The first thing I noticed when I picked up this tool was how well balanced and comfortable it felt. I remember thinking, “This is nice—a cordless model that’s easy to control with one hand and still has enough power.” And then the battery died. In my testing, the battery lasted about 8-1/2 minutes when sanding, and about 5 minutes when cutting wood or removing grout. As you would expect with power that drains quickly, the batteries tend to get pretty warm during use, and they need 15 minutes to cool down before accepting a 30-minute charge. On the positive side, the Bosch case is one of the best in this group, with plenty of room for the tool, the batteries, and the charger, as well as a separate compartment for accessories. The included adapter enables this tool to accept both Dremel and Fein accessories, which expands your options when shopping for replacement blades—a definite plus. Despite its short run-time during heavy cuts and prolonged grinding, this tool is powerful, and perfect for small projects. It wouldn’t be my choice for longer sanding or grinding applications, however. For this price, I’d likely leave it on the shelf and pick up the $210 Fein Start instead.
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