Customer Reviews

Bosch 1297DK 2 Amp 1/4-Sheet Sander with Dust Canister

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

All quarter sheet sanders are relatively similar, however, this one removes one of the small inconviences of the machines. It has a very easy to use quick sandpaper change mechanism. All of the other sanders work as advertised and all require a little bit of fiddling to bend the sandpaper in a small arc to insert into the clamping mechanism. Now along comes the Bosch 1297DK and that small complaint disappears. It also has a slightly better dust collection system, though, no sander short of using a vacuum hose is really going to have great dust collection. I'm replacing my DeWalt quarter sheet sander with this one and am very happy with the upgrade.

I purchased this sander about four months ago and have put it through some serious use. The sheet lock system is what attracted me to this sander, but I was not sure how I would hold up to heavy use. In the short time I have owned this tool I have burned through a sleeve (50 sheets) of sand paper which equals 200 (1/4 sheet) paper changes and every thing is still tight and crisp just like it was the day I purchased it.

The ergonomics are outstanding (i.e. balance, comfort, & control). The sealed swich appears to be of higher quality than other simular models.

The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because of the power cord and plug. The cord itself is more rigid than typically found on other power tools and the plug itself is thinner than normal and will not stay in the receptical, splitter, or extension cord.

I've recommended this tool to coworkers and would repeat my purchase.

I've owned and used Bosch tools for decades, and consider them to be top of the line for price/performance, with the emphasis on performance. However, the 1297DK Sheet Sander has shaken my faith. As others have noted, the SheetLoc front gripper simply ceases to do its job after just a few hours of sanding work.

At first, the rubber gripping surface would dislodge, requiring a good deal of pulling and stretching to get it back into place on the metal holder. Perhaps that abuse of the rubber -although necessary- broke down its integrity in some way. But in any case, after a few more hours of sanding, stopping to reinstall the rubber, sanding, stopping... etc., the front gripper began losing its grip on the sandpaper. The failure is progressive, and now the sandpaper comes loose from the front gripper within just a few seconds of use. I suppose I'll have to go to stick-on paper, but that's very irritating since I paid for the SheetLoc system.

I never thought I'd say that Bosch has misengineered a tool, but that's the case with the 1297DK. The concept is good, but the engineering is a failure. Bosch needs to redo the front gripper, or take the tool off the market.

FC

I received this sander around the middle of nov, it is so easy to put in the sheets. some 1/4 sheet sanders don't give you any play and the paper usually does not fit to good. this sander was well thought out. it is easy to put in the 1/4 sheets it, gives you room. I have been using it when I am doing doors to eas the edges. the nice thing is it does not have spin "tendencies" like the orbital ones do. plus sheet paper is usually less expensive. fits in hand very well and a good deal. over all I like this sander and have been using it regulary! thanks bosch.

I have had three of these sanders. When they are new out of the box, they work great. However after several hours of use the front gripper looses it strength and will not hold the sheets of sandpaper in place.

This problem is acute with fine grit papers and I frequently have the front edge of the paper come loose and start flopping around less than a minute after inserting a new sheet. The front edge will come loose even if you're not sanding anything - just running the tools causes it to get loose and flop around.

When this happened on my first sander I thought it might have been a manufacturing defect. However this has happened with all three of these that I have owned and it appears to be a design flaw.

The rear gripper is great. It's too bad that the whole tool is rendered useless by a poorly designed front gripper.

I suppose I could try stick on paper; but then what's the point of the 'SheetLoc??

This is a well thought out sander. Although it has the same body as my KraftMatic (cheap China import), everything else is a step up. The dust suction and filter work well, although the filter does tend to plug up somewhat quickly, as they all do. Having to buy an adapter for a dust collection hose is somewhat annoying, and as stated previously you do need a system that can handle the minute air flow from the 6 suction holes. It really does keep the dust off the work, though.

The paper retention mechanism is second to none. The only thing that's faster and easier is pre-cut PSA paper, and you can use that on this sander if you want.

Vibration is low and the sander is quiet. It's padded well and easy to hang on to.

