Products compared
Hours of research
Member comments
Field tests done
Founded in 1915 Makita has come a long way in the world of power tools. They sell some, if not the best power tools on the market. In this guide, we will be taking a closer look at their sanders and find out which is the best Makita belt sander today.
With the help of our forum members and the input of our own in-house experts, we came up with a list of our favorite Makita belt sanders. These have been rated on performance, price as well as usability.
Best Makita belt sanders
Here is the list of the best Makita belt sanders:
Hphtools’ Choice
Makita 9403 4″ x 24″ Belt Sander
- Great value for money
- 1-year warranty
- High power
- Comfortable Front grip
This is the best Makita belt sander if you are looking for comfort and accuracy. The Makita 9403 has a 4″ inch-wide belt and which has a length of 24″ inches. Therefore it’s ideal to sand large, as well as small surfaces.
What we like the most about this belt sander is the form factor. The way the handle is placed is more convenient than the handle on the 9404 for example. Also, the dust collection bag on the Makita 9403 is facing more in an upwards direction, making it more accurate in tight spaces.
The Makita 9403 belt sander comes with a powerful 11 amp motor that can deliver speeds of up to 1640 ft./minute. Therefore this is in our opinion the best Makita belt sander for almost every type of wood.
- 1-year warranty
- Low noise
- Motor protection
- Convenient size
- Weight
Second best
Makita 9404 4″ x 24″ Belt Sander
- Great value for money
- 1-year warranty
- High power
- Large sanding surface
Almost identical to the Makita 9403 but with one small difference: variable speed control. As a compromise, this Makita belt sander has an 8.8 amp motor instead of an 11 amp one.
This is the best Makita belt sander if you are looking to fine-tune the speed of your sanders. This can be useful if you are working with different types of wood and want precise sanding in every scenario.
Probably our favorite feature of the Makita 9404 is the auto-tracking belt system. This system ensures that the belt stays in the right place and you do not need to adjust it over time.
- 1-year warranty
- Low noise
- Motor protection
- Convenient size
- Price
Budget option
Makita 9903 3″ x 21″ Belt Sander
- Great value for money
- 1-year warranty
- Small and efficient
The Makita 9903 is the best belt sander if you are looking for a small more accurate sander. If you are not planning to sand large surfaces like floors or large beams, this is a great belt sander for you. This belt sander uses 3″ x 21″ inch belts for sanding.
Because this is a smaller belt sander it also means that there is a significant weight saving. The Makita 9903 only weighs 9.5 pounds compared to 13 pounds for the Makita 9403.
Another great benefit of buying the Makita 9903 is its price. Since this is a smaller belt sander you will often find a better deal on this sander.
- 1-year warranty
- Price
- Motor protection
- Weight
- Size
Makita 9924 3″ x 24″ Belt sander
- 7.5 Amp motor
- Accurate sander
- Extended sanding surface
- Comfortable grip
This is the best Makita belt sander if you are sanding narrow surfaces. The Makita 9924 has a 3″ inch-wide belt and therefore is narrower than other belt sanders on this list.
Another reason to go for the Makita 9924 would be its extended base. This is a unique feature of this particular belt sander and is great to sand flush with various surfaces.
The biggest downside of this belt sander is its 7.5 amp motor. Unless you really need a 3″ inch belt sander we believe there are not many reasons to buy the Makita 9924.
- 1-year warranty
- Low noise
- Motor protection
- Accuracy
- Motor speed
Makita belt sander overview
| Makita Belt Sander | Belt size | Power | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
Makita 9403 | 4 x 24″ inch | 11 AMP | 9.5 |
Makita 9404 | 4 x 24″ inch | 8.8 AMP | 9.3 |
Makita 9903 | 3 x 21″ inch | 8.8 AMP | 8.9 |
Makita 9924 | 3 x 24″ inch | 7.5 AMP | 7.8 |
