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I had a 5" Ryobi ROS for several years. The Bosch was so much easier to control, it didn't walk, and the vibration was far less.
It leaves a silky smooth finish on my projects. More importantly, the results were outstanding.
I have only used two ROS in my shop. I purchased the Bosch and could not believe the difference.
I am very hapy with my ROS's performance and price. This is a comparison of those for fairness.
After the bag developed a hole in it and the pad came loose several times, I needed a new ROS.
The other problem is durability- in just over a year, I've replaced the hook and loop pad three times, and now the bearing for the orbit action has gone out, and the pad wobbles instead of sanding flat, resulting in a poor finish , and lots of vibration and torque. I own a lot of bosch tools, but I feel like I've been throwing money and parts at this thing since I bought it. I chose this sander based on a top review from fine woodworking, and as a woodworker, cabinetmaker and finish carpenter, my sanders get a fair amount of use. And you can't replace the bearing without replacing the entire fan/spinning assembly. I just replaced it with a makita, and the dust collection is superb. I like how it feels in my hand, most RO sanders are too big on top- unfortunately, that's about the only good thing I can say about it. The dust collector has never worked- I can sand all day, and barely anything makes it into the canister- my old dewalt with a cloth bag worked much better.
the sanding pad for some reason only cuts at the edge of the pad. I bought 2 of these mainly for the name I had not used one before. I won't buy this brand again. It is like the pad is cupped it also vibrates more than the Makita or Dewalt I have used. Not very happy with it. The dust canister leaks like a seive.It is pretty much useless for dust collection and it is hard to get the latches to stay closed and it falls off sometimes.
When I had decided to become a woodworking hobbyist, I spent about 6+ months doing nothing but review tools. Bosch does sell softer sanding pads that would help minimize this effect. Although it has only been a few things I have built, I have used all the tools I purchased. I can tell already, with minimal use, that some of the negative things said in other reviews are true but then again so are most the positives.
The on/off switch is easy to reach, the sander feels good in the hands, and the variable speed makes working with different woods possible. The dust "bag"/filter isn't all that it's cracked up to be but then again, there aren't many tools that have a great catch all dust bag - filter system. The sander also doesn't make good use of the center of the sandpaper with its "nickel-sized" hole and I could see it ripping out on corners but honestly, who would use a power tool like this to sand/round edges or corners and expect good results either on your work piece or your equipment. If you are looking for a good quality ROS that will give you above average results that is not going to break the bank then buy the Bosch 1295DVSK. Don't be afraid to use a little elbow grease.But I digress.This tool has more positive than negative. My goal was simple: find quality tools that I could learn with, make decent furniture with, would last me at least a couple years while I learned, and most importantly would not break the bank.I am still learning, I don't have a couple years under my (or my tools) belt yet, and I have build a few projects (mostly shop items).
If you use it frequently, buy the optional vacuum attachment and hook that up. If you are doing this for a living or working in your shop 30+ hours a week then buy the Festool Rotex RO 150 FEQ.for $475 One of those tools is the Bosch 1295DVSK Random Orbital Sander. The sander does have a slight wobble when you initially start it up - this could potentially damage a fine piece of wood.
THIS IS A GREAT ALTERNATIVE. Only sander that actually has great dust control that doesn't cost hundreds of dollars. Just keep the pleated filter clean with your air compressor and dump the dust after every project.The only better sander would be the festool ones with powered vac to match but I can't justify that for my shop.
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