Customer Reviews
Quality Product 
2008-02-13
Sturdy construction. Dust collection works pretty good. Easy to attach sandpaper. Comes with a nice carrying bag.
so so sander 
2008-01-19
Here are a few cons of this sander to be aware of
1. The size of the base is small and it wastes a pretty good amount of a 1/4 sheet
2. The hole punch creates huge holes that actually tear the sand paper rather than punch through a nice clean hole. All too frequently after five or so minutes of sanding, the paper rips from one of the holes to the side of the sheet exposing the base pad and requiring a premature change of the sheet.
3. The dust collection is so so. The vacuum hose adapter has to be bought seperately and does not fit your standard vacumm hose. I had to rig up an additional adapter to make the connection. unfotunately I bought 3 bosch sanders thinking I could easily swap the hose from one to another when changing grits. The adapter does not release easily and I have to fight it to get it off.
4. After 4 months of use, the easy sheet change out mechanism wore out and the sheet would come loose while sanding. I was able to tweek the clip to get it to hold the sheet tight again but I must say, this sander has been more of a disapointment than anything else.
I prefer my makita
Bosch 1/4 Sheet Sander 2007-12-12
I am a professional cabinetmaker and I use mostly Bosch power tools in my shop. The sander is well made and operates quite nicely. The concept of the clamping mechanism is a good idea however it does not hold up under production use. The rear clamping bar has rubber pads that are suppose to pinch and hold an abrasive piece of sandpaper which over time gradually wear away and then will not hold the sandpaper in place. I've had two of these sanders recently and both have suffered the same malfunction. I wish there was some way they could redesign the rear holding mechanism.
This is THE sander I would have invented.... 
2007-12-11
This is the FOURTH palm sander I've owned in my 48 years and this is the first one that I don't want to destroy with a sledge hammer. The paper-change feature on this one is a little bit of heaven. It's easy, it's quick and you won't pinch your delicate lady fingers (or worse). The little red button on the front is what makes it sweet and good. Press that button and the sandpaper slides in easily. On the back, the paper is threaded through a little lever. I love this feature. Oh mercy, do I love this feature.
The dust-catcher does a decent job of trapping sawdust but as often as not, I use it without the rear-bagger dealie.
The other super-nice feature: It is not painful to sand with this sander. Most other sanders vibrate my hands, wrist and arm so bad that it is quite painful and unpleasant. I don't know how they did it, but this sander is almost vibration free.
Speaking as a woman who has sanded about 12 billion board feet of lumber, this is the best palm sander I've seen on the market. I'm very impressed.
Great Sander 2007-12-01
This is a great sander. The paper clamp is the best I've ever seen. Dust collector works great and is easy to clean. Beats my old B&D hands down.
Only one thing - - I bought it at Home Depot on sale for $39.
Be prepared to order parts to keep it going 2008-07-24
Like other here have said, the rubber bar wore out after about 20 hours of use and would no longer hold the paper. I have ordered 6 of the bars from the Bosch service facility. I'm not sure if this will be the total solution but if it works then it is worth it because of the ease of changing paper with the sheet lock system. The cost to order was $1.15 plus about $7 shipping. I will update this after the parts arrive.
Solid tool 2008-07-05
I really like this little tool. It's a high-end tool with a bit higher price along, but after borrowing my friend's hard-to-control B&D palm sander with crazy vibration and the finger pinching lever, I've opted to spend more. Glad I am for the decision! Like many here pointed out, changing the sand paper is really easy and it's very very well balanced. I basically let it do its job while holding it over surfaces.
I have to admit to my Dad that he's right; you should buy good tools even if it costs more. They help you do the job simply better and make it more enjoyable. The extra bucks spent is soon forgotten.
Better than the others but needs glue on rubber block 2008-02-25
Others have said what I would about the design improvements over other sanders but they should have glued the rubber block that tightens the sand paper. Easy fix though, just add some weatherstrip cement or liquid nails to the front rubber pad to keep it from slipping off the metal holder. My older De Walt is now second string. I hated having to play around with tightening the sandpaper each time on that sander.
Amazon should sell the vac hose connector accessory but as of this date they do not, only 3rd party sellers here where s&h is too much for the item. You need to buy the Bosch ,it is a special type connector. Wish Bosch kept it made in the USA but mine was made in Malaysia.
It's about time 2008-02-21
It's about time someone made a palm sander that's easy to load with sandpaper. And this one's so easy it's almost fun. There's really nothing I dislike about it. It would be nice if it were quieter, but hey, it's a vibrating sander so it's got to make some noise, right? I have an old Black and Decker that REALLY clatters if you want to talk about noise. I love the bag that this one comes in. It's easy to drop the sander into the bag and stuff the cord in, unlike the hard plastic cases that are hard to keep the cord in. People who have a problem with the dust probably didn't poke holes in the paper with the included punch. I also ordered an adapter to connect a vacuum hose but I haven't received it yet. I really like this sander and I would buy it again and recommend it.
Big Let Down 
2008-02-14
I bought this sander just over a year ago, and I'm very much regretting chosing this one over the Dewalt. Don't get me wrong, I love Bosch tools, but this sander has a major fatal flaw.
After a few days, the rubber pad split apart on the first one that I got.
So, I returned it for a replacement. The rubber pad on the front clamp of this one won't stay in place. The vibration of the tool causes it to slip and the sandpaper falls out. I can't sand for 20 seconds without the paper slipping. I'm severely disappointed in bosch. I had higher expectations of them.
