As a hobbyist I wanted quality and value. I went with Bosch and have six different Bosch sanders. I also went with Fein on my dust collection. I couldn’t be happier. Maybe Festool is better for a full-time pro, but I feel like I get at least get 90 to 95 percent of Festool quality for one-half to one-third of the cost. I also only use mirka Abranet or Autonet mesh sand paper and don’t have to worry about matching up holes on the pad.
I bought a Festool 150 because I wanted to refinish my Fir floors and I needed an edge sander. And man did that thing sand ! My floors were partially replaced with flooring from a house they were going to tear down , so I had differences in board height by as much as 3 mm in certain areas. I started out with 24 grit , then 40 , then 80 and the sander performed flawlessly. I can give you a tip about dust collection. Don't buy the expensive Festool dust collector ...what I did is buy a kit for hooking a drywall sanding tool ( the rectangular kind that fits on a pole) up to a shop vac . In this kit , the coupler on the hose was size on size the same diameter as the Festool exhaust tube. To make it fit , I got out the little torch I use for soldering copper pipe , heated up the coupler till it was soft but not sagging or deforming...and jammed it onto the end of the Festool dust tube . It deformed enough to go on , and would not come off unless I applied a small amount of heat ...and I was able to hook the hose right to the hose of my ten gallon shop vac...the added length gave me great freedom of movement without having to move the Shop Vac every two minutes .I also took some tape and taped the power cord of the Festool sander to this hose to eliminate entanglement problems . This little trick did not damage the Festool dust tube in any way because it's a much harder , thicker and robust plastic . The temp of the coupler I heated was probably 140-150 degrees F when I jammed it on...just hot to the touch , but it wouldn't cause a burn injury . I hope this helps somebody .
not if but when , it has a plastic gear for the aggressive mode that breaks easily and costs around 100 euro to replace , makita is much better but not as good as festool .I know it`s a bit overpriced but i`ts the most powerful and durable of them all . I am usually a fan of bosch tools but this one in my opinion it`s not worth the money
@@entropic6957 well to be honest i do not know anything about the newest baby but the previous model was not up to usual bosch standard , i bought rotex 150mm from festool couple of years ago and boy ! that`s a beast ! i never looked back at anything , even at my beloved makita BO 6040
@@RICOFURNITURE Thanks! I like buying tools that go the distance. $250-$300 extra now won't be remembered in 5-10 years. When he showed the inside of the RO150, it made the makita insides look like a toy. Too bad the GET 75-6N has that dust protector.
@@thebuilditchannel8609 Usually the Bosch tool should be back to you within 5 working days (experiences from Germany, I don't know the handling and schedules in your country). There is an additional option in Europe for extra fee: 36 months onsite replacement, which is offered by Bosch with participating premium dealers. Anyway, your comparison is what we call a real comparison based on facts. Thanks a lot! Subscribed!
For me it's Bosch or nothing. Festool is just over priced and over hyped. I'm 60 years old and have been a cabinet maker and finisher for 40 years. I've used most power tools from Black& Decker to festool and Ive found that mid range are generally the best. High priced tools are usually just that, high priced. Even some lower end tools perform well. I have some Ryobi drills that have out lasted my Dewalts.
awesome - I have a grave yard for all 3 of them... about 6 broken Bosch Gex 150s (last a year with trade use) and now about 4 dead Makita 150's usually last 6 - 9 months with trade use, Festool 12 - 18 months MAX with solid use.... im probably going to go back to the ro 150 now especially now that they are selling them hard wired as those festool leads are just junk... .. i love the machine but always keen to trial anything especially if being sold for half the price of the festool gear.... I love festool but if you blink at them the wrong way sure enough its $100 part :) we use them everyday - awesome review mate.... after years of using these daily id give a firm recomendation for DIYers and trades that are going to use them only from time to time to go with the Bosch gex 150... refund the makita if you bought one (junk) If your likely to use it for constant trade use buy the festool.... UNLESS your staff are using it only buy them BOSCH as they wont respect the Festool enough it will get mistreated on Friday pack ups like everyting else...
if Festool lasts less than the 3 year warranty with normal use it should be a free replacement? Also, the Festool has a pin in its motor brushes that stops the sander from turning on when the brushes get too worn. So if it dies one day, that's your first check.
