Makita sell a range of accessories including hook-and-loop type abrasive discs (sandpaper), sponge pads, felt pads and wool pads for polishing, a dust box, paper filter bags and various batteries and chargers. It’s a shame the kit comes with only one 120-grit sandpaper disc – I would have liked to have seen a selection of different grits provided, and perhaps 2 or 3 of the common ones. The sander also comes with a little sand bag, which is just that, a sand bag, no baffles to get clogged ... nothing fancy. It will be easy to clean and hopefully it will work well too. I do all of my sandings outside in a breeze-way to help reduce any dust in my shop, especially the fine dust, and that works well, but I still like to collect the dust from the tool at the time of sanding. The Makita DBO180 cordless 125mm random orbit sander is ideal for fine finish sanding (Image credit: Garry Martin) Good build quality and good dust bag performance The sander has 2 switches, an On/Off switch and another speed switch, labeled 1 2 3 for the different speeds the sander will operate at.I already knew that the sender was a 3 speed because I had looked at it previously. I also looked at another brand that was also cordless but had a wheel to control the speed. I wasn't sure if I would like the 3 fixed speeds, but as it turns out, I am happier with the 2 speeds than the wheel. The sander when it starts up starts at the highest speed, which is generally what you should be using to sand at. The lowest speed is more for polishing (but you can also sand at a low speed if there is a reason to) and the middle speed is what I would use for a little bit less aggressive sanding speed such as when I was lightly sanding something like Oak Plywood and don't want to sand through that paper thin top layer of Oak. Although this is a tool aimed at experienced DIYers and professionals, its simple operation means it can also be used successfully by beginners. Like any other cordless tool using a common battery platform, use of the BL series batteries in this kit opens up a huge range of other tools available as “bare” units without batteries and chargers for those who already have them. Equally, this sander as a “bare” unit could be the ideal addition for someone that has already invested in another tool as a kit version.

Speaking of the dust bag, it performed well which surprised me. I expected there to be much more dust in the air and around the tool when using the bag but it was actually not substantially different when attached to an extractor. A 120-grit sanding disc will remove paint on wood and leave a smooth finish. (Image credit: Garry Martin) A pro orbit sander for DIYers and plenty of accessories The Makita DBO180Z has been developed as Makita's first cordless random orbit sander powered by 18V Li-ion batteries. It has a compact design with short height and lower center of gravity for better maneuverability. Ergonomically best possible grip design for comfortable handling. Excellent performance as powerful AC model gives high productivity. MAKITA DBO180Z FEATURES I am looking forward to using this sander because where the plugin for my corded sander is, happens to be in a very inconvenient location which makes sanding, which I already dislike, even more of a chore, so hopefully this cordless sander will take my sanding from sad to glad ... well, here's hoping.

Battery life was also surprisingly good. The kit is supplied with two 5.0ah Makita BL1850B Li-Ion LXT Batteries and a DC18RC 14.4V to 18V Li-Ion Charger. As the charger is capable of charging a BL1850B battery in 45 minutes, it’s extremely unlikely that you’ll run out of battery power assuming you have mains electricity for the charger to operate. This can be repositioned in one of twelve directions in accordance with your use, and in all positions, the dust port protrudes. It’s also not clear why you should need a screwdriver to reposition this – it seems a simple friction toggle would have been much easier and more practical.