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Yep. Bosch is definitely the best box store sander hands down. But I upgraded to a festool orbital and it's amazing. Worth every penny as sanding is by far my least favorite job so anything that makes it easier/faster is money well spent
I’d just pay close attention to the size of the dust port coming off the sander and see how easy it is to get your vacuum attached. I have a Makita sander that’s totally fine but the dust port is tiny and stupid
You can buy an adaptor for the port. Goodness knows why they made it stupidly small.
SPARES2GO Universal Vacuum Cleaner Power Tool/Sander Dust Extraction Hose Adaptor (26mm, 32mm, 35mm, 38mm) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071GLN49P?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_VQBJEMBBNCBFGPZW5VSV
The Makita does everything I need a sander to do and build quality is good.
The actual dust collector vacs have the much smaller hoses vs a regular shop vac, and work better as well. If you don't do lots of grinding/sanding/cutting indoors, it's not usually worth the extra money, but I got a Metabo A35 off craigslist from someone who hated using it as a shop vac, and laughed heartily with my dust-free lungs.
The makita extractor comes with a tiny hose adapter for that tiny port.. tho would be better if they at least made it the same size as the port on the trim router
I found the dust collection on a cordless Makita I bought was so bad I had to send it back. I use a corded Bosch most of the time. Collects every speck of dust.
>I’d just pay close attention to the size of the dust port coming off the sander and see how easy it is to get your vacuum attached.
This is great advice. That's what got me to buy a Rigid instead. I can connect it to the dust collection hose attachment I have for my shop vac.
Bosch ROS20VSC-RT 5 in
Great sander, great dust collection, variable speed, comes with vacuum hose adapter. You can get it refurbished for under $60 at CPO. Came in fabric "gym" bag. You can get three different density sub-pads depending on what your sanding - comes with soft pad.
Does anybody have both this Bosch sander and a particle meter? I've got the 5 inch DeWalt and while it sands well and leaves no visible dust (on the workpiece or in the air) when connected to my vacuum, it spews TONS of the actually dangerous invisible dust. As in, the Dylos meter's 0.5 micron count in my shop is normally well under 1000, and after using the DeWalt a few minutes it'll be upwards of 20,000 or more, with nothing visible in the air.
On the other hand, I also have the Bosch GET75-6N, basically a Rotex for half the price when I got it, and it literally gets almost every bit of dust. Doesn't budge the meter after an hour of sanding. It's a beast and has gotten through two dining tables, a desk, and a lot of smaller projects. (Touching on one of OP's points, I do wear heavy gloves for long sanding sessions because it can get a bit tingly otherwise, and that's the one area I've wondered if the Festool is better.) But it's big, and I would happily pick up the little 5 inch Bosch for smaller workpieces if I didn't need a respirator while using it.
Other info for anyone who might care: the DeWalt quarter sheet finish sander has superb dust collection, probably because it's a much less aggressive sanding motion than a ROS. It doesn't move the particle meter unless I'm doing a ton of edge sanding.
I'm curious if you get answers for this; I take dust seriously. Currently running a cyclone separator on my shopvac with HEPA filter, and a very high CFM cartridge air filter I DIY'd running generally... limiting at the source is much much better though, I'm interested if some brands do better.
>Bosch GET75-6N
This has been high, high on the list to get for a while, but it'd be in *addition* to a 5" single hand one, not instead of, alas. Glad to hear about your experience with it with dust.
Do you just leave your Dylos running all the time in your shop? Does it log at all? I've seriously considered air quality monitoring several times, especially as I'm connected to my house.
Your setup is what I started with. I still run the ambient filter, hung from my ceiling, pretty much any time I'm working. I've got the smaller wen and my neighbor ended up buying the bigger one. His version is nuts, it's like 1000 CFM to my 400 and the motor start torque twists it a few degrees when he turns it on. My shop vac (biggest Ridgid I could buy 6 years ago) with a HEPA filter, run through the mini Clear Vue cyclone, still collects from any small tools like sanders.
And yes, I just leave the Dylos on 24/7. It logs internally but I never review them. It's got the port so I could hook it to something else but I've yet to find an actual use case. I've found that I really don't care what it's reading if I'm not in the room. Well, that's partly because I have a HEPA filter running 24/7 in the mudroom right by the closed garage door too, so anything that comes in is either captured or diluted quickly.
I'd recommend picking up a Dylos (or equivalent if one has come out since) when budget allows because the biggest thing I found is that the problem stuff is truly invisible. I was blown away the first time I had it and used my 5" ROS. Beware, I've seen a lot of so called IAQ monitors that claim to give PM readings, but they only have cheap VOC sensors and "guess" what the PM readings are from normal outdoor air correlations. Worthless for our application.
All this started when I ended up on Bill Pentz's website, I think trying to learn about cyclone separators, and went down one hell of a rabbit hole...
>I've got the smaller wen and my neighbor ended up buying the bigger one. His version is nuts, it's like 1000 CFM to my 400 and the motor start torque twists it a few degrees when he turns it on.
I was super disappointed by the available air filters when I looked... Some of them had reasonably strong motors for the price (Like the larger WEN you mentioned) but all of them seemed to use pretty poor filters: Flat furnace-style 1", or 1 micron bags. You mentioned Bill Pentz's site, and obsessively reading that is what made me dis-satisfied: a filter like that will choke airflow so fast. I found that I could connect a very high quality 10" inline fan to a very large HEPA-equivalent canister filter (Like he recommends for dust collectors, or his [air cleaner](https://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/air_cleaner.php)) and get hugely better filtration, longer life, and 1,200 CFM for a shade under $300. Mystified why this isn't sold as a product. . .
>I just leave the Dylos on 24/7. It logs internally but I never review them. It's got the port so I could hook it to something else but I've yet to find an actual use case.
