Customer Reviews

Makita 9403 11 Amp 4-Inch-by-24-Inch Belt Sander with Cloth Dust Bag

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One great sander. This sander is quiet, it starts soft, the belt stays centered, it has comfortable handles, the cord is very long (What a concept, put on a long cord so you don't have to use an extension most of the time.), it only draws 11 amps so I can run it with my shop vac with out tripping the breaker. They spent time at the drawing board no this one. A tool thats a joy to use, at a good price.

I love power ! This tool delivers boat loads of it. But you know what ? It doesn't sound like it. I was never able to use a belt sander before without earplugs. This one runs at only 84 Db. It's the quietest on the market. It's also the smoothest I've used.I've used all of the 4x24 sanders and the Makita just seems to do more work faster. Maybe it's the fact that it has the highest speed of any , maybe it's the high tech , powerful motor ,the efficient drive train. Whatever it is , it kicks butt . The dust collection system is also top notch. For small jobs and fine work , I prefer my Bosch 1274 dvs. It's much lighter ,compact and easy to control. For extended use or heavy sanding though , you cannot beat this tool.

Belt sanders may be one of those power tools that aren't pulled out often, but when you need to remove large quantities of stock, you will want to have one. The 9403, 4x24 sander is powerful, has good balance, good belt tracking and easy belt change. This Makita also picks up a very decent amount of sanding dust, has comfortable handles, a nice soft-start, and, most importantly, chews through stock with ease. This belt sander is possibly the best 4x24 on the market. I am very, very pleased with it.

It is a genuine pleasure to operate this Makita, compared to my old Craftsman 3x21 which I had received as a gift years ago. I spent as much time adjusting the belt tracking on the Craftsman as I did sanding, but since I used it infrequently, I just put up with the excessive noise and generally less than stellar performance. After using the 9403 for 2+years, I shake my head everytime I use it, wondering why I waited so long to replace my old one. I find myself pulling this sander out and using it more often. Long cords are always a big plus for me, often eliminating the need for extension cords in the shop. I just can't find anything negative to say about this machine yet.

Note: Being advertised as 'quiet' at 84dB is pretty relative since >90dB for sustained periods will deafen... hearing loss is cummulative over time around high dB power tools (routers, table and miter saws, plate joiners, etc.) even if rated under the 90dB threshold... wear ear protection [Check out Peltor H10A Professional Earmuff Hearing Protectors].

I bought this sander for heavy duty sanding of hickory. it is very quiet. Has enough power, if using 40 grit paper, that it pulls so hard it wore out my employees. The tracking is top quality. The long power cord is a plus. I own over 2 dozen Makita tools and this won't disappoint.

I'm a hobbyist woodworker who makes furniture from solid hardwood, mostly black ash, oak, and maple. This involves gluing up a lot of panels of varying sizes, all of which need to be sanded. This sander was purchased to replace a 4X2l Craftsman which didn't collect a scintilla of dust and was a real "screamer". This tool is a comparative joy to use. It's surprisingly quiet, has wonderful dust collection, great balance and lots of power. Tracking is flawless, and its weight adds to the ease of sanding horizontal surfaces. The long cord is a nice feature as well. Don't buy this unit if you're going to sand vertically, though. It's too heavy. But for heavy duty sanding applications of horizontal work, this thing is a winner. I'd buy it again in a New York minute. If you need a good belt sander, you need this one.

The Makita 4x24 is a workhorse with all the power you'll ever need in a belt sander. It also has a very comfortable feel to it and is very easy to use. The bag collects dust better than any other model I've tried and being able to reposition it with the swiveling fitting is a major plus. I've also tried the Dewalt and a Bosch, and there is no comparison in the products; the Makita works best,hands down.

I finally replaced my Craftsman 4x24 which self-destructed after 25 years of faithful service. I am asking myself why I waited. The Makita has as much power, is smoother and more predictable. I use it to smooth out glueup panels for cabinet doors. Belt tracking and running smoothly are very important factors for a flat door panel. This machine tracks smoothly with the grain, across the grain and at an angle to the grain. It is controllable one-handed. Dust collection is superior to the Craftsman and other belt sanders I have used in the past. The long cord (over 10') is a joy. Most of the time I don't need an extension cord. Ergonomically, it is an ambidextrous dream. There is plenty of power to handle 50-60 grit belts and I don't get the jerky feeling so many sanders give when under full load. Starting w/o digging in and creating divots is a thing of the past. The tool is unbelievably quiet. My ears thank me. A smooth and controllable machine equals smooth panels. Feel tempted to use this on finished furniture - but - that is not its place. If you want to create a lot of sanding dust, really quickly, this is the machine for you. Based on what I see so far, I believe this will go better than 20 years in a hobbyist's shop w/o being a paperweight in your storage cabinet. The quality is far superior to anything I ever got from Craftsman. For those who love DeWalt, Porter-Cable or one of the others on the market - this is the Lexus of sanding machines. Any difference in price is insignificant over 20 years. This will never be the machine you hate everytime you use it.

I have been a hobby woodworker for nearly 30 years and I admit I may not be an expert in belt sanders - for years I have suffered with smaller, cheaper models. When faced with a very large, rough cut wood slab to finish, I made the investment. Spent a lot of time looking at models, reviews, etc and made the choice. It has proved wonderful in every way. This is a heavy, solid machine with plenty of power - using a 40 grit belt, it was still nearly impossible to slow down and in fact, little pressure is required. My arms felt it just trying to keep it from running away. The dust collection was superb. It even seemed to suck in dust laying on the workpiece next to the belt. Release of the roller tension was very nice and changing the belt a breeze. Belt tracking adjustment is easy and it tracked perfectly. For a belt sander, it is very quiet - let me say that again in case you can't hear very well from using another model - incredibly quiet. The long power cord is a real bonus, no extension cord necessary. I am happy to add this machine to my shop.

I stopped using my Crapsman belt sander a long time ago. It was more work than it was worth. When I ran into a particularly difficult wood that even my Lie-Nielsen planes, at the highest angles and with the sharpest blade irons, couldn't plane without chip out, I had only two options: scrapers or a belt sander. Because of the amount I had to remove, I chose the belt sander. So I broke down and bought a real belt sander.

And now I'm wondering what took em so long. While a bit heavy, it works like a charm! And it was so fast I wished I had more projects that required a belt sander.

It tracks well. It's easy to set down on the wood without gouging it. Dust collection is excellent. It's relatively quiet. Changing belts is easy. And it doesn't bog down under load.

Almost bought the variable speed but less powerful cousin. Glad I didn't. This unit works great. It's heavy so you won't want to do much vertical or overhead work. One reviewr commented that it wears out his workers and I can see why. An hour is the must I can go without a break. But you can get a lot of sanding done in an hr with this tool.

Much quieter than my old Sears unit. Dust collector works surprisingly well (but I wish they offered a vac attachment becasue at the rate this unit removes material you will have to empty bag every 10 min or sooner.

Probably 3 times faster than my 3" Sears and more stable with 4" footprint.

My past tools have been Bosch, Milwaukee, and Dewalt. But I bought Makita's top of line 18V saw and drill and was very impressed. Bought this based on that experience and great reviews. Very satisfied.