Bosch Reviews

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.

Having used Makita, Dewalt and Porter Cable 1/4 sheet sanders I have to rank this one made by Bosch as the best of the bunch. It's 12,000 RPM makes for a less buzzy sander and yet it still finishes wood very well. This sander is very smooth in operation and much less likley to numb your hand and fingers. Ihe clamping system and dust filter work nicely too. Very pleased with this product and Amazon's service is tops too!!

This Bosch sander was wonderfull and works very good. I am very happy that I purchased and used it. The sander is a very nice adition to me tools.

I am a Genral building contractor For 27 years and I started with a 9.6 makita back in early 80's then went to 12V milwaukee and then to this drill and niether fo this two drills are any good. Iam still using the old 80's Makita. I bought this drill basing it on other Bosch products and this has to be the worst. This drill fell off a SIX FOOT ladder and the whole nose of the BROKE COMPLETELY OFF. I will stay with Makita.

I work in the building industry, and have bought my share of tools. I purchased the Bosch 24V, thinking it would be a good replacement for my 6 year old cordless Dewalt drill. During two years of use, I have had numerous problems with this drill, and have gone back to my 8 year old Dewalt. The charger has been fixed twice. I have fixed this drill twice and it is currently in the shop getting a repair estimate. Bosch has a repution for depndable tools. I own several Bosch tools, but I am deeply dissapointed with this purchase.

This drill has great power, however, the chuck assembly is attached with a small plastic ring. It will break in a 3 foot fall. My drill has broken twice in 6 months. To their credit, Bosch has repaired it free. I wish they would upgrade it to a more rugged model.

I ordered this saw on March 12, Amazon said that it would ship within a couple weeks, 7 weeks later I received a notice today that it would be delayed another 4 weeks. What a damn joke. I have bought my last item from Amazon!

My wife bought this Miter Saw for my birthday and WOW! I've worked with a lot of tools of varying quality and I have to say this is a very nice saw.

The upfront bevel controls and the ease of changing angles make this a dream to work with. Combine that with the clamp, crown stops and the fact it can be angled left or right with an ambidextrious locking control button - it takes all the guess work out of crown moulding. I love it!

I did have trouble with the laser. The laser is not built-in, it attaches to the side of the blade. It didn't seem to want to work properly, the light kinda flickered on then off for a few seconds, then on, all the while I had the blad spining. Changed the batteries and still same thing.

I called Bosch and they sent a replacement laser, no questions asked. I was highly impressed with the level of service. The lady said there really isn't a lot of troubleshooting because there is only one way to mount the laser.

My only con about this unit is the laser, and not because it flickered, but because there is only 1 and it was an afterthought of engineering not a built-in. I have worked with saws that have lasers on both sides of the blade and the fact that this unit only has it on the left is disappointing, but still workable. I'm sure I'll still be able to use the laser to make precision cuts, I'm just spoiled. :P

I highly recommend this product.

I already own one 4212L and I was encouraged to purchase another by the great Amazon deal fron early March '06 and the Bosch rebate of a free jigsaw. I was getting a little nervous as the saw was still not in stock as the deadline for the Bosch rebate was drawing near. I contacted Amazon, and then Bosch with the number they gave me. Good news! Bosch has extended the jigsaw rebate(both purchase deadline and postmark deadline) for 30 days. So you have until April 30, '06 to buy if you want in on the deal. Bosch said that the delay in shipping was their fault, not Amazons, and they expected to have these excellent saws back in retail channels by mid April. This is an excellent saw at full retail price and well worth a wait unless your need is dire. Throw in a free jigsaw (the best jigsaw on the market BTW) and what's not to love. Hope this info helps.

Now if they'd just offer a sweet deal on the Bosch miter saw stand, I'd be all set. First saw is on a PortaMate PM4400 which is a solid stand and a great value, but I wanted something a little more full featured for the new saw. And No!, I don't work for Bosch, but you'd never know it to look at my tool collection.