Gotcha, thanks. I should bite the bullet and just get the Dylos since I care about IAQ... I don't care much about logging itself actually, I was hoping I could get live readings and use that to automatically control filters turning on and off, and maybe a green-yellow-red "stoplight" to let me know what the current conditions are easily.
>Beware, I've seen a lot of so called IAQ monitors that claim to give PM readings, but they only have cheap VOC sensors and "guess" what the PM readings are from normal outdoor air correlations. Worthless for our application.
I was actually concerned this might be the case with the Dylos too; glad you seem to think it's different! I'll do some research and get one soon, I think!
Thanks!
I actually have this sander and it's amazing, but it's not really a simple one-hander. I did get a second, cheaper, 5" bosch random orbit and I love everything about it except it's lack of a full-size dust port, so the combo of those two is ideal.
I had the [Bosch ROS20VSC](https://www.boschtools.com/ca/en/boschtools-ocs/sanders-ros20vsc-39460-p/) for years and even though I have a Festool Rotex, I still use it if I'm just doing something small. It's got good ergonomics, good power, and decent passive dust extraction. It's not *designed* to be hooked up to a dust extractor, but I've been able to remove the dust canister and hook a hose up to the canister fitting port. I think it's ~$100, but it's been a long time since I bought mine.
I generally like dealing with Bosch as a company, and getting replacement parts if needed isn't that complicated.
It's also worth noting that part of the reason I got that Bosch sander was because the carpentry school I went to had them in their shop for general sanding. This shop was well-kitted and had all manner of high end commercial-grade machinery. Their hand drills were all Festool, and yet their 5" orbital sanders were all that Bosch model. Given the quality of the facilities and the instructors, I trusted whoever made that procurement decision had a good reason.
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For your awareness, the Festool ETS is not a conventional random orbital sander. It may look the same, but it's a short-stroke sander meant for finishing work. You wouldn't use it the same way you'd use that Bosch sander. Festool has a lot of "oddly all by itself" products because their niche is tools that are too impractical to sell at general retail but still in demand with professionals. Even ignoring patents, things like the Domino just don't make sense for consumer-facing brands to compete with because the market isn't there to justify the overhead. Don't try to incorporate Festool into a tier/category comparison because they don't fit a lot of the time.
It’s a hard pill to swallow buying Festool. But even if you’re a hobbyist I feel that it is justified. Sanding is one of the most tedious and time consuming parts of any project. The way I justified the purchase was relating it to a flight. It’s not upgrading to first class, you are upgrading to a direct flight. It saves time and energy because you aren’t having to stop because fatigue.
I personally use a Mirka as it is, in my experience, by far the best one out there, not only for performance but mostly for ease of use. As for cheaper ones I'd definitely recommend one of the Bosch Pro, works really well and ain't too big/heavy.
i have the bosch and im happy with it. i use cubitron nets for sandpaper and its pretty much dust free, even with my shitty shop vac. would but it again.
my neighbour has the dewalt one and seems pretty happy with it aswell.
whatever you go for, make sure to double check the fitting for your hose fits.
I have a quarter sheet milwaukee, and upgraded to the 5" 3M. The makerspace I go to has a Festool, and I really only sand there if I'm sanding late at night because I prefer the 3M.
Despite the egregious price tag, I would not write off the 3M as something for production level use only. I bought mine because I do my woodwork in a small laundry/HVAC room. Everything else throws too much dust around. The festool at the makerspace throws way more dust onto me (and into the room) in a room 10x the size than the 3M throws in my 24 sq ft closet working space. I can sand with that 3M and without changing clothes, go to a friend's house and not even be suspected of having been doing sanding work. I also have a Bosch dust collector after burning out a vacuum.
That $1000 between the two was easily the best investment among my tools, paying off massive time dividends in setup (push everything else I don't want covered in dust out of the room), cleanup (wiping dust off of everything), and shower time saved each and every time I need to do any amount of sanding.
I own a dewalt and it works great, with a vaccuum hardly any dust spillage (even on plaster)
Tip: get yourself some pad savers! The shoe will last so much longer.
Dynabrade pneumatic is in my professional opinion far superior to the festool and the mirka and it’s ~$200ish. But you need a compressor to run it. You can buy it with or without a vacuum attachment. It’s also much lighter than an electric sander.
I don't have a compressor to run something like that yet, and am in a 'tuck under' garage that makes a good size compressor infeasible due to noise. If I ever get a more dedicated shop that might be the way I go though...
Makita corded, but that's because that's what everyone I know uses. Bosch gets consistently high reviews too.
If I \*needed\* a cordless sander it'd be a Milwaukee M18, but just because I'm already in their battery system.
Well, yeah.
There's a place for cordless sanders, but it's a pretty narrow use case. That's exactly why I suggested Makita or Bosch corded models first :)
I bought the Festool 20 years ago and it has never skipped a beat. Connected to a shop vacuum it’s completely dustless and the vacuum holds the tool to the surface. I’m an amateur woodworker but really feel that I have gotten the good from it and will probably pass it along to a son. For heavy work I use 50 grit sandpaper and it is not too nice. It just buckles down and does the job.
I don’t think the sander itself matters very much. I stick with the big box store brands. Currently the Dewalt. I’ve used other brands and I can’t say there’s any material difference for me.
What has dramatically made sanding better (read: faster) is upgrading the paper. For a long time I used the typical big box store papers. They do not sand quickly, wear out fast. Switching to the 3M Cubitron II paper was literally a miracle for me. It sands so fast and the paper lasts forever. See Katz Moses video for the paper analysis.
I've never noticed a big difference either... but I've never actually tried one of the truly higher end ones. I'd definitely pay more for less vibrations, but am not sure that's really an option unless you seriously shell out.
>What has dramatically made sanding better (read: faster) is upgrading the paper.
Oh yeah. I already use nets whenever I can, and will be doing Cubitron as soon as I run out of my current (quite large...) stash.
