Four stars because there's not much else to compare this sander to. Bosch may be fine but not as aggressive. Porter Cable version was reviewed but not positively. pThis is a long lasting powerful tool that gets the job done fast so much so one could use it in place of a belt sander in a pinch. I'm surprised that this isn't a much more popular tool. It's kind of like why do people still buy hammer drills when for a little bit more money they could get a rotary hammer (faster, quieter, easier, more versatile)? Looks like it's the Bosch or Milwaukee on this one. Or the Fein for [...]

I have 3 porter cable, 2 Makita, and 1 Fein random orbit sanders. Only the fein comes close as far as agressiveness. The only drawback is that there is no vacuum provision.

If you want a durable, high-power, aggressive sander, then this is the right one for you. I bought this sander because of Milwaukee's reputation for tough powerful tools, and it sure has lived up to the name. However, I do have a few minor complaints... (1) The motor shaft has a fan and vent for keeping the motor cool, but unfortunately, this fan/vent blows the sanding dust almost directly upward into my face (so wear goggles/dust-mask); a dust bag would be nice (if it worked right) (2) The power trigger is on the underside of the body which circumscribes the motor, but the body diameter is a little too big to get a comfortable grip when using the sander for a long time. It'd be better if the grip was shaped like a gas pump handle (like the Makita, Bosch, and Metabo sanders) (3) The sander should (but doesn't) come with a hook loop pad for easy application and removal of sanding discs (instead the discs have to be stuck on). (4) the sander comes with a handle that can be screwed into right/left/top side of sander for two-handed use, but I think the sander would be a lot easier to use for long periods of time if this handle would screw onto the FRONT of the sander, so that your two hands would be on opposite sides of the pad for balance (like on the Makita BO5021KX and Bosch 3725DVS, although the handle is fixed on these models). Aside from these ergonomic drawbacks, the sander is just what Milwaukee tools are supposed to be: very durable, aggressive, and high-power... this is what your money pays for. I've gotten excellent results when using this sander on wood floors and furniture, and would be reluctant to trade it in for anything but another Milwaukee.

I use this sander every day all day all week long it is the best sander on the market We have tryed them all and this one is hands down the best we use it for rough sanding and fine sanding jobs and it does have a vac set up

Bought this sander for sanding failed Sikkens stain from my house siding. After using it, seems like it was designed for this kind of job.
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br /This is a workhorse sander. Unrefined power. No fancy molded handle or integrated vacuum. Just straight power to the surface for tough sanding jobs.
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br /Its an angle-grinder type motor and gear box with an orbital head attached to the 1/2-13 shaft. Milwaukee also sells the head separatly for 5 or 6". If you want even more power, you could put one of these heads on an angle grinder, which many are over 10 amps.
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br /The switch is a paddle-type down near the power cord. I can see how for some other sanding jobs that might not be the best, but for the heavy-duty vertical sanding with gloves I was doing, it worked great. I agree with another reviewer that the handle could use a 4th position on the front of the gearbox. I'm looking for a knob to screw in the top position hole.
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br /The pad is soft enough to conform to some cupped clapboards. The peel and stick surface is good. I stuck on some cloth-backed, metal-cutting disks, and although they were tough to remove (one I heated on a stovetop), the pad was undamaged. It worked well with regular Mirka disks, and looks like it would last (35 pads so far and still like new). Seems like peel and stick is better for heavy duty sanding since the backing paper is stuck to a firm flat surface intead of velcro that squishs.
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br /Works great for my siding, and I imaging for flooring or lumber sanding. The vacuum kit is available from a couple vendors, but not many.

NOT AS POWERFUL AS I BELIEVED. I BOUGHT ANOTHER BRAND FROM AMAZON AND IT WAS WHAT I EXPECTED.