@@1320crusier what do you deem as commercial mate? Here in Aus that would mean festool and they only last a fraction longer for 3 times the price. All things die end of the day, you sneeze wrong at a festool and it costs you 100.
Here’s the thing: occasional users should get whatever they want, Makita and Bosch and Festool and some others are clearly all good enough. But people who use a sander all the time should look for one that best dampens the vibrations, to prevent wrist injuries - repetitive strain or whatever it’s called. It’s a real issue.
Bosch hands down, $284 for the sander and $44 for a 4 year replacement warranty throughAmazon. That extra $400 for the fess can be put to other needs around the shop.
I'm a Makita guy. Was going to buy the Makita ($419) if I could find it on the shelf somewhere locally... no luck. Then I stumbled upon a reconditioned Bosch for $199 online. I really wanted the Makita, but couldn't justify the $220 premium over the Bosch. I ordered the Bosch and am waiting for it to arrive. This video makes me feel much better about my choice. Thank you!
Great video! I nearly bought the makita yesterday, thankfully they didn't have it in stock. They did have the Bosch though and after this video I think you've convinced me. It also now has a 6 year warranty in Australia! Only down side I would say is that I would expect a storage case like the makita and festool supply.
Makita make great tools. Generally. Every major brand has its winners and losers and in-betweeners. Unless you are locked into a cordless brand due to battery compatibility, always review each and every tool purchase. I picked up the Bosch due to price and it was on sale and I’m near the end of my lifespan so a Festool Rotex would be poor value for me. A 5” bid box ROS was probably good enough for what I do but I’ve burnt out a few and arthritis was a consideration too. The head of the top body screw on the handle of the Bosch GET75-6N is recessed but nevertheless transfers light shocks to the fleshy hand so I wear gloves. The Festool to me looks more ergonomic too.
Thanks for this comparison. I know Bosch makes good product, but had always heard that Festool had far superior dust collection. In fact the peter Millard channel “10 min workshop” compared Bosch and festool orbital (rectangular) sanders, and the festool had remarkably better dust collection. So it great to see this Bosch keeping up. I also have a circa ‘95 Bosch 5” RO sander that is still going strong. I don’t get a great fine finish with it, because it’s a large machine, and a little top heavy, so I have a new inexpensive Bosch (5” RO) that is light and works well for 120 grit and up.
@@thebuilditchannel8609 Looking more closely at this, which sandpaper hole pattern does this use? photos shows a random orientation of some of the holes and I can't seem to find that kind of paper.
Very few people know that Bosch is one of the companies that has the most experience with gear orbital sanders. Bosch has been building orbital gear sanders for over twenty years and with Festtool, which also comes from Germany, Bosch can easily keep up. I grind with the GET 75-150 log houses made of fir, spruce, pine and cedar in Russia and the quality is super. The service is very good and the warranty with three years is also ok. Makita is not recommended because of the many plastic parts and plastic gears.
I've ran Makita Sanders for 21 years as a Painter and Decorator in Australia... I thrash my Sanders. I have 4 different types of Makita Sanders, they have never let me down, at times we run for for 8 hours a day non stop... Festool are great but to $$
UHHH BOSH isnt new i have been using almost an identical sander at work for over 2 years and my boss has had that sander for a few years before i started. its a heavy monster but the power and the finish you can get from it are fantastic.our festool sander is a diffrent style but i prefer the heavy bosch over it because of the power while still getting a good finish. from experience and boshes pedigree i would assume like the sander i have been using this one will probably last for at least 5-7 years min. ps im working in a cabinet shop and there are days the sanders will get used close to 8 hours a day so its been a few years of heavy use
This was a perfect overview. Most would probably go with bosch but festool has a better warranty and longer track record w/ double the price tag for the same performance out of the box
No brainer with the Bosch. In australia you also get a 6 year warranty if you register it with them. Festool is just for a wank factor among the easy to impress tools...I mean people lol. Festool is just way overpriced.
