I recently bought this on Amazon after being so frustrated by an older Ryobi ROS I have been using. The Ryobi had no speed control and started up so quickly that it constantly spun grooves into the wood; exactly the point of what the "random" in random orbital sander is supposed to mitigate!
First off you're getting Makita's trusted craftsmanship in their product and although you may pay a bit more for the name, they've built their name to be trusted. Makita tools also come with some of the best hard shell cases to keep your new tool protected which is always a huge plus for me.
The sander has a speed selection dial that goes from slowest of 1 to the fastest of 5. This feature alone is worth every penny. Hard wood? Crank it to 5 and melt away the wood. Softer wood? Put it down to 3 and be confident that you won't dig into the wood. I just used the sander on about a 1.5-2 to very gently soften the edges of a 45º rip cut and it worked perfectly.
The power button is actually a hold-to-stay-on trigger but there is a button above the trigger that will keep the sander on after you let go of the trigger. Even without keeping it on, the trigger offers no resistance and it's effortless to hold down while sanding, but the keep-on button really is a plus.
The sander comes with a quick release handle that surrounds the middle of the base for two handed operation. This is such a great feature and allows two handed use and saves the strain on the main arm if this feature wasn't included. Again, big surface area? Hard wood? No problem! Crank that dial up to 5, put a 40-80 grit paper on there grab this sucker with two hands and let the sander do the work.
The base is a standard 5" hook and loop base that accepts any paper that has the soft end portion of hook and loop attachments. I even found a 400grit "paper" at a big box store that makes the wood soft as a baby's bottom. It's actually not paper at all, it's sort of a soft screen but it grabs the hook and loop base with no issues.
There is seriously zero to complain about this tool. It has cut back so much frustration and probably hours of work and muscle strain. Trust the name. If you're in the market for a sander, this is the top of the heap.
| Brand | Makita |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 12"L x 12"W x 12"H |
| Grit Type | Medium |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| AC Adapter Current | 3 Amps |
| Grit Number | 120 |
| Item Weight | 3.09 Pounds |
| Manufacturer | Makita |
| Part Number | BO5041K |
| Item Weight | 3.09 pounds |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | BO5041K |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Style | Tool w/ Case |
| Wattage | 300 watts |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Special Features | variable-speed |
| Included Components | case |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 1 year |
