1 review for Makita Random Orbital Sander 150mm 750W | BO6050J

1. 

   Harris Creations – 2018-09-03

   Rated 4 out of 5

   For a long time, I was fascinated with Festool’s innovative Rotex sander. For those who are familiar with this machine, it is recognised as the pinnacle of sanding able to take a plank from rough state, up to a high gloss, “in 1/5 of the time”. The catch is, not many of us have over R10k to drop for even their smallest machine. Whilst down the line it may prove to be a more than worthwhile investment, the initial pinch to the pocket is more like a strike on the thumb when missing the nail, twice… With a 4 pound.
   I suppose you could say that Makita have gone and straight up copied Festool’s concept, a controversial topic no doubt. But have they?
   From the get go I must stress that this machine (and those similar) are not toys. With your average random orbit sander drawing a mere 250W, this monster is pulling 750W, that’s one whole horse, just for sanding. Combined with the gearbox mechanism its feels like you are sitting behind the wheel of a 3 speed 5.0L V8 after driving a Prius.
   Despite this host of power at the machines disposal it remains easy to control and manoeuvre, when used correctly. It’s not design for those small project where you are trying to hold the undersized work piece with one hand and sander in the other trying to get a nice smooth finish. One of two things will happen; either you’ll be fetching your delicate construction from the other side of the workshop, or you will receive a free power file on all fingernails and spend the weeks ahead regretting your decision.
   The removable side handle I’ve found to be a bit of a pain. Due to the fact that there is absolutely zero vibration protection in the handle, it is really uncomfortable to use.
   Having read numerous reviews and watch numerous reviews the general consensus is that the Makita is just as good as his green competitor and after using the Rotex 150 for a while, I actually preferred the Makita. (Side note though, the RO90 is one awesome machine!) I have to mention an apparent design flaw. The switch mechanism to change from course to fine mode has twice slipped out of place during operation, this causing the internal gears shear instantly. My local Makita service centre however were fantastic in sorting the problem out and I was soon back to work.
   Final verdict, as a fine furniture builder this machine has probably been a bit too powerful for me. I could have probably gone with the BO6030, in saying that I guess I am saving a heap of time when sanding large table tops, an arduous task for any woodworker.

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