Customer Reviews

Makita BO3700X6 1.6 Amp 1/3 Sheet Sander with Cloth Dust Bag and 8 Extra Sheets of Sandpaper

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

1/3-sheet sanders are becoming scarce, but this one is clearly the best of the lot. I had a Black & Decker before, but it finally died after over 15 years of service. I don't know if this Makita will last that long. But, while it lasts, it is so much quieter and more efficient at sanding that I could never go back to a B&D. The dust collecting bag works well and the unit doesn't leave your hand vibrating after you use it (the B&D's do).

Pros: +5

This one suprised me by being far smoother and quieter than I expected. (Last Cr*sman required a padded glove to use.) Quality construction with a cast aluminum base padded with foam, a thick cord with a strain relief sleeve on it. Easy to use with one hand, with a front knob for the second. Recessed locking switch was large enough to use without difficulty.

Comes with a sandpaper punch so that the dust collection system will work, though I haven't used it enough to grade yet. 8 free *1/3* sheets of sandpaper.

Cons: -1
Possibly me, but you have to develope a technique in order to lift off without some swirl.

I haven't used this very much yet, but I like the way it fits your hand and it does sand very well. I don't like the dust bag because it seems to get in the way and really doesn't keep the dust down that much. Of course, I have never seen a sander who's dust bag attachment works very well. Over all I think it's a good sander.

I have had this sander for about 2 years and love it. I've used PC, DW and Makita 1/4 sheet finish sanders for years now and finally stepped up to a 1/3 sheet. The difference is amazing. Vibration on this is negligible and it is quite, smooth and powerful. Dust collection is surprisingly effective, although not perfect and the included punch plate is simple but effective. I would say that this sander performs much closer to a good half-sheet at 1/3 the cost. And I'm comparing this to my dad's Milwaukee 1/2 sheet (which is amazing, but expensive). If you are sanding panels all day, go for the half sheet but for the home shop or even small industrial I would say this sander is a great investment. For just a little more than a 1/4 sheet sander, you get way more sander, I'd say more than you pay for.

Ryan

This is my second 1/3 sheet Makita sander. My first is still running but the pad wore out and a replacement pad cost $40 so I decided to buy this new one. My biggest disappointment was how easy it is to accidentally hit the button and turn it off while working, yet it can also be difficult to get it to pop in and stay on. Both of these problems would have been avoided with a switch instead of a button. The levers for attaching the paper are also very heavy duty and require a lot of pressure to open. Otherwise it seems to work very much like my first one than ran for many years, over thousands of feet of wood.

Very low vibration, quiet, and smooth. This sander is a winner. You just can't go wrong with a Makita sander.

I own a 1/2 sheet sander, a 1/4 sheet sander, a detail sander, a random orbit sander & now a Makita 1/3 sheet sander. When I started looking into buying a 1/3 sheet sander, I found there aren't many being made these days. I purchased this sander because it's an in-line finish sander. My 1/2 sheet is way to heavy for most of the work that I do & the 1/4 sheet sander is orbital & can't quite keep up with larger jobs. I found this sander fit the bill for most of my in-between sanding projects. It has less vibration than either my 1/2 sheet or 1/4 sheet sanders, is light & also has easy to use, tight holding clamps to retain the sand paper. The only reason I give it only 4 stars instead of 5, in is that it does lack the ability to be switched to orbital sander like my larger sander. But for the reasonable price & the nice job it does, I can live with that.

After 30+ years and countless hours of use, my half sheet B&D sander finally croaked. Unfortunately, finding a REASONABLY priced replacement proved to be impossible. Then I stumbled upon this 1/3 sheet sander. WOW! Can't say enough nice about it. Reasonably priced at Amazon, quiet, almost vibration and noise free, and a real work-horse. Had I known how much sanders had improved, I would have voluntarily retired my old one long ago and gotten this Makita!

I purchased this model as a replacement for an old (circa 1970s) B&D 1/3 sheet finish sander I dropped off a roof. I have used my Makita finish sander for some time most every day with grits from 60 to 400 on most wood surfaces from cedar through "rock" maple and really appreciate how well it works -- little vibration, never hot, very easy to change paper, etc. In fact, I no longer use my 1/4 sheet Makita finish sander (purchased in 1980s) because the 1/3 sheet sander is so comfortable!

Higghly recommend this finish sander.

I've had the Makita now for about 5 years, and use it now much less often than when I first got it. It is a Good sander! Vibration is fast, cuts fast with 100 grit paper, and does a fine job of finishing with 200 grit or smaller. While it's dust bag can be replaced with a vacuum hose, that is just too unhandy for most jobs. The dust bag does not catch much dust!

Out of several sander that I own ( hobbyist) this is my favorite. It seems well-made, and should last me a long time to come! Changing sandpaper is no easier, nor any harder than with other sanders of like genre.