Finally, the review I've been looking for. 1/4er Sheet sanders are indeed more versatile than orbital randoms sanders. This make me decide to get a 1/4er Sheet sander.
Thank you! Finally an answer to the holes in the sandpaper question and the sandpaper hole punch Gadget! They suck in the dust! For over a decade I had no clue what the holes were for. Now I really feel stupid. I thought you just put 1/4 sandpaper sheet on the hand sander. Thank you so much!
I purchased a used one as the piece is a bit pricey, but the machine ru-vid.comUgkxG6fbm3cHBd7CNTjk5D-dwYe9c9tCB9ZN has surpassed my expectations. We sand small parts by hand often, sized around 1"x1/2," and specifically look for a piece that's designed to be vertical. The motor has plenty of torque and great speed settings. The only inconvenience I had is that the disk measures 5" where we trim 6" stick-and-sand disks down easily by mounting it then cutting with a box cutter.
Great review Marty! I have an old Makita palm sander that is still going strong. To help with the dust collection I made a sanding station with a peg board top to which I attached my Harbor Freight dust collector to. It works great with no noticeable dust flying around. I made it 2' X 3' surface X 6" deep with a sloping bottom to the middle. I purchased a small cabinet for $5 at a garage sale for a base. I store my sanders and sand paper in the cabinet. I found the idea on youtube. Your videos are informative to watch and learn from.
+Kim Shirley Thanks Kim. Good to know that Makita makes tools to last. My cordless drill is also a Makita, so I like the brand. If I had the space I would probably make a downdraft table, but for now I'll have to stick with a vacuum attachment.
They do make 3/4" ID hoses that fit shop vacuums. I have a 330 speed block but mine was made by Delta , same tool . I replaced the rummer drive and the 4 rubber posts got it used . They don't make the 4 rubber posts any more. I have the Makita BO4556 and it's paper clamping system is much better and easier to fit the paper . Same with my BO4501 which has no dust collection but it has a metal base like the 330 and runs @ 1200 OPM and has a 1.8 amp motor and it's smooth running . I haven't bought any new ones other than a Porter Cable 1/4 sheet 380 model , it's like the old Black & Decker and then Dewalt D441 same thing same parts . I still use a sanding block to finish. . None of the 1/4 sheet pick up dust real well . I have a Makita random Orbital that has variable speed and a removable front handle and that really picks up all the dust. Big disc holes and much larger fan .
Nice review Marty. I have a version of the Makita sander that is about 25 yrs old, and still works fine. It looks quite a lot like your new one. I still use it from time to time to sand small parts.
I have a couple of these types of sanders (a Dewalt and Rigid) I bought years ago, before I knew anything. I'm now convinced those purchases were a mistake. It seems to me a device like a preppin weapon is a better choice for finish sanding, which you show at the end of your video on the bench.
These sanders need to be redesigned FOR SURE. The paper never stays on.. and the pads DO wear out quickly. If I had to use these in my daily work I’d starve! I can’t tell you how many of these I’ve eventually winged across the shop🤣
An overly compressible pad could potentially translate to an uneven surface. I find Makita, Milwaukee, and Festool pads especially suitable for all surfaces.
Hi Marty great review by the way. I have the makita half sheet sander that I do most of my sanding with. It also came with a small dust collection hole. I solved this by taking your average 1 1/4 shop vac adaptor from the big box and heating it with a heat gun, and then crimping it around the protruding part for the dust collection on the sander. It might work for you if you are of a mind
I can never get the sandpaper to stay on the pad. The vibration always knocks it off. I have a cheapy Hypertough sander and a Makita one, but it never fails, the paper just won't stay put. I'm thinking of getting a belt sander because I have some projects to do including sanding a dresser.
Forgot to add , None of my Makita sanders or any of my Makita tools are made in China , just the chap saw got right when they went to China but it works real well. None have the rubber stuff on the body , never cared for that. The rest were made in the USA or Japan. Porter Cable in Mexico . Odd thing about it is it runs smoother than most of my Makita's and quieter. No way to fit a vacuum on it and the dust bag is as bad as all the rest . They used to make a vacuum adapter but like most things discontinued.
Sir please do a video, on how to replace all the bearings of this finishing sander, most specially the bearing between the two fan blades, kindly please...
Sorry, but that's not a ferrite. Look up how a ferrite works (and looks). That's not what is on this cord. As I state in the video, this simply contains an rfid chip that the store can use to detect theft, etc.
just bought this sander and it started making a cluncking noise within 10 minutes along with a loud crunch and base flying off minutes later. returning for replacement. maybe just unlucky
Good review Marty, thanks for sharing. I think the small exhaust port could be easily overcome, maybe Makita have an adaptor to take it to a vac hose? It seemed to be quite a fight to get the paper in place. I know most sanders have those fiddly clips. I only use velcro backed stuff these days.
+Marty Backe Have you tried Ebay? There's masses over here in the UK. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VELCRO-SANDING-ROLLS-40-60-80-100-120-240-320-400-GRIT-SANDPAPER-/221303286000?var=&hash=item3386b428f0:m:mqgdBTtppVOHb0bbJDQ2l1A
+Graham Orm Hey, that's cool. Thanks for showing me. I think I'm going to dig into this and see if I can find a source over here and associated pads for my sanders.
Marty, in the interim have you tried the vacuum adaptation idea from Kaleb's comment and the Velcro one from Graham's comment yet - if so what was your result?
I modified Kaleb's suggestion. I took a small piece of PVC plumbing pipe (the white pipe used for sprinkler systems) and heated it with my heat gun. I was then able to slip in on the dust port where it cooled and kept it's shape. My Rockler dust collector hose fits that perfectly.
Good suggestion. Since I posted this video I did take some pvc pipe and heated with a heat gun. Pressed in on for a perfect fit. Yet I can still take if off as needed.
Sure. Just buy Aluminum Oxide sandpaper. For the initial work expected when working on an 'old metal table', probably start with 60 or 80 grit. Then 100, 150, and 220.
I don’t understand why you didn’t even turn it on! Not sure if this is really a ‘review’if you don’t even try the device and to gauge sound levels. Not even mentioning how good (or bad) it sands. I have this sander and it is LOUD!