Conductor562 Posted August 16, 2012 Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 As our regulars may remember, I purchased a Milwaukee 6020 ¼ sheet palm sander awhile back and wound up with what amounts to pretty red paper weight. Anyhow, in need of a finish sander for the 2nd time in just a few months I decided (after a very thorough comparison) to give the Makita BO4556 a try. I was drawn to the tool for several reasons. The first thing I liked about the tool was the way it felt in my hand. The circumference of the handle was a tad smaller than about all the others I've used. I don't have small hands but it provided a more comfortable grip nonetheless. The weight of the tool was another big plus. At just 2.5 lbs it's the lightest tool in it's class and a full pound lighter than some. With the light weight you'd expect some additional vibration but that isn't the case. To be honest theres hardly any vibration at all. The 2.0 amp motor is on the low end of it's class in terms of power but still manages to produce 14,000 orbits per minute which is as high as any other sander in it's class. The paper clamp system is a traditional tensioned wire type clamp. It holds the paper firmly in place and allows for simple paper changes as well. The supplied mesh bag style dust collection system isn't going to wow you, but it works at least as well as any of the others I've used. The paper punch is a little nicer looking than most though. This wasn't a big issue for me because if I were serious about dust collection I'd be hooking it up to a vacuum anyway. Performance wise I am 100% satisfied with this sander. I find myself sanding for extended periods so the comfort and weight of this tool were big pluses. The only real gripe I have with this tool is the lack of a case of any type. Most competing models feature a blow molded case for the same price as this one that has none. If you don't require a case don't hesitate for a second to drop $50 on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PutnamEco Posted August 16, 2012 Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 The only real gripe I have with this tool is the lack of a case of any type. Most competing models feature a blow molded case for the same price as this one that has none. If you don't require a case don't hesitate for a second to drop $50 on this one.They do offer it with a case , I might hazard a guess that some retailers may stock a version without the case to make it look like they have the cheapest price or to make a little extra profit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conductor562 Posted August 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 I did find them online with an included case, but neither of the Home Depot locations I patronize carry them. I guess it's more a gripe with HD than Makita. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conductor562 Posted August 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 Makita also offers disposable paper dust collection bags for this model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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