Need a hand held belt sander which one?

[DanWhick]

I've got a Makita 9404 and really like it. Have had it for a few years and has done fine. The power cord is nice at 16' long. I do also have the Bosch 1250DEVS and its a beast in turbo mode

 

[tarbellb]

Just ordered a Bosch 3725devs 5-inch ROS for $107 on Amazon. Not the latest/greatest model, but still made in Switzerland and has very highly rated reviews. Excited to try one of those Velcro pad sanders!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008NFDM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

That is a great sander, and you will like it im sure.

But without the dual modes its like most other ROS, great for fine finishing, but will not remove material like the 1250.

edit: or does it? I cant tell from the description? If yes, then sweet, stick with it.
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But to play devils advocate.....

return that sander, buy the 1250DVS and the ROS20VSC (HD for $55). Its a killer combo for high material removal, large surface finishing, and small fine finish work.

 

[exmaxima1]

Just ordered a Bosch 3725devs 5-inch ROS for $107 on Amazon. Not the latest/greatest model, but still made in Switzerland and has very highly rated reviews. Excited to try one of those Velcro pad sanders!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008NFDM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Tried the new Bosch on a set of bathroom cabinets I'm building, and I'm thrilled with the performance! Very lightweight (compared to my 15 lb belt sander), quiet, aggressive, and the vacuum works fantastic. Couldn't believe how quickly it filled the dust collector and left very little dust on the boards. I'm a believer

 

[kythri]

All kinds of good used belt sanders on Craigslist, in my experience. I've got an older (1970s? 1980s?) Craftsman one I scored from there a few years ago, and I've used it a ton, still works beautifully.

 

[beamrider]

I've got the 1250DEVS, and I can confirm that it's a nasty beast of a woodeater. Orbital action is gear driven in both modes I believe, 2.5mm and 5mm. I use Mirka Gold 60 and 120 grit discs, and with a 60 grit disc running in aggressive mode, it's just nuts. I can't imagine how it would do with a lower grit disc, and using a wet vac hooked to it, the dust collection is great.