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I bought the Bosch belt sander because, at the time, it had the best warranty. It eventually died (smoke poured out of the motor)and I replaced it with a Makita sander, a very robust and dependable unit. I'd let it cool down and go at it again.
I thought that I'd go through at least two of these sanders. I later found out that this sander is good for more delicate work. I planned to sand all the peeling paint off my 1 1/2 story clapboard house and repaint it.
To my surprise, I completed the job and the original Bosch sander was still working good as new. I bought the belts by the case and spent several weeks sanding the house. I'd run this thing until it overheated and stopped.
I have more control and it seems to lay flatter. Over all, I'd prefer the Bosch for finer finishing work and ease of use.
Odds are good that port's going to clog up on you in a big hurry, too. What's worse is that 3" belts don't quite cover the entire thing, so after about 10 minutes worth of usage you'll have worn a groove into it that leaves you with a 1/8" strip on the side sitting flush with the belt itself. While it is pretty light, this model just has too many design issues to be worth the premium lifestyle brand price.For starters, the dust bag is awful and the sander would be better off without it. In this price range, I expect to get a tool that's going to last several years, but this is one part that is very obviously going to break much sooner than that. I have no doubt that this would have eventually resulted in something very bad happening had I decided to keep it.If it were maybe half the current price, I'd consider it a viable contender as I do like the weight, the flat platen, and the flat top, but I'm going to have to go with the Makita on this one. Next up is the tension release lever--it's plastic. This wears down very, very quickly and you're going to have to special order replacements.
I knew that you could.Lastly, the handle bugged me. There is absolutely nothing on either the dust port or the bag itself that is capable of creating a seal, so you invariably end up with a steady stream of dust shooting right into your face no matter how much you tighten that little screw. Can you say ugly black streaks everywhere. Not that ultra sturdy kind of plastic they make milk crates and flight cases out of that lasts forever, but the cheap kind that goes brittle as it outgasses. Frankly, it feels like it's going to snap off every time you use it.Then there's the little graphite pad they put over the platen. There's no good way to pick this thing up (or set it down) without accidentally bumping the trigger. If plastic and "good enough" performance are your cup of tea, Ryobi's even cheaper.
Oh I purchased the the fence and stand for the sander, well worth the money. Of course I've learned to allow for this and now I don't pick it up as I would other power tools.Oh.
The wood is all yellow Pine so far. I purchased this Bosch belt sander to sand base boards and other trim.
My only complaint is the power trigger is located such that when you pick up the tool your finger depresses the trigger and so starts the sander. I like the smooth running of the belt and the sander doesn't seem to work hard.
I will be sanding Oak trim in the future and that might work the sander, if it doesn't work as well on Oak I'll be posting another opinion. I own other Bosch power tools, router, power hand saw, and found them to be well made too.
I look forward to using this sander for years to come.Larry
The controls are easy to use and the belt tracks true. The Bosch belt sander is the best money I have spent in a long time. It runs smoothly, but powerfully. It removes material much better than the other sanders that I have. I recommend it very highly.
This will become one of my favorites. It's well designed, comfortable and easy to use, very powerful, and feels like it will last. If you plan on using this on glue-ups, invest a little more and get the sanding frame. And most surprisingly, the dust bag really works.
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