Makita Sheet Finishing Sander, 1/3 In, 1.7 A, Teal (BO3710)

After I've purchased my (first!) new home, I'll come to a halt. It was built in the 1990s, so I'm in the process of exorcising all of the dreadful 90s design choices (ugly oak veneer everywhere, for example). Because this model is a little larger, it only uses three strips per sandpaper sheet instead of four. The catch bags on these things only collect a small percentage of the dust that it kicks out, as other reviewers have mentioned. In theory, it's a great idea, but in practice, it's not so great. use all over the world It's a little bit of a flop. I'm not going to lower the rating because, after doing some research before purchasing, I honestly didn't expect that "feature" to work. I have other Makita tools (a drill set) and have nothing but praise for their quality. One very useful feature on this sander is the lock button, which allows you to reposition your hands slightly for a better grip if you really want to bear down on a problematic section that needs a bit more grinding.

Rosalee Hooper

| Oct 09, 2021

Along with the sander, I bought two packs of hook and loop paper. Only a rubber pad was included, however. It was impossible to stick hook and loop paper to the wall. I contacted Makita USA's customer service department and inquired about the hook and loop pad as well as the representative. It came with one, according to the description. It didn't, according to my advice. On the Makita Global website, I discovered a part number for the hook and loop pad (194930-). 6), but the representative informed me that it was unavailable in the United States. He stated that he was unable to obtain it on my behalf. On eBay, I was able to find one. At this time, I'm waiting for a response. It cost more than half the price of the machine after fees, tax, and shipping, but I still like it. It offers a good value for money. When I was doing corner work, I had some issues with the paper slipping out of the clamp. I'm hoping the hook and loop will take care of it. It worked well on flat surfaces and left only minor swirl marks. Standard sheet abrasive paper works well with the punch plate. Vacuuming with the bag works fine, but it leaves a lot of dust on the surface. I'll look for a way to connect my Festool dust extractor to the transition. br> Vibration is acceptable and feels good in the hand. It's a pain to use the locking mechanism. I was turning it off all the time as I shifted my grip. Why not just have a simple on/off switch instead?.

Morgan Rich

| Dec 18, 2021

So far, it's been an excellent product; I haven't used it long enough to give it a longevity rating, but I recently purchased a Craftsman 1/3 sheet sander, and the difference is night and day. The Craftsman is what I call the beast; it's louder than the shop vac, and it doesn't seem to have any vibration dampening. This Makita, on the other hand, has excellent paper retention clips; I love how it works; it's the best I've used so far; it's super quiet; you don't need hearing protection, though it's still recommended for long sanding sessions. The dust port isn't very big. I fattened it up with wax paper card board rolls pieces to match the end I use for my router, saw, and other tools. I had read somewhere that this pad had hook backing, but that's not a problem because I found a product on Amazon that works great if you have loop-backed paper. see pics. I used the following product: "BRAVESHINE Sticky Back Hook Loop Tape - BRAVESHINE Sticky Back Hook Loop Tape BRAVESHINE Sticky Back Hook Self-Adhesive Mounting Squares 4x8 Inch [Industrial Strength]- Picture Frame Hanging Strips with Double Sized Wall Fastener Tape for Indoor or Outdoor Use - The sandpaper is from Wen, and it's available on Amazon in a four-pack. The adhesive on this is excellent; I'm not sure how well the hook side will hold up, but the time saved switching grits is worth it.

Sawyer Hardy

| Jul 27, 2021

My B& D sander, who had been alive for 30 years, passed away. I only use a sander on rare occasions, such as when finishing raw wood furniture or doing craft work. I put my new Makita to its first test today, finishing two maple walking sticks made from a section of a maple tree I had to cut down. I work with pre-made templates. 3M sandpaper, cut To get the most out of this sander, I punched 8 holes in the sandpaper, allowing fine saw dust to pass through to the dust bag. Because Makita provides a plastic press for the job, punching perfect holes takes about 2 seconds. The bag effectively traps some of the dust that enters through the punch holes, preventing it from accumulating on the sandpaper while in use. This increases the sander's efficiency, allowing for a smoother finish on the raw wood. Compared to my old B, this Makita is noticeably quieter. I didn't need ear protection, but I did need to wear a dust mask and glasses to keep the very fine sawdust from getting into my eyes. My hardwood walking sticks were sanded beautifully with this sander. After a little planning and hand sanding with coarse grit paper, I cycled through coarse, medium, and fine grit paper. It has a button that I found very useful for locking the sander in the On position. It is something I strongly suggest. I recommend vacuuming the bag. After you've finished your work with the sander, clean up with a shop vac.

Jimmy Powell

| Feb 25, 2021

For the past 30 years, I've used a Makita 1/4 sheet palm sander on countless projects. It's still working perfectly, as if it were brand new. I decided to try out this 1/3rd sheet sander. It's just as good, if not slightly better, than the previous one. Although one hand can still be used to operate, two hands provide more control. Cutting 1/3 sheet is a little more difficult than cutting 1/4 sheet (the latter simply requires folding in half, then half again), but you can use the sander's base as a guide. Mine came with a plastic template for cutting holes in the sandpaper to allow for dust vacuuming, but I misplaced it along with the box in the burn pile. Whether or not this is an orbital sander has been questioned. It's an ORBITAL repeat ORBITAL sander, yes, folks.

Colt Jordan

| Apr 06, 2021