I have used this templete for awhile, it works but the accuracy of it is not very good. Each templete is a little different in height from the each other which gives you different depths of cut. The one that is off the most is the fourth one I needed to buy. The hinge setting pivot that adjust the width of your door is very loose and some keep falling off their pivot. It is made with a cheap little rivot that does not hold up to use at all. I have heard the older models where better and that they cut back and made newer cheaper ones.

It could be a lot better, I was almost thinking of making my own templetes that would be more reliable and accurate. Its hard to beleive that they would sell this on the open market.

I have used the Porta-cable, even thou the Bosch is easyer to set up the porta-cable is built a lot better.

We have a high end millwork shop and often build large quantites of custom doors and jambs. I recently purchased a Delux Bosch hinge template kit to speed up production of our doors. The template itself is a very good product and works well, however the kit arrived with a router bushing and bit to mortise 1/4" radius hinges. Before opening our millwork shop, I was a commercial/residential contractor for 27 years and have not seen a 1/4" radius hinge for 20 years. The standard hinge for door manufacturers is a 5/8" hinge. I spent 4 hours going through the enclosed instruction manual and calling local tool suppliers trying to find out what I needed to cut a 5/8" radius hinge. There is no mention whatsoever in the instruction manual refrencing what is needed to cut different radiuses. The next day I spent another 3 hours on the internet and Bosch's website trying to determine what I needed to cut a 5/8" radius hinge and while Bosch does reference different parts for the template by part number they do not tell you what the purpose of these parts are. I contacted one of the largest Bosch distributors in the southeast and drove 2 1/2 hrs to their place of business. After working with 2 salemen and the owner for 3 1/2 hours we finally determined what was needed to cut a 5/8" radius hinge with this template. The solution to this problem was for me to purchase a fourth router( Bosch of course), a bushing and bit at an additional cost of $285.00. Including the time and travel expense I lost trying to mortise 47 doors, I could paid for 35% of the cost of a production mortiser. To make this short, I will not purchase another Bosch Tool until they drastically change their, instruction manuals, website and cataloging of their tools. I CAN"T AFFORD THEM!!!!!!!
Steve Gibson
Tropical Hardwoods, LLC

The Bosch hinge template kit is the best of all the numerous metal adjustable templates available. Bosch bought the tool from Stanley tools decades ago, and Stanley bought it from someone else years before that. It is an old design that is yet to be improved upon by anyone else. Although the initial price seems high compared to lesser capable templates like the Porter cable, you will make that money back very quickly in time saved and problems avoided.

I use this tool for retrofit and for new construction and no longer carry fixed templates anymore. For new construction, you simply spend a few minutes assembling and configuring the template and then it is good to go for days of door hanging. It takes just moments to switch the hinge size for different door thicknesses, a time saver compared to fetching another full size template that could be lost in a different part of the jobsite. Retrofitting new doors in old jambs is cake as you can easily match the template to the old hinge layout for perfect mortises that fit the first time.

The rails have holes that engage ball bearings on the template frames. This prevents the hinge layout from changing if you should drop the tool on end. If you have ever used the PC template and bumped it while transferring from the door to the jamb, you know what a problem it is too have the template spacing change on you.

On room additions, it is easy to match the hinge layout for the new doors and jambs to match the old doors due to the adjustability of the Bosch template (this is important in situations where the new doors are close to old doors and the homeowner would notice the hinges not lining up). The kit comes with 2 top guides of different lengths that accomodate any top hinge spacing you will find in the field. The rails allow infinite adjustment so you can quickly match any hinge layout.

One thing the PC has over the bosch is that edge stops retract. This is only an issue when remortising the hinge gaines on an old jamb that has casing and caulking too close to the jamb edge. On the Bosch, the fixed edge stops can sometimes hit the caulking or casing and prevent the template sections from laying completely flat. On the PC, the stops can retract to counteract this problem, but overall the Bosch is significantly more accurate in retrofit situations.

When you first get your new Bosch template kit, you need to fine tune the hinge length stops. From the factory, they are not correct. Two screws loosen and allow an adjustable plate to be moved into the correct position. A quick run on a 2x4 lets you check for perfection before you ever touch an expensive door.

