I am a weekend woodworker who builds tables for sale. I primarily choose walnut and cherry with a natural edge as my species of choice. Up until recently my 4 x 24 inch sander was a porter cable. I use to call it the "beast" becasue it so aggressive. I recently chewed up the power cord with it and decided to treat my self to a new sander. After reading the reviews on Amazon I bought the Makita. Its is truely a remarkable sander. Its balance is terrific and it does not beat you up like my old Porter Cable. It gives great results and I could not be happier. If you are going to buy a "big dog" sander make it a Makita.