Bosch Ergonomic Random Orbit Sanders Cut the Cord
Bosch Power Tools has announced the release of two 5-inch random orbit sanders. The GEX12V-5 12V and GEX18V-5 18V sanders join the Bosch cordless lineup, bringing balance, comfort, and convenience when working on either indoor or outdoor projects.
What is Bosch Saying About the Cordless Sanders?
On the contrary to existing cordless sanders on the market, Bosch’s new cordless orbit sanders were designed with the utmost comfort and control in mind for the user. We wanted to deliver a cordless sander with a compact, ergonomic feel – without compromising on power – for professionals working in exterior or interior finishing, carpentry, installation, and remodeling. These new sanders are paving the way for other tools in this category with their well-balanced palm-grip design, which is centered on top of the sander and allows the user’s hand to be close to the work material to avoid tilting when applying pressure.
Corey Hinkel, Product Manager for Bosch Power Tools
What’s the Big Deal?
The obvious talking point here revolves around Bosch moving into the cordless market with 5-inch random orbit sanders. To date, these are the first sanders of their kind for Bosch. The brand has plenty of corded models that fit this bill, but moving to both the 12V and 18V cordless platforms offer a new level of convenience.
Cordless sanders are plenty convenient in their own right, but Bosch looks like they’ve gone above and beyond with the design of these models. Bosch made both of these 5-inch cordless sanders ridiculously compact. Both also feature a compact and ergonomic palm grip and low center of gravity. Without any batteries attached, the 12V model weighs just under 2 lbs and the 18V model weighs less than 2.5 lbs.
Both Bosch cordless random orbit sanders sport a brushless motor and variable speed that crank out between 6,000 and 10,000 opm (oscillations oer minute) for fast material removal. A soft start feature reduces the torque on start-up. The brushless motor maintains constant speed under load and it uses hook and loop backing pads for easy paper changes. Finally, for a cleaner work space, both models offer mobile dust collection, either with a dust bag or vacuum hose.
Other Features
- Easy-to-reach on/off switch
- Vibration dampening
- 8-hole sanding pad ideal for both flat and concave/convex surfaces
Pricing
You can get the Bosch 5-inch Cordless Random Orbit Sanders from a variety of retailers, though it looks like they’re only sold as bare tools as far as we can see. The GEX18V-5N 18V Sander retails for $129, while the GEX12V-5N sells for $99. Both come backed by a 1-year warranty, though you can extend that to 3 years by enrolling in Bosch’s ProVantage program.
Bosch Cordless Random Orbit Sander Specs
GEX12V-5N 12V Max Brushless 5-inch Random Orbit Sander
- Disc Size: 5 in.
- Dust Collection: Yes
- Height: 4.3 in.
- Length: 7.6 in.
- Width: 6 in.
- No Load OPM: 6,000 – 10,000 OPM
- Orbit Diameter: 3/32 in.
- Orbit Radius: 3/64 in.
- Paper Size/Type: 5 in. Round Hook and Loop
- Bare Weight: 1.8 lbs
- Warranty: 1 year, 3 years with ProVantage
- Price: $99 (bare tool)
GEX18V-5N 18V Brushless 5-inch Random Orbit Sander
- Disc Size: 5 in.
- Dust Collection: Yes
- Height: 4.3 in.
- Length: 8.8 in.
- Width: 6 in.
- No Load OPM: 6,000 – 10,000 OPM
- Orbit Diameter: 3/32 in.
- Orbit Radius: 3/64 in.
- Paper Size/Type: 5 in. Round Hook and Loop
- Bare Weight: 2.4 lbs
- Warranty: 1 year, 3 years with ProVantage
- Price: $129 (bare tool)
