Cheap dust bag not the one pictured otherwise good product

tools & hardware:


	• Bosch 1274DVS 6.6 Amp 3-Inch by 21-Inch Variable Speed In-Line Belt Sander with Cloth Dust Bag Bosch Bosch average customer review:based on 55 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Tool Happy!

This is one fine tool for the job of sanding our boat! I don't think I would have found a better deal anywhere else for as good quality and $ as I did here at Amazon, not to mention the fantastik 2-day delivery! Thanks again, Amazon!

Cheap dust bag not the one pictured otherwise good product

Product seems to work fine, however I would like the item to be exactly like the picture. The one that was sent to me had a cheap looking bag attached which did not look like the picture. It did not have the black support or even Bosch written on it anywhere. (Say cheap generic bag if that is what you are going to include with the product)

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Clogs easily

Sander tracks reasonably well (not great - yet far better than the old Craftsman that was thrown out), is able to handle rough grits easily (unlike the AEG I gave up on). Does what I ask it to do (rough sanding) BUT will clog quickly (something that seems to be prevalent in other reviews I have read). The primary reason for writing this review is to advise that it is easy to clean the clog with an air compressor gun (not like another reviewer who disassembled his machine to remove the clog with small screwdrivers). As another reviewer noted the dust bag is less than adequate (I run it directly into the shop-vac - which leaves a clean surface and little dust in the air). For the price a decent machine that still could use some improvements in the problem areas, but not one of Bosch's best products.

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Excellent performance & design

Belt sanders can be dangerous because they remove wood quickly. They need a light touch or you'll leave an undulating surface, not a flat one. But if you're careful they're a lot easier to use than a hand plane and a lot faster than an orbital sander. I'm a hobbyist who got a C in woodworking in junior high, and even that was a gift, because I can't get a flat surface with a hand plane or saw a straight line with a hand saw. So power tools are my salvation. I bought the Bosch belt sander to bring the rails and stiles of several raised panel drawer fronts into perfect plane more quickly than could be done with an orbital sander. I read a few magazine reviews and was interested in the DeWalt 443, but that model gets mediocre reviews on Amazon.

I wanted a 3 x 21" sander because a 4" wide sander is heavy and seemed like overkill, and I was interested in one that had a lever to make it easy to change the belt, reasonable dust collection, and an accessory frame available to help with keeping larger surfaces like tabletops flat. (That last criterion eliminated the Makita 9930.) The Bosch also comes with flat, graphite-impregnated platen, which the magazine reviews said was better (flatter) than the steel plattens most sanders come with. (You can buy a graphite replacement platen for other sanders.)

The Bosch is a bit under 8 lbs and the motor is mounted in line with the belt rather than crosswise, so the spacing between handles is greater than for the DeWalt, Makita and others. That's not a problem. The Bosch is comfortable to hold and easy to control, even for a short person like me. The magazine reviews say that it removes wood a bit less rapidly than other sanders in the same class, and that's probably a good thing unless it's being used in commercial production. There's an easy to use tracking adjustment to keep the belt lined up and the front handle is removable in case you need to get into a tight space, although you'd have to be careful controlling the sander. The variable speed trigger works well and there's a small dial accessible in the hand grip to limit the speed, as well as a button to make it run continuously. That allows you to mount the sander upside down on a bench and use is as a stationary tool.

The Bosch sander feels solidly made. The lever to release the belt is plastic, but it looks like it's fiber-reinforced nylon so it seems unlike to break unless it's abused pretty badly. The relatively light weight makes the sander easy to control, and the cord is quite long. The manual is clear and helpful. The sander's dust collection bag works well and you can remove it to connect a vacuum hose for even better dust removal.

The accessory sanding frame is solid and well designed but expensive - 50% of the cost of the sander -- and you have to figure out that the sander has to be inserted onto the two front pins before the you push the back of the sander onto the frames' clip, because the instructions that come with the frame are unclear. (You buy the frame separately from the sander.)

Two cautions. First, try the sander on scrap before you use it on a project - it removes wood much, much faster than an orbital sander and it's easy to leave a trough, even in hardwood. Use a light touch and keep moving it around to avoid that. Second, buy premium quality cloth-backed belts. You can get them at Sears, by mail order and at specialty store. The Bosch comes with a good cloth-backed 80 grit belt to get you started.

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Excellent Belt Sander

I have an old Tudor-style house with lots of oak paneling and trim. My other sanders are 5" and 6" Bosch random orbit units, and 1/4 and 1/2 sheet Porter Cable finishing sanders. The Bosch 1274DVS belt sander fits in perfectly when I need more aggressive sanding action on the wood paneling and oak doors. I've even found it light enough to use on vertical surfaces and even overhead trim for short periods. It's very effective removing the old finish and quickly exposing the raw oak for refinishing. I use the 1274DVS first and then follow-up with the random orbit or finishing sanders for perfect wood preparation.

Although others don't care for the bag dust collection (and neither do I), my method for controlling dust is to remove the bag completely and attach the sander to my shop vacuum using the Bosch hose. I probably capture 90% or more of the dust.

I've had no trouble with this sander since I bought it from Amazon 18 months ago. Then again, as a homeowner, I try not to abuse my tools so I've been fortunate with the overall reliability from my Bosch, DeWalt, and Porter Cable tools.

I would buy the Bosch 1274DVS again in a heartbeat. By the way, I just ordered the Bosch 1276DVS belt sander (4x24) from Amazon to give me even higher productivity refinishing pine paneling in my den.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Bosch, 3" x 21", Belt Sander, 6.6A, 550 - 1,100 SFPM Power For Professional Applications, Variable Speed For Fine Finishing Or Fast Stock Removal, Removable Front Handle For Close Work, Compact Inline Design For Better Balance, Sands Flush To Vertical Surfaces, Lever Action For Quick Belt Changes, Comes With A Dust Bag & 1 Sanding Belt.

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