I have had a Max XT for about 2 years now and would highly recommend it. I use it wit 3M Cubitron sanding disks and have basically cut my sanding time by 2/3rds. Love it.
If you're going to use sanding net type of sand paper, get you a pad saver or you'll have to replace the sanding pad on the actual sander after a while.
appreciate the review and would be very interested in a durability check in after using it for a while. The amazon reviews are plagued with units that overheat and stop working suddenly, but still tempted to get one. Thanks again.
i own the festool ets ec 150/5. and i can say, its probably the best 600 bucks i ever spent. yes it is expensive but you get what you pay for, the dust collection is superb, the vibration is non existence, and with the 3m xtract sanding disc, it works amazing. ive gone through dewalt sander and masterforce sander, they were cheap but they wore out overtime.
Decibels are on a logarithmic scale. 3 dB fewer is half the sound energy, so it is significantly quieter. There may also be some directionaility to the sound from the MaxXT sander. At one point in the video you tilted it while running, and it seemed to get louder, suggesting more sound came out the side than the top. Perhaps it's even quieter than 96dB to your ears when operating it. Whether or not a premium sander is worth it probably depends on how you use it. I have a nice Bosch rear-handle sander that cost around $160. It was a significant improvement in comfort from the $50 Dewalt palm sander I used previously. It was still loud, but it had less vibration and better dust collection, so I didn't regret buying it. It is very tall and heavy though, so running it for a long time was a chore. Fast forward 2 years, and I decided to build a custom staircase in timber-frame style out of hard maple. I knew I would spend days sanding on that project, so I decided to upgrade to the 3M. (When a contractor wants $30K for a custom staircase and you can build it yourself for $8K, you can justify splurging on a sander.) The 3M is much lighter and quieter than the Bosch. Attached to my Makita dust extractor, which is also very quiet compared to a Shop Vac, I don't feel the need for earplugs when I'm using it. There's only slightly less vibration with the 3M than the Bosch, but the dust collection is nearly perfect. The Bosch produced very little airborne dust, but there was some after a ling time sanding, and there was still dust on the surface being sanded. The 3M hardly leaves any dust on the surface, and after hours of sanding there's virtually no noticeable airborne dust. I don't need to turn on my shop air filter to keep the dust contained, and I don't wear a dust mask. Leaving the air filter off also keeps the noise down. The staircase went as expected, and I spent about 20 hours sanding one weekend with the 3M. I don't think I could have done that with the Bosch. If the ability to sand a long time comfortably and to control the airborne dust in your home workshop are important to you, it can definitely be worth the investment. The sander and dust extractor cost over $1000, so it's hard to pull that trigger unless you use it a lot. If the $200 sander is anywhere near as good as the 3M, that would help make to make it more reasonable. I'm not aware of any cheap import dust extractors yet. A shop vac with a cyclone stage and a HEPA filter is nearly as good at dust collection, but it's much louder.
just a note, that is a 5.0 sander and the normal, old fashion palm sanders are mostly 2.5 stroke so any of these "paddle" style 5.0 sanders are going to be faster sanding! just note a 2.5 will in the long run actually give you a better final surface. Reason I keep a 2.5 around.. (got a paddle version of that now also) Same as you I'm kinda cheap and avoid the super priced ones. Have tested a few and recently got the Vevor which seems to be nearly identical to the MaxXT. I really like it also. Longevity has yet to be determined though as I haven't had it long enough. Time will tell! All these Paddle style sanders are a major improvement over the Old basic's in both Vacuum and anti vibration for sure! like a LOT better! Hope you enjoy it! these units are a definite step up!
I got the exact kit and works like a champ and instead buying the mesh style paper that destroys your pad i opted for a good brand called serious grit and they are good quality and last long as well , other than that the sander works perfectly and I do own festool etc 125 and didn't want to spend almost 800$ for 6" , saying that I invested 1000s of$ in festool and nothing can compare to them but this maxxt sander is a decent sander and does the job
Great video and I need a new sander plus have several gift cards ready for use, I’m liking what I see just never heard of this brand but I find electronics either fail in beginning or they just last.
This is the best entry level sander almost on the market make sure you get the MAX XT don't try to save a few extra dollars and buy a different brand. I have two of these and run a small production woodshop they can overheat and you got to ensure that that nut on the bottom stays tight. But these things are amazing even compared to the DeWalt the vibration is way lower has way more control and the paddle is way better. Almost all professional Sanders have paddles.
That's more of an alternative to the likes of the Festool RO-150, not a finish sander. It's also normally $475, $530 with the multi-hole sanding pad. Then again, the 75N is an obsolete version, replaced by the current GET-76N, so that may explain the '$200 on sale'?
I have the 75N, which is a beast and I love it, but I also have the BOSCH GEX34-6N, which I actually prefer. It has power for heavy stuff, but it is more refined for smoother stuff. Yes, it is different form factor, but it has the best vibration, better than even the Festool stuff. If they make it into a brushless model (even quieter) I would think it would be the best all around sander you can get. And yes, unlike the 75N which I have never seen under $300 (and believe me, I have looked), I got the 34 for $185 on (extreme, long awaited) sale.
