We recently posted about Bosch’s new 6-inch dual-mode random orbit sander. Well, it looks like they have also come out with a new 5-inch model.
The new Bosch GET65-5N looks to have all of the same features as the larger GET75-6N sander, but different specs.
It features a slim handle, a removable pad guard, auxiliary handle, removable extraction tube, variable speed dial, and dual-mode selection switch. The dual-mode feature allows you to switch between “standard” random orbit mode and “turbo” direct-drive eccentric-orbit mode for faster material removal.
Specifications
- 5″ disc size
- 188-436 RPM
- 3100-7200 OPM (no-load)
- 2.25 mm (0.09″) orbit radius
- Separate on/off and speed controls (according to the spec sheet)
- 6.5A current draw
- 13.7″ long
- 5.5″ tall
- 5.8″ width
- Weighs 5.3 lbs
Price: $279
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Discussion
Why buy this sander over the new Bosch 6″ sander?
To start, it has a smaller disc size. Normally that translates to lower pricing, but in this case it’s not much of a difference. Still, the smaller size might work better for some users or applications.
The biggest difference, according to Bosch’s official specs, is that this sander has half the orbit radius. The 6″ sander has a 4.5 mm orbit radius, this 5″ sander has a 2.25 mm orbit radius. In other words, it *should* be more of a finer-finish sander. This is at least true for other sanders. For example, Festool’s 6″ sander is available with 3 mm or 5 mm sanding strokes, with the longer stroke providing for more aggressive material removal.
I don’t think it’s very important that we’re talking about different-sized sanders here. The size of the pad would determine how quickly you could work over material of the same size. A shorter sanding stroke should result in a finer finish and a longer sanding stroke in faster or more aggressive material removal, regardless of the sander size. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
The 5″ and 6″ sanders have different specs, with the 6″ sander being able to draw a little more power (7.5A vs. 6.5A) and running a little faster. Bosch’s user manual has slightly different specs than Bosch’s website, but both sets of figures still show a slight difference in sanding pad speed.
Although retailers and Bosch’s website both have pages up for the two sanders, Bosch hasn’t sent out any press releases about them, and so we’re only able to surmise about the differences. From the specs, it would *seem* that the 5″ sander with its shorter stroke is meant for finer-finishes, but it also has a dual-mode feature for switching to “turbo” mode.
We also reached out to Bosch to ask if the 6″ sanding pad can be installed on the 5″ sander, or vise versa, and will follow up once we hear back.
More tool options are always good. What’s also interesting is that I can’t find a previous model 5″ dual-mode sander. There’s the 1250DEVS 6″ dual-mode sander, but the 5″ looks to be a new size for Bosch.
