Makita Jitterbug Sander Review

As someone who has been using orbital sanders exclusively, I had always wondered what 'jitterbug' sanders were like and what they were used for. The main difference is in the motion the sander makes. A jitterbug sander makes a subtle vibrating motion that creates very fine dust, while an orbital sander has a much larger range of motion and is more aggressive. A jitterbug sander is used for finer grit sandpapers, while an orbital sander is for rougher work

I've been pretty loyal to Makita. One of our DeWalt orbital sanders kicked the bucket after heavy use, and a newer one has a bad bearing that makes an awful noise, though it still works. So for the jitterbug I decided to go with the Makita, and it does work as expected. There isn't much to these things, they're pretty much all the same. It's really more about color preference. I would however recommend getting the Makita as if you look around, you can get one with the plastic case for the same price. The case is good for the sander, but would make a great basic toolbox for smaller jobs on the go.

Overall there's not much to say about a tool like this, it's a must have in multiples around the shop and it's nice for them to be solid. It's hard to say if it will stand the test of time, if anything goes wrong I will update this review. But overall I'd say it's a good buy if you need a good finishing sander. Would recommend cutting your own paper from larger sheets to save a few pennies here and there.

Model Number BO4556