Bosch 3107DVS 3.3 Amp 5-Inch Random Orbit Sander/Polisher with Dust Canister

I use 60 grit "hook and loop" pad and I duct taped a vacuum cleaner to it. A powerful external vacuum cleaner will make dust negligable. On windy days I can sand without a facemask and only need eye protection.

The variable speed works ok, although I had trouble with it later which may be related to some internal probelms after I serviced it.

It is the best all around sander I've used and out performed palm sanders by a factor or 10:1. I can do ten times the work, with a better final finish.

However, I got less than a year of service out of it. The backing pad started to shake off. When I reattached it, it did not perform as well as previously. I'm unsure if the allen head scre4w should be tight or allowed to float slightly. If left slightly loose it tends to shake itself looser.

Also, I found that at times the power seemed to drop, perhaps due to bad contacts on my extension cords, perhaps low service voltage, or possibly something internal.

The internal dust seal was damaged, the first time the pad started to shake itself off, which increased the amount of dust that could not be collected. After the first time the pad started to shake off, I was unable to make it perform like new.

I tried changing extension cords. Now the power was gone from this unit. Although it sometimes picks up and performs like it did out of the box.

I gave this unit a lot of use, and wish I had another one, but I can't give it top marks because the problems I've encountered. I still rated it a 5 because even if it craps out, it is still worth the money. I wish the manual provided service information to maintain it.

I'm now planning on buy a competing 6" sander of similar design.


I'll Never Go Back to a Belt   January 16, 2004
Timothy Ritter (Colorado)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

If I'd had this tool when I finished my first oak floor I could have saved about $150 in rental fees and a number of scars on the floor itself. The sander I rented, a drum sander nearly as big as a lawn mower, was not very maneuverable. It had to move parallel to the grain of the wood. So when I found myself in a kitchen going back and forth a short distance between cabinets, it was almost impossible to reverse course without leaving a scar shaped like the mark a paint roller leaves if you just touch it to a surface.

In all the time I've used this random orbit sander it's never left a scar of any kind. The big drum couldn't come closer than a foot from the cabinets. This little unit even gets a couple inches under the toe kick. With a 60 grit paper it will take down an eighth inch difference between planks in a few seconds. Sure, you have to crouch down on one knee, but you avoid the risk of hernia and pulled muscles that you run when load the massive drum sander into your car.

The random orbit technology is an advance comparable to the ball point over the fountain pen, or the laser level over the line level. There may be other brands or models that are even better than this one, but I have no complaints. The motor is smooth and powerful, but comfortable to use for extended periods with one or two handles. And your hand doesn't vibrate for half an hour after you've stopped as it does with some palm or belt sanders. Another advantage over a belt sander is that it won't devour shirttails or shoelaces or, in the worst case scenario, long hair.


WORKS GREAT, WHEN WORKING   December 16, 2003
G. Parker (Grand Island, Ne. United States)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I have owned this sander for about 2 years. When it is working, it is a great sander, much better than others I own, but in the time I have owned it I have had to replace the pad 3 times, and all the bearings once. This sander is not being used commercially, but in a home shop. Yesterday the pad came off again which is what happens when thay wear out, and this time it stripped out the threads in the hole that holds it on. I am sure if I checked the bolt every time I change a disc it would help, but when I pay $100.00 for a tool, I would expect it to stay togeather better than this. I'am not repairing it again. I am buying another brand.


The best sander with a glitch that can be fixed   October 1, 2003
Bob Feeser (Springfield, PA USA)
23 out of 23 found this review helpful

The Bosch 3107DVS 5" won top honors in a major woodworking magazine, and well deserved. It is aggressive enough to remove a lot of material fast, yet gentle enough with a reduced speed for fine work as well, thanks to the variable speed. The dust collection is perfect if hook it up to a shop vac. I use a vac with a 2 1/2" diameter hose. It is larger than the intake port on the sander, and what that does is allow the vac to pick up that one percent of the dust that escapes around the edge of the sander. Even the expensive Fein setup does not get every drop of dust. The 8 holes in the base suck up most of it, but the dust generated at the edges escapes. The 2 1/2" diameter hose, attached to a regular size roll around shop vac, leaks real bad around the fitting, so it sucks way more air than the sander allows, and that even picks up that last little bit escaping into the air.
The vibration of this sander is next to nothing. I used a cheap vibrating sander for a while, and my hands started to throb. The Bosch 3107DVS you can use for an hour with no discomfort.
All in all, it is the best sander out there. I had bought the 6" version and absolutely loved it so much, that when one of these 5" models became available to me in a deal, I grabbed it. The advantage of the 5-inch is that the paper is available locally. If you are ever in a pinch, the 6-inch paper is tough to find. By the way, buy the Mirka paper for these here at Amazon. It is a deal. The local home center sells the Norton paper, which does not hold up like the Mirka. With the Mirka here you get twice as much paper, at half again as much price. So not only does it last longer, and give you a more even job, but the upfront price is better as well.
Now onto the glitch. The 3107DVS has a single screw holding the pad onto the base. That base is an oscillating cast piece with 4 indentations that accept the 4 prongs. The whole inside of the unit is well greased. Even the edge-rim that it rides on has grease on it. The problem is that the cast piece and the sanding pad are often (not always) covered with grease as well. So you have a wildly gyrating cast piece, well greased sometimes, a single screw is holding that on. They do install that screw with MEDIUM duty loctite from the factory. What I did was clean the grease off of the mating surface only with some alcohol, replaced the loctite on the screw, and added an INTERNAL tooth multi serrated lock washer to the holding nut. They sell them at Home Depot. Bring the nut with you and match it up. Bosch uses metric size bolts.
Home Depot has been making room for their newly acquired Rigid line of tools. They bought the factory. Consequently they put some of the existing line up for clearance, and this Bosch sander is one of those items.
The woodworking magazine that rated this sander the best, also gave the Porter Cable best value award. It is less money, not the same level as this Bosch, but does a nice job. If you go into spending more money, you can get the Bosch 6" which doesn't have any glitches, or the more expensive Porter Cable. Both of them are highly recommended.
So there you have it. A great sander with a glitch that can be fixed. After looking at it, you might even have something further that will prevent the pad from ever working its way loose. Once it does, then the ridges holding it in line, move beyond the indentations, and can create damage. So it is important to deal with the problem.

By the way these Bosch sanders have less vibration than the expensive Fein sanders. I love Fein equipment, I have the RT-1800 Fein router, which is best in class, and the Fein Multi-Master kit, and love it as well. But after using both sanders, I prefer these Bosch's for their lower vibration, and equally aggressive material removing capabilities.
So if you want the best for less, get the Bosch. The glitch is why I gave it 4 stars. Hope this helps.