bosch 5 random

1. Posted: Jul 14 2008

   I've owned this sander for over two years now and have used it on a number of projects. I'm a big fan of Bosch and own several various tools from the company. Bosch's quality is outstanding in my opinion. This sander is no exception. I chose the 5" over the larger 6" because the slightly smaller size is more appropriate for general purpose work on furniture (again, my opinion). This slightly smaller sander is a little lighter and easier to manage. The 6" is nice if you're working on large projects, but is unnecessarily large for most of my woodworking needs. As other's have said, no RO sander will do everything, a smaller detail sander is still necessary for corners, etc. But for general use, this sander is exceptional. The variable speed is a must have for controlling the rate of removal and comes in very handy when working on sensitive areas. It is ergonomically comfortable to use with well designed handles. The canister dust collection is outstanding, although it must be cleaned often while using or it will start backing up and its effectiveness becomes considerably diminished. There is an available adapter for connection to a vacuum, which of course enables superior dust collection, but for all but large projects or constant use, the canister works just fine. Bottom Line: I have several sanders and this is the one I always reach for first. I highly recommend it.

2. ( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Dec 6 2007

   This is actually a review I wrote for the Bosch planer. But as I already had written a previous review It would not allow a 2nd one. So I am writing it here. I think some of these reviews are fake. After cmy problems with this planer I noticed that some of the other reviews were so glowing. so I clicked on " Ted Peterson". Surprise, surprise. He has made 8 reviews. All 8 were Bosch products!! All 8 were rated 5 star!! And all 8 were gushy in their praising of Bosch perfection. All 8 repeatedly mentioned the Bosh name and could not find ONE bad thing to mention in the performance of 11 tools. Have you ever bought 11 perfect tools? Same for " Skip Morris". 9 reviews. 9 Bosch tools ( and nothing else). Nine 5 star reviews. Nine Bosch love affairs. I think they work for Bosch.

3. ( 4 of 5 found this review helpful ) Posted: May 20 2006

   This sander touts itself to be ready for the toughest job, but after replacing the pad and having the main center bolt break after slightly over a year of use in a sign shop this sander comes up very short. I was dissapointed in this being a Bosch product and have recently purchased the Rigid 5" sander which is superior in every way, less vibration, smoother & quicker results, a carrying case, extra pad, sanding discs and other extras.

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1. Posted: Jul 27 2008

   I have to disagree with the glowing reviews of the sander. My previous sander was a Dewalt and I decided to replace it as I was getting a large number of swirl marks from it with the very hard woods that I like to work with (Wenge, Bloodwood, Purpleheart and so on). I bought this sander on the strengths of the reviews as a replacement, and overall it has not performed as well as the Dewalt. Part of that seems to be design and part that it is just not the right tool for the application. Strengths: 1. This is a very powerful sander. The motor does not break a sweat on anything. 2. The "fast removal" mode lives up to its name... it's very rapid. 3. Seems to work adequately as a polisher, though attempts to use it like this have always resulted in swirls in the finish. That could be user error though. Weaknesses: 1. Intense vibration. You need to have some good vibration absorbing gloves on when using this sander, and long term this kind of vibration is no good for your hands. I worked on the assembly line doing spot welding and I know long term what vibration does to your hands. It's terrible. 2. The same strong motor that doesn't flinch at anything can cause the sander to dance over the surface if the sandpaper grabs instead of gliding. The "fast removal" mode can throw the sander out of balance so that it wobbles and jumps all over the place. Small workpieces need to be clamped in place or else the sander can spin them on the bench. Surfaces that are not perfectly flat cause imbalanced friction on the disk and that can cause some of the jumping around. You need two hands on this, and a firm but light touch at all times. This is in contrast with a smaller, lighter sander that will glide. 3. Regular sanding mode doesn't feel like, in spite of the power of the sander, to remove material any quicker than a smaller, less powerful unit. In combination with the two handed use and the constant threat of the sander jumping, it seems to be a net negative as a tool. 4. "Swirl Free Finish" once again does not live up to its promise. Everyone promises this but few deliver. I think this is really highly dependent on the kind of material you're working with. So overall for myself, I think a lighter less powerful unit would have been the better choice.

2. Posted: Feb 8 2008

   I have used many tools in my 30 years of carpentry and the Bosch 1250 sander is one of the best hand tools I have ever used. Great ergonomics, low vibration, super non orbit mode, etc. etc. If your in the market for a dustless random orbit sander, I would highly recommend this one. I also have a Fein 8 inch Random Orbit sander and the Bosch is a much more comfortable tool to use. I use the Bosch over the Fein 9 times out of ten.

3. Posted: Dec 18 2007

   Having read an assortment of reviews about an assortment of DA sanders, I went with the Bosch 120DEVS. The project is sanding the hull of an 80' steel sailboat. This machine is unbelievable - it allows me to remove 2 thick layers of badly orange peeled paint with speed and precision on the stock removal setting. It is at least 1/3 faster than the 6" Rigid and Porter Cable machines that I was using. Until you get the hang of where to lean on it to "steer", it can be a handful. Fortunately, it has a very predictable motion and you can lean a little bit at different points as you sand to steer. You can also slow the motor down if it's to aggressive. It is just about completely dustless on flat surfaces with the vacuum connected. Noting comments that the vacuum attachment doesn't fit (very unBosch!) I opted to use hose gotten at the hardware store. The motor is very smooth and reasonably quiet, you can lean into it without bogging the motor down. I have not used the fine setting extensively yet, but some test pieces lead me to believe that it will do fine work as well as it removes stock. The stock pad is very high quality and the motor is sealed from dust. I expect to get many years of sanding from this machine. It almost makes sanding fun.

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1. Posted: Aug 26 2008

   I bought 2 of these mainly for the name I had not used one before. 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. the sanding pad for some reason only cuts at the edge of the pad. It is like the pad is cupped it also vibrates more than the Makita or Dewalt I have used. I won't buy this brand again.

2. Posted: Aug 14 2008

   When I had decided to become a woodworking hobbyist, I spent about 6+ months doing nothing but review tools. 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.) Although it has only been a few things I have built, I have used all the tools I purchased. One of those tools is the Bosch 1295DVSK Random Orbital Sander. 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 sander does have a slight wobble when you initially start it up - this could potentially damage a fine piece of wood. Bosch does sell softer sanding pads that would help minimize this effect. 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. If you use it frequently, buy the optional vacuum attachment and hook that up. 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?? Don't be afraid to use a little elbow grease...But I digress... This tool has more positive than negative. 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. 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. 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

3. Posted: Jun 7 2008

   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. THIS IS A GREAT ALTERNATIVE.

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