Makita BO4556K 200W Finishing Sander

Good product which works well and was competitively priced. Seems durable and well built.The wear of the sandpaper on the underside is good but not completely even which would be desirable. Doesn't remove wood quite as quick as I had hoped but that is the nature of these products and a different type of sander is more designed for this.

A little more powerful and aggressive than the Porter Cable Speed Bloc. It's paper clamping mecha...

A little more powerful and aggressive than the Porter Cable Speed Bloc. It's paper clamping mechanisms have worked ok so far. The pad under the sandpaper is much stiffer than that on the Speed Bloc, which is good for some applications (sanding a chamfer) but bad for others (sanding a round-over). I also find the switch a bit awkward - it's covered with a rubber bubble that I not quite used to yet - but it's light and comfortable in my hand.

Great product, hard to hold

Everything made by Makita lasts and lasts, so I trust this brand. I especially like the way the quarter sheets are attached, and the fact that more of the quarter sheet is used in the sanding surface. The sander is heavy (indication of powerful motor), so it takes extra muscle. My own complaint is probably true for all other finishing sanders: the grip. It's hard to get a good grip because the motor and shape require extra large hands for good control. I have large hands but obviously not large enough.

I generally like this sander but not thrilled with its durability. The one before flew apart insi...

I generally like this sander but not thrilled with its durability. The one before flew apart inside after mild use over a 6 month period. I dont like our Dewalt sander because of its awkward paper clasps. I’m thinking I will get a Porter Cable when this one breaks.

Makita BO4556 Clamp Finishing Palm Sander inc Dustbag

Sander is ultra noisy almost to the point of being unusable. Only used it for a short time and it gave me tinnitus! Neighbours were complaining about the noise. Sent it back for a service and arrived back no difference in noise level. Engineer said it sounded the same as a new one off the shelf.. so my advice is to avoid this product. Disappointing from Makita as I have bought and used their products in the past. Junk.

Makita BO4556 Clamp Finishing Palm Sander inc Dustbag 240v

Well made, smooth action without being too heavy. Quick change sandpaper. You don’t have to buy special sanding sheets you can cut your own from a roll and pierce with the handy cutter tool included. I would highly recommend

Makita Palm 1/4 sheet Sander 5 Stars

The Makita 1/4 sheet sander is a great tool compared to a 1/3 sheet sander, or a detail Sander. The clamp paper holders are excellent certainly compared to Velcro types, the movement of the head uses the whole of the surface of the paper it is also comfortable to hold and doesn't transfer as much vibration onto your hand. It is also well built and the power cord is usefully long. A pleasure to own and use.

Reasonable value

Quite noisy (or so it seemed outside early on a Sunday morning!). More effective on a flat surface compared to one that has been warped by the sun - particularly it it has thick peeling paint - but I suppose that is to be expected of a flat sander compares to a random orbital one. Gets into corners ok. Vibration is not excessive. Powerful motor. Dust bag collection not all that good. Yes, the lead is a bit short, but a lightweight extension lead overcomes that. Overall I am very satisfied, but I will probably get a random orbital one too.

This Makita replaces its ancestor that I bought in the mid-90s, dropped several times, used like ...

This Makita replaces its ancestor that I bought in the mid-90s, dropped several times, used like crazy, and finally dropped one too many times. It was finally time. The new one works much the same, which is to say although it's a finishing sander, you can use it for all sorts of sanding tasks, including 4x8 sheets of plywood if you have some patience. The only change of any substantial nature is the sandpaper mounting arms, which in this one are left-right reversed from my old one, and in my opinion don't work as easily as the old model's. They do hold the paper, which is what matters, but they don't reach out and grab it as well as the older one's did. It's a fiddly complaint but I thought I'd bring it up. Great sander, quieter than its predecessor.

This is a great sander. I only gave it 4 stars because the pad actually has a slight concave patt...

This is a great sander. I only gave it 4 stars because the pad actually has a slight concave pattern while it’s running. I checked with a few different straightedges and the pad itself is flat. But, while it’s running, it will create a pattern on the front and back edges of about 3/4”. It’s not ideal on flat panels, but is easy to work around. This sander has a little more RPM than the makita orbital sander and it does make a difference in finishing sanding. It will still give swirl marks if you don’t be careful about building up too much sanding dust(depending on the material you’re sanding). I’ve tried both punching “suction” holes with the provided guide, as well as running without and i actually got better results without the holes. I use almost exclusively ... MoreThis is a great sander. I only gave it 4 stars because the pad actually has a slight concave pattern while it’s running. I checked with a few different straightedges and the pad itself is flat. But, while it’s running, it will create a pattern on the front and back edges of about 3/4”. It’s not ideal on flat panels, but is easy to work around. This sander has a little more RPM than the makita orbital sander and it does make a difference in finishing sanding. It will still give swirl marks if you don’t be careful about building up too much sanding dust(depending on the material you’re sanding). I’ve tried both punching “suction” holes with the provided guide, as well as running without and i actually got better results without the holes. I use almost exclusively Makita in my Shop and would highly recommend ALMOST any power tool they make. This was a great addition to help with sanding in tighter/right angles where the orbital just doesn’t reach.