimes veers off of your work with no warning. It has good power, but is difficult to control.
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br /The dust bag is useless, and doesn't do nearly as good of a job at the Ryobi did. I am going to return it and hope that Makita can make a better product...

I think the sander is great. I've been doing woodwork for 15 years now and this one is great if you're looking for a dependable, smooth running sander that's not too pricey. On flat surfaces I haven't had it run off from me much at all like the others reviews said. I think the rubber portions of the top make it easy to hold onto (easier to hold than the Porter Cable) and the dust collection works great too. If I could change one thing I'd add a toggle switch for the on/off button. My old Ryobi had that and I thought it was more convenient. Other than that I love this sander.

UPDATED REVIEW:
br /I'd originally posted a review complaining that the hook and loop pad went slick too fast. That much is still true. However, after some searching, I found that one of the Dewalt backing pads fits perfectly! It's the one for the DW421 and DW423 and it's the exact screw pattern of the Hitachi pad. Probably same manufacturer. Anyway, problem solved as far as I'm concerned (provided this one doesn't have the same problem).
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br /Beyond that, it's a reasonably priced sander with good power, good dust collection, and unlike another reviewer, I find it's easy to control. So if you don't mind expecting to upgrade your backing pad, I think this sander is worth the price. If you'd rather not, maybe spend a bit more on a Dewalt or P/C sander.

This is my third random orbit sander in the last 3-4 years and it replaces a smooth operating but poorly made Porter Cable 333. The positive aspects of the Hitachi are that it is very agressive, has good power, and the dust collection seems to work fine. Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to control when the pad is flat on the sanding surface and tends to veer out of control in whatever direction the orbit takes it. In addition, the top of the sander is very large which makes it uncomfortable to hold and probably adds to the control issue. The Porter Cable clearly led the way in sanding quality and smoothness. All in all, the Hitachi just doesn't provide the blend of aggressiveness and finesse that I desire for my woodworking needs.

I have replaced a DeWalt palm sander with the Hitachi SV13YB sander. I am doing remodeling on my home and am in the process of sanding the exterior (old 105 siding), getting ready for painting.
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br /My 22-year-old son has been using the first one I bought, continuously, for three days. A couple days ago, I went and bought another one in hopes of joining him and making the work go doubly fast. However, just as I was about to break out the new one and begin using it, my son came to me and told me the sanding disks would not stay on the sanding pad. I went and checked it out, and sure enough he was right. So, after only three days, I'm looking at a nonfunctional sander. He is now using the new one and I will have to find something else to do, until I can get this one repaired.
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br /The hook and loop sanding pad on this unit may be a good idea, but is either a bad design or uses inferior materials.