As mentioned by others, the small metal case is much more user friendly than the extra long PC box, but it doesn't hold the 4 hinge conversion kit or the 3 hinge extended rail kit. What most guys do is buy an additional standard kit, and make custom wooden rails for 8 to 10 foot doors. This way you have 6 template sections instead of four, and you can theoretically have 2 guys hanging 6-8 doors for more production.

The nails are very strong, I have spares but haven't had a problem with breakage at all. In fact, you can order from Bosch any part you need and can get stuff shipped next day if the parts are in stock.

The jamb gauges only fit Timely or hollow metal frames, so you need to file them down to fit wood jambs for retrofit jobs. But there are other ways to match existing hinge layouts so I don't recommend the jamb gauges unless you like to order book doors for commercial jobs or do nothing but retrofit.

Like any metal template, when you hit it with the router bit, it gets nicked and the bit can get damaged. But the template sections completely disassemble so any damaged part can be replaced. More than once I forgot to put the template guide in the router and got some healthy gouges in the template. A call to Bosch and all was fixed. Usually, though, you will nick the sides or length adjustment plate and these are quickly fixed in the field. The sides can be "reversed" and the length stops can be filed flat and readjusted. The hinge size adjustment bar can be rotated to move the nick out of the way. Very reliable even when damaged!

This is a terrific professional tool for the professional door hanger. And it works with any router that has a 1/2" mortising bit and 5/8" template guide. It even works for 5/8" radius hinges with a 1 1/4" mortising bit and 1 3/8" template guide. A homeowner would not need this tool, and it is not efficient for hanging just 1 door.

I am a contractor who uses a rotary hammer a few hours per week. I bought the Bosch 1 1/8 inch sdsplus rotohammer about 3 weeks ago, after a reconditioned and used milwaukee unit stopped hammering (after about three weeks). I was pretty happy, at first.
A few days ago, I checked out some of the reviews on here, and grew concerned about the chuck loosening up. Sure enough, when I checked it out, it moved about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch with a 12 inch bit. I took it back.
B.T.W., I contacted Bosch, and they basically said that SDS-Plus hammers aren't designed for much chipping. I do chip alot, so I am probably going to take thier suggestion and get an SDS-Max hammer. I may still get a Bosch.
If you are planning on buying this hammer for drilling, it is probably a great tool (and the case is very well organized). If you plan on doing any chipping besides some very light chipping, I suggest getting an SDS-Max or spline drive. You may be disappointed in any SDS-Plus hammer.

This drill has seen 100's of holes, & keeps going strong. Would highly recomend.

I just completed stripping approximately 5,000 brick off my house (we're rebricking). I looked into renting a tool for this job and I realized I could justify the purchase of my own tool for the amount of work I needed to do. As I wanted a tool that could be used for more than chipping/stripping brick, I began to lean toward the "combination" rotary hammers. I had a tough time finding any reference to their use for stripping brick. After much research, I settled on the Bosch 112326VS mainly because the SDS+ tools are in the middle of the size range (SDS MAX are larger) plus the price was acceptable. I chose the 11236VS over the 11224VSR (7/8" SDS+) simply because I hoped that the slightly bigger tool would be a benefit in chipping. So I'm here to state that I had very good success with the Bosch 11236VS for this purpose. Incidently, I used the 1-1/2" chisel (also by Bosch) which still has plenty of life left.

Like other purchasers I also had problems with the blade lock system. I followed the skimpy directions, but the blade would not pivot toward the front. The sparse manual had no troubleshooting tips, and Bosch has no customer support on weekends, when many home enthusiasts are going to need help. (Why is it companies like Bosch do customer support at their convenience, not their customers'?) After several attempts I finally ignored the directions to turn the top adjuster three times, and instead tried it at four, then five turns. Success. The blade-lock mechanism simply wasn't calibrated properly from the factory. I would have to assume from the many postings on the blade-lock issue that Bosch is not doing thorough quality control, pulling its tools off their factory line and following their own directions to see if the calibrations are done accurately. Once I got the blade locked in, it cut like a dream, far above my old B&D. It's a shame that a company will take the trouble to build a first-rate tool, but not provide quality control, directions and support. It's how you turn a five-star piece of equipment into a two-star customer experience.

