Makita 9924DB 7.8 Amp 3 Inch by 24 Inch Belt Sander with Cloth Dust Bag

Customer Reviews

Poor design

2001-05-30
Just received this sander today & it's heading back. When I took it out of the box, my initial reaction was that it had mistakenly had a 4" platen installed instead of the proper 3". It turns out that is the way it's "supposed" to be.

To me it seems like this is a cheap fix, since the motor extends out past the belt's normal tracking location. The extra wide platen allows the user to adjust the belt over so that you can sand flush to corners. In the process, the belt is partially off of the drive rolls (25% is off the rolls). It seems like this would shorten belt life, when used in this mode. When the belt is tracked in its normal path, the extra platen is sticking out where it will bump into anything that comes near. (Note that the sander picture show the item from the drive side where this "feature" is not visible.)

The dust bag port is rectangular, so have fun hooking up a vacuum to this one. The dust bag seems lighter weight than on other sanders I have. Obviously I haven't used it, so can't comment on power and other usability factors. I'll be getting another brand of sander.

Makita 9924 2000-12-07
I've owned one of the non-dust collecting versions of this tool since 1982 and have always thought it was first class piece of equipment. Mine just recently seized a motor bearing and needs to be replaced but it must have the equivalent of 250,000 miles on it. I'll be replacing it with a duplicate, no question about it.

20+ Years of Solid Service 2008-06-01
I bought a 9924DB in 1988 and have used it almost continuously since.
Yesterday, after 20 years, it started running roughly electrically.
I disassembled it and found that I have almost completely worn down the commutator. If I had had 120 volts running through me, then my commutator would have died 18 years ago. Sadly, Makita doesn't sell the armature or the field. Since my metal housing has also been badly worn I will be only too happy to buy another 9924DB. In 1988 it was $ 179.95. Now in 2008 It's $ 199.95. That works out to $ 10 bucks for a year for 20 years of hard service. That's a very fair price for a 4" sander. Thanks Makita !

Rated a value buy! 2007-11-24
I have own a countertop business for 25 years, and have bought a total of 8 of these sanders through the years. They are durable,light weight, and yet sand smoothly and right up against the wall if need be. I use my sanders an average of 2-3 hours and day every work day and they hardly ever break down or need much maintenece. As for the 4" base plate......NO problem, just use 4" wide belts instead of the 3" belts recommended. I have always used 4" belts with great results. This is a great bargain, its like buying a 4" x 24" belt sander, but at less weight and less money! Highly Recommend!!

Great Value 2005-05-26
When you consider most belt sanders on the market and then go out and take a close look this one surpasses many others .
Most outside of a few have the motor set 90 degrees to the belt , while this is not the most balanced desigen Makita has come up with a design that almost eliminates tipping and gouging .
Another thing to look at is the flatness of the base and how sturdy it is secured to the motor .
This sander has a flat base and it does not flex or give at all and it is set 90 degrees to the base of the motor .
A friend of mine got the porter cable and one of the first things I noted was the base appeared bend so the sander leaned to the right ( viewed from the handle end) this was before I got the makita and when I did check others in stores all where the same way .
The one I got has the dust collection and it works very well , one thing to keep in mind is that all belt snaders pickup from the rear so if you have the rear off the work area dust will drift and blow on all belt sanders .
This sander also has a rather long cord so for me most of the time I don't need an extension .
Some conplain that it seems to be a 4" base on a 3" sander and in a way it is and it can be used to run the belt to the edge for flush sanding . More important is that this wider base gives the sander stability and helps a great deal to keep the sander from tipping .
I do have a bosch 3x21 inch inline belt sander with variable speed and use it for most jobs requiring a belt sander and for light duty work .
But if I do need to remove wood fast and stay in control put a 150 grit belt on this sander and work with ease and control plus fast stock removal .
There are not alot of things that can go wrong with this tool . It is well designed and simple to adjust , the tracking works very well and there is also a replaceable belt stop to keep form cutting the housing through with the belt and it is made to last a very long time . Everything about it is heavy duty .

May not be the best tools, but it worth the $ you pay. 2005-02-16
My shop uses many sanders and I have purhcased many through amazon.com or "Tools parts direct" web site. This sander works fairly well if used several hours a day as long as you can change the bearing regularly.
If you are more heavy professional, try p&c 504.

Keeps on going! 2002-08-24
I have owned this belt sander for 9 years now and it has never let me down. The dust collection works great, belt changes are a snap with the lever. This is one of those tools that just feels right in your hand, powerful but light. Extra wide base is for flush sanding. Would buy again in a minute.