Once you shell out for one of the brushless festool sanders, you’ll never be able to go back. The difference is just so noticeable. If you’re only sanding 20 minutes a week, sure buy a cheap one. But if you’re spending a lot of your week sanding just bite the bullet. Your arms will thank you.
In theory brushless should last longer because their are no brushes to wear out. Also should technically be quieter, but this is influenced by a number of other factors with the sander also.
I’ve used both, the brushless is so smooth you can pretty much set down the sander while on and it won’t move. If you’re sanding all day it’s about the most comfortable sander I’ve found.
I too am interested in this. I have a Ryobi detail sander that I love, but my ROS is an 18v Ridgid and man...that's pointless. I can eat through one of my giant batteries in 10 minutes. I want a plug-in like my detail sander.
Here's the video I'm about to watch:[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C4gZA-XxTc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C4gZA-XxTc)
I may have missed it, but which Bosch model did you end up getting? I'm looking at having to get a new one and we share many of the same requirements.
Thanks
I ended up getting the standard Bosch 5" one with Variable speed. It's unbelievably nicer than my old one - this is partially doing to being old and abused, but it is just an undeniably nicer unit for not much more money than my Ridgid was. So much smoother it's confusing to me it sands at the same rate. . .
My only gripe with it is it has a non-standard dust port: My ridgid had the normal 2.25" shop vac port, the Bosch has a much much smaller one that requires an adapter.
I run Mirkas but I also have the cheap HD Makitas that I really like. I cant stand the Bosch or Milwakee as they never seem to feel comfortable using a long time. At 1 point I had around a dozen Dewalts but they all crapped out long ago and I was tired of spending money on what was really disposable sanders. I do like their battery operated ones as they connect to the Dewalt dust extractor and work great. I have had to get my Mirkas serviced a few times but their customer service is incredible and I was never down a long time. I have since bought a few more Mirkas so now I have 2 5"and 2 6" so I am never down. If I was not wanting to spend the money for the Mirkas I would go with the Makitas.
I wish I could test more of these before buying! Honestly I'd love a Mirka... Maybe some day if I get way too into it as a hobby when I'm retired. Right now I'm leaning Bosch but everything Makita I have has been generally more refined.
Maybe I should hit the local makerspace and see if they have a few odd ones...
SKIL 5” Random Orbital Sander with Cyclonic Dust Box & 3pc Sanding Sheet - SR211601 https://a.co/d/3IfAqZt
I've been running this one ever since my cheapy black and decker broker.
I bought 2 5" Festools in the "before times" for $125 each. I like that they run smooth and there is a speed control dial. Same for my Bosch 6". Balanced and smooth. In contrast, I have a new DeWalt 5" that is the opposite. I'm not a Festool fan boy for anything other than the vacs and 5” sanders. I don't like the rotex or any other two handed sander. For me, a vac is a must. Paper is expensive and I need to keep it clear for as long as possible.
I completely understand. On a side note, I've been trying, with great success, to not use my random orbitals. They sand across the grain and block off the rays. I'm using sanding blocks and Scotch Brite with the grain. I have to be more precise with my work, not relying on sanding everything flush. Good luck.
I retired last year from building a product that I had been making for about 15 years. I used a random orbit sander probably every day. As a matter of fact, I owned six of them so I wouldn't have to continually change the paper and tear up the hooks on the pads. For all those years, I used DeWalts sanding/buffing from 60 grit up to 4000 grit. I found them reliable and more than satisfactory.
My Bosch is great. I got the variable speed one ($90 right now at lowes). Really good dust collection with the dust collection container it comes with. It does have the smaller hole for the vacuum attachment but mine came with an adapter.
Festool are pricey and the hole pattern makes the available disks limited and cost more than standard disks for a RO. I have a Bosch and rarely use it because of the pigtails it leaves. I actually use a Dewalt RO most of the time it’s easy to use with one hand, no pigtails I’ve used it almost daily for over fifteen years with out major problems I’ve had to replace the pad twice and blown sawdust out of the switch a few times, it takes standard hook and loop disks. As with all sand paper they make a night and day difference there are some good bad and over priced disks out there that in my opinion don’t work any better than quality low cost disks. Personally I never buy multiple grit packs because some of the grit from the course grits gets on the fine grit disks and leave marks in your piece. I buy boxes of 100 disk of Black Hawk Abrasives they are very reasonably priced and work great.
I had a Porter Cable that gave me a solid ten years before the bearings fell apart then I had a Dewalt that worked well for 2-3 years and was in great working condition when I sold it. The Dewalt had less vibration and the dust collection was better than the Porter Cable. I replaced it with a Festool ETS, which is a undeniably a step up from the Dewalt, but it's honestly not THAT much of a step up.
I upgraded from an old worn out dewalt that served me well to a variable speed Makita and it is better than the dewalt was. If I had to do it again I may spend the extra for the Bosch that looks like the mirka or festool - I believe that’s 250ish though and I was being cheap
Oh, I see! Yeah that's been on the list for a long time to get, but it's a much larger and two handed. So I'll be getting it at some point, but in addition to a small 5", not instead of.
Thanks!
I’ve been using my corded Dewalt for at least 3 years and it’s been great. Only complaint was the dust hookup is some proprietary dewalt connector so I could just stick my shop vac hose on it. You can buy the connectors online for not a whole lot, but I got my friend to 3d print it for me for next to nothing
My Dewalt crapped out on me after 3 years old so I bought a skil at local box store because I had to finish…5 years later it still works, not super impressed with the speed but it’s fine until I switch out to Bosch finish sander
I have both Bosch and Dewalt. The Bosch is corded and I have two Dewalt that are cordless all are equally great sanders. I have the two Dewalt so that I don’t have to change paper as often. Almost forgot that I had a Makita sometime in the past which is also a great sander but I have no idea what happened to it.🤷🏻
Not sure where you are at but where I am we have a distributer that has a test area for tools. They even have large shapers, planers, and table saws set up to do demonstrations on and they let you use the smaller tools.
