RIP Bosch Sander

[roger wiegand]

My trusty Bosch 1370 sander gave up the ghost yesterday after a couple decades of hard work. I think it is just the switch, but in 45 min of fiddling I couldn't figure out how to get it apart to get to the switch. Haven't looked yet to see if there's a video on youtube showing how to do it.

I got out my old PC330 to try to finish the job and the pad fell off the bottom.

So perhaps the universe is telling me I need a new sander. Seems like the choice might be the Deros or sipping the green Kool-Aid. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find anyplace where I might actually hold the Ceros/Deros line to see what they feel like. The Festools seem like they will be pretty nice to use.

I'm not asking for a re-hash of an old discussion, I can go back and read that. Mostly I wanted to lament the loss of an old friend. But I do have a couple questions. I've got a couple hundred bucks worth of 6", standard 6 hole sanding disks. Will they work on the Festool sanders, or do they require a different hole pattern? Does anyone know of a Boston-area dealer for the Deros where I might actually try one?

Thanks!

[Greg R Bradley]

They are both completely different hole patterns than your Bosch. The Bosch has 6 holes in a ring about mid way between the middle and the outer edge for dust to go IN. The Festool has a hole in the middle for air to flow OUT and 8 holes in a ring almost to the outer edge for dust to go IN. That's one way they get better dust collection. I think the Mirka sanders are the same or similar to Festool but not sure.

Isn't that Bosch one of the few that gets good dust collection out of the 6 hole sandpaper? Has an aggressive orbit action for heavy work?

[roger wiegand]

I've never had reason to complain about the dust collection. It has a ring you flip to switch between random orbit and direct drive for more aggressive sanding. This is what i looks like
330096

Having to buy all new sandpaper certainly makes fixing he switch sound more appealing. Of course I just stocked up!

[Greg R Bradley]

That is the one I was thinking. Those are highly regarded among people with big yachts that have to do lots of aggressive sanding. I know someone that has one of those and the Festool Rotax 150, who prefers that Bosch for lots of work. I believe it has some internal fan so works fairly well for dust collection without a vac, where the Festool really has to be connected to a vac.

I know if his broke, he would fix it.

[Jim Becker]

Roger, you can always sell off your existing media in the Classifies here if what you end up with has a different hole pattern...which honestly, is quite likely.

Since Festool is on your short list, I'll point out that they designed their hole pattern specifically to support superior dust extraction, with both the radially located holes as well as the center hole. I will say that I've been pleased with my Festool sanders...near zero vibration (a requirement for my hands/wrists) and they still work like new. I've worn out a few pads, but the tool itself continues to be outstanding. That kind of thing honestly makes them less expensive over time and goes back to something I've often mentioned: "The most expensive tools are those you need to replace early and often." (I have the 150/3 and the Rotex...the older versions)

I've not seen the Ceros/Deros you mention, so I cannot comment on them.

[roger wiegand]

I'll certainly fix it once i figure out how to get it apart. The immediate problem is I need a sander now. I think having a second working sander is reasonable though, especially one that might be a bit lighter.

[peter gagliardi]

Roger, are you by chance a "pro shop"? I ask because if you are, and you by chance happen to buy from Atlantic Plywood, they will let you demo the Mirka machine. I had them drop me off the Deros a short while ago so i could evaluate it against the new Festool ETS EC 150 side by side for about 1 1/2 weeks. I ultimately picked the Festool not the Mirka, but .....
If you are looking for something similar to that style Bosch, I think you only have the Festool to pick from- i havent seen a Mirka of that style- dual action, aggressive and normal.
I will however give a pretty glowing recommendation of the Festool Rotex 150! I have 3 of these, and the oldest is probably 10-12 years old now. It has performed perfectly in daily average to heavy use in my full time shop. About a year ago, the brushes finally wore out. I sent it to Festool, they replaced the brushes, three bearings that weren't bad yet, but had seen enough hours use that it was wise to do so while apart, and a whole new front gearcase covering. Front half of sander looked brand new! Anyway, that whole repair, with shipping only cost $120.00!!
You pay a bit upfront for Festool products, but if/when they do need repair, their repair service is much,much less than comparable makers in my experience and in talking to other colleagues.
The plus side is that you can pick up a Festool and use it for a month. If you dont like it, hand it back for a full refund!

Another thing, if you do look into one of these, you will find Klingspor paper to be much more reasonably priced and more durable than the Festool "Brilliant" line of paper- i get mine from Select Machinery.

[Eric Schmid]

I've been in your shoes on several occasions; middle of a job and a tool goes down. Sometimes, due to the set up and accessories I find it easier to buy a duplicate while the old tool goes in for service.

I don't know if the hole configuration is the same, but your Bosch sounds similar to the newer 1250devs. It might be worth a look.

[Greg R Bradley]

FYI, The Bosch 1250DEVS may be similar in function but is designed to only be used with a vacuum. Looks like from the picture, he is not using a vac.

I'm fairly sure, but not positive, that his Bosch is one of the ones that does dust collection fairly well with an attached bag or filter.

There is another Bosch that is RO only and also does dust collection fairly well without a vac, 3727DEVS. I think it uses the same media as his sander. We don't know if he wants a RO only sander.

Sometimes, it would be nice if these manufacturers were a lot more consistent.

[roger wiegand]

Just to clarify--

-- I am not a pro, far from it!
-- I have seldom used the sander in its more aggressive mode, I wouldn't miss the feature.
-- I almost always use it with a vacuum. It seems to work pretty well with either vacuum or bag, but better with the vac.
-- That's not my sander, but a picture I grabbed off the web.

Back when I bought it it was among the first electric RO sanders available, and I found the form factor of the other choices, mostly 5" sanders at the time, to be awkward. I expect to be able to repair this one in time, but think it's OK to have a new sander too (now I finally have an excuse!). The new one will also be used with a vacuum, good dust collection is important to me. I'd love to have something quieter. It will be used for general finish sanding both in the shop and on various home improvement efforts, nothing at all out of the ordinary-- no yachts, I'm afraid.

[Eric Schmid]

You are correct, the 1250 does not have a bag/filter option. Likely due to the amount of dust created in "agro" mode. Still it would be a lot more convenient if it at least had filter bag for those times when hooking up a vac isn't feasible. It's not much fun to run without a vac!

[roger wiegand]

Well, to drown my sorrows from the Patriots loss I hit the order button on Amazon for the Deros. I'll post my thoughts on it after using it for a couple weeks. Think I'll mail the old one off to the Bosch service center rather than messing with it any more.