I purchased this model at a department store last summer, when I began painting my 60 year old, wooden sided home. I wanted a power tool to help take some of the work out of the surface prep job. I scraping by hand, and followed up by using the sander to smooth the surface. It worked wonders, producing a paper smooth finish on the bare wood and old paint that remained. Being so lightweight, it was a pleasure to use, especially up on the ladder. Actually, it made the job fun. This Makita sander has plenty of power. It did not bog down, and the dust bag is a great feature. I can't wait to use it in the county 4H youth summer camp woodworking class I teach every year. One point I must make, however; I used a genaric brand hook and loop type sanding pads. They did a great job, but after a time, the fabric side of the pads would fray before the sanding side was used up, and the pad would come off during use, sailing away like a Frisbee. This happened several times. So, beware!!  Next time, I'll use genuine Makita brand sanding pads.