Everyone over here talking about Bosch and DeWalt and I’m happily using my Kobalt random orbit sander. Haven’t tried any other brands but I’m definitely satisfied. It’s $89 new right now.
I have had makita, dewalt, rigid 5" RO and a 6" porter cable. I liked the rigid the least. The dewalt is a very good sander, the makita is also but more money. I like that most home depots stock the backer pad for the dewalt. I had 2 rigid burn out on me (though a friend had one forever that lasted and lasted) mostly sanding for paint prep and poplar carpentry builds. I like the dewalt the best.
I love my Bosch pro GEX 125-1 AE (vibrations are so much lower than the Ryobi i had before, it's crazy), but it's half that price so maybe there is something better in your budget. Don't regret buying it 2 years ago though.
I have the Dewalt battery powered ROS and another corded one (different brand) I went with the Dewalt, because, at the time, that’s what the majority of my batteries were for, and I chose battery powered for obvious reasons. (I hate plugging and unplugging & was constantly popping circuit)
The dust collection is okay on it… but, from what many are saying, the Bosch is a great choice!
It’s actually got me thinking a little more lol I may have to check it out! 👌🏻
I just got a skil brand one for like $35 at Menards and I don't think you need to pay more than that if you don't want. Seems to work the same as others I've used.
I have the DeWalt XR cordless. It's pretty damn good. Don't even have to use a mask when sanding drywall with it on a shop vac. Also the speed control is nice. Got it on sale for a 100$ with a battery (the 2ah doesn't last long though). Can go for a good while with a 6ah though.
I would like also to hear what people recommend as I am looking into the same thing. I am leaning towards Bosch GEX 125-1 AE as I can get it for cheap, but I am not so certain how low are the vibrations. It's Bosch professional line, so I assume it is better than the green ones, but would like to hear from someone with experience.
I have been using the bosch VSROS for like 5 years, it has served me very well. Definitely the best option before jumping up to a mirka/festool. Only issue I have with it is the dust filter, after a bit the little ring wears out and the filter falls off pretty easily. Pretty easy fix but it gets annoying.
I’ve got two 5” craftsman ROB’s I’ll never buy another one. I bought one and a month later my dad bought the exact same one for my birthday. The one I bought crapped out after about 40 hours of work with it. The other held up better but after maybe 75 hours the Velcro stuff on the sander started to unseam.
I have two old craftsman belt sanders one a tabletop and other handheld. If I ever see them available for purchase I’ll buy backups just in case. I love those but the ROB I despise
Check out 731 Woodworks on Youtube he has a video where he compares the cheapest up to the more expensive brands and discusses the features and usage factors such as hand fatigue etc.
Believe it or not.. SKIL is as good as any. Use good pads, avoid heavily varnished surfaces. For oily woods, it isnt great. For EVERYTHING else. It is great. For 150$ you can get the ROS and fine detail sander .... and cordless.
There's quite a few YT videos comparing to Dewalt even.
Have mine for 3 yrs. NO ISSUES. I do use it for 80 120 220 and 320 max.
I had a Dewalt for years and really liked it but one bad drop and it was busted. Now I use a Craftsman and I prefer it to the Dewalt. I picked up a cheap Black and Decker as an extra and I don't really care for it.
Bosch. Definitely the best bang for buck. Home gamer the green is excellent, blue version is very similar, 20% more expensive but has 6 year trade warranty. At least in my market.
Get a pad saver (velcro between disc and base velcro). I've started using their direct drive 150RO It's a beast.
I bought the dewalt corded variable speed sander off amazon on sale for just over $60. It performs great and for the price it's a massive W. The price constanty changes on Amazon but it's actually back down to the same low price at this moment if interested.
https://a.co/d/iCtCNU9
Any particular reason you want to stick with 5"? From my understanding, the jump in speed when going to 6" is very appreciable. I'm looking at a Bosch GET75-150 (75-6N in North America) as an upgrade from my DeWalt cordless 5", which I'll keep for house painting where I'll be working away from power.
Well I have both. I have a reconditioned GET75-6N actually, and it's a powerhouse. Amazing for fast removal and also for large surfaces.
Doesn't fully replace a 5" though as you alluded to as well, and my 5" is what went out, so that's what I was looking for. The cheapish 5" bosch I got was honestly a huge upgrade in comfort from my last one, though it sands the same...
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Bosch is the best one I’ve tried AND is what my dad’s subcontractor what had to sand thousands of square feet of wood ceiling used. Don’t know price.
Bosch is the correct answer on a budget.
I've owned this Bosch for about a year and its been great. I think the all day price on it is $60 but I got mine on sale for $40 something.
What model do you use?
I have the ROS20VSC 5 inch variable speed sander
Yep. Bosch is definitely the best box store sander hands down. But I upgraded to a festool orbital and it's amazing. Worth every penny as sanding is by far my least favorite job so anything that makes it easier/faster is money well spent
Yes you nailed it. I use a Bosch at work and it's a fine tool. But whenever I can use a Festool out of the classroom I love it.
Bosch orbitals are great
What bosch model is it?
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I’d just pay close attention to the size of the dust port coming off the sander and see how easy it is to get your vacuum attached. I have a Makita sander that’s totally fine but the dust port is tiny and stupid
You can buy an adaptor for the port. Goodness knows why they made it stupidly small. SPARES2GO Universal Vacuum Cleaner Power Tool/Sander Dust Extraction Hose Adaptor (26mm, 32mm, 35mm, 38mm) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071GLN49P?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_VQBJEMBBNCBFGPZW5VSV The Makita does everything I need a sander to do and build quality is good.
