# Bigger is not always better



## redryder (Nov 28, 2009)

The latest Wood Magazine just said the exact same thing you did. Bigger is not better for all the reasons you stated: heavy, awkward, won't get into tight spots and dust collection is no better on a 6" than a 5" ROS…......


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## rodneyh (Feb 8, 2011)

I have the same sander, same complaint. I bought it, however, for a boat deck project that I needed to take off a lot of material in a hurry. It's the best in the business for that, unless you want to step up significantly in price.


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

Thanks for the review. I'll stick with the 5".


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Thanks for posting this. I was considering one of these for the same reasons you bought yours. The switch would drive me nuts.


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## PCM (Jan 23, 2010)

For those of you who need a 6" ROS, get the Bosch ROS65VC. It can be switched to a 5 or 6 " ROS. Has the best dust collection; so good you do no not need a vacuum and the canister is a snap to empty. Vibration is miniscule and you will no longer have those tingling hand after prolonged sanding. The sander is aggressive,but easy to control and leaves an excellent finish. I would like to also mention, that Abranet sanding discs are a great improvement over sand paper discs. They are more aggressive yet leave a smoother finish at each grit level compared to even good sand paper like Norton 3X and last 4-5 times longer. Their open mesh design does not clog and improves dust collection.


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## cabmaker (Sep 16, 2010)

All you had to do was ask. Think bosch 3725. Around 140 bucks. Oh and make sure and get the 5 inch.


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## grumpy749 (Nov 22, 2011)

Hell I build a lot of tables and this is the best sander i've owned. I don't even use my belt sander anymore. True it is heavy and is not built for light intricate work but very little downward pressure is needed to get excellent results. You can get replacement discs in just about any grit at Lee Valley I couldn't be without this sander in my shop. To each his own I guess.


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## DLCW (Feb 18, 2011)

I tried this sander about 18 months ago and found it to be way underpowered and the motor housing got really hot to the touch when aggressively sanding. I did like the 1/8" or 1/4" orbital setting for aggressive or non aggressive sanding. I returned mine 3 days after purchasing it. I was afraid the motor was going to burn up.


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## Arvid (Feb 26, 2010)

I have have one of these sanders for over a year and while I wouldn't recommend it over a 5" sander (or as my only ROS) it does get the job done on large projects. I use it on larger projects and always with two hands. While the switch isn't my favorite the abilty to cover larger areas faster, with a more agressive cut, great dust collection, and at a good price it was hard to pass up. I've also been luck to have all my grits available at the local box stores, so finding the paper hasn't been that difficult. Like grumpy749, my belt sander hasn't been used much after purchasing this gem.


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## ferstler (Oct 5, 2008)

I own the earlier R2610 version of this unit reviewed above, the R2611, I assume (the dust-collection bag and hookup is different, and I think there are also a couple of other minor differences), and I love the daylights out of it.

Unlike the reviewer, I particularly love the on/off switch and power-lock feature. The advantage of such a switch is that it is fast and easy to shut it down should something go wrong, such as a disc flying apart or the workpiece jumping about. The heavy weight getting complaints is actually a performance advantage, in my opinion (although obviously it would be a problem if one were sanding a wall or ceiling) and makes the unit easier to use for typical workbench-style sanding. The early version also got some very positive comments during a sander faceoff in one of the woodworking magazines a while back, and I do not think the magazine reviewer had any complaints about the on/off switch.

I did a formal review of my unit on this site a while back, at:

http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/532

Since the review I have done even more work and it continues to work fine. One thing I have discovered is that it is really not necessary to have a dust-collector hooked up to it at all. I work outdoors when sanding, and the unit scavenges dust just fine and blows it clear of the work area.

Different strokes for different folks.

PS: I think my older version was actually made in Germany and not in China. Rare, I think, these days.

Howard Ferstler


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