9920 3" x 24" Belt Sander

There are lots of belt sander choices in 9920's price range. I seriously considered sanders with higher amp ratings from Porter-Cable and Bosch. Everything I read about Makita belt sanders, though, convinced me to look at this unit. I still am not sure why the 9920's 21" little brother, the Makita 9903 8.8 Amp 3-Inch-by-21-Inch Variable Speed Belt Sander with Cloth Dust Bag , costs more. It appears to be identical; excepting its shorter belt. I wondered (and still wonder why) the 9920 has so few reviews compared to the 9903. Now that I've seriously put the 9920 to the test, though, I don't care about the 9903. Here's why: This "Made in Japan" masterpiece, at about 10.5 pounds, has the heft needed to grab stock but is light enough to sand vertical surfaces with ease. Its 8.8 amp motor is easy on ones hands and ears. It has plenty of get up and go but is incredibly smooth and relatively quiet. I used it for hours on end, stripping paint off 130 year old boards, with great results. The belts track true and last much longer than my experience with other belt sanders would have led me to believe. The 9920 really showed it mettle, though, removing stock. Replacing windows on an old house can present lots of issues. Varying window opening sizes comes to mind. The Makita, though, makes short work of openings not quite big enough. For the most part, I simply left the boards in place in the opening. Sanding upside down and vertically was easy and effective. It's design allows one to operate the sander virtually flush against a right angle. Obviously, there are dust collection issues in those situations but I would not expect otherwise. Overall, dust collection was good. The manual recommends an accessory vacuum to improve collection. I have no plans to purchase the vacuum, though, because because the Makita's dust collection met my expectations. The 9920 is great sander. I have no second thoughts about this purchase. If you need a tough, strong belt sander, the 9920 is an excellent choice.

I am a professional full time woodworker. I have 35 years experience behind a belt sander. A good belt sander can make for fast smooth sanding in the right hands, or more fuel for the wood stove in the inexperienced ones. The important consideration in choosing a belt sander is: what am I going to be using the tool for 90% of the time. This tool by Makita 3 x 24 (9920) is best suited for this 90% use criteria. Most of the time I am doing sanding of solid stock before assembly, as well as sanding assembled work. NOTE: If your using this tool to sand floors or other large surfaces, this is not the sander. Purchase the appropriate sander. This sander comes in 3 x (18)(21)and(24). The 24 is the best choice as it has a larger sole plate that makes it easier to sand flat. Also belts last longer. Note - Makita also makes a similar 4" wide model in this style. Belts are about 40% more for this extra inch. Avoid this. If you really need a 4 x 24 then purchase the HD model by Makita. (11 amp) Good Points of this sander include. 1) This belt sander tracks very well. 2) The cord length at 15 feet is an important because you don't always need a extension cord. 3) Light enough to use with one hand when needed. Light is less fatiguing with prolonged use. 4) Dust bag collects dust well enough. 5) Power is adequate for most work. 6) Made in Japan which has higher quality standards than most. Over all. I think this is truely the best belt sander available on the market and will give you years of production. With over 1000 hours behind all brands of belt sanders, I have the experience to know what I'm talking about.

I had a DeWalt belt sander that was hard to control and that I finally ditched. Based on the reviews I ordered the Makita 9920 3x24 sander and have used it on a few projects. I find this one to be a vast improvement over the DeWalt. Although it has a relatively narrow footprint, it is well balanced and is very easy to control. The variable speed function is an essential plus. Changing belts is a snap and the tracking adjustment is reliable. It is heavy enough to track well on horizontal surfaces, but is balanced and light enough to use on vertical surfaces. I even used it upside down to even out some cabinet doors that were still attached to the frame, something I wouldn't dare attempt with my DeWalt. Its extra-long cord is another plus. Makita has an optional, but pricy, sanding shoe that is supposed to provide more control on large surfaces. But I find this sander easy to use by itself, as long as you start out with the speed at its lowest setting and avoid excessively coarse abrasives. My only minor complaint is that the clasp that keeps the dust bag shut tends to slip off if you are not careful. I fixed that with a couple of small binder clips, one at each end of the clasp. With that it does a pretty good job of trapping dust.

Have used it a lot and it works well but the wood dust tends to clog up the inside causing heat buildup.

I had been without a belt sander for several years and needed one on short notice. I also wanted one with a good reputation. This is my second Makita tool. The belt sander arrived on schedule and was ready to use right out of the box. The belt was very easy to install and I had the tracking adjusted after just a few seconds. I love the long electrical cord, which reduces the need to use an extension cord. The dust collection is pretty effective and easy to empty. I'm very happy with this purchase.

Yes, expensive. But so much better than the cheap model I had before. Sometimes you really get what you pay for.

Great

For the first hour or two of using this tool I loved it. Very powerful and quiet. The dust collection works great as well. Compared to other belt sanders I have owned and used I was quite pleased. But after an hour or two of using this sander the bearings started to squeal. I have used this sander for about 6 to 8 hours so far and the bearings continue to squeal intermittently. I have also found black dust falling out of the tool and onto my woodwork causing staining and requiring further sanding. I there is not a local service center and I could not find an option on Makita's website to submit a warranty claim. I will try to contact Makita by phone during normal business hours and request a replacement or service. I will update my review when this issue is resolved. Update: I sent the sander to Makita and they couldn't find the problem. They were going to charge me a diagnostic fee until I complained. When I resumed using the sander the noise was still intermittent but better than before. I investigated the problem and determined that the noise was coming from a belt guide roller. Other than the noise being annoying, I'm happy with the sander. I will continue to use the it until the roller fails then will repair it myself and just spend the money on the part instead of shipping the sander.