Bosch Belt Sander

DIY Sander – This is a pretty good sander, aimed at DIY use. It only costs around $155, which is pretty good for a belt sander for smallish jobs and/or occasional use. It is probably unfair to compare with a bigger, more powerful sander, aimed at tradie, professional use. I have used it for plenty of big and small jobs and it works well. Just make sure you… Read more

have the right grit sandpaper for the job, and let the sander do the work. Don't push down too hard and if you see the paper sliding off to one side just back off the pressure a little. Be a little patient and it will get the job done well. Beware pushing down or applying too much pressure, you can take off too much very quickly.

One thing I really like is that the top has 2 screw holes. Screw a board onto the top, tip it over, clamp the board to your bench and you have a small linisher. I use it in this position to sharpen mower blades, old chisels, knives etc. Does an awesome job.

It hooks up to my shopvac, and very little dust is released into the air. Much better than the dust collector it comes with. Belts are readily available, and reasonably priced, especially on Ebay.

Great for DIY usage. If you plan on using regularly, invest in a Bosch Blue, or similar.

Would buy another, it has never let me down.

Broken in 15 minutes – I purchased this sander from Masters thinking I was going to sand my small 2 x 4 metre hard wood deck and have it done in half an hour. 15 minutes into it I found it under powered and when I put my weight on it the belt stopped and the wheels kept turning, then belt soon buckled and was caught in the drive wheel, so much so, it bent the drive… Read more

shaft. I used a friends Makita previously to this job and this machine was a beast. The Bosch machine is for very light work, and I'm unsure if I rated it correctly considering I am comparing it to professional grade equipment.

The good news about buying from Masters is that they took it back and I purchase a Hitachi. The Hitachi is a true work horse, yes it was double the price but more than double the machine.

My advise for anyone considering the Bosch, be aware that their machines are for light duty only and getting any assistance from Bosch Australia is difficult. If you do buy it, go to Masters, as they have the power to deal with Bosch.

It's a Bosch! – I decided to buy this sander because it was on special and belts were a standard size, so readily available. I have used it on a number of sanding jobs and it certainly works but does have limitations with regard to where you can use it - large flat surfaces best. Belt changing is easy and alignment is one adjusting screw. The capacity of the… Read more

dust catcher is limited but easy enough to empty and there is a facility to fit a bracket so you can use it upside down in a vice for sanding small objects, very useful as it makes it more versatile.

Good – This is a good sander for the odd job in woodworking but not suited to larger applications where a much bigger belt would be desirable. This is a very easy to use sander with a relatively good dust filter. One of the smaller belt sanders around but still capable of taking on some serious work. Comfortable grips and easy to operate trigger with a… Read more

lock in function to allow for a relaxed operation. The belt can slide a little if too much pressure is used and it can be a touch on the noisy side.

The dust collector can clog up easily and needs to be cleaned often.