I bought this to replace the crummy B&D jig saw I had. I spent an hour working with the blade change system. I folowed the instructions in the manual and found the procedure to be cumbersome and illogical. After the first time, I didn't hear the "clicks" at the right times anymore. I returned it and got the Bosch 1590. Push a lever and slide the blade in. Push the lever again and the blade pops out. Why Bosch uses such an absurd blade change system on the 1587 is beyond me.

I don't know, but I wouldn't trade it for anything except maybe the newer model.

The blade change mechanism was a bit tricky at first, but has worked flawlessly once I got it adjusted properly, which took all of 5 minutes to figure out. Just keep turning it open until you can rotate the blade.

Changing the bevel angle is also a bit of a pain, but it's solid and once set it stays that way. And the allen wrench needed to change it stores at the base of the cord, so it's always handy.

the plastic base is great when working with delicate surfaces, and the (almost) zero clearance insert also works great to prevent tearout.

Using a combination of the 4 orbital settings and the fully adjustable blade speed allows you to make great cuts in just about anything from soft wood to plastics to metal.

It's also smooth as silk, and the dust blower keeps the cut line visible.

Great blades only add to what this saw is capable of doing, and the Bosch Progressor blades are amazing.

I'm sure there are other great jigsaws on the market, but I don't feel the need to look any further than this one.

Never really got to use the saw because of the safety recall and the possibility of an "amputation" if I chose to ignore the recall. While this was a minor problem the problem with the plastic base plate would have been a lifetime pain! The base plate lacks dimensional stability in that it will not accept the rip fence insertion without a significant use of force and again more force or a rubber mallet is called for if you need to move it to your desired rip dimension. Additionally the set screw for the rip fence comes with a spring that is to long thus requiring more force during all my aborted attempts to screw it into the base plate! I further found it physically impossible to screw the set screw into the base plate without the spring in place! I own a lot of Bosch tools and have never experienced these kinds of problems with Bosch or any other brand. I returned the saw to the vendor I purchased it from citing poor tool quality as the reason.

I recently purchased a house, and not being a person who has the money to hire someone else to do it for me, I've become my own handyman. Not to mention I was interested in building stuff for my house and garage, as well.

I've never owned a circular saw before. I had never even used one. I went into this completely new to it. I did extensive research prior to purchasing.

My research quickly narrowed it down to three saws - the Bosch CS20, the Milwaukee 6394-21, and Porter-Cable 325MAG. From everything I've read, these are all excellent choices and each have their benefits. The Porter-Cable had the quik-blade change system (no tools required) and adjustable dust port. The Milwaukee had the Quik-lok cord and tilt-lok handle. The Bosch has the quick-disconnect cord and rafter hook (so you can hang your saw from a rafter or something while working). To me, the best way to decide from here was to go to a store and handle all the saws.

After handling the saws, I found that I liked the Bosch best overall and here's why: it wasn't too heavy and felt well balanced. The depth and angle adjustments were EXTREMELY easy to use. I could change them with one hand. On the Porter-Cable, I had to sit it down or support it against my body to change them. Not very ergonomic if you ask me. And finally, the Milwaukee wouldn't even adjust; the handle was so tight, neither me or my friend could loosen it. I also felt that the Bosch had the best line of sight out of all of them. Also, there were detents on the angle adjustment AND the Bosch goes to 56 degrees. And finally, the features - I've read that the tilt-lok on the Milwaukee isn't that great. A friend of mine that owns this model agreed; he set it once and rarely messes with it. The Porter-Cable's features weren't all that important to me. The tool-less blade change would be great but didn't make up for the angle and depth adjustment controls. With the Bosch, the rafter-hook wasn't that big of a deal to me but the quick disconnect was. If I accidentally cut through my cord on the Bosch, all I have to do is go to Wal-Mart and pick up another extension cord and I'm back in business. The Milwaukee has a detachable cord but it's only sold by them meaning you'd still have to order it from them and probably pay an arm and a leg.

