Ok, so you've assembled your most recent work of handcrafted perfection, and now you've got to sand it. Your already dreading the tediously long job of blistering hand sanding and worried the next time you cough, a ball of "wooddough" is going to come up from your lungs. Well, sanding is certainly not one of the more pleasant aspects of masterpiece creation but unfortunately a necessity. Of course, if your family and guests have thick skin, particulary their backsides, then they won't mind sitting on birch fuzz or oak splinters. I on the other hand am only thick-headed (ask my family and friends).pThe Makita BO5021 was the easy choice for a good random-orbit sander and random-orbit sanders are the clear choice for most finish sanding jobs. They are simply the most versatile of all sander designs, period. They can remove wood stock aggressively AND provide a smooth scratch free finish (an Achilles heel of orbit and belt sanders). Of course the finish depends on the grit of paper and sander model used. The Makita excels here. One of the leading woodworking magazines did a head to head comparison of a half dozen or so models using plexiglass as the sanding medium a year or two ago. Plexiglass was used so one could clearly see the degree of noticeable swirl using several grits. The BO5021 came out on top along with, I believe, the Porter Cable in smoothness. (Don't quote me here, unfortunately I had $40 worth of wood magazines stolen after loaning to a friend including this one and now?...I have a free subscription to American Woodworker. Hey what are friends for??) Similar tests were also done with softwood in pine to emphasize the swirl potential in a real world scenario. As smooth as the finish was found to be, it was surprising to find the Makita near the top for aggressive stock removal using heavier grit. The icing on the cake is that it comes with variable speed, unlike it's sibling the BO5010 for unsurpassed control. A truly "do-all" sander. pAnother pleasant feature of the Makita BO5021 is its dust removal system. With eight holes (vs. PC's five hole) sanding pad/disks the included dust bag performed very well, with little noticeable dust using 80 grit paper. Impressive! I've never hooked mine up to my vac for this reason, but I assume it would then function even better. PC's system works adequately but it is much easier to find eight-hole sanding disks than five-hole. More companies use the eight-hole disks including DeWalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, Hitachi, BD and Skil. Which is better? You do the math, the major companies did.pAny downsides? Well yes, but they are petty arguments at best and may very well not bother others. It is my subjective opinion only, but I think the trigger length is a bit excessive. At nearly half the length of the handle, it feels a little awkward to me. I'm always afraid I'm going to accidently hit the trigger when I pick it up. I assume Makita designed it so those with more dainty hands could use two or even three fingers to pull the trigger, but this is perplexing as the pull is not unusually heavy. I suppose if you had REALLY large paws the larger trigger might be useful, but who has 2" thick fingers? The braking system inside the pad for stopping it from spinning once the trigger is released appears a little cheap. For now it works fine, but being made of plastic I wonder how long it will last. Maybe this is an unfounded worry. Only time will tell.pNote: My 5 star opinions are based on 5 being the best overall available at the time of review, taking into account a number of factors and not that the reviewed product is perfect. As said before, I've yet to find a "perfect tool". pPros:p**Aggressive or smooth?-You get to choosebr**Better dust control with eight-hole disksbr**Easy to find sandpaper gritsbr**Variable speed for more controlpCons:p**Trigger too long for handle size??br**Cheaply designed plastic pad brake??br**Price-A lower price would make a great tool even betterpSummary: A smooth operator with the aggressiveness to finish any job.

I have been using this random orbit sander from Makita, B05021k for a little while now. After using a Bosch, this is a dream come true. The Bosch was good but too agressive in all but the roughest work. I love the variable speed of the Makita and I found the pad brake very sufficient as well. I hook it up to my shop vac and there is no dust to speak of. The bag does very well too, but I like a bit of insurance when it comes to what can be deadly dust in the lungs. There is nothing to dislike about this sander and therefore I will not put it down for any problem at all. As to use, I use mine as often and for extended a periods as need be.

I had borrowed my Dad's random orbital sander enough to know that I needed one. I was about to buy the lesser Bosch, when I came across this one. I've been making saw dust ever since, and mighty "fine" saw dust it makes. The dust collector bag actually works, and it always amazes me how many times I have to empty the bag during the course of a project. This appears to be like the palm version, but with the molded handle. With the trigger lock, you can use it single-handed, like the palm version. Vibration transmitted to your hands is at a minimum. I can sand for hours without going numb. This sander is a pleasure to use and I highly recommend it, especially if you can't afford the greater Bosch unit.

I had borrowed my Dad's random orbital sander enough to know that I needed one. I was about to buy the lesser Bosch, when I came across this one. I've been making saw dust ever since, and mighty "fine" saw dust it makes. The dust collector bag actually works, and it always amazes me how many times I have to empty the bag during the course of a project. This appears to be like the palm version, but with the molded handle. With the trigger lock, you can use it single-handed, like the palm version. Vibration transmitted to your hands is at a minimum. I can sand for hours without going numb. This sander is a pleasure to use and I highly recommend it, especially if you can't afford the greater Bosch unit.

I've owned this sander for about a year and have used it on furniture I've built (hobby - not professional). I found it to be an excellent sander, aggressive but still giving a good, smooth finish. My problem is with the hook and loop pad on the sander. After about nine months of use, I began to notice that the sandpaper would not adhere well, especially after the sandpaper was used a bit. Soon, the sandpaper was coming off while I was sanding. I eventually had to purchase a new hook and loop pad for the sander at a price of $20. I don't know if this is normal, but $20 a year for a sander that costs less than $100 seems to be a high ownership cost. I don't know if my experience is common, or if the Makita is any worse than other brands. Anyone else care to comment?

