Makita BO5010 2 Amp Palm Grip Random Orbit Sander with Cloth Dust Bag

Customer Reviews

Durable and decent enough

2004-02-24
I had gone through 3 Porter Cable models before buying the Makita. The motors would seize up and quit on the Porter Cables. After thousands of hours behind a Porter Cable the differences I noted with the Makita were a little less power and a tendency to wander. It is hard to explain what wandering is but holding the tool on the top, the disc tends to skitter more than the PC I was used to. This limits the hand position to the middle of the tool to control it effectively. When you can't change hand positions after hours of sanding it can be a pain. The dust collection like on all sanders is a joke. You need to attach the sander to a vacuum to save disc wear and effectively collect the dust. The eight holes on the Makita collect the dust better than the five hole PC. So far the Makita has far outlived all the PCs I owned.

Five Cents Worth of Duct Tape Makes It a Five Star Sander!

2004-01-31
This is an aggressive sander that leaves a swirl free finish. The dust bag is terriable until you seal it with a 10 inch strip of duct tape. Once you do that it actually surpassed the dust control my old DeWalt "dustless" sander provided.

I was so pleased with this sander I have bought 2 more since my original purchase.

Go Ahead an Purchase This 2003-12-28
This machine is a HOG. The best sander I've ever owned. It does not cause hand cramps, and I can run all day without any fatique to my hand. Dust collection bag does not work, but thats no big deal anyways. I run it about 2 hrs per day.

Excellent Product 2003-05-10
I bought this sander to refinish the oak treads of a spiral staircase. I was amazed how light the unit is and how well it removed the old urethane finish (with 40 grit paper). And the hook and loop fastening system for the sanding discs is a godsend. I would recommend this product. At the price, it's a bargain!

Sports car for your hand 2003-02-25
I've used other RO sanders but this is the best one I've worked with. It's extremely aggressive without much vibration. It performs like a small high-powered sports car in your hand. You can spend more for a sander but you won't be any more saisfied.

Another excellent Makita tool 2007-11-21
I purchased this sander nearly one year ago and can't say I have any complaints about it. The dust collection works surprisingly well, though if the bag isn't pushed in all the way it has a tendency to fall out (fault of the user, not the tool). It isn't unbearably loud although I still wear my ear muffs when using it. The vibration in the hand is low, and it does a superb job at what it is designed to do - sand. I don't know where the components are made, but at least the tool itself is assembled in USA which is more than I can say for the 18V Li-Ion drill and impact driver combo that I have as well (Makita brand) which is made in China. This is a purchase you won't regret.

Makita sander 2007-06-27
This is a quality item and Makita really stands behing their products. I had a problem with the pad on my first one and Makita repaired it and had it back to me in three days. I now have two of them.

Makita B05010 Random Orbit Sander 2006-02-24
Quieter than my other four sanders. Very easy to handle. The dust collection bag is a little awkward as it must be rotated to one position to keep from hitting the work piece. Overall, I am very pleased with the machine.

Great, BUT... 2005-12-06
GREAT sander, does the job wonderfully, rugged (I've dropped it _so_ many times...), but there's a BUT: the vibration causes my right arm to go numb. Vibrates my funnybone somehow, and the numbness takes days to go away. Maybe it's just me, or maybe that's just something this type of sander does, but as much as I use it, I HATE to use it for that reason.
Oh, also, be careful of the skitter. Good technique required.

Hook & Loop pad fails; expensive to replace 2005-03-08
I've had my BO5010 for three years, and it hasn't seen a lot of work -- just handyman stuff every few months. Until now, it has been pretty useful, though the dust collection bag is poorly designed.

Yesterday in the middle of a job the sanding disc kept flying off. The rubber sanding pad on the base provides the hooks for the hook-and-loop system, and that pad somehow lost its hookiness. No new pad will stick to it.

I don't know what caused this: I was using a light touch, and my sanding disc storage organizer uses pegs to ensure the disc's holes line up with those in the pad. Whatever the cause, I now have to order a replacement pad which is nearly one-third the cost of a new sander and may take a week or more for delivery. I'm not sure whether I'd be throwing good money after bad -- I might be better off buying a brand new sander by a different manufacturer.

You might, too.