Bosch 1295 ROS Owners Opinions

[glenn bradley]

I've done the research (seen the Plexiglas pattern tests, material removal volume studies, blah, blah, blah) and this little guy looks pretty good. So specifically, (knowing there are Festools and 6 inchers, etc.) are there any owners or experiences out there with this guy? Glad you got one? Wish you would have got the Brand-X? I'm a hobbyist running an old Craftsman ROS that refuses to die. It's great for rough stuff but lacks the finesse and smoothness for 'closer to finish' work. Looking for a better quality machine.

TIA

[Burt Waddell]

The bosch does a nice job when it is running - in fact it is my favorite random orbit. Problem is I can't keep them going - Burshes go out very quickly. Try a makita instead.

[Dave Bow]

I bought one last summer, and like it so far. I've only used it a few times, but it does really well. You would not regret buying one. I also have an older DeWalt that worked fairly well, until the foam pad started to disintegrate on it. It still didn't work as well as the Bosch, though.

Dave

[Matt Guyrd]

Quite happy with my Bosch 1295 ROS. The price was right...great sanding patterns (or lack there of!) with higher grit paper. As with any orbital sander, the speed at which you move the sander will play a role in your scratch pattern too.

Dust collection with the included filter works okay (as designed?). Still a lot of dust in the air though...definitely need a vac or DC in an ideal scenerio.

The variable speed is nice too!

Vibration is negligable...never shut the sander off thinking "man, my hand is tingling."

Matt

[Jeffrey Schronce]

I have 3 of the 1295's. One I bought new a couple years ago and used extensively. I then purchased 2 from Bosch CPO. They have performed well. I have the vac attachment on all 3 of them and it works very well! Right now they are $69 at Amazon and $54.95 reconditioned from boschcpo.com. You definately want the DVS model.

[glenn bradley]

Thanks guys! That settles it for me.

[John Bailey]

In the last two years I've had to replace a number of old Craftman tools that finally bit the dust, some after 20 yrs. of pretty good service. I ended up with all Bosch, except a Makita circular, and couldn't be happier with all of them.

John

[Jeff Webster]

I'll preface by saying I've got a little over a year use on this model and it was my first purchase of a reputable ROS. I have one gripe, the canister requires an adapter or some creative shop made fixture to hook to a vac hose. They make them, but they're not standard. Given that a vac is by far better than any onboard collection, I would like the hook-up to be standard. That aside, love it. My first pad wore out very quickly, but that was the result of user error on my inexperienced part. Not a shabby price either.

[Steve Nouis]

The bosch does a nice job when it is running - in fact it is my favorite random orbit. Problem is I can't keep them going - Burshes go out very quickly. Try a makita instead.

If your brushes aren't making good contact try bending or stretching the springs a little.Also make sure the brushes aren't hanging up in the slides. I have a bosch angle grinder that was ruining the brushes fast, did that and it's been working good a long time now. All my other Bosch tools have worked great, had to put bearings in one router after tons of use. Steve

[Tom Esh]

Great little sander. The only thing I'd consider replacing it with is Festool ...if one fell into my lap.
Dust collection is decent with the filter and practically 100% with a vac hose. Note with any ROS that uses the perf discs you'll probably want a bleeder or some other means to reduce suction. Full suction can pull them down on the workpiece a little too much and you'll get swirls.
Old tool gloat: For a fine finish, I've not used anything that beats my 30yr old Makita 1/4 sheet. No dust collection, paper change is a PITA, and determined to outlive me.

[glenn bradley]

Thanks Jeff and Tom. I picked one up shortly after my OP in Feb of 2007. For folks interested in a longer term use opinion; I have been running the thing to death for 18 months but it just keeps on going. Quite a bargain.

As to the canister, I paid $2 for the vac adapter when I bought the sander so I've never used the canister. With the vac hooked up the thing actually picks up it's own dust and anything nearby as you pass. Works really great. I do use a slip collar on the vac hose to reduce suction from my large Ridgid shopvac. CPO Bosch regularly has them available as recons and I see Lowe's have them on sale now and again.

Highly recommended.

[Homer Faucett]

My wife refinishes a lot of furniture (she has a small home decor business), and two years ago she grabbed on to a no-name 5" random orbit sander that I bought years ago. Around Christmas 2007, Rockler had the 1295 DVS on sale, so I bought one for her, knowing that she uses (and abuses) this one tool more than almost anything, and the variable speed and smaller grip would be better for her. She told me that she didn't need a new sander, and that all the fancy variable speed didn't really matter--the extra money paid for a Bosch was just paying for the name.

This morning, I pointed out that she shouldn't be using it for EVERY sanding job, because running it into corners was tearing up the pad. I pointed out that the detail sander was best suited for those jobs. She said, "Yeah, but this Bosch is so much nicer than all the other ones (I bought her a Makita as well)--it doesn't vibrate, it's easier to control, picks up the dust, and the variable speed is REALLY nice. If you could find me two more just like it, I'd use them and we can sell the others."

Now, whenever I'm considering a new tool purchase, she says, "Why are you looking at that one? You should get the Bosch." That's a pretty loud endorsement for the 1295 DVS if I ever saw one, because she uses that sander more than the average woodworker ever will, and she uses it for things that it really shouldn't be used for.

Does anyone know the difference between the DVS and the DVSK model that appears to be available now? Obviously, I'm in the market again, and want to be sure the new model is as good as the one we already have.

Thanks Jeff and Tom. I picked one up shortly after my OP in Feb of 2007. For folks interested in a longer term use opinion; I have been running the thing to death for 18 months but it just keeps on going. Quite a bargain.

As to the canister, I paid $2 for the vac adapter when I bought the sander so I've never used the canister. With the vac hooked up the thing actually picks up it's own dust and anything nearby as you pass. Works really great. I do use a slip collar on the vac hose to reduce suction from my large Ridgid shopvac. CPO Bosch regularly has them available as recons and I see Lowe's have them on sale now and again.

Highly recommended.