Bosch PEX 300 AE

Slightly conflicted: hard worker, could last "forever" in Europe but ultimately disposable in Australia – We put this sander through all kinds of hell over the last 4-5 years - nothing professional, but everything from sanding furniture for finishing, to constructing two vans and a tiny house. It's fair to say this thing worked hard, and gave a great result. I was pleased when I found I could replace the sanding backing pad / plate when it wore out,… Read more

but eventually had to bin it when the main bearing flange broke - it's available as a replacement part in Europe, but prohibitively expensive here in Australia.

I am happy with this model – I have checked model number again before I wrote this review after reading other's reviews. First, I am a floor sander using this obitel everyday every month every year. I have used this small beauty at least 2 hours a day every two days time whether sanding processing or final coating work as well. It works beautiful. I have orderd 2more… Read more

through Burnnings where used to sell it but they don't stock anymore. so I did special order system. My old Bosh are two ...still work fine. Only one ...wore out velco area which is waiting replace velcro sheet. 2more order.... I worried run out stock just in case. So I picked up today and comparing prices when I read others experiences. I wouldn't buy 2 more if I am not happy even I am stuck with same model when I am satisfy it . Because I can swap some parts when it has troubles.

Hard working no troubles. I could change $10 velcro sheet few times after using it few months. My 10years of floor sanding expriences with Bosh... 7years..I have used others 150mm obitels. That is my story anyway.

I am happy with Bosh obitel 300AE.

Throws discs – Like other reviewers I purchased this sander understanding it was a middle of the range Option but reasonably good. After three fairly small jobs undertaken in line with manufacturers recommendations for speed etc it now throws discs within minutes of commencing a sanding and they cannot be reattached. It makes it an expensive task as the sanding… Read more

surface has plenty of life left in it but the attaching face fails.

Spend the extra and buy a better brand. You’ll be ahead in the long run.

USELESS PIECE OF JUNK – Purchased recently and used intermittently on very small jobs for fine work,I have other sheet sanders for large work,however when working with this thing{sander] the other day it just stopped working,I picked it up to start and no go,very unhappy with this as it was not cheap and has only lasted a short time on very light work,absolutely useless thing,thought Bosch was better than what I have paid for. Show details

Throws Discs – I used the PEX 300 AE with Diablo Sandnet 80 grit discs to take the saw marks off 3 metre, narrow, rough-sawn oregon battens. Using a high orbit rate of 5 or 6 (as suggested in the manual) and using only the weight of the sander resulted in the disc flying off after about 2 or 3 metres of sanding. The discs removed the saw marks effectively and… Read more

the disc surface showed virtually no wear, but I lost 3 discs in this way (at $3.00/disc) and damaged the hooks on the connecting pad that came with the discs. Many of the loops on the back of the discs were torn. I tried Flexovit 60 grit discs and the first disc also flew off after several minutes and would not re-attach. The wood and disc did not feel the least bit hot. I lowered the orbit rate to 4 (medium) and the next disc lasted considerably longer, about 10 metres. As expected, the removal rate was reduced and I had to sand over the same area more often to remove the saw marks. The dust collection was not effective with the Sandnet discs on orbit rate 6, the dust went everywhere, but it collected more dust with the Flexovit discs on 4. I think that the orbit rate of 6 on the Bosch PEX 300 AE is too aggressive for the hook and loop pad and discs, at least when used on rough timber.

Great for what it is – This is a decent little sander. Not high end, but not a high end price so that's ok. As a working sander, it really does that. It works. I have almost no issue with it. Solid performer. Highly recommend, provided one thing... You better not be too worried about how the dust catching system functions. Because basically it doesn't. The thing falls… Read more

off with the slightest bump, but it's ok because it pretty much never caught the dust.

I'm still fine with it - i just use it outside and use a mask. Something I do for most work, so no issue for me. So I still rate it a 4 star for price etc - just know what you are buying.

failed speed contoller – after a couple of times using this model the speed controller failed and the machine would not run lower than half speed, then it failed altogether, replacement part is $44 from https://www.toolspareparts.com.au/bosch-pex-300-ae-3603ca3040-spare-parts.html I should have returned at the first instance of failure but you know what its like just… Read more

wanting to get the job done and move onto other bits so did not follow up on warranty, wish I had, also the dust catcher is pretty much useless, now replaced with Ryobi, so far so good.

Very happy with this sander – I bought this sander on the recommendation of the guy I buy my timber slabs from, he uses the same one. I've had a great experience with this sander. I do a bit of woodwork at home and find this sander more than capable of doing the job. It's a good size to use one handed, and very stable, I always feel like I've got control of it and it's not… Read more

going to escape on me. I've read a few other reviews about the dust collection not being great, I haven't had these problems. The included dust catcher gets about 60 to 70% of the dust. Maybe other brands do better... I really can't say. When I connect the sander to a triton dust collector bucket wiht a vacuum cleaner attached to that it does a good job, getting about 90% of the dust. I'm happy with that. Like I said, I've never used any other dust collection system so not sure if other systems or brands are better. I also see other reviews saying the velcro system doesn't hold onto pads. I had this problem with my previous cheap Black and Decker sander... but never had the problem with this Bosch. In fact most of the time I have trouble taking the velcro pads off. I use the Flexovit 8 hole sanding pads found at Bunnings.

