BoschRandom Orbit Sander PEX 300 AE (270 W, in case)

Green bodied Bosch tools is part of their range of DIY tools as opposed to the blue bodied tools which are designed for professionals. I usually buy professional tools from Dewalt, Makita and Bosh although I started with Black & Decker DIY and Pro ranges 40+ years ago when I was 18.The main difference is that professional tools are designed to be used for long hours at a time (as well as for many days in the month) so I do not expect pro tools to burn out so easily. However, since I already have x2 B & D mouse sanders, Bosch 1/3 sheet and mouse, a belt sander, detail sander and detail sander attachment on the DeWalt multitool, I really wish to avoid spending more cash on sanders but I must. That's because the other danders do not provide the fine finish which a Random Orbital Sander could schieve. Thus choosing this PEX 400 instead of the PEX 300 is a compromise as I know it will hardly get used as compared to other sanders already in the collection. By the way, I would still suggest a person starting career into DIY to choose a mouse sander first. This design could get into many corners and the tool is cheap to buy which is why I tend to have differend paper grades already attached to different mouse sanders when I start a project.I also chose the PEX 400 because it has an extra handle as compared to the 300. I find using this handle together with the main handle more natural and I could apply more even a pressure to the work as compared to the two (ie one less handle) provided on PEX300.Top marks to Bosch for providing tool carry cases. It is one of the reason why they cose more than other (DIY) brands but the benefit and convenience to me is worth far more than extra cost of the cases. For example, I stash the tools under the stairs. If they didn't come ready supplied with cases I would have to find one that is just right for each tool. Yes I have great big Dewalt DS300 and DS400 Tooughsystem of boxes but they are awkward to stash under the stairs; and to use one tool I would have to find the right box. Now because the Bosch tools come in different recognisable cases, I can spot the one I want easily. This is very convenient at such times as driving myself and only the tools I need to fis a job at mum's house.Another good thing Bosch supplied is a gadget to apply the sanding disks to the pad. Simple gadget and it works.After all the good points I thought Bosch could do no wrong. Not so. One sheet of sanding disc is supplied with the tool, To be polite, I was not impressed by how flimsy it is. More fool you Mr Bosch, for I have ordered 5x packs of 10 of Makita branded dics of different grades from Amazon witout looking at any offering by Bosch and where Bosch are packs of 5. Fingers crossed, these Makita ones are thicker and have more hairs on the velcro back so hopefully won't fly off during use.

Good Points1) I expect it to be reliable, it is a bosch, a good choice for the hobbiest wood worker.2) the vibration is not to bad, compared to others sanders I have used.3) having a front and back handle allow for good control and hold in different situations, and can still work well as a palm sander.4) good built in dust extraction, but I would still use a vacuumed where possibleBad Points1) It is quiet loud, no louder that other sanders I have used thoughI had used the baby sister of this tool for may years, but i thought that I would by this one, when I was looking to replace the Velcro base. This is more sander than I had before and as I hate sanding, I was pleased that this tool allows me to spend less time sanding and more time building.

I spent ages looking at different makes/models of orbital sander and eventually bought this one. It was reduced by £10 when I did make the purchase so made it even better value. It feels pretty solid and I would say having the adjustable speed is a must. Don't expect miracles from the dust collector, it does work to a point, but if your doing major sanding work inside the house, it will get dusty! The sander box is a little fiddly to get on and off, and depending what you're sanding, it can catch on objects and fall off. I found the sanding discs are vey good and don't fall/spin off as long as you use Bosch branded discs. However, from my experience, this is not the case if you buy cheaper non Bosch ones, so don't waste money on those. In summary, this is a great sander. The above niggles should not put you off.

A very good product in my opinion. Has a fair amount of power, enough for most jobs in the home, is comfortable on the hands (vibration wise, in fact quite 'smooth'. I use industrial air driven sanders at work and the vibration can be awful, not the case with this sander), and the variable speed is very useful. I can't comment on the life of the Velcro pad as I have bought an intermediate pad which you put on and leave on the sander, and then the sanding discs attach to that, therefore extending the life of the pad on the machine (in fact it'll last almost forever). I suggest you do the same. The storage box is fine in my opinion, might not live up to life in a van, but is more than adequate for life in the shed. The dust collection box works well, but yes, it does fill up quite quickly- but its supposed to isn't it?! it is quite stiff to open, but again I would rather that than a sloppy fit, and I'm sure over a long life it'll ease somewhat so best to start off tight. Having said that when I use it in the house I'll connect the hoover and not use the box. All in all I think this is a great buy, and I am very happy with it.

Great orbital sander. Using it to refurbush our 1930s house. The dust extraction filter system is less than useless and I predict was only designed as a baffler/muffler to get inside some noise restriction limit for domestic use. Because when hooked up to a vacumm extractor the noise increases lots!I did lots of research first into hooking it up a Henry vacuum cleaner. The dust outlet/exhast port has a 31mm diameter O-ring and measures 29mm in diameter. The port is round unlike the recommended Bosch adapter for other models of sander. Any universal stepped adapter or 3D printed adapter allows connection to the 36.5mm outer and 31.5mm inner diameter Henry tube. However I found even just holding the Henry hose in place, significantly reduced the expeled dust and was way better than with the standard filter system attached. But I recommend getting any universal stepped adapter and cutting to size.