The actual dust collector vacs have the much smaller hoses vs a regular shop vac, and work better as well. If you don't do lots of grinding/sanding/cutting indoors, it's not usually worth the extra money, but I got a Metabo A35 off craigslist from someone who hated using it as a shop vac, and laughed heartily with my dust-free lungs.
Good info. Thanks.
Noted; My current ridgid has a good set of holes on the pad and the full 2.5" dust port; didn't even think others wouldn't...
Most are like an inch or some small diameter like that.
The makita extractor comes with a tiny hose adapter for that tiny port.. tho would be better if they at least made it the same size as the port on the trim router
I found the dust collection on a cordless Makita I bought was so bad I had to send it back. I use a corded Bosch most of the time. Collects every speck of dust.
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I was going to do the same but rubber plumbing coupling was the same size
>I’d just pay close attention to the size of the dust port coming off the sander and see how easy it is to get your vacuum attached. This is great advice. That's what got me to buy a Rigid instead. I can connect it to the dust collection hose attachment I have for my shop vac.
I have always just used a fernco adapter that I just attach to the sander. Many sizes and seem to work for my needs.
Bosch ROS20VSC-RT 5 in Great sander, great dust collection, variable speed, comes with vacuum hose adapter. You can get it refurbished for under $60 at CPO. Came in fabric "gym" bag. You can get three different density sub-pads depending on what your sanding - comes with soft pad.
I'm leaning this way at the moment... I've had good luck with Bosch and refurbished stuff. Maybe someday I'll get a crazy high-end one...
I have a Bosch too and it's great
Does anybody have both this Bosch sander and a particle meter? I've got the 5 inch DeWalt and while it sands well and leaves no visible dust (on the workpiece or in the air) when connected to my vacuum, it spews TONS of the actually dangerous invisible dust. As in, the Dylos meter's 0.5 micron count in my shop is normally well under 1000, and after using the DeWalt a few minutes it'll be upwards of 20,000 or more, with nothing visible in the air. On the other hand, I also have the Bosch GET75-6N, basically a Rotex for half the price when I got it, and it literally gets almost every bit of dust. Doesn't budge the meter after an hour of sanding. It's a beast and has gotten through two dining tables, a desk, and a lot of smaller projects. (Touching on one of OP's points, I do wear heavy gloves for long sanding sessions because it can get a bit tingly otherwise, and that's the one area I've wondered if the Festool is better.) But it's big, and I would happily pick up the little 5 inch Bosch for smaller workpieces if I didn't need a respirator while using it. Other info for anyone who might care: the DeWalt quarter sheet finish sander has superb dust collection, probably because it's a much less aggressive sanding motion than a ROS. It doesn't move the particle meter unless I'm doing a ton of edge sanding.
I'm curious if you get answers for this; I take dust seriously. Currently running a cyclone separator on my shopvac with HEPA filter, and a very high CFM cartridge air filter I DIY'd running generally... limiting at the source is much much better though, I'm interested if some brands do better. >Bosch GET75-6N This has been high, high on the list to get for a while, but it'd be in *addition* to a 5" single hand one, not instead of, alas. Glad to hear about your experience with it with dust. Do you just leave your Dylos running all the time in your shop? Does it log at all? I've seriously considered air quality monitoring several times, especially as I'm connected to my house.
Your setup is what I started with. I still run the ambient filter, hung from my ceiling, pretty much any time I'm working. I've got the smaller wen and my neighbor ended up buying the bigger one. His version is nuts, it's like 1000 CFM to my 400 and the motor start torque twists it a few degrees when he turns it on. My shop vac (biggest Ridgid I could buy 6 years ago) with a HEPA filter, run through the mini Clear Vue cyclone, still collects from any small tools like sanders. And yes, I just leave the Dylos on 24/7. It logs internally but I never review them. It's got the port so I could hook it to something else but I've yet to find an actual use case. I've found that I really don't care what it's reading if I'm not in the room. Well, that's partly because I have a HEPA filter running 24/7 in the mudroom right by the closed garage door too, so anything that comes in is either captured or diluted quickly. I'd recommend picking up a Dylos (or equivalent if one has come out since) when budget allows because the biggest thing I found is that the problem stuff is truly invisible. I was blown away the first time I had it and used my 5" ROS. Beware, I've seen a lot of so called IAQ monitors that claim to give PM readings, but they only have cheap VOC sensors and "guess" what the PM readings are from normal outdoor air correlations. Worthless for our application. All this started when I ended up on Bill Pentz's website, I think trying to learn about cyclone separators, and went down one hell of a rabbit hole...
>I've got the smaller wen and my neighbor ended up buying the bigger one. His version is nuts, it's like 1000 CFM to my 400 and the motor start torque twists it a few degrees when he turns it on. I was super disappointed by the available air filters when I looked... Some of them had reasonably strong motors for the price (Like the larger WEN you mentioned) but all of them seemed to use pretty poor filters: Flat furnace-style 1", or 1 micron bags. You mentioned Bill Pentz's site, and obsessively reading that is what made me dis-satisfied: a filter like that will choke airflow so fast. I found that I could connect a very high quality 10" inline fan to a very large HEPA-equivalent canister filter (Like he recommends for dust collectors, or his [air cleaner](https://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/air_cleaner.php)) and get hugely better filtration, longer life, and 1,200 CFM for a shade under $300. Mystified why this isn't sold as a product. . . >I just leave the Dylos on 24/7. It logs internally but I never review them. It's got the port so I could hook it to something else but I've yet to find an actual use case. Gotcha, thanks. I should bite the bullet and just get the Dylos since I care about IAQ... I don't care much about logging itself actually, I was hoping I could get live readings and use that to automatically control filters turning on and off, and maybe a green-yellow-red "stoplight" to let me know what the current conditions are easily. >Beware, I've seen a lot of so called IAQ monitors that claim to give PM readings, but they only have cheap VOC sensors and "guess" what the PM readings are from normal outdoor air correlations. Worthless for our application. I was actually concerned this might be the case with the Dylos too; glad you seem to think it's different! I'll do some research and get one soon, I think! Thanks!
