I bought this sander to prep for a skim coat to smooth walls. Plaster was textured up to 5/16" out in some areas and painted with oil paint. Scraping with water wasn't an option, and I didn't want to skim out 3/8". Initially, I hit it with a belt sander, but I started getting inconsistent grooves. My research led me to this sander as a less aggressive option on walls. This did OK with 40 grit in the turbo mode, I needed to apply strong pressure to get the material to come off. Working vertically, this was a very tiresome and long process at 10 minutes a square foot. However, I estimate this tool probably saved me 25 hours over using my other tools on hand (belt sander, a other R/O sanders), and I've always wanted one of these anyways (Unfortunately for my wallet, I get enjoyment of buying new tools).
It includes a VAC002 dust adapter, which connected perfect to my 5 gallon shop-vac and did not slip out. That being said, the VAC002 connector to the sander doesn't stay on for more than 30 seconds. Why a $270 tool doesn't include an adapter that stays on the sander is ridiculous. However, it is easily solved with quick ties as some other reviews mentioned. The shop vac (with high efficiency bag and HEPA cartridge) had no performance issues, most dust was picked up, and I think the CFM of the shop vac is well matched to this sander. I say this because dust collection with my shop vac doesn't work well on other equipment I have, but this sander, luckily, it works.
Health-wise, I wore a respirator (P100 pads), dust goggles, and hearing protection. Also, I sealed the working area to prevent dust escaping, Just because you can't see dust, doesn't mean it's not there, paid the price too many times later at night, so I always wear plenty of safety gear.
As far as discs, I tried a few brands (Bosch, Powertek, one other) of 40 grit. After 5 minutes, I saw the effectiveness severely drop, yet the disc is clean and still looks like it's new. Putting on a new disc, back in business, material flies off. I surmise that the grit gets dull on the hard material I'm working with, I guess it was very dense plaster. I don't see this with wood, but just saying, you may want to have lots of discs on hand as I had to wait to get more 40 grit discs, not easy to source on a weekend.
This unit is very easy to control and doesn't have much vibration, Material removal is decent, but, bear in mind, it won't be a cakewalk if you have a lot of material to remove. Some of the other reviews state that it's "absurdly" quick, it may be quick for a very thin coat, but taking off a lot of material will make you sweat.
Haven't tried it for finishing, but I think it would be good to strip big flat wood furniture, like tables. So, looking forward to using on other things.
| Brand | Bosch |
|---|---|
| Grit Type | Fine |
| Voltage | 110 Volts |
| Power Source | Adapter,Electric |
| AC Adapter Current | 6.5 Amps |
| Grit Number | 36 |
| Maximum Rotational Speed | 600 RPM |
| UPC | 000346336214 |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00000346000016, 00000346336214 |
| Manufacturer | Bosch |
| Part Number | 1250DEVS |
| Item Weight | 7.39 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 14.8 x 7.8 x 6.2 inches |
| Item model number | 1250DEVS |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 6" |
| Style | 1st Generation |
| Material | Plastic |
| Wattage | 715 watts |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Special Features | variable-speed |
| Included Components | Sander, Dust Tube, Soft Backing Pad, Auxillary Handle, Pad Wrench, Sanding Disc |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 1 Year |
