A cracking sander and polisher that transforms wood from rough to smooth in minutes. Very smooth running, very powerful but using coarse grits it can wander if not held properly. The addition of the outrageously expensive front handle really does make a difference to the handling and control of the very aggressive rotary mode. The Rotex, fitted with the hard rather than soft pad is excellent for edges, leaving them crisp and square, and the ability to change from direct rotary to eccentric drive is superb. Dust collection, connected to a Midi, is unbelievably good and the smooth start motor allows you to start and stop with total control on the work piece. I am so impressed with this sander using Granat abrasives that I have just bought its smaller brother the Rotex ... MoreA cracking sander and polisher that transforms wood from rough to smooth in minutes. Very smooth running, very powerful but using coarse grits it can wander if not held properly. The addition of the outrageously expensive front handle really does make a difference to the handling and control of the very aggressive rotary mode. The Rotex, fitted with the hard rather than soft pad is excellent for edges, leaving them crisp and square, and the ability to change from direct rotary to eccentric drive is superb. Dust collection, connected to a Midi, is unbelievably good and the smooth start motor allows you to start and stop with total control on the work piece. I am so impressed with this sander using Granat abrasives that I have just bought its smaller brother the Rotex 90. That too is a cracking tool.

My bosch gex 150 died after 11 years of heavy sanding and I was reluctant not to replace like for like. The last few tools that I'd bought have all been festool and I've been really impressed with their performance, build quality and design so I thought I'd spend the extra and get the rotex 150.When you compare the two, they both do the same job in the same amount of time but that's where the similarities end... The bosch feels like a snarling beast compared to the festool, I guess it's like travelling 150mph in an Ferrari compared to doing the same in a Bentley, ones a white knuckle ride and the other feels like no effort. In fact i kept having to check if the festool was on aggressive mode as it felt so smooth.The dust extraction is amazing, there is less ... MoreMy bosch gex 150 died after 11 years of heavy sanding and I was reluctant not to replace like for like. The last few tools that I'd bought have all been festool and I've been really impressed with their performance, build quality and design so I thought I'd spend the extra and get the rotex 150.When you compare the two, they both do the same job in the same amount of time but that's where the similarities end... The bosch feels like a snarling beast compared to the festool, I guess it's like travelling 150mph in an Ferrari compared to doing the same in a Bentley, ones a white knuckle ride and the other feels like no effort. In fact i kept having to check if the festool was on aggressive mode as it felt so smooth.The dust extraction is amazing, there is less clogging on the paper and the vibration and fatigue that I used to feel on my hands after using the bosch for long periods was not experienced on the festool.In conclusion the both the bosch and the festool are great sanders and won't disappoint, the festool is more expensive but you are rewarded with a more balanced and better conceived sander....

A robust machine which delivers all the power you could ever need, clever switch that allows both softer orbital sanding and heavy stock removal. An overal feeling of good engineering and great dust extraction so why 4stars instead of 5? Weight! Its heavy, very heavy and although a giant in the world of orbital sanding and dare i say probably the best random orbital sander avalible today its a machine that if used over head or at reach could prove exhausting.