Thank you for the excellent video, decided to buy the Bosch as I saw in many comparisments it's as good as the Festool and here in the Netherlands you can have it for 200 EUR cheaper then the Festool
Festool falls short after the 3 year warranty, They only have centralized repair center which can cost a fortune in shipping after the warranty is up. Think about the cost of shipping a Kapex back. When you send it back. They fix everything which can also make the repairs expensive. I buy tools that have repair centers in the closest city.
Thanks for sharing this comparison. The review seemed biased in favor of Festool. a) You said you have used direct drive sanders for 15 years, if that happens to be one of the brands being tested then it would make sense to tell us that specifically. Just to be clear, I don't mean this negatively, but I would like to understand if your bias. If you have used a particular tool for a long time with great success that is a useful data point. b) k brooks already pointed out below that the warranty is a non-issue, but if that really matters to you, then you should look up what a protection plan cost. Amazon, btw, offers a 3 year plan for $34 with the Bosch. As others have pointed out given the price difference you can buy 2 of the Bosch sanders and still be ahead at 3 years. After that, quality of the tool matters most of all. c) Festool also offers the sander without the Systainer for $510 which be a better comparison against the Bosch which seems to just come in cardboard box. d) Would you also be so kind and disclose how the video was sponsored? In particular if any of the brands would benefit over the other. You mentioned Acme Tools at 0:55, so I assume they just provided you the 3 products and possible paid you for the doing the video. I appreciate reviewers that state financial interest upfront.
@@thebuilditchannel8609 Kudos. I appreciate the real testing and your experience. If I was you, I would still do the disclosure that the video is not sponsored. It gives you a credibility boost, and makes it easier to ask for donations if you decide to go that route in the future. Also consider putting the model numbers in the description so your video is easier to find via search. Well, we don't know each other, but if I wasn't interesting in what you have to say I wouldn't watch your videos. For instance, I think you made a convincing case that the Makita tool was inferior to the other two (balance, smoothness of operation, finish etc). Maybe I missed something important, but the only thing I recall you said about the Festool (over the Bosch) was that it had been proven in the market for a long time. As I said, that is an important data point so I am not dismissing it.
I’ve been eyeing the Rotex for my growing festool collection for a while now. Hard to plunk down that kind of money for a handheld sander though. I’m surprised how well the Bosch performed. I’ll definitely investigate it further now.
I had a rotex I bought second hand ,used it for four years sanding teak decks on huge yachts..After my knees went dodgy..sold the festool for what I paid for it..brilliant sander and areal beast if you want to take wood off quick .Can also be gentle finish sander too if you change the settings
One thing is that all these sanders are quite TALL... the Previous one from Makita, the BO6040 was way better, with a fat and low casing that placed the hands of the operator closer to the wood, making it perfect for control... it is a shame it was discontinued and replaced by the 6050, but I think the presnt one is controllable if you give yourself the chance to become accustomed to it. At sometime I saw a very low center of gravity sander, I believe it was from Rockwell, but haven't seen it again. Your comment on the balance of the sanders is spot on, But one thing I find objectionable form all of the three, is that the connection to the vacuum hose is fixwd: IT SHOULD BE MADE WITH AN SPHERICAL JOINT, so that it can rotate in both planes, so that the weight and tension from the hose does not throw of the balance of the sanding plate! Lastly, your review didn't tell us how was the vibration levels of the three sanders. Best Respects.
You missed a check when you forgot to show us the actual sand paper after each sanding run with dust collection. Festool is legendary for keeping the paper clean. Thats a big deal for a few reasons and it's a key buying point.
Very true, especially the units which come with the multi jetstream technology (the routed air prevents dust buildup on the pads extending their lifetime).
Funny how you say Bosch is the newer item but fail to realize that this sander is a Gen 2 of their original direct drive sander which came out before Festools direct drive sanders back in like 1999.
