Bosch Home and Garden Belt Sander PBS 75 A (710 W, in carton packaging)

Product Information

The motor is tough enough to take on the biggest jobs. You can choose the belt speed from 210 m/min to 440 m/min. The unit itself has a low profile and is compact for such a powerful belt sander. But what I really like is how easy it is to handle. The grips are well-shaped and allow you to be precise whether you’re working on wood or metal.

If there is power available then a corded sander makes life simpler in many ways as you don’t need to worry about charging batteries or replacing them when they are old. You just need to deal with a cable potentially getting in the way. How much do I need to spend? As mentioned above, there are typically four kinds of sander. Some are more versatile and can be used for multiple jobs, while others are more specialist. Below is a short summary of the main types and how they differ from each other. As is typical for this type of sander, the BO4556 is compact and lightweight with single-speed operation. It’s easy to use thanks to its toggle switch and soft non-slip elastomer grip, and even has an effective dust bag which isn’t a given for affordable finishing sanders. What’s more, you can make use of regular sheets of sanding paper via the simple clamp system. We used the sanders on a range of different types of wood, including some with large surface areas, and others with hard-to-reach sections. We also used them with different sandpaper grades to evaluate how each one performs. All of the sanders were used for long enough to be able to assess their ergonomics, including weight and dimensions. Finishing sander: A finishing sander, as you might expect, is the one you need to put the finishing touches on a job. They come in different shapes and sizes which means you will sometimes see them described as palm sanders, and are ideal for working on flat areas before adding products like oil, wax and paint.

My Top Recommended Belt Sanders

Disc sander: A disc sander is probably what most people think a random orbital sander is. The key difference is that they do spin in a fixed motion, much like the wheel on a car. They typically require two-handed operation and, like belt sanders, are better for tougher jobs where lots of material needs removing. The fixed motion means you need to be careful not to leave visible circle marks behind. You may also want to compare noise and vibration levels in the technical specification before choosing your belt sander. Random orbital sander: If you can only afford one sander, a random orbital is the most versatile. They are typically circular, but not exclusively, and although it might look like they simply rotate the sanding disc, they actually move it around in an unpredictable pattern to avoid scratch marks. Their size and ease-of-use make them suitable for a wide range of sanding tasks. Detail sanders: In many ways, a detail sander is a type of finishing sander. Typically, they have a triangular shape with curved sides, and this makes them less suitable for larger areas. They are, however, ideal for precise tasks like edges or harder to reach places. The WX820 comes with a microfilter dust box and gives you plenty of control thanks to six different speed options. It’s not as powerful as a corded sander, but the battery means you can use it anywhere and is interchangeable with other Worx Powershare tools.

Size and weight are important features too – lighter machines can weigh just 1.5kg whilst heavy-duty models can weigh over 4kg . The design is taller than corded sanders and you have to factor in the weight of the battery, which also gets in the way of the grip a fair bit, but it’s easy to use and offers three different speed settings giving you good control. A maximum speed of 11,000opm (orbits per minute) isn’t particularly high but the DBO180Z makes up for it somewhat with a large 2.8mm orbit diameter. Dust extraction is above average and the machine is quiet in operation.

Bosch offers a comfortable contoured shape with a soft grip and an easy-to-use toggle switch. The dust box is small but you can optionally attach the PSM 100 A to a vacuum cleaner for even less dirt. The triangular pointed shape of the sanding plate means you can get into corners and the plate can be rotated to extend its lifespan. Unlike many detail sanders, there’s a second section to the sanding plate for when more surface area is needed.