This is my first experience with a random orbit sander. Thankfully it was a pleasant experience. The first project was a wooden paneled door. It is usually a difficult task to avoid sanding across the grain where the cross pieces join with the vertical boards. No problem with the Makita, sand any direction you want and there is no problem with grain direction. As an added bonus it is quiet, almost vibration free and the vacuum system works great. The range of the variable speed is greater than its competition.

And found the Makita in a local store. I picked it up on the owner's suggestion, and was rewarded. This is a great little tool! I just used it to finish a knife block. I turned the dial to 5 to knock down the high areas, then down to 2 to smooth everything out.pThe molded handle makes the Makita far and away the most comfortable of the $100 random orbitals. The trigger and trigger lock are easy to use single handed.pThe best $99 I have spent on any tool in my shop.

Thanks to previous reviewers! I purchased this sander based on the strength of their comments, and it has not disappointed. I've wanted to strip re-paint kitchen cupboards but dreaded the fumes and elbow-grease needed for chemical stripping products. Found the sander at nice holiday price and tested it immediately. Within 5 minutes the polyurthetane and stain on a cabinet door was gone! The project is progressing nicely. Since I have an old home (80 yrs. young), I plan to strip other woodwork, including doors, once the kitchen is in order. I'm a novice, not a pro, but thus far I like what I've been able to tackle with this tool.

Works great. Easy to attach sanding disks and they stay in place; 5 variable speeds are a good range; dust bag works very well and is easy to detach and empty. Compact carrying case.

Works great, super. But when you buy the 5" sanding disks, be sure to get the ones with 8 little circular holes, not 5, the latter are not compatible.

I've been using the Makita BO5021 sander for about two years and I am completely satisfied with the tool.
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br /I removed the dust bag and adapter so that I can hook my Fein vacuum (via a Fein adapter) to the sander and it collects 95% of the dust. The sanding disks are available almost everywhere (I use the Mirka Gold disks). The sander works smoothly with very little vibration and has plenty of power.

I bought this Makita sander on recomendation from my Dad.
br /It is a very nice orbital sander, uses the hook and loop sandpaper, and has the handle on the front of the sander so you can hold on to it with both hands. Double thumbs up!

I am very happy with this sander. No complaints. Smooth and quiet. Dust collection is excellent.

Everyone knows when the switch is flipped most sanders are going to wake you up fast and cause all other sounds to evaporate and retire to the distant background , you know this and it may very well be the most used reason for not sanding at all . The perfect reason for putting these tasks off for some other day , when you may be ready for such an assult to the central nervous system , this is of course if you are like me and don't like noise of this nature , some may actually enjoy this and be lulled into a woodworking trance .
br / Sanding is the final step in most woodworking projects , one takes great pride in a wood crafted cabinet and one should , they have conquered all the tools used in it's construction and have got through this with not one mistake ( for a change ) .
br / In comes the sander , most with one speed , full on 12,000 to 15,000 OPM , you have finally attached the paper not quite certain which grade to begin with and make contact , suddely the realization hits and you have now rounded a corner in seconds beyond and past all hope or caring .
br / Your project now has a flaw and much of the pride and excitement have gone , all of which you possessed regretably just seconds ago . Do I now redesign this with all rounded corners or continue on and sand this side thinner than the rest in hopes of salvaging it ?
br / In comes the makita , here you have a sander that even the case it is housed in is well made , you can remove the sander and put it back in without first downloading a digital photo of reference .
br / I has all you will ever need . speed control ( something I often wonder what took so long to include ) and a nice one at that , it is located where you can reach it while working and it rolls easy plus has the benefit of a wide range of almost this is exactly the speed I need feel to it .
br / Changing paper is so easy , pull one off and place one on , hook and loop , wonderful thing it is .
br / Handles , now here is something manufacturers seem to think we can get along without . I HAD a makita random orbital with dust collection and even a way to attach a vac hose , it was styled much as a dumb bell .
br / I was not certain where to hold it , on top was not a good idea , this is where the motor finds the air to cool and the tool is tall and not balanced this way . How about the waste area it had one of these , must be the place .
br / But we have one speed and an on/off switch that is on or off , you must move it of it stays there forever , not good when the tool locates a grip in the grain and begins to bunce and jump breaks free heading for the house trailed by 50 feet of life giving A/C support to chew through anything in lands on .
br / The new makita has two handles and a switch you can choose to hold on of emergency release of lock it on once you realize you can control this sander with very little effort .
br / It has a low center of gravity with the added benefit of a dust collection system that does perform well and is out of the way under a handle .
br / To remove this bag a push button latch is provided so you no longer need to tug and pull for it's removable , always resulting in half the contained dust shot all over the workplace as well as you , always the half moon shaped spill you really wanted to avoid .
br / This unit has all the power you need and it does not seem to need extreme noise to provide this , in fact you can dial the speed down where the sander is at a cats purr and this makes it a pleasure to use .
br / It never begins to oscillate nore does it vibrate , it simply sands and leave you with a swirl free surface ready for stain or clear coats with no extra help from you .
br / Great machine , wonderful tool , sanding is something I always hated and now I don't mind it at all .
br / You can finish your work and even engage in a conversation with soneone without uttering the word WHAT !!! once and lift a cool drink without a ripple form a vibrated hand .
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Bought two today at Lowe's.
br /$40.00 each, NIB on clearance.
br /Hardware guy says they are dumping part of Makita line.

The sander was delivered on time and was brand new, as expected. I would order from these folks again.