This is gen 2 for the Makita as well. However, I believe you’ll find that the previous Bosch 1250devs (gex turbo outside of us) was indeed a Festool copy. First Rotex was on the market by the 1980’s. Not that it matters. Every tool company takes on every other tool company’s successful ideas as soon as possible. I’m curious about the internals of the newest Bosch and Makita versions. The previous Makita and Bosch dual mode sanders had plastic gears. I didn’t like that fact at all. I have a love/hate relationship with all three brands, so, just the facts.
Terrible audio, never use distant microphone techniques in a video, always use close up microphones, nevertheless a very good comparison and otherwise a good video.
In reality they are all as good as each other, with the Fesstool having marginally better extraction. The quality of the sanding pads and sheets make a difference. The ETS is a better choice for finish sanding.
Thank you for a fantastic well thought out review! Very helpful. Two quick questions if you have time. How was dust collection on each in terms of airbone dust / overall? Was there a clear winner? Also, how were vibrations with each for prolonged use, any thoughts? Thanks again!
Festool has done some things to theirs to reduce vibration. I used one for a couple of hours straight, and it didn’t bother my hand at all...and I have RA, so my hand hurts after sanding with other sanders.
Good video. I don't like videos with some suggestion which tool is the best. Those videos are highly subjective. I own the Festool RO 150. It's pricy and Bosch is a good pick. For me everything was clear seeing the inner with the counter weight. Makita sooo flimsy and mostly plastic. Bosch some rubber sealing. Festool closed metal housing. But at the end they do the same work. In my opinion the Bosch dust extraction position is a no go and the rubber sealing too. But that is my very own opinion without seeing it in real life.
I have had bunch of festool gear from table saw to routers to sanders chop saw trimmers and everything else and I loved it! However I’m gonna stay away from festool for two reasons1. the cost of the machines is double of the completion 2. Durability lacks of the completion. I mean my rotex 150 needed repair after using it for 5 years and it cost me£185 my table saw even tho it was amazing lasted 5 years and the cost of repairs of the motor was gonna be about £400 at the same time dewalt table saws run forever and if it needs repair it cost about £40. I’ll stick with dewalt from on. It’s great quality gear runs forever and costs 60% less then festool.
You didn’t mention anything about the vibration of the three. I know Festool has an anti-vibration built in. The Bosch doesn’t say anything about low vibration. I haven’t looked at the Makita.
Ian Powell I went back and watched it again thru the first test, thinking I might have missed something. The only thing that might be taken that way was “running smooth”. To me, that’s a pretty general comment on how the motor runs. Vibration on a sander is more specific, and it’s also what causes some people to say a sander “wore me out” or “bothered my hand after awhile”, or even “had a hard time holding onto it”. Festool has low vibration, and I asked someone who has the Bosch about vibration. They said it was actually pretty bad. Don’t know anyone with the Makita. Of course, it wouldn’t matter for a minute at a time, but if you needed to sand for hours at a time, it would definitely make a difference. Sort of like talking about a car. You could say it ran smoothly just sitting still with the motor running. You could also say it ran smoothly while driving down a really bumpy road. Or you could say it ran smoothly, but it beat me to death on a bumpy road. Just my thoughts.
Hi... I'm from Indonesia... In my country there are only GEX 125-1 A / AE (250 watt) & GEX 150 AC (340 watt) for Bosch type... And for Makita BO 5041 (300 watt) & BO 6050 J (750 watt)... I have the GEX 125 1 AE. I think that I want a type more powerful than I have. I wonder if you can give me info how powerful is the GEX 150 AC ? Is the power is so weak if compare with BO 6050 J ? Since the power is so different. Or If GEX 125 1 AE compare with GEX 150 AC how much the different ? Thanks...