Interesting, but I thought you'd then sand with one of the cheap ones to compare the performance and experience. And maybe most importantly the relative ease to get good results. Spending more time sanding, if you don't sand much, may be something liveable. But if it's five times easier to get good results without artifacts with the fancy one, then I'm buying the fancy one.
Interesting sander - very much the form factor of the Mirka, 3M and even the Festool ETS EC lineup. Do you know if it uses a brushless motor? And what kind of extractor did you connect it to? Interested to see how it performs over the next project.
Likewise, got my mine for Christmas of ‘23, and it’s still going strong today. The only issue I’ve had with mine is that the dust hose connector kept coming loose during use, causing the hose to fall off. I finally fastened a hose clamp around it and installed a Rockler hose connector to it. Of course, that meant I had to replace the hose too. No big loss there. Since then, it’s been fine. I am keeping my eye out for a used Mirca or Festool however….
I considered this one. I just was t sure about the brand. I look forward to seeing how it holds up for you long term. Looks very promising though! I ended up going with the $100 Makita. No complaints on it so far. Definitely less vibration than my old dewalt. That was one of my biggest complaints too, it arm fatigue from the vibration on large projects.
I've had one for 6 months, it gets weekly use, and it's fantastic. The dust collection alone is worth it, and apart from slightly being down on power to the Mirka, it's a sander that easily competes with the big boys.
I've had mine for almost 4 years. The only thing I've done to it is replace the sanding pad when it lost its ability to hold discs. I also don't use that terrible dust collection hose. I use the rocker hoses.
Festool over this anytime. I hate the idea of the "flap" switch, can't take your hands of the dang thing, unlike the Festool. I can let that glide by holding the vac hose, without even having to touch the sander. No vibration at all. Love my Rotex.
I have had a Max XT for about 2 years now and would highly recommend it. I use it wit 3M Cubitron sanding disks and have basically cut my sanding time by 2/3rds. Love it.
I have exactly same MAXXT sander and also use 3m Cubitron sanding disc, absolutely love it.
If you're going to use sanding net type of sand paper, get you a pad saver or you'll have to replace the sanding pad on the actual sander after a while.
appreciate the review and would be very interested in a durability check in after using it for a while. The amazon reviews are plagued with units that overheat and stop working suddenly, but still tempted to get one. Thanks again.
i own the festool ets ec 150/5. and i can say, its probably the best 600 bucks i ever spent. yes it is expensive but you get what you pay for, the dust collection is superb, the vibration is non existence, and with the 3m xtract sanding disc, it works amazing. ive gone through dewalt sander and masterforce sander, they were cheap but they wore out overtime.
Decibels are on a logarithmic scale. 3 dB fewer is half the sound energy, so it is significantly quieter. There may also be some directionaility to the sound from the MaxXT sander. At one point in the video you tilted it while running, and it seemed to get louder, suggesting more sound came out the side than the top. Perhaps it's even quieter than 96dB to your ears when operating it.
Whether or not a premium sander is worth it probably depends on how you use it. I have a nice Bosch rear-handle sander that cost around $160. It was a significant improvement in comfort from the $50 Dewalt palm sander I used previously. It was still loud, but it had less vibration and better dust collection, so I didn't regret buying it. It is very tall and heavy though, so running it for a long time was a chore. Fast forward 2 years, and I decided to build a custom staircase in timber-frame style out of hard maple. I knew I would spend days sanding on that project, so I decided to upgrade to the 3M. (When a contractor wants $30K for a custom staircase and you can build it yourself for $8K, you can justify splurging on a sander.)
The 3M is much lighter and quieter than the Bosch. Attached to my Makita dust extractor, which is also very quiet compared to a Shop Vac, I don't feel the need for earplugs when I'm using it. There's only slightly less vibration with the 3M than the Bosch, but the dust collection is nearly perfect. The Bosch produced very little airborne dust, but there was some after a ling time sanding, and there was still dust on the surface being sanded. The 3M hardly leaves any dust on the surface, and after hours of sanding there's virtually no noticeable airborne dust. I don't need to turn on my shop air filter to keep the dust contained, and I don't wear a dust mask. Leaving the air filter off also keeps the noise down.
The staircase went as expected, and I spent about 20 hours sanding one weekend with the 3M. I don't think I could have done that with the Bosch. If the ability to sand a long time comfortably and to control the airborne dust in your home workshop are important to you, it can definitely be worth the investment. The sander and dust extractor cost over $1000, so it's hard to pull that trigger unless you use it a lot. If the $200 sander is anywhere near as good as the 3M, that would help make to make it more reasonable. I'm not aware of any cheap import dust extractors yet. A shop vac with a cyclone stage and a HEPA filter is nearly as good at dust collection, but it's much louder.
New to your channel - really like the delivery and presentation so far - new sub 👍
I bought one of these and I absolutely love it. I was using a DeWALT 20v sander prior to this, and it’s night and day better.
