Thread: Tips for choosing sander, router, circular saw?

In our workshops we generally stick to Makita, and their products are pretty good across the range. Given that they are used and abused all day every day by students, I'm pretty happy with them.

There are a few exceptions - their 1/3 sheet orbital sanders, purely because they don't hold the abrasive well enough. That is the one item I don't recommend - we still use them and it does my head in, until I find a better unit.

For the sanders you're looking at, I also wouldn't recommend them. They have velcro backed abrasive which are expensive to replace and trickier to buy compared to 1/3 sheet sanders which just take standard sheet abrasive. If the velcro hooks get damaged on the machine (they will) or the hook layer lifts away from the machine (it will) then the operation becomes compromised as well.

No sander extracts dust well by itself, even if they have a bag on the back of them. I think the best you will do there is to connect an extraction unit (eg Vacuum - Just a moment... ) to the outlet on it. We also run grossly overspec'd ambient air filtration units also - you might just do it outside.

Both those saws are right handed, sometimes when on special, or in kits they get rid of the left hand ones which can be dangerous if you are right handed.

A 185mm saw is a goodsize for doing a lot of hand-held cutting.
Most timbers come in under 45mm thick.

If mounting to a bench, then go for a 230mm. But it will be tiring holding it in the hand if doing many cuts.

I have a 185 Mak, plus two 230 Maks- one in a bench for ripping and one for crosscut.

Re orbitals : a firm grip on the paper is essential. Stay away from the thinner wire hoops. A metal flange held with a strong spring, or a stronger wire latch that gets caught is preferred. A good central bearing is needed. All brands have cheaper variants, especially in sanders. I have Maks.

As for routers, consider whether you want plunge or just adjustable, hand-held or fixed in a bench, just trimming and fine work or deeper work in hardwood.
Your needs will determine what bits you want, they will determine what collet size you need. That will shepherd you into machine size and then you look at who sells what. I have a mixture of three machines in two brands.

In all cases beware of the rubbish: plastic bush housings to get hot, weak switches and sloppy adjustments.

Then comes the question of corded, or battery? Are the batteries replaceable/interchangeable?
Are there storage cases, plus user manuals, service agents and spare parts for five years time?

Be prepared to spend weeks checking things out. Some outlets have supply deals that narrow down what they sell, but push what they have done a supply deal on.


Sometimes you might need to make use of the gear at the local Mens Shed.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

There are a few exceptions - their 1/3 sheet orbital sanders, purely because they don't hold the abrasive well enough. That is the one item I don't recommend - we still use them and it does my head in, until I find a better unit.

So it isn't only me! I've got one of their 1/3 sheet models and it drives me crazy. Currently sanding some window frames and getting very frustrated with the sander.

Originally Posted by Fattima

So it isn't only me! I've got one of their 1/3 sheet models and it drives me crazy. Currently sanding some window frames and getting very frustrated with the sander.

For a bodge fix, I counter twist the spring to give it more load - it loses this though as for a spring it's not very springy material. We also fold the ends of the sheet to increase its thickness and it seems to give it better bite - but its still a temporary bodge fix.

As only an occasional user, I like battery tools as if you don't get things exactly right they load up and trip out, whereas a corded one has the power to just keep going. I discovered this when I made a jig to rip down some fence pallings and the circular saw got stuck a few times.

The other brand maybe worth looking at is Ozito which you can buy from Bunnings.

Not saying they are what you want, but I've heard good things about them, and my limited experiences are really good also.

I bought a small Ozito mitre circ saw and cut my parents hardwood fence (posts, rails and palings) into 30cm bits for my fireplace and the saw is still 100% perfect. I genuinely thought I'd be throwing it in the bin afterwards.

They also have a 3yr replacement warranty, are cheap and they seem to work well.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

The other brand maybe worth looking at is Ozito which you can buy from Bunnings.

Not saying they are what you want, but I've heard good things about them, and my limited experiences are really good also.

I bought a small Ozito mitre circ saw and cut my parents hardwood fence (posts, rails and palings) into 30cm bits for my fireplace and the saw is still 100% perfect. I genuinely thought I'd be throwing it in the bin afterwards.

They also have a 3yr replacement warranty, are cheap and they seem to work well.

I have a lot of ozito cordless tools and they do what i need, a few i got 2nd hand cheap off FB like the circular saw and 18V chainsaw. Chainsaw is surprisingly good and ideal for camping, i have a spare charger that stays in the caravan that i use with a 2000w inverter.