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This is my second Makita 3" belt sander and I must say this one is not near as good as the first. It's underpowered.
I have several belt sanders, each for a different purpose. It's not the best belt sander out there BUT it's exceptionally good, rugged, balanced and reliable. It is NOT a very quiet sander but it is powerful and quite durable and easy to control in operation, even one-handed.The dust port becomes increasingly less effective as the sander is used, despite frequent emptying of the bag and blowing all clear with compressed air.
Generally, I use it at #3 or #4 speed setting so as to maximize control, minimize runaway, preserve belt life, reduce clogging and minimize heat buildup. To remedy this, I fashioned a hose adapter so that I could hook it up to my shop vacuum and sanding dust on the surface has been greatly reduced.Its compactness makes it easy to use on the vertical and less tiring to use overall. This Makita variable speed model is, by far, my favorite to use, especially for long periods of time.
Sawdust can build up quickly around the belt which in turn can get underneath and clog the belt's grit. If it's warranted, I'll crank it up for short periods of sanding or stock removal.Using a belt sander properly requires a different approach, better technique and a pay-close-attention-to-what-you're-doing mindset than does a random orbit or palm sander. Carelessness with any belt sander can quickly ruin a project by removing too much material, cupping, gouging, etc.The belt on this model tracks true and the sander doesn't flip it off after continuous use, such as when the rollers and belt heat up in operation.
The 3x18 belts for it are relatively inexpensive and readily available in home centers, paint and hardware stores.If you can afford only one belt sander and would like to use it on a variety of projects and with different results in mind, including paint removal and smoothing of very rough wood such as cedar slats, then buying this one is a wise choice. And, for $149, it's still a decent bargain.
I just purchased this today to scribe a countertop. Wish I had read these reviews before buying this product. I stopped the sander, noticed that the belt had slipped over into the plastic casing and begun to cut into it.
It appeared to work fine as I initially plugged it up, flipped it over and turned it on. Guess I learned my lesson. Didn't want to spend close to $200 on a really good belt sander so I got this one from a pawn shop for about $60.
Now I have an unfinished scribing project and a waste of $60. The belt seemed to turn with no variance so I did nothing to adjust it. I began to work on scribing my countertop and got about 3/4s of the way done when I began to smell something hot or burning.
I should have gotten the best the first time. Please heed my advice and DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT.
The not-so-good:-I had to take a utility knife and remove the sharp plastic molding edge on the underside of the handle. If you've used belt sanders before, you understand the need for a compact sander for jobs like scribing countertops and for sanding verticle surfaces. Details, guys, please. As usual with my power tools, I bought the Makita 9911 and gave it a gentle break-in. I still wear hearing protection, but it's noticeably quieter than the turbo-jet scream that most belt sanders emit.- I experienced no tracking issues at all. The Makita is excellent, the best small belt sander I've ever used. The dust system actually works on this sander and works very well.
The positives:- Light weight, but very powerful. Then I continued to give it about 3 additional hours of use and that was just its first day. This is the best sander in the world if you have to sand vertical surfaces. As always, I'll edit my review if problems develop.
If you're after a compact belt sander with plenty of power and features, this Makita is first class. I haven't felt the need to hook it up to my vac system because the dust collection is that good. - It's actually fairly quiet for a belt sander. Put on a belt, adjust the tracking screw, and it stays right where I set it. Now if you've tried to use heavy belt sanders to sand vertical, you know how nice it is to have a light, but powerful sander. But still I give it 5 stars because it works very well and has great features. I took it out of the box, changed belts to a coarse, and then ran it for over an hour without shutting it off while sanding the hull of a wooden boat. A minor detail, but annoying and I'd expect Makita to catch things like this.- The closure on the dust bag is a funny plastic thing that slides on and I can already see I'll have to be careful not to lose it.
It's light, but on high speed it really sands fast. - Good dust collection. What's wrong with a zipper like everyone else uses.
The balance is just right. The belt tracking is automatic.
I already have a large heavy duty belt sander, but I rarely use the monster because it is so aggressive and heavy. I recently picked this up for $79 on clearance at The Borg and am thrilled with it.
Mine was Made in England, though I'm not sure if they all are. However, there are times when a random orbit sander is just too slow for the job at hand.
With this little Makita I have excellent control and reasonably aggressive removal rates. Just slip the belt on and go.
A very nicely engineered tool which I'm glad to have in the collection.
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