I’m sure you have noticed that every major tool company has a very large catalog of tool options. They can range from construction tools, woodworking tools, metal fab tools, cordless tools, corded tools, hybrid tools, cross over tools, and the list goes on and on. One thing that I have learned from my tool testing over the years is that each major tool brand creates at least one type of tool that stands heads and shoulders better than what the competition has to offer.
When I think of Bosch, the absolute first tool that comes to mind is the random orbit sander. I have and use three different Bosch random orbit sanders in my shop. As a matter of fact, they are the only ones I use. I also own the $99 Festool sander that became available for a short period of time a couple of years ago, but I have only used it a handful of times.
There has been a huge push for tools to go cordless in the last past 6 or 7 years. Many tools can run all day long on a single battery charge. This is great, but I still prefer the corded option for the random orbit sanders for most of the work in my shop. Cordless sanders have a place for quick small jobs but tend to fall a little short when dealing with larger sanding jobs.
Bosh has released a new random orbit sander option that I find quite unique. The Bosch GET75-6N direct-drive random orbit sander does sanding differently than almost other brands.
Bosch Dual-Mode 6-inch Sander Review Overview
There are several things I look at when I’m using random orbit sanders.
- How well does the sander remove material?
- How well does the vibration dampening work?
- How ergonomic and balanced is the sander when used?
- Does the sander leave swirl marks?
- How effective and user-friendly is the dust collection?
All the other three Bosch sanders I use rate 5 stars in each of these categories, so it is obvious why I think of Bosch as the top major brand manufacture of sanders.
Let us take a closer look to see if the Bosch dual-mode 6-inch sander can stack up to the expectations I have for Bosch sanders.
Bosch Dual-Mode 6-inch Sander Review Features
At first glance, there are several features on this sander that differ from everything else Bosch has to offer.
First and foremost, there is a switch that allows you to toggle between a direct drive turbo mode and normal random orbit mode. This Turbo mode rotates the sanding pad into an eccentric-orbit mode a more aggressive removal of material.
Unlike most random orbit sanders where they are designed to fit your palm, this unit has a barrel grip form reminding me of the shape found in angle grinders.
Dust collection is handled by a tube connected above the sanding pad and travels to the back of the barrel grip where a dust vac can be hooked up.
A dust port adaptor is supplied so you can hook this sander up to 35MM, 1-1/4”, and 1-1/2” vacuum hoses.
The sanding pad is a hook and loop setup which is pretty much standard but has a different dust collection hole pattern than I’ve seen from Bosch. Instead of having their standard 6-hole setup, there are dozens of little holes in addition to the standard 6-hole setup.
A removable bump guard clips onto the front of the sander. This prevents the sanding pad from adjoining surfaces near your workpiece.
The auxiliary handle can be set up on either side of the sander according to the user’s preference.
Variable speed control is located on the end of the barrel grip.
The cord on this unit measures in at 12 feet.
Bosch Dual-Mode 6-inch Sander Review Performance
When using the Bosch Dual-mode random orbit sander in the regular mode, I was quite pleased with its performance. There were no discernable swirl marks and the vibration was low making this easy to use for long periods of time.
When using this sander in the turbo mode, the sander works like a beast. I would compare the material removal to be nearly the same as a belt sander with some control benefits. I find this sander to quickly remove material without the fear of leaving gouges that can be produced from a belt sander. You can also more precisely target difficult spots versus a belt sander by tilting the sander slightly.
With the long barrel grip the Bosch dual-mode sander features, this unit is not as well balanced as their other random orbit sanders. When I grip this unit on the barrel, it’s a bit more difficult to keep the sanding pad flat on my work surfaces. It has been common to find myself putting too much pressure no the back end of the unit causing it to tip back. Also, I must be careful when setting this unit down. If the cord is hanging off the table too far, the weight can cause the sander to tip. No big deal unless the sander is close to the edge of your table.
When removing material in the turbo mode, be prepared to hold on. The aggressive motion of the Bosch dual-mode sander causes this unit to want to wander quickly.
The removable bump guard located on the front of the unit is awesome. I have caused damage to projects in the past when the leading edge of the sanding pad hit a vertical board attached to the piece I am trying to sand. This feature works incredibly well.
All random orbit sanders perform best hooked up to a dust vac, but most of them have the option to hook up a bag or pleated filter canister. The Bosch dual-mode sander has only one way to capture dust. You must connect the long dust shoot to a vac or live with the dust.
Bosch Dual-Mode 6-inch Sander Review Value
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, Bosch makes some of the best sanders available. The only other sanders I consider to be the equal of Bosch sanders are made by Festool.
I’ve seen the Bosch dual-mode random orbit sander listed between $250 and $299. Sure, you can buy cheaper sanders. To find a comparable performing unit, you can purchase a Festool Rotex 150 which is listed at $620. At a savings of $300+ over the Festool, I’ll take a Bosch any day.
Bosch Dual-Mode 6-inch Sander Review Final Thoughts
The Bosch Dual Mode 6-inch Sander is like having two tools in one. When using this unit in the turbo mode, you can remove material nearly as fast as a belt sander. In a matter of seconds, you can flip the switch back to the normal mode to get the finishing quality of a random orbit sander.
If you think about how much time you spend and how important sanding is to the final look of any woodworking project, a good quality sander is priceless. The Bosch dual-mode 6-inch random orbit sander is not only a time-saver but a great performer as well.