So I settled upon the Bosch and ordered it when I got back my tax return. I haven't used it very much yet but so far, it has been an excellent saw. It's without mention that it goes through 2x4s like a hot knife through butter. But I was also impressed with the way it handled 2x6s. The line of sight was also excellent. The saw is easy to handle and doesn't sound to be all that loud. The blade guard is smooth and easy to operate by hand. The trigger also has a nice tactile feedback. The saw as a whole is very easy to control.

To me, this saw is a 5-star in every way. I wish it had a quick blade change feature like the Porter-Cable but it's a minor complaint. Also, the saw, in my opinion, looks as good as it works.

I've always been drawn to Bosch products and this reminds me why - this saw is high quality for the price, looks good and works great. Everything I love about Bosch. And it's made in the good old U.S.A. Can't beat that.

To me, this is the best saw in this price range. Before anyone buys it, though, I recommend you go to your local home improvement store and handle the various circular saws and see which works best for you.

I have used many sidewinder style circular saws over the years, and of them all, this one is the best...

This is a very well balanced saw, and has a very comfortable grip.

It's power is easily as rated, if not better, which is an excewption to the rule as most circular saws seem to be a low less powerful than the manufacturer claims.

Bosch's innovative Direct Connect feature is so smart, it's one of those things that makes you ask "Why didn't someone think of this before?"

I was a little hesitant about the composite foot plate at first, but having broken a mag plate on a saw dropped from only a hight of about 5 feet, I know that while they are more rigid, the additional resistance to breaking that the composite brings is a worthwhile trade-off.

One reviewer said he would have preferred a hard case over the soft case, but in my experience most hard cases are not worth the extra size. I myself tend to buy soft cases for tools that came in ahard case, as they take up less space and are just easier to deal with.

I also found the built-on hanger hook to be especially handy, alowing me to hang the saw from a 2x.

Only flaw I can find is the lack of a built-in holder for the included blade wrench, which would be a very smart addition for a future revision of the product.

This mitre saw has made all my home improvement & wood projects so much easier. There's nothing worse than needing a 45 degree angle and having to use a mitre box. It's tedious and it takes so much time. This mitre saw is great. I really the the D shaped handle, it makes using the saw so much easier. The dust bag doesn't really collect much sawdust but that's not too much of a big deal for me. If you're looking for an inexpensive mitre saw, this one is the one you want!

I'm a part time carpenter whose built a few houses and used several brands of miter saws. Bought this one on recommendation of trim carpenter pal and couldn't be happier. Wife and some friends helped me build a backyard deck this past weekend and all raved about the saw. Soft start feature was a big hit and the controls are easy to figure out to anyone familiar with a miter saw. Big work surface is great as big as most 12" miters.

We used a lot of 45 degree miter cuts on railings and benches and it cut 4x4s and 2x6 with ease also easily handled some complex compound miters where the bench backs joined. Am now actually looking forward to a crown molding project this fall. Although I bought this for my own use, the saw is well built so I wouldn't have any reservations about taking it to a job site.

I bought my ls1011 in 1994 and have used it almost daily since. Along with my portaplane I value it as indispensable to finish work. It is versatile and most importantly, light. A tough, reliable tool. However did I manage without it?
Downside; The bushing rings between the table and base are a constant problem, wearing out very quickly with daily use. Also I have noticed time and again that even with a brand new 60 tooth Marathon blade, on a 45 degree compound cut the blade seems to "bend" slightly, even through soft woods. A problem with the blade or arm stability?
All things considered, I'm ready to buy another.

Good sander, but not Great.