The ONLY real down side is the quality of the results. Since 1/4 sheet sanders are not dual action (sometimes improperly called "random orbit"), they tend to leave elliptical swirl marks on knots or whenever a somewhat course grit is used on a soft wood. The faster the RMP, the more the sander floats, and the less noticeable the marks are. 12,000 OMP (orbits per minute) just isn't fast enough for quality work without switching grits often and being very careful. The 14,000 OPM Porter-Cable 340 leaves a much nicer finish, which is unfortunate, given all the features of this unit.

In the end, I prefer the Porter-Cable because it produces the best results.

I like this Bosch finish sander. At 12,000 OPM, it is less powerful than Dewalt and Mikita but that's not as important to me as Bosch's innovative sanding sheet clamping system and dust collection system. If you've ever pinched your finger changing grits you'll appreciate this new clamping system. The system does the 'stretching' of the sand paper over the pad as it closes, for a taut fit.

I use this machine as the name implies... between finish coats on a woodworking project. I have a belt sander, orbital sander and Fein detail sander to take down raw stock when necessary. A finish sander does not need to be particularly 'aggressive'.

I have owned several 1/4 sheet sanders and this one outclasses the others. Although I own one, I am not a fan of 1/2 sheet sanders; I like the 'feel and control' aspect of using a 1/4 sheet palm sander with the work surface right under my hand. I do notice that the dust collector works better on the Bosch than on any of the other sanders I've have owned but, face it, a quantity of 'free-flying' dust is a given with any sander. The dust canister is secured to the unit's exhaust port with a nice set of 'push' tabs which lock it securely. Other mfg's would do well to come up with a similar system. It is my biggest complaint with other sanders... dust bags 'vibrating' off or getting 'bumped' off the exhaust port. I do blow out the sander with compressed air after each day's use and wipe it down, and don't forget the paper filter on the dust collector cover. High resin wood dust will 'harden' eventually and will definately clog the paper filter on the cover. You know... take care of your tools and they won't let you down. As usual, fit and finish on Bosch tools are superb. I like the fact that the box indicates that Bosch tools I have purchased are 'assembled' outside the U.S. rather than 'made' in another country.

Bosch, Mikita and DeWalt 1/4 sheet sanders are all around the same price, so it really gets down to features and personal preference. As stated above, the Bosch has some nice features that I felt set it somewhat apart from the others and I have not been disappointed. The unit also comes with a canvas 'gym-bag style' tote. Plenty of room to store pre-cut sanding sheets. Poly, form-fitted, storage cases may make storage in the shop/garage easier but severly limit storing 'extras' with the tool. I miss the roomy metal boxes of days gone bye!

There is an obvious design flaw with this sander. The front sandpaper holding clamp does not apply even pressure across the clamp. One side holds the paper rock solid while the other side is somewhat weak. My machine lasted one week before the sandpaper started to come loose from the weak side. Once that happens then the paper flies off the front of the machine. I went to Lowes to check out their on display model and it too was designed the same. I wrote an e-mail to Bosch about the problem and never heard back from them.

Otherwise, while it was working, I liked it. The ease of changing paper is the big plus for this machine.

in less than 1 year the tool is useless. the paper slips out. the rubber gets soft and breaks into pieces (melts actually, they used cheap materials on that or because of the vibration).

I bought BOSCH because it looked nice and the locking mechanism seemed very easy. BUT in less than a year the holding rubber broke on both ends. and the paper slips out after few seconds.

don't buy it or tested it out in you 30 day allowance. (90 at HD)
..AND the filter doesn't stay locked in place also. it is frustrating to use this tool. - believe me - I like Bosch tool because but this is trash. looks cool but...

I bought this sander just over a year ago, and I'm very much regretting chosing this one over the Dewalt. Don't get me wrong, I love Bosch tools, but this sander has a major fatal flaw.
After a few days, the rubber pad split apart on the first one that I got.
So, I returned it for a replacement. The rubber pad on the front clamp of this one won't stay in place. The vibration of the tool causes it to slip and the sandpaper falls out. I can't sand for 20 seconds without the paper slipping. I'm severely disappointed in bosch. I had higher expectations of them.