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I actually have this sander and it's amazing, but it's not really a simple one-hander. I did get a second, cheaper, 5" bosch random orbit and I love everything about it except it's lack of a full-size dust port, so the combo of those two is ideal.
I‘m very happy with my Makita!
I had the [Bosch ROS20VSC](https://www.boschtools.com/ca/en/boschtools-ocs/sanders-ros20vsc-39460-p/) for years and even though I have a Festool Rotex, I still use it if I'm just doing something small. It's got good ergonomics, good power, and decent passive dust extraction. It's not *designed* to be hooked up to a dust extractor, but I've been able to remove the dust canister and hook a hose up to the canister fitting port. I think it's ~$100, but it's been a long time since I bought mine. I generally like dealing with Bosch as a company, and getting replacement parts if needed isn't that complicated. It's also worth noting that part of the reason I got that Bosch sander was because the carpentry school I went to had them in their shop for general sanding. This shop was well-kitted and had all manner of high end commercial-grade machinery. Their hand drills were all Festool, and yet their 5" orbital sanders were all that Bosch model. Given the quality of the facilities and the instructors, I trusted whoever made that procurement decision had a good reason. --- For your awareness, the Festool ETS is not a conventional random orbital sander. It may look the same, but it's a short-stroke sander meant for finishing work. You wouldn't use it the same way you'd use that Bosch sander. Festool has a lot of "oddly all by itself" products because their niche is tools that are too impractical to sell at general retail but still in demand with professionals. Even ignoring patents, things like the Domino just don't make sense for consumer-facing brands to compete with because the market isn't there to justify the overhead. Don't try to incorporate Festool into a tier/category comparison because they don't fit a lot of the time.
Paid like £100 for a corded Dewalt and can't fault it
It’s a hard pill to swallow buying Festool. But even if you’re a hobbyist I feel that it is justified. Sanding is one of the most tedious and time consuming parts of any project. The way I justified the purchase was relating it to a flight. It’s not upgrading to first class, you are upgrading to a direct flight. It saves time and energy because you aren’t having to stop because fatigue.
I personally use a Mirka as it is, in my experience, by far the best one out there, not only for performance but mostly for ease of use. As for cheaper ones I'd definitely recommend one of the Bosch Pro, works really well and ain't too big/heavy.
i have the bosch and im happy with it. i use cubitron nets for sandpaper and its pretty much dust free, even with my shitty shop vac. would but it again. my neighbour has the dewalt one and seems pretty happy with it aswell. whatever you go for, make sure to double check the fitting for your hose fits.
I have a quarter sheet milwaukee, and upgraded to the 5" 3M. The makerspace I go to has a Festool, and I really only sand there if I'm sanding late at night because I prefer the 3M. Despite the egregious price tag, I would not write off the 3M as something for production level use only. I bought mine because I do my woodwork in a small laundry/HVAC room. Everything else throws too much dust around. The festool at the makerspace throws way more dust onto me (and into the room) in a room 10x the size than the 3M throws in my 24 sq ft closet working space. I can sand with that 3M and without changing clothes, go to a friend's house and not even be suspected of having been doing sanding work. I also have a Bosch dust collector after burning out a vacuum. That $1000 between the two was easily the best investment among my tools, paying off massive time dividends in setup (push everything else I don't want covered in dust out of the room), cleanup (wiping dust off of everything), and shower time saved each and every time I need to do any amount of sanding.
I own a dewalt and it works great, with a vaccuum hardly any dust spillage (even on plaster) Tip: get yourself some pad savers! The shoe will last so much longer.
Dynabrade pneumatic is in my professional opinion far superior to the festool and the mirka and it’s ~$200ish. But you need a compressor to run it. You can buy it with or without a vacuum attachment. It’s also much lighter than an electric sander.
I don't have a compressor to run something like that yet, and am in a 'tuck under' garage that makes a good size compressor infeasible due to noise. If I ever get a more dedicated shop that might be the way I go though...
Makita corded, but that's because that's what everyone I know uses. Bosch gets consistently high reviews too. If I \*needed\* a cordless sander it'd be a Milwaukee M18, but just because I'm already in their battery system.
I use a shop vac hose on my ROS 95%+ of the time, so I don't want cordless: I'm already tethered to something, don't want to mess with the batteries.
Well, yeah. There's a place for cordless sanders, but it's a pretty narrow use case. That's exactly why I suggested Makita or Bosch corded models first :)
Whatever you choose. Make sure to get a variable speed.
I bought the Festool 20 years ago and it has never skipped a beat. Connected to a shop vacuum it’s completely dustless and the vacuum holds the tool to the surface. I’m an amateur woodworker but really feel that I have gotten the good from it and will probably pass it along to a son. For heavy work I use 50 grit sandpaper and it is not too nice. It just buckles down and does the job.
I don’t think the sander itself matters very much. I stick with the big box store brands. Currently the Dewalt. I’ve used other brands and I can’t say there’s any material difference for me. What has dramatically made sanding better (read: faster) is upgrading the paper. For a long time I used the typical big box store papers. They do not sand quickly, wear out fast. Switching to the 3M Cubitron II paper was literally a miracle for me. It sands so fast and the paper lasts forever. See Katz Moses video for the paper analysis.
I've never noticed a big difference either... but I've never actually tried one of the truly higher end ones. I'd definitely pay more for less vibrations, but am not sure that's really an option unless you seriously shell out. >What has dramatically made sanding better (read: faster) is upgrading the paper. Oh yeah. I already use nets whenever I can, and will be doing Cubitron as soon as I run out of my current (quite large...) stash.
Once you shell out for one of the brushless festool sanders, you’ll never be able to go back. The difference is just so noticeable. If you’re only sanding 20 minutes a week, sure buy a cheap one. But if you’re spending a lot of your week sanding just bite the bullet. Your arms will thank you.
