Bosch PEX 400 AE

Orbital sander PEX 400 AE - dust box fail – Huge dust box issues. Falls off easily. Nothing really holding it on. Heatlh hazzard. Plus, very hard to open it to remove dust, and then hard to close it again. Major fail and for that reason, as it is a health hazzard, I do not recommend you buy it despite the sander working fine.

Unstoppable machine – Can't remember how old it is but well over 10 years ago. Use it constantly and apart from replacing the sanding pad (they do wear out eventually) it's been faultless (like most of the Bosch products I own). Made in Switzerland by the way and the excellent little Bosch hand sander I just bought was made in Hungary so they're much better quality control than the cheap made in China stuff. Show details

First random orbital sander I've owned – I bought my PEX 400 about 15 years ago to sand a plywood dinghy and although it hasn't had a great deal of work since I have kept using it, no issues with Velcro on the backing plate, the little dust filter clogs quickly and it has finally worn out a backing plate ( Velcro was still working). Pictures of replacement backing plates look different, extra ring of dust holes, I hope it works as well as the old one.

Base plate stopped moving – Bought sander, after some light use, the base plate stopped moving but the motor turns over. Opened up the sander and it was pretty clean inside, the bearing was clean and functional. Very disappointed in this machine, hardly used , $150 down the drain. I'm baffled to why the base plate doesn't move or freezes when about to sand when pressure is… Read more

applied to it. Spent hours investigating it by opening it up, and even if I find the faulty part, the expense of fixing it is not worth it- better to buy another brand

Don’t buy this – Almost from new the sander threw the Velcro sanding pads off the head well before the abrasive wears out. Don’t expect a new head to help you, the pads will soon throw again. I resorted to gluing the pad on, which worked for a while. Now the whole head comes loose no matter how tightly you do up the Allen screw. Not throwing good money after bad, I’m cutting my losses and throwing it out. Show details

Terrible Sander with a massive dust bag issue – It’s a good Sander Absolutely but the dust bag comes off all the time!! And I am working in a workshop which means it’s super dusty! It’s not acceptable at all! Very disappointed

Money making sander – Backing plate with nylon hook velcro is a designed to fail and have you buy new heads. Head gets hot due to friction (so don't press even a small amount !!) then the hooks change shape so the sanding discs don't stick and get thrown. I'll research and check the design more carefully before next purchase. Machine works fine when new head but doesn't last long. I'm on my 3rd and its getting expensive to run this machine. Unexpected. Show details

Throws discs, hard to empty – Wish I'd read these reviews before I bought mine... -Dust collection box is hard to remove and clean and sometimes pops off while you are sanding. ..and the o ring broke so I had to order another. -The biggest problem is that it's been throwing discs since I bought it and now they don't adhere at all - this seems to be a common issue -I'm… Read more

ordering another backing plate now and will see whether this fixes it. -If not then I will provide another update here and will never buy another Bosch power tool again. This one has major design flaws. Just goes to show that paying a premium doesn't automatically get you quality.

This sander sands like a boss – I bought a new Ryobi sander specifically for this large job i had to do - sanding 5 light years of cornice glue off an entire ceiling off a sprawling house that we were going to put another ceiling straight over top of. Anyway the Ryobi died after a couples of hours so I drove straight to Bunnings and replaced it with the Bosch. OMG unbelievable… Read more

difference, the Bosch ripped through the old cornice glue like it was made from meringue cake base. The discs do come off every now and then which is a bit annoying, but weirdly for me they were coming off when the sanding discs were ready to change. The filter seems to work well but the design is crap for getting it on and off (hence the 4 stars) I would buy another in a heartbeat

Bad customer service – Go to Bosch Australia try to get spare parts cant order through them what a joke think may have to use different manufacturer didn't mind the tools but if you cant get help from them what's the point cant order through dealer as the cost of replacing the sanding pads all the time gets to dear with dealer mark up and takes to long to get part in.  Show details

Spot On – Light and perfectly weighted orbital sander. I would say the best I have used. Variable speed control works well. Great control with the front auxiliary handle. Low noise. And comes in a case. Cannot fault!

Frustrated – Not a bad sander, onto my 3rd base pad as the Velcro wears very quickly, major problem, call center not very helpful,the other problem is with this review, I only needed 22 words but I couldn't post it until I had written 50, also very frustrating, regards Craig, good bye  Show details

Throws sanding discs. Velcro not fit for purpose – As others have found these Bosch 400 sanders throw the sanding discs. Very poor velcro attachment plate used on backing pad. Not fit for purpose IMHO. I've already replaced it twice with the Bosch OEM backing pads, no better, they go bad soon after. Bosch OZ know about this problem yet have not offered to replace these defective parts nor owned up… Read more

to the issue. Very poor IMHO. Web searches reveal this is a common issue.