Great video ,thanks ! I’ve Ben looking to upgrade my Lady Kenmore RO , looks like this will be a contender!
just a note, that is a 5.0 sander and the normal, old fashion palm sanders are mostly 2.5 stroke so any of these "paddle" style 5.0 sanders are going to be faster sanding! just note a 2.5 will in the long run actually give you a better final surface. Reason I keep a 2.5 around.. (got a paddle version of that now also) Same as you I'm kinda cheap and avoid the super priced ones. Have tested a few and recently got the Vevor which seems to be nearly identical to the MaxXT. I really like it also. Longevity has yet to be determined though as I haven't had it long enough. Time will tell! All these Paddle style sanders are a major improvement over the Old basic's in both Vacuum and anti vibration for sure! like a LOT better! Hope you enjoy it! these units are a definite step up!
What do you mean… I can’t wait to get to the sanding part. I absolutely love sanding for the first 5 minutes or so 😁
Nice video. Direct to the point. I appreciate that. Cheers!
That looks (and comments seem good as well) great. I live in Philippines, buying here it looks to be about 400 dollar when I convert! Yikes!
I got the exact kit and works like a champ and instead buying the mesh style paper that destroys your pad i opted for a good brand called serious grit and they are good quality and last long as well , other than that the sander works perfectly and I do own festool etc 125 and didn't want to spend almost 800$ for 6" , saying that I invested 1000s of$ in festool and nothing can compare to them but this maxxt sander is a decent sander and does the job
I’d like to see a direct comparison with the other more expensive sanders you mentioned. Are they worth it?
Great video and I need a new sander plus have several gift cards ready for use, I’m liking what I see just never heard of this brand but I find electronics either fail in beginning or they just last.
This is the best entry level sander almost on the market make sure you get the MAX XT don't try to save a few extra dollars and buy a different brand. I have two of these and run a small production woodshop they can overheat and you got to ensure that that nut on the bottom stays tight. But these things are amazing even compared to the DeWalt the vibration is way lower has way more control and the paddle is way better. Almost all professional Sanders have paddles.
I might have to try it. Since I’m using a rioby one. 😂
Great video Thanks for sharing
You should have gone with the Bosch GET-75N. You can get it sub $200 when on sale and it’s repairable
That's more of an alternative to the likes of the Festool RO-150, not a finish sander. It's also normally $475, $530 with the multi-hole sanding pad. Then again, the 75N is an obsolete version, replaced by the current GET-76N, so that may explain the '$200 on sale'?
I have the 75N, which is a beast and I love it, but I also have the BOSCH GEX34-6N, which I actually prefer. It has power for heavy stuff, but it is more refined for smoother stuff. Yes, it is different form factor, but it has the best vibration, better than even the Festool stuff. If they make it into a brushless model (even quieter) I would think it would be the best all around sander you can get. And yes, unlike the 75N which I have never seen under $300 (and believe me, I have looked), I got the 34 for $185 on (extreme, long awaited) sale.
Interesting, but I thought you'd then sand with one of the cheap ones to compare the performance and experience. And maybe most importantly the relative ease to get good results. Spending more time sanding, if you don't sand much, may be something liveable. But if it's five times easier to get good results without artifacts with the fancy one, then I'm buying the fancy one.
Interesting sander - very much the form factor of the Mirka, 3M and even the Festool ETS EC lineup. Do you know if it uses a brushless motor? And what kind of extractor did you connect it to? Interested to see how it performs over the next project.
Are you in Bethesda Maryland? I’m in Annapolis!
I got one for Christmas a year ago and use it daily with no problems and I also love the dust collection using a ridged vacuum.
Likewise, got my mine for Christmas of ‘23, and it’s still going strong today. The only issue I’ve had with mine is that the dust hose connector kept coming loose during use, causing the hose to fall off. I finally fastened a hose clamp around it and installed a Rockler hose connector to it. Of course, that meant I had to replace the hose too. No big loss there. Since then, it’s been fine. I am keeping my eye out for a used Mirca or Festool however….
I considered this one. I just was t sure about the brand. I look forward to seeing how it holds up for you long term. Looks very promising though!
I ended up going with the $100 Makita. No complaints on it so far. Definitely less vibration than my old dewalt. That was one of my biggest complaints too, it arm fatigue from the vibration on large projects.
I've had one for 6 months, it gets weekly use, and it's fantastic. The dust collection alone is worth it, and apart from slightly being down on power to the Mirka, it's a sander that easily competes with the big boys.
I've had mine for almost 4 years. The only thing I've done to it is replace the sanding pad when it lost its ability to hold discs. I also don't use that terrible dust collection hose. I use the rocker hoses.
@@joelthoenen3733 What do you mean by 'rocker hoses'?
Festool over this anytime. I hate the idea of the "flap" switch, can't take your hands of the dang thing, unlike the Festool. I can let that glide by holding the vac hose, without even having to touch the sander.
No vibration at all. Love my Rotex.
you will never know if you don't spend the doe
Bad vidio