cant afford festool how about bosch

[jim sauterer]

looking for a 1/2 sheet sander for large panels.cant afford festool but does anyone have any knowledge or experience with the bosch 1293d 1/2 sheet sander.can get one with hose adaptor and 15 ft hose for $175.00.about half of festool.not knocking festool its just that woodworking is a hobby not a job.thanks for any input.

[Dave Stuve]

Hi Jim,

I *love* my Bosch 1293d 1/2 sheet sander - it does a great job of sanding, it doesn't vibrate too much, and has great dust collection - in fact with a good vacuum it will 'stick' to a flat surface - and very little dust escapes it. It's my favorite sander for large flat surfaces.

Dave

[Tom Cowie]

looking for a 1/2 sheet sander for large panels.cant afford festool but does anyone have any knowledge or experience with the bosch 1293d 1/2 sheet sander.can get one with hose adaptor and 15 ft hose for $175.00.about half of festool.not knocking festool its just that woodworking is a hobby not a job.thanks for any input.

Jim

I think that Bosch makes some great tools so I can't see why their 1/2 sheet sander would be any different. The comment that I wanted to make is how much I have improved my sanding by using a 1/2 sheet sander. It was the most natural feeling sander I've had so far. I still finish with a ROS but I will always have a use for a 1/2 sheet.


Tom

[Bob Aquino]

I dont have any festool sanders (just the guided saw) but I have plenty of Bosch tools including their big 6" ROS. Nothing but good things to say about them so I dont think you would go too far wrong on the 1/2 sheet sander. I have looked at those sanders as well, just never got close to pulling the trigger on one. It would be more economical than the ROS for consummables, if you have a lot of large flat surfaces to sand it is probably the tool to use.

[Prashun Patel]

I'd get the Bosch ROS. More versatile. Nothing but good things to say about it - except the dust port adapter is a bear to find.

[Jerry May]

I to like the Bosh tools, all that I have used are great. I participated in a tool drop at one of the trade shows where you climb to a platform hold the drill high and drop it, if it breaks you win the tool (not the the one you broke) I broke mine and won the drill, 14 v brute, I though it broke due to my ability to break things, but was told the drill had been dropped some 26 times. great drill.

[Dave Lewis]

Over the past 20 years, I too have bought mostly Bosch portable tools, with a Fein router, Milwaukee drills, and a new Makita Lithium set mixed in. The Festool products do look innovative though.

Bosch does know where the optimal price / quality point lies.