Their response is to tell readers to call their helpline where you will be told crap by someone who knows nothing and offered nothing useful as a remedy. I will not be buying another Bosch orbital sander not will I recommend them.

Throws pads after a while – Brought two to renovate the inside of the house. Both throw pads now after working for approx 12 hours. Do not buy useless. The basic function of a sander is to sand this doesn't do that one the pad loses ability to hold pads. Would not buy this type of sander again  Show details

Speedy and efficient sander – End grain cutting boards require a lot of finishing. I choose Bosch for price and innovation, their products tend to be a lot better designed then most. Green Bosch products are generally very usable for most people, especially DIYers. If I want a professional, heavy built product then I tend to go for AEG or Mikita. But as I need to use a tool… Read more ·  3

for a long period of time, I prefer something lighter.

This sander replaced a Triton 1/4 sheet orbital sander, it was struggling and died on the job (less then 6 months old). This new sander completed the job in half the time. I prefer Diablo papers, they make good products, I use their sanding belts as well. In terms of throwing disks, I would try another brand paper.

In regard to dust collection, the same problems occur for all tools, unless you have a good shop vac don't expect the dust collection to work. Belt sanders produce dust at a much greater rate, I've had the cloth bags blow out. I work outside, use a dust mask so I don't need to care too much.

Every Bosch tool I've owned so far has been brilliant, I like tools that come with their own cases as I have a place to store everything in the one box. The quality of the case matches those of the other manufacturers. If you generally buy Festool the quality might be a comedown.

I don't expect that this sander will replace my belt sander or even my finishing sander, that would be too much to expect. If you have a tough job use a belt sander and the right grit for the job.

Very happy and hopeful of a long relationship. If not then I'm sure Bunnings will assist. I'll tape the docket inside the case.

Older Swiss made was a solid machine – Very good machine, but with a disclaimer: I purchased mine a number of years back and it was made in Switzerland, and I have no clue what their quality is like now, so my advice might only be applicable to second hand. But it's a great machine. I've even done absurd things like polish a full terrazzo floor with it. The dust extraction isn't the… Read more

greatest, and it has chucked a disc once (ever) - after I put it on not realizing it was caked in dust.

Great sander – The problem with this particular sander is now over. I have spent 7 days drywall sanding with this model. Other than small for the job i am doing, the PEX 400 is brilliant and not once as the disc come off. My main problem is that the vacuum cannot keep up with the sander

Frustratingly disappointing – This machine is fabulous for the first year. Then the sandpaper discs start throwing off.. so I get a new disc attachment as the surface has gone too smooth and wont hold the sandpapers on. Carry on.. then it happens again..so buy a new disc attatchment.. Carry on.. and the whole disc attatchment starts throwing off. So I buy a new disc… Read more

attatchment. It throws off as soon as its put on.. then find out that the thread is bare on the centre screw. Another $150 to fix all up apparently..so now have to buy a new sander..All this from a sander thats only 3 years old.

sorry i bought it – decided to save a few dollars on my ROS purchase and thinking that the bosch name meant a reasonable level of quality I bought this sander a couple of years ago. I am a diy user who tends to make jewelry boxes, picture frames and small items of furniture as well as re finishing old furniture. most of my tools are Makita but I thought with this… Read more

purchase I would step out of my usual box.

first impressions were that it vibrated more than I expected. stock removal was ok but not great and finish was similarly ok but not great.

another disappointment was when one of my sanding discs flew off mid work and examination showed that the hook base pad was now smooth and now longer was able to grip the pads. I shopped around and found a retailer that stocked replacement base pads and fitted it. the problem was that it kept happening with base pad life being distressingly short. it meant that I always had to try to keep a spare base pad in my workshop so I could replace it when the pad in use would suddenly stop gripping the discs in mid job

this added significantly to the on costs of the machine and rendered any initial savings at point of purchase very redundant. I appreciate that any hook loop system has a life but this pad life was ridiculously short.

the final failure was just over a year after purchase when I plugged it in and it simply refused to switch on. a low grade hum coupled with an unpleasant smell and that was my sanders last hurrah.

all in all I regretted ever buying this tool and will never purchase a bosch sander again

Mildly functional but flawed. But disc throwing problem is solved – I needed to refinish our largish (50 sq mtrs) deck. I use Sikkens Cetol Deck which is an excellent product but you have to reapply a coat every year. You need to re-sand the old surface with 180 grit before painting and my 15 year old finishing sander clapped out on me. I just raced into Bunnings and grabbed this. It seemed reasonable quality… Read more

and $150 should buy a reasonable sander...shouldn't it? (No it doesn't.)