I had this sander for a short while before I knew it would not suit my needs. I usually prefer bosch tools over most other brands because of their reliability and sturdy build that I have come to expect. This tool had both those features, but lacked a few things I needed for my particular working style. I have the Dewalt 5 inch variable speed orbital sander, which after 2 years of light duty stopped working properly. That was a good sander, but the problem with the variable speed control breaking put a bad taste in my mouth for dewalt sanders alltogether. I hold electronic failure very high, as compared to mechanical failure which is expected with time and use. The porter cable 5 inch orbital sander also would not fit either, since the dust port/bag coming loose with sanding vibration brought back memories of the same thing happening on my Porter cable Biscuit joiner, and Belt sander. That type of failure would be unacceptable on an orbital sander because finer particles from the sander make a greater mess than the larger particles from the other tools. Back to the bosch. Because of the negatives on the other units, I thought I was directed toward the bosch, even though it had a few shortcomings. The fact that it does not come with a vacuum adapter was a negative. The usage of a filter element was also a negative, since it didn't seem like it had any longevity, if gotten wet and such. The microfiber filter aspect is nice, but not really practical for those who do any real amount of sanding, since the filter gets clogged so quickly, and when that happens, the sander does not suck up dust anymore and it just blows around the workspace, making a dusty mess. Filter cleanings every 3 minutes is not practical, and very messy. About filter longevity, the material looks like the stuff they use for the shopvac filters, which I also have to replace every 3 months or so. The scenario is something like this, I sanded some drywall, and the fine dust is still stuck in the filter, even after batting it against the trash can. Only way to clean it is to wash it. After several washes, the shrinkage and drying out of the filter paper can only take so much and starts to wear. Time to replace it. Don't know if it would happen this way, but just recalling from other experiences with similar filters. The locking mechanism leaves more to be desired too, the filter snaps on to the top of the filter box like a tupperware lid, but not as rubberized. There are 2 tabs that hold this filter box onto the sander unit. I've seen this cheap tab system fail repeatedly on numerous other items, from cars to tackle boxes. The filter I could have lived with, because if I had decided to keep the sander, I would primarily be using a vacuum adapter that would have to be purchased separately.

Another Problem I had with the sander was that the 5 inch pad is mounted to the sanding unit directly in the center, and leaves a nickel-sized hole where the paper has no reinforcement. I tend to sand a lot of corners on wooden boxes, to rid them of sharp corners, and the direct center is the place where the paper is usually the best condition after doing regular sanding.(compared to the outer edge of the paper). Well with this big hole in the center, the corner would rip right through and ruin the wood. This would be a problem even on already rounded corners. I noticed this after I had sanded a flat panel, and noticed that the sand paper in the center of the sanding pad was in perfect condition, and loaded with dust buildup, because of the indentation. Looking at the other sanders you will find that they distribute 3 to 4 holes around the center, using the smallest holds possible, quite opposite of what bosch did. This was a major deciding factor in why I returned the unit. It probably also had something to do with why the sander did not feel like it was sanding true when on a flat surface. It had a wobble to it that seemed like the sanding pad was not even with the sanding motor, giving a warped brake rotor effect.

All in all, the other claims are true. The unit is built well, it does have a nice vibration-free feel to it. It did have plenty of power to power through my sanding projects. Initially the dust extraction worked well, but when it clogs it blows dust around the workspace. The cord is shorter than my dewalt, about 2 feet short, enough to be noticeable and pull out an extension cord. There aren't very many other 5 inch sanders that appeal to me, and I am not looking to get another dewalt, I have decided to get the rigid 6 inch orbital sander at Home depot. It is the same sander sold here on amazon, under a different name though. The Metabo SXE450 00458 6" Random Orbit Sander. Look forward to seeing my review on that unit.

I bought this sander because my palm sander just wouldn't do the job on some of the harder woods and I am hesitant to use a belt sander on my smaller projects. I have not been disappointed using this sander so far. It does a good job with rapid removal on hardwoods (maple, cherry, mahogany, cocobolo) when using the more aggressive grits. It will also product a nice finish ready for final hand sanding with 320 and 600 grit. It is not too loud, it is a sander after all. The vibration is very tolerable and it is easy to control it's movements. the dust collection is adequate since I use it outdoors, not sure how it will be in an enclosed space. The dust collection adapter available on amazon is ok but the sander is a bit more awkward when you attach it ito a vaccuum hose. Most of the time I just make sure to open the garage door and stand close to it so the dust that escapes blows outside. The hook and loop setup holds the paper more securely then I thought it would, no complaints there. It feels nice and solid when you pick it up and when in use. I have addressed Bosch carrying cases in other reviews and this one is as good as the others. Nice fit for the tools and a couple of sheets of paper, and the locking clips are metal and are very secure compared to the plastic clips on some cases I have seen. The only reasons I gave this tool 4 stars is because of the dust collection adapter awkwardness. If you ignore that small issue this is a 5 star tool. I would recommend this item to anyone wanting a small sander capable of moderate to fine sanding work.

