A heavy duty top value sander with flawless performance. 2 day delivery with Prime and put into immediate use sanding 200 8-foot pressure treated deck boards. I used the factory supplied 80 grit Makita sanding belt and made short work of many deck boards before I got careless and caught a board corner and ripped the sanding belt. Now I am a little more careful how I apply the sander to the wood. One note, while replacing the belt, I noticed black debris stuck on the rollers and also on the platen, so I took care to clean the whole sander. I suspect these are caused by the sanding wood dust working in between the sanding belt and the rollers and the platen. If this continues to build up, this could cause performance problems in short order and could damage the sanding belt, the sander and the wood piece I am working on. I resolve to take the sanding belt off every few hours of use to clean the sander rollers and platen as needed. The sanding belt tracks perfectly and there were no need to adjust the tracking screw at any time.
The sander is heavy enough so I don't have to apply any downward pressure, just have to guide it along the length of the wood. The dust catcher bag is very efficient and no dust cloud is released from the use the Makita 9403 sander. Because of the aggressiveness of the sander in the amount of wood surface being removed, I do have to empty the bag every so often which gives a chance for the sander and sanding belt to cool down. I tried to attach a small shop vac to the sander dust output nozzle but I don't have the right size adapter, so another trip to my home improvement center!
This sander puts up a lot of hot air from the port by the front handle which is not very noticible if you are right handed but very noticible if you are left handed and hold the front handle with your right hand. The hot exhaust is very hot and uncomfortable on the right wrist if in sustain use. Thinking of designing some form of flexible air rechanneling to mitigate this little issue as I am ambidextrous and would switch from left to right hand operation as needed.
Other then these minor issues, the Makita 9403 is a perfect, well designed tool that I would buy again and again should someone borrowed and failed to return it. I would recommend this to others! I would rate 4.5 stars if that option were available but it deserves 5 rather then 4 stars, that is how pleased with this tool! Well done, Makita!
| Brand | Makita |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 9"L x 16.1"W x 9.76"H |
| Grit Type | Medium |
| Voltage | 230 Volts |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| AC Adapter Current | 1.8 Amps |
| Grit Number | 80 |
| Item Weight | 13 Pounds |
| Manufacturer | Makita |
| Part Number | 9403 |
| Item Weight | 13 pounds |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | 9403 |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | One Size |
| Color | Teal |
| Style | Belt sander |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number Of Pieces | 1 |
| Sound Level | 84 dB |
| Included Components | Dust Bag (122562-9), 4" X 24" Abrasive Belt, 80 Grit (742322-9-1) |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 1-year limited warranty |
| National Stock Number | 5130-01-397-8923 |