** Soft vs Medium Sanding Pads from Bosch. The sander comes with Medium Bosch sanding pad. For doing curved parts on furniture like curved arm rests I found the Medium a bit hard, so I got the Bosch Soft pad. Squeezing it with your fingers it doesn't seem that much softer than the medium, but it makes sanding curved parts much easier. I can recommend the Soft pad for these types of jobs.

Poor dust catching function – the sander works OK but the dust catcher is useless, dust clouds are the order of the day. Even when I cleaned the filter and took care to refit it to the machine, it still emits dust from around the lid. Checked that its fitting Ok but no change. Disappointing dust catcher.  Show details

Poor quality – Bought new from Bunnings with DIY use intended. Has perhaps an hour to hour and a half of use so far. The hook and loop system has all but given up - throws discs even when not under load. Appears to be a well documented issue with no answers from BOSCH. RRP for replacement hook and loop (velcro) pad is about $35 AUD. Machine is only worth… Read more

$76ish AUD. False economy to bother replacing the pad.

The sad thing is the sander actually does a really good job when fit for purpose....

Im now off to the shops to invest in a decent machine.

EDIT: For those of you still reading with the aforementioned velcro pad issues.It can be rectified cheaply with an OZITO branded sanding pad. Sold at Bunnings for $10. $30ish cheaper than OEM replacement parts.

Bottom end of the market, but it gets the job done – I am just a DIYer, I knew an orbital sander would help me get a better finish on my projects, but can't really fork out for sanders at the top of the market. I have been really impressed with this unit, the adjustable power output is a nice feature and the dust collection does an ok job, better than my 1/3 sheet makita anyway. I should say… Read more

that I didn't get much help from Bunnings Brendale while selecting this, the staff member in the tool shop didn't seem to know too much about the sanders in their lineup. Tho i have also got great helpful service there when buying a drill, guess it's just hit and miss.

Not Great – It's a cheap, lightweight random orbital, and you get what you pay for. I build beehives and cabinets - this sander makes my arm numb after a half hour. The "micro filter" box is useless, although with a wrap of duct tape you can get the dust port to connect with a standard shopvac hose. The thing throws discs like that's it's primary function.… Read more

I've replaced the pad three times and it still throws discs, and once it's thrown a disc, the hooks on the pad die and you need a new pad. Fork out a bit more cash for something better. I wish I had.

Great little DIY sander – I do a lot of DIY projects & this little sander has proved to be quite the work horse, with plenty of power to get the job done. It makes a boring job quick & easy. It is reasonably light weight, with a comfortable grip & easy to handle, the sanding discs are quick to change, & the speed is altered with just a brush of the thumb. Light-weight,… Read more

powerful, easy to use. Must take care changing the sanding disc, as the velcro grip on the discs is stronger than the glue to the base of the machine.

Parts very hard to find! – We are in the building industry so are confident with this brand. We bought this sander recently to sand decking boards at our own place and it worked really well until the velcro back on the sanding pad became less grippy and we kept loosing the sanding paper. We went back to buy a replacement at Bunnings; not carried. Online; nowhere to be seen.… Read more

There were some PEX 200 replacement pads available but there wouldn't fit; seems like they deliberately have the fixings in a different location so you can't use the pads from other models. As the Pex 200 pads were around $30 and the cost of a brand new sander is $80 it's nearly not worth it. Really disappointing for a unit that has done less than two days work to have a major part wear out like that and then not have the parts readily available. Not expensive. Parts hard to find

Orbital Sanders – Had to replace my heavy duty GEX 125AC Bosch sander recently. I guess I must have been wealthier in my younger days as I couldn't afford the commercial grade replacement so settled for the "DIY" model. Stuck with Bosch as the previous one lasted 10 years so I figured even their cheaper ones might outlast the even cheaper competition. First up -… Read more

this is quite a good sander and does what it supposed to do. What has brought me to writing this review is it's one major failing and that is its useless "microfilter system" dust box. This thing never worked from day one. Removing and replacing carefully as poorly described in the manual sees it falling off all the time with dust going everywhere. Even when empty and me holding on tightly with my spare hand, dust still gushes out of every small crevice of the filter despite being securely fixed. The old one had an air bag which inflated when turned on and did a satisfactory job even after 10 years. I'm looking for a flexible hose I can attach to the dust outlet to have the dust directed away from me. Consider this before buying. cheapish, light, sands well hopeles dust filter system