Customer Reviews

Makita BO4556 2 Amp Finishing Sander

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this sander to replace a Makita I have had since 1992. I was impressed with the improvements that have been made. There is much less hand vibration, it is easier to load the sandpaper and the dust catcher works better. I am sanding plaster repair. Although nothing will completely control plaster dust, this really helps to contain it in a more limited area. I like the Makita because it is light weight, easier for me to handle and still does a good job.

Anyone familiar with power tools knows that Makita is one of the best power tool manufacturers. This sander is typical of the Makita brand: rugged and scrupulously attentive to ergonomic detail. I like the way the wire clamps hold onto the sandpaper and the tool's lack of vibration; you could use this thing all day without discomfort. Nice sander, and probably not my last Makita purchase.

I just got done refinishing the stairs in my house, and boy was that a lot of work! I was able to use this handy-dandy Makita sander to do a lot of the work. Its small size allowed me to get into tight spots, which was very nice. The first sander I used made my hand go numb from the vibration, but when I switched to this sander, I had a good deal less trouble. Also, I must say that I liked the dust catcher, which made cleanup much easier.

So, no, I am not an expert woodworker, nor do I play one on TV, but I found this to be a very good and easy-to-use sander. I like it.

(Review of Makita BO4556 2 Amp Finishing Sander)

Very nice. It works very well to complete a sanding job (between 120 to 220 grit). I wouldn't use it for wood that needs to be sanded at less than 120 grit. That's for my Bosch random orbital-sander. It has another really nice feature: it turns off and winds down within 2 seconds after I hit the off button (instead of winding down for 10 seconds or more, which can seem like an eternity).

I have owned Makita tools for over 30 years and have never been disapointed. The paper changing system is much improved over the sander that this one replaced.

I just got my Makita last week after suffering for years with DeWalt and Ridgid. First impression is that it's 10 times easier to use than the Ridgid and collects more dust than the DeWalt. The Ridgid is an invention of the Devil. Almost impossible to hold on to. I didn't save the receipt for the Ridgid, can't return it, so this is my revenge.
David Hamel

I bought this sander to replace a Makita sander that I had been using for the past 10 years. I compared this to the equivalent Dewalt sander, and the Makita bested it based on my initial inspection (better price, more comfortable to hold, better holding clips).

The biggest problem which I had with my old Makita finishing sander is that during heavier sanding, the sandpaper could work it's way out of the holding clips if you weren't careful to press down evenly. As this is very irritating, I picked the new Makita because it appeared to have the most robust holding clips.

This new model holds the paper very effectively, even if you bias your pressure to one side or the other.

Additionally, the dust collection seems to work very well.

Time will tell if this sander lasts as long as my previous Makita, but for the finishing work I have used it for so far (sanding semi-hollow guitar bodies), it has done a fantastic job, and I actually look forward to using it.

Highly recommended.

I have tried every orbital sander on the market, except Bosch. Every one I have bought so far has been made in China and has died in a few months. This one is made in China too, but is way quieter than the rest. We'll see how it holds up.

Update: This one died after about 4 months. Don't waste your money. The plastic base broke where the spring bars attach, just like the cheap Chinese ones I've bought in the past. If you want one to last get the ones with the all-metal base.

Mikita seems to have the best palm (aka 1/4 sheet) sanders. I've been using the 4550 for more than a decade and it still runs great. I decided to see what the 4556 could do and bought one (better price from the orange hardware store). It is considerably quieter, a bit more powerful, has a plastic punch plate that punches cleaner holes than the metal punch plate (both work on either sander), has one long lever per side end rather than two short ones, the dust chute is round and goes into a bag that may be twisted off and emptied easily rather than a bag that must be unzipped, and it shuts down a lot faster (guess 2 seconds where the 4550 takes maybe 8 seconds). I'd say this is an improved tool. Now I have two fine Makita sanders.

I use this sander pretty often, and it actually works very well. As others have said, the vibration isn't bad. It sands effectively and evenly. I don't bother with the sandpaper that you're suspposed to use with this, rather, I just buy sand paper and rip it into fours and use that instead. It's cheaper and it works equally as well. My only issue with this is the dust catcher. I don't find that it actually cuts down that much on dust, but worse, the dust catcher doesn't stay on. I've tried everything, and it just continues to fall off. Maybe I've gotten a faulty one, but when this one goes, I'll probably replace it with another brand that has a better dust catcher.