I've used Both the Bosch and Festool, and while at first I felt the Bosch had less vibration, looking back after using it now for several months, I believe that the Festool was actually smoother. The Bosch I think vibrates in a frequency that makes it seem fine at first, but is worse later; whereas the Festool keeps a fairly regular level of vibration, which isn't as offensive over long periods. Also when I tried them, the Festool ran cooler, and it probably does have something to do with how long they last, but also it effects comfort, because the Bosch has it's metal gearbox housing exposed and not covered by plastic, so if you've been running it for a long time, it almost burns your fingers. They should both be fairly reliable; the Bosch isn't actually a new item, they came out with theirs around the same time as Festool, and fans of each brand always seem to have conflicting information as to which brand came out with this concept first. Overall they're both great sanders, but I have been debating in my mind lately about if I made the right move to buy the Bosch.
Between Calebs advice and seeing this video .... I chose the Bosch! Oh, and the price tag was WAAAAAAAAAAAAY easier to swallow as well! Right now Amazon has a $20 off coupon on the Bosch. So you end up getting it for $279(if anyone is still interested in the Bosch).
Well I just bought the Makita for £215 delivered brand new from a reputable tool seller on Ebay. I can't find the bosch one at a good price. Festool (Feztool as you call it) are just too expensive for hobby and Diy woodwork. I'm also hoping to polish my camper too!
@@mack1609 Hiya, just been using it today on some 18mm Birch ply. Its pretty savage I mean if you go too close to the edges it causes some splinter but only if set on the rapid/rough setting and using 150 grit. I carefully select between rough and fine as someone said the gearbox change can get snapped. Anyway its a great sander, hardly any dust when used with a Bosch extractor. For £215 it was a good deal and nice case too!
@@aaronharris5275 thanks for your reply. I was concerned about the switch from random to turbo. Few videos said sander had problems. Like you said if your careful when charging modes. Thanks again
@@thebuilditchannel8609 . Yes it does look off balance, can see that it can't sit on its own falls back on itself. The bosch are hard to get, seems out of stock where I am in Ireland. The makita looks like a lot of sander for the money. Festool are crazy prices for my needs.
@@thebuilditchannel8609 yes you are correct it tips back when you don't have your hand on it. It is £335 cheaper than the Festool though so if money no object get the one that balances better. I rate Makita it just lasts.
I have the Festool Rotex RO 1 - using it for over 35 years now and it works as fine as on day one... in fact even better than as on day one due to the new and better pad (much better durst collection and therefore better finish and longer lasting sandpaper). No failure in all the time other than changing the pads sometimes; they make no cheap tools, but compared to the costs of sanding sheets I have used in all the time the price of the sander doesn't really matter...
Random orbit means that the pad does not travel in a circle but more of an elliptical motion. Direct Drive means the pad is directly connected to the motor and spins while sanding these are great for flattening. Some sanders still turn even though they are not directly connected using friction, I prefer these for general sanding over non spinning sanders.
i was very curious about this test, and am not surprised that Bosch did overall the best, imo - the performance and the price make it the obvious winner. Am going for the Bosch- thanks! Now to tackle my old teak stained front door!
@@maxschreiber1923 for example Hikoki (5year), Hilti (20 year) and some other brands but the simple brands like Bosch, Festool, Makita, Metabo only give 3 year standard. But apparently You can get the extended warranty after registering the device online. I use the Hikoki line and yes I have 5 year warranty. Besides that I have some Hilti tools, they have unbeatable customer service during AND after warranty.
Thank you for answering. I didnt know that Hikoki give 5 year warranty, very interesting though. As far as I found out, the 20 year warranty by Hilti is only for the US/Canada. At least in Germany you only get 2 years. Although 20 years warranty is only for material oder manufacturing mistakes/defects.