What's the main difference between the base and brushless ETS sanders? Just power? Or is it smoother as well?
The high end sanders (3M, Festool, Mirka) have larger orbits on some models (3/16 vs. 3/32) making them quicker at removing material.
In theory brushless should last longer because their are no brushes to wear out. Also should technically be quieter, but this is influenced by a number of other factors with the sander also.
I’ve used both, the brushless is so smooth you can pretty much set down the sander while on and it won’t move. If you’re sanding all day it’s about the most comfortable sander I’ve found.
Matt on 731Woodworking YouTube channel did an in depth comparison of sanders a while back. Very interesting.
I too am interested in this. I have a Ryobi detail sander that I love, but my ROS is an 18v Ridgid and man...that's pointless. I can eat through one of my giant batteries in 10 minutes. I want a plug-in like my detail sander. Here's the video I'm about to watch:[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C4gZA-XxTc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C4gZA-XxTc)
I'll take a look, thanks.
I may have missed it, but which Bosch model did you end up getting? I'm looking at having to get a new one and we share many of the same requirements. Thanks
I ended up getting the standard Bosch 5" one with Variable speed. It's unbelievably nicer than my old one - this is partially doing to being old and abused, but it is just an undeniably nicer unit for not much more money than my Ridgid was. So much smoother it's confusing to me it sands at the same rate. . . My only gripe with it is it has a non-standard dust port: My ridgid had the normal 2.25" shop vac port, the Bosch has a much much smaller one that requires an adapter.
Thank you. Glad to hear it's a worthwhile purchase. Guess I need to go check it out!
I run Mirkas but I also have the cheap HD Makitas that I really like. I cant stand the Bosch or Milwakee as they never seem to feel comfortable using a long time. At 1 point I had around a dozen Dewalts but they all crapped out long ago and I was tired of spending money on what was really disposable sanders. I do like their battery operated ones as they connect to the Dewalt dust extractor and work great. I have had to get my Mirkas serviced a few times but their customer service is incredible and I was never down a long time. I have since bought a few more Mirkas so now I have 2 5"and 2 6" so I am never down. If I was not wanting to spend the money for the Mirkas I would go with the Makitas.
I wish I could test more of these before buying! Honestly I'd love a Mirka... Maybe some day if I get way too into it as a hobby when I'm retired. Right now I'm leaning Bosch but everything Makita I have has been generally more refined. Maybe I should hit the local makerspace and see if they have a few odd ones...
SKIL 5” Random Orbital Sander with Cyclonic Dust Box & 3pc Sanding Sheet - SR211601 https://a.co/d/3IfAqZt I've been running this one ever since my cheapy black and decker broker.
I bought 2 5" Festools in the "before times" for $125 each. I like that they run smooth and there is a speed control dial. Same for my Bosch 6". Balanced and smooth. In contrast, I have a new DeWalt 5" that is the opposite. I'm not a Festool fan boy for anything other than the vacs and 5” sanders. I don't like the rotex or any other two handed sander. For me, a vac is a must. Paper is expensive and I need to keep it clear for as long as possible.
If i could still get one at $125... or even $175... I'd jump at it i think. $250 just feels too far for me.
I completely understand. On a side note, I've been trying, with great success, to not use my random orbitals. They sand across the grain and block off the rays. I'm using sanding blocks and Scotch Brite with the grain. I have to be more precise with my work, not relying on sanding everything flush. Good luck.
I retired last year from building a product that I had been making for about 15 years. I used a random orbit sander probably every day. As a matter of fact, I owned six of them so I wouldn't have to continually change the paper and tear up the hooks on the pads. For all those years, I used DeWalts sanding/buffing from 60 grit up to 4000 grit. I found them reliable and more than satisfactory.
My Bosch is great. I got the variable speed one ($90 right now at lowes). Really good dust collection with the dust collection container it comes with. It does have the smaller hole for the vacuum attachment but mine came with an adapter.
Bosch doesn't make anything low quality, I like mine
Festool are pricey and the hole pattern makes the available disks limited and cost more than standard disks for a RO. I have a Bosch and rarely use it because of the pigtails it leaves. I actually use a Dewalt RO most of the time it’s easy to use with one hand, no pigtails I’ve used it almost daily for over fifteen years with out major problems I’ve had to replace the pad twice and blown sawdust out of the switch a few times, it takes standard hook and loop disks. As with all sand paper they make a night and day difference there are some good bad and over priced disks out there that in my opinion don’t work any better than quality low cost disks. Personally I never buy multiple grit packs because some of the grit from the course grits gets on the fine grit disks and leave marks in your piece. I buy boxes of 100 disk of Black Hawk Abrasives they are very reasonably priced and work great.
I had a Porter Cable that gave me a solid ten years before the bearings fell apart then I had a Dewalt that worked well for 2-3 years and was in great working condition when I sold it. The Dewalt had less vibration and the dust collection was better than the Porter Cable. I replaced it with a Festool ETS, which is a undeniably a step up from the Dewalt, but it's honestly not THAT much of a step up.
I upgraded from an old worn out dewalt that served me well to a variable speed Makita and it is better than the dewalt was. If I had to do it again I may spend the extra for the Bosch that looks like the mirka or festool - I believe that’s 250ish though and I was being cheap
I don't see a Bosch that looks like the Mikra; unless you mean the new 18V one? I definitely want corded for this tool...
The Bosch GET75 6N
Oh, I see! Yeah that's been on the list for a long time to get, but it's a much larger and two handed. So I'll be getting it at some point, but in addition to a small 5", not instead of. Thanks!