This ROS is just what I expected, coming from the Cadillac of power tools. Unlike others, I think the dust collection system works great. Quiet, smooth and effective stock removal. Highly recommended (I have used it about 10 hours so far and as you can tell I'm impressed)!

I bought this on the promise of energy savings but I never saw it. There was no gas savings. The water was only marginally warm enough for a shower. It wasted a lot of water waiting for hot water to be made. After 4 years it quit working with no warrantee. The repair costs were estimated over $350. It is not worth it. The up front costs are high. Water is not hot. Maintenance and repair costs are high.

One comment I have from reading the other reviews. It appears this might be a 5 star product in warmer climates but it is only a 1 star in cold climates. If you are in a cold climate where your cold water temperature is in the mid 30 to low 40 degree range then this water heater will not make anything more than warm water. If you are in the south and have warmer cold water and if you don't use much hot water then this might work for you.

Well, looks like my prior review on 4/22 has been deleted. I highly suspect that the complainers here, or one of them, "reported" me because I referred to their reviews and that probably violated policy, yada yada yada.

Ain't it the way of the world? Wonder how long this one will last.

In any event, if you are at all interested in the AquaStar, just listen to the positive reviewers, hook it up properly, and you'll be very happy with it I'm sure.

I suspect that the most common problems folks have are twofold:

1) They probably don't use the required 3/4" gas supply pipe and try to get by with the old 1/2" pipe that supplied their old tank-type hot water heater. Most 30-40 gallon tank types have a BTU input specification of 40,000 BTU's. The 1/2" supply line is adequate for that number of BTU's, but the AquaStar requires 117,000 BTU's and that's three (3) times as much. Thus you DO need to use the 3/4" supply line or you're just not feeding the thing enough fuel.

Don't give it enough gas to burn and what do you think is going to happen?

2) A lot of folks might try to get by with the old 3" vent pipe their old heater used. Again, that's not going to work. You NEED to vent the AquaStar with the proper-sized vent pipe or it's not going to breathe properly and thus not going to work properly.

Other than that, there's not much to worry about with the installation of this unit.

Install it properly and it will perform well for you and meet your expectations fully for many, many years to come.

Also, as I noted in my amended review previously -- now deleted of course -- this model here has changed from when I bought mine a few years ago. This new 125B has a standing pilot. If you want one like my old 125B, you now need to get the Model 125HX, which has the electronic ignition, as does mine. The difference between mine and that one is that mine uses 2 D-cell batteries, whereas the 125HX uses a water-powered turbine to supply the necessary electical power to fire the unit. Neato.

Also note (as I mentioned previously) that the former manufacturer, CONTROLLED ENERGY CORP., has been acquired and thus is no longer the current manufacturer. Try going to their former website and see for yourself.

I doubt this has compromised the quality or service, but it's something you should know.

I just finished my review on the 250SX-NG model before the New Year's Eve and I like to comment on another reviewer's review, W. Young's in particular. I agree with David Wood, these tankless water heaters do work wonderfully if installed correctly. I had an old 40-gallon water heater (almost 20 years old) died on me on New Year's Eve (read the story from my review on the 250SX-NG), so I had to replace it. I picked up a Bosch 250SX-NG from a local store along with the venting kit made for that model, 4 hours later I was in hot shower on the second floor (the Bosch is in the basement). It does take 30-40 seconds for the hot water to get up on the second floor, but when it does, it will get scalding hot if turned up. I just don't see how cold water goes in, hot water comes out can be messed up. Some people mentioned that it takes thousands of dollars to have it installed. Natural gas tankless water heaters have been very popular for many years in Asian countries. I just don't see how that would be possible if the installation cost is that high. And I don't see why Bosch requires extreme expensive installation either.
Cold water between uses is expected with tankless water heater. It's just the way it is unless you want your house be like a hotel or you can have a in-line hot water buffer tank that is heated all the time.