@@maxschreiber1923 Dear Max, The true warranty is the maximum a manufacturer will give you on his tools for free when you add to it all the extended warranty options. Standard warranty is always 2 years minimum. Every one is fighting to give the best experience within those 2 years. Then some professional manufacturers give 3 years and that's it. You don't get more from the shop. But then manufacturers do these extended warranty options of +2 year + 3 years extra warranty when registering and that brings you up to 5 years (free warranty). If you pay for warranty, it is somewhat an insurance, but still nice you are able to get the warranty cranked up to 20 years (Hilti) for just a fraction of the cost of the tool. When I bought my Hilti concrete stapler they were showing it off in an EXPO. I asked them about warranty and they said 2 years standard, after registering +2 years = 4 years. But if I got the extended warranty program which was at the time +€150 for that tool, the motor and gears warranted up to 20 years! For me it was too much and I didn't take it. I was already running the Hikoki line, but they didn't have a concrete nailer. So I'm using some tools for over 5 years now, My experience with Hikoki is EXCELLENT. Not even 1 issue so far and never had to call in something relying on warranty. Hilti is running fine as well. Can't say the same about my Bosch experience and their warranty division. Always a headache. Tools kept breaking and warranty didn't come i between, so in 2013 I left Bosch and went over to Hikoki. From My Bosch tools I only have a laser left, everything else broke. And the funny thing here is, I worked at Bosch. We didn't get any special prices or bonuses for buying Bosch tools.
The Bosch has been around for awhile in the 6” version. This unit is the second generation and they made it available in both 5 and 6” versions. My 1st gen unit was excellent but I will replace it with the upgraded version because of the better dust collection. I have a RO90 which is a very nice sander
You don't need to be smart to say which sander is best just check when this man remove rotat.mechanism and pad,also check rotating gear and dust protection of all 3 of them,so it goes like this:1- fest,2-bosch and then ..........and ......then 3 makita.
Xaxa. Mirka has absolutely nothing in these sanders. Mirka can be compared to ets125EC (Brushless) by the way I’ve played with both. Mirka and festool, and I like festool better. I have big hands. Some people prefer Mirka for the pedal switch. To each their own. As far as rotex goes, Mirka has nothing on rotex.
@Nat X Wow buddy thanks - you just saved my life. I have a big remodelling job starting tomorrow. I'll be sure to upgrade my insurance and have my attorney standing by, have a bunch of extinguishers piled high around the sander, wear a Napalm-grade flameproof suit, and have a fire truck waiting outside just to be sure. You have a nice day now.
Yes bought Bosch sander when I got it loved but after couple of using hate it and sold it. It vibration lots. Damage my hands, tingling, hands mumbnes was horibal i thought i have carpal tunnel issue cos of the machine. 400 euro payed and litle using turbo mode 5 munite cos lots of problem.
Festool is an overrated brand. Think about the longevity with bosch enclosing the bottom for dust. A.azing for almost a third of the price of that festool. Dont get me wrong the festool is a beast I have used it but no way I'm not buying a better tool for way less. Bosch has a good wara ty also
...polishing?...festool always has some little thing the others don’t, and all the nice little accessories like different pads or there very pricey but best quality paper, their static free hoses, and they all seem to be in stock down at Lee valley....I really hate to spend any extra money because I make my living with my tools and profit is the driving force....but it would be foolish for me to look at anything but the festool....😿😿😿
You obviously haven't used much Bosch than when it comes to concrete It's usually the best they also have amazing Sanders and lasers Makita is just ergonomic and a good high-end but budget brand
@@jodyaugust5087 totally agree. Bosch sds drills and jigsaws are waaay better than makitas. However Makita make a couple of awesome belt sanders. These days though, all my tools are Mafell and Festool.
Enjoyed the video, I'm curious what material each company used for their gearing, I heard the older Bosch sander had plastic parts in the gearing and festool used metal
Can someone help me ? I bought the makita Bo6050j and noticed two things: 1) Forced Rotation mode moves the sander too much and sometimes it becomes uncontrollable. 2) The sander overheats quickly (mostly in forced rotation mode).
@@thebuilditchannel8609 tried acme they are out of stock,i checked Bosch website for list of distributers only place that is in stock is sorry but a 15 day wait to ship? Lol crazy
Just got my GET75-6N today, looking forward to using it soon. Thanks for the review, I was wanting to see how it performed vs. Festool. At less than half the price, it's the obvious bargain. I do wish it came with a case, but will probably just find a Bosch case for it.
