Good alternative to Festool Rotex
I got this Bosch instead of the popular (and hugely expensive) Festool Rotex sander. It is advertised as having basically the same features as the Rotex, with a "turbo" mode that removes material more aggressively than the normal mode. I can confirm that the turbo setting works well. The normal setting is excellent, with a true random orbit that prevents swirl marks. The sanding attachment and port are also superb. Hooked up to my Fein shop vac, I never saw any dust in the air during use.
It does, however, have its drawbacks. Number one is the turbo mode is very hard to get ahold of; it skates and hops if you don't keep a really strong, firm hand on top of it. Also, while it is super-aggressive with new paper, but I have found it quickly clogs on the outside edge: the place where most of the work is done due to higher rotational speed. This is not uncommon with disc sanders, but it seems really pronounced with the lower grits (40/60) I have been using on old floors. Thus I am going through paper much faster than I would expect, as you can only clean the discs a couple of times before they become tattered.
On the whole, it's a good value versus the Rotex, but comes with caveats.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: New