Things I like: IT NEVER THREW ANY DISCS. THIS FAULT SEEMS TO BE FIXED. It comes with a brilliant sanding disc applicator. It makes sure you get it centred every time. It's pretty quiet and didn't annoy the neighbours. It seems powerful enough to handle most light duty sanding jobs. It has a dust collector (see below). It seems solidly built.

Things I didn't like: Leave the dust collector off. It's hopeless. It should be a bag system. This collector fills up very quickly after which, the dust clags up every little nook and cranny inside the machine making it overheat. You can't connect it to a Shopvac. After about 3 discs use, I had to take the filter box off and clean it which is quite difficult to do. The filter box is poorly designed and hard to push together. After 10 discs, I had to pull the machine apart completely (by undoing 8 screws) and clean out the clagged up sanding dust. It was rock hard! WHY does Bosch put in those stupid star head screws to hold the machine together? It's bad enough that we have to disassemble the machine to clean it so often without making disassembly even harder. I think, leaving the filter off would help stop the clagging up, but you're going to have to clean the machine regardless.

Things I've learned: Don't be cheap...I'll buy a heavy duty sander with a proper dust collection system next time. Or even better, hire a heavy duty system with a vacuum collection system.

I wouldn't recommend this unit to anyone.

Great sander – Not sure why there are so many negative reviews for this. Having read some of them, the person has used this sander for jobs it was not intended. My own experience is very positive. I have never had a disc throw or dislodge itself. Granted, the dust collector is essentially useless but my $79 ryobi shop vacuum fits it perfectly (also bought at… Read more

good old Bunnings). I make furniture and built in robes, wall panels etc and this sander gives me smooth, even finishes perfect for painting, staining etc. I only mark it down for the dust collector.

great for DIY – I have only used this a few times but it does work very well if used correctly. I have read bad reviews of this product, most attributed to sandpaper 'flying off'. To test this I applied more downward pressure than needed and, sure enough the paper became detached. These machines only need very slight pressure to work correctly and I cannot fault… Read more

the sanding capability with all grades of paper. It appears well made but if you are a professional tradesman I would buy the Blue Bosch. all in all this does the job for an excellent price.

Bosch bullbleep – As with most companys these days-they sell before they proof test. So - I have the disc problem as well.replacement is too costly. the motor and all works, so will continue to badmouth the company to all who listen. Will do a stickon velcro and use till it dies - then not replace, Bosch has lost my good will ; I expect more from my suppliers.

Throws sanding discs and is very dusty but does an excellent job when it works – Very disappointed with this machine in two ways - I am on my second base plate (genuine bosch) at a cost of 39.00 and will not be buying another one. The dust filter is useless and falls off easily. The machine when working does an excellent job but the frustration of dusting off the plate and trying different sanding pads including genuine… Read more

bosch (expensive) and throwing out more than I can count because they fly off and in turn become so dusty they won't stick and again clog up the plate velcro. Unfortunately I am probably going to resort to buying a cheap brand as they do offer a good warranty usually and will replace if anything goes wrong. Thankyou

Won't hold sanding disks – DO NOT BUT THE BOSCH PEX 400 AE. Any tool that costs over $150 should not be this sensitive. After using it for 3 months it throws all brand new disks immediately after application. Highly disappointing. The cost of replacement pads is prohibitive. And also the design doesn't allow to attach it to a shop vac so be ready for dusty dusty as the microfilter is a bit of a gimmick.

Didn't last 6 months! – I have had this sander less than six months and I am already ready to scrap it. Like many other users have described, this sander keeps throwing pads. On top of this, the filter is useless. It catches some of the dust for a while, then releases it again in a cloud when you change the position you are sanding in. This sander's lack of longevity… Read more

is a surprise as I am not using it that regularly. I am a home handyman and only use it about once a fortnight/month. Even so it has lasted less than six months. What a piece of rubbish. I should have gone the Makita equivalent or even the Ozito as some other people have suggested. Smooth operation. Throws pads and emties the contents of the filter over the user.

Throwing the sanding discs – I have a Bosch 400AE sander and based on my current experience would never buy another one. The machine has constantly thrown the sanding discs and a search on the internet shows this is a common problem. Bosch has underengineered the velcro on the pads and you need to do modification to the pad to get any work out of it. I am on my third… Read more

genuine pad so replacing pads is NOT the answer. Based on other internet posts I am now going to drive another 30 kms to buy some velcro and try and modify the pad myself, on top of having already having driven 90kms to get the 3 genuine replacement pads - believed it was something wrong with me and not the pads!! I think the electrics on the machine are of high quality unusabel in its current state due to throwing discs