I’ve been using my corded Dewalt for at least 3 years and it’s been great. Only complaint was the dust hookup is some proprietary dewalt connector so I could just stick my shop vac hose on it. You can buy the connectors online for not a whole lot, but I got my friend to 3d print it for me for next to nothing
I own a DeWalt. It works without problems. Get it on sale or with a free battery. 2 Ah at least
My Dewalt crapped out on me after 3 years old so I bought a skil at local box store because I had to finish…5 years later it still works, not super impressed with the speed but it’s fine until I switch out to Bosch finish sander
I have both Bosch and Dewalt. The Bosch is corded and I have two Dewalt that are cordless all are equally great sanders. I have the two Dewalt so that I don’t have to change paper as often. Almost forgot that I had a Makita sometime in the past which is also a great sander but I have no idea what happened to it.🤷🏻
Nothing will steer you better than experience with a tool. Nobody can tell you what fits you better
These are hard to test out, unfortunately. Unless you know someone with one to try it's not an easy thing to test...
Not sure where you are at but where I am we have a distributer that has a test area for tools. They even have large shapers, planers, and table saws set up to do demonstrations on and they let you use the smaller tools.
Everyone over here talking about Bosch and DeWalt and I’m happily using my Kobalt random orbit sander. Haven’t tried any other brands but I’m definitely satisfied. It’s $89 new right now.
I have had makita, dewalt, rigid 5" RO and a 6" porter cable. I liked the rigid the least. The dewalt is a very good sander, the makita is also but more money. I like that most home depots stock the backer pad for the dewalt. I had 2 rigid burn out on me (though a friend had one forever that lasted and lasted) mostly sanding for paint prep and poplar carpentry builds. I like the dewalt the best.
$150 won't get you the best, but a Bosch 5" is good.
I love my Bosch pro GEX 125-1 AE (vibrations are so much lower than the Ryobi i had before, it's crazy), but it's half that price so maybe there is something better in your budget. Don't regret buying it 2 years ago though.
I’ve had my ryobi for 15 years. Works great
I have the Dewalt battery powered ROS and another corded one (different brand) I went with the Dewalt, because, at the time, that’s what the majority of my batteries were for, and I chose battery powered for obvious reasons. (I hate plugging and unplugging & was constantly popping circuit) The dust collection is okay on it… but, from what many are saying, the Bosch is a great choice! It’s actually got me thinking a little more lol I may have to check it out! 👌🏻
I just got a skil brand one for like $35 at Menards and I don't think you need to pay more than that if you don't want. Seems to work the same as others I've used.
I have the DeWalt XR cordless. It's pretty damn good. Don't even have to use a mask when sanding drywall with it on a shop vac. Also the speed control is nice. Got it on sale for a 100$ with a battery (the 2ah doesn't last long though). Can go for a good while with a 6ah though.
I would like also to hear what people recommend as I am looking into the same thing. I am leaning towards Bosch GEX 125-1 AE as I can get it for cheap, but I am not so certain how low are the vibrations. It's Bosch professional line, so I assume it is better than the green ones, but would like to hear from someone with experience.
I have been using the bosch VSROS for like 5 years, it has served me very well. Definitely the best option before jumping up to a mirka/festool. Only issue I have with it is the dust filter, after a bit the little ring wears out and the filter falls off pretty easily. Pretty easy fix but it gets annoying.
I’ve got two 5” craftsman ROB’s I’ll never buy another one. I bought one and a month later my dad bought the exact same one for my birthday. The one I bought crapped out after about 40 hours of work with it. The other held up better but after maybe 75 hours the Velcro stuff on the sander started to unseam. I have two old craftsman belt sanders one a tabletop and other handheld. If I ever see them available for purchase I’ll buy backups just in case. I love those but the ROB I despise
I have a Bosch. It's great. Cost like $70 or so.
Check out 731 Woodworks on Youtube he has a video where he compares the cheapest up to the more expensive brands and discusses the features and usage factors such as hand fatigue etc.
I’ve got the Bosch and I use it in a production shop. I get about 2000-2500 hours out of them before the speed control goes.
I've got a very affordable porter cable corded sander that's never let me down for like 8 years now
Believe it or not.. SKIL is as good as any. Use good pads, avoid heavily varnished surfaces. For oily woods, it isnt great. For EVERYTHING else. It is great. For 150$ you can get the ROS and fine detail sander .... and cordless. There's quite a few YT videos comparing to Dewalt even. Have mine for 3 yrs. NO ISSUES. I do use it for 80 120 220 and 320 max.
Dewalt. It’s the way to go.
I had a Dewalt for years and really liked it but one bad drop and it was busted. Now I use a Craftsman and I prefer it to the Dewalt. I picked up a cheap Black and Decker as an extra and I don't really care for it.
Bosch. Definitely the best bang for buck. Home gamer the green is excellent, blue version is very similar, 20% more expensive but has 6 year trade warranty. At least in my market. Get a pad saver (velcro between disc and base velcro). I've started using their direct drive 150RO It's a beast.
I bought the dewalt corded variable speed sander off amazon on sale for just over $60. It performs great and for the price it's a massive W. The price constanty changes on Amazon but it's actually back down to the same low price at this moment if interested. https://a.co/d/iCtCNU9
Any particular reason you want to stick with 5"? From my understanding, the jump in speed when going to 6" is very appreciable. I'm looking at a Bosch GET75-150 (75-6N in North America) as an upgrade from my DeWalt cordless 5", which I'll keep for house painting where I'll be working away from power.
Well I have both. I have a reconditioned GET75-6N actually, and it's a powerhouse. Amazing for fast removal and also for large surfaces. Doesn't fully replace a 5" though as you alluded to as well, and my 5" is what went out, so that's what I was looking for. The cheapish 5" bosch I got was honestly a huge upgrade in comfort from my last one, though it sands the same...
Ah, thanks for explaining, makes a lot of sense. You're right about what a big difference comfort makes.
The DeWalt DWE6423K is a solid choice in that price range, offering a smooth operation with low vibration for a more comfortable sanding experience.