Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)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).
The 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 theBO5010for unsurpassed control.A truly "do-all" sander.
Another 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, B&D and Skil.Which is better?You do the math, the major companies did.
Any 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.
Note: 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".
Pros:
**Aggressive or smooth?-You get to choose
**Better dust control with eight-hole disks
**Easy to find sandpaper grits
**Variable speed for more control
Cons:
**Trigger too long for handle size??
**Cheaply designed plastic pad brake??
**Price-A lower price would make a great tool even better
Summary:A smooth operator with the aggressiveness to finish any job.
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Product Description:
5" Variable Speed, Random Orbit Sander, 4,000 To 12,000 OPM, Efficient Through The Pad Dust Collection System, Includes Tool Case & Dust Bag.
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