I love power ! This tool delivers boat loads of it. But you know what ? It doesn't sound like it. I was never able to use a belt sander before without earplugs. This one runs at only 84 Db. It's the quietest on the market. It's also the smoothest I've used. I've used all of the 4x24 sanders and the Makita just seems to do more work faster. Maybe it's the fact that it has the highest speed of any , maybe it's the high tech , powerful motor ,the efficient drive train. Whatever it is , it kicks butt . The dust collection system is also top notch. For small jobs and fine work , I prefer my Bosch 1274 dvs. It's much lighter ,compact and easy to control. For extended use or heavy sanding though , you cannot beat this tool.