Beverly's DIY Ideas: Black & Decker BDERO100 Review

For years and years, Black and Decker tools really weren’t appreciated by professionals and craftspeople that relied on only the highest quality tools to help them complete their projects with a high degree of precision and consistency.

When we play all of our cards right out on the table, most people find – or found – Black and Decker tools to be much more geared towards homeowners and “casuals” that were only ever going to have to reach for these kinds of tools a handful of times each year (if that) and weren’t really looking for the kind of consistency or precision that professional craftsmen demand.

Today though, Black and Decker has almost completely revolutionized the premium level of the tools that they make available. Sure, they still pump out consumer grade options at ridiculously low price tags, but their craftsmen and professional line of tools – like the Black & Decker BDERO100 – have gotten much, much better.

Initial Impressions

The first thing that you are going to notice about the Black & Decker BDERO100 is that it has been almost completely reengineered and redesigned compared to all of the other random orbit sanders available from this company, and that’s great news!

This sander is very compact (especially as far as 5 inch orbital sanders are concerned), quite powerful, and crafted using high-quality materials that guarantee longevity that the Black and Decker brand just couldn’t promise in the past.

Combine all of that with a tremendously lower price tag compared to its closest competitors – we’re talking about the Black & Decker BDERO100 costing a third of what competing products cost while still producing almost identical results – and you’re looking at a random orbital sander here that you just can’t afford to sleep on any longer.

This isn’t to suggest that this Black & Decker model is the best in the business, but you shouldn’t just ignore those black and orange tools any longer. That’s sure.

Standout Features

You are going to get plenty of power (consistent power) out of this particular Black and Decker 5 inch random orbital sander. With an OPM rating of just north of 8000, you should be able to tackle all kinds of different jobs from refinishing a porch to sanding down and cleaning pieces of furniture come all the way to tackling the finest sanding jobs necessary for polishing and perfecting coats of polyurethane applied to your latest woodworking project.

Now, it is important for us to highlight the fact that this random orbital sander has been designed and engineered right from the factory to hit that wheelhouse of price and performance that hobbyists and DIY enthusiasts are after. That means this probably isn’t going to be the main workforce sander in your professional woodworking operation or the kind of random orbital sander you’ll want to bust out on all of your carpentry projects, either.

But because it uses the standard configuration of vent holes that almost all (but not every) popular random orbital sanders use for the hook and loop sanding pads it accepts you’ll be able to add this to your arsenal of tools without having to purchase proprietary sanding pads just for this device.

That’s definitely a big benefit and one of the standout features that you will come to appreciate from this particular setup.

Pros

The Black & Decker BDERO100 is tremendously lightweight, very compact, and ergonomic. This makes it a very attractive option to use overextended amounts of time, regardless of whether or not you are using it in the shop or out at a jobsite.
The components inside of the Black & Decker BDERO100 sander make it one of the most reliable and durable, though you probably aren’t going to be able to get 10+ years out of this sander the way you would be able to with more premium brands. But for its price point this is an attractive option for sure.
The ability to use standard configuration look and loop sanding pads in an almost infinite amount of different grit types makes this Black and Decker a no-brainer for those that will only it ever occasionally need to take advantage of the utility it brings to the table.

Cons

Even though this 5 inch random orbital sander doesn’t have an extended primary control handle like some of the other options on the market today, the actual handheld base is a little bit on the larger side which makes it a challenge for individuals with smaller hands to grip and control. Overextended amounts of time using this tool fatigue is definitely going to set in.
Some have complained that this random orbital sander gets a little bit “jumpy” because it is so lightweight, which means you may have to apply a little bit of extra pressure and downward force while sanding. This could leave swirl marks behind unless you go back and re-sand the entire project with finer and finer grits.

Who’s going to be able to get the most out of this tool?

Professionals in the carpentry and woodworking world probably aren’t going to have too many Black and Decker tools laying around a but this just might be one of those tools that make their way into more workshops as word gets out about what it’s able to offer.

At the same time, this is very much a DIYer and homeowner grade random orbital sander that’s not intended for extended and prolonged use (or daily abuse) the way that professional and craftsmen grade tools are.

Final Verdict

The Black & Decker BDERO100 guarantees that the market will have a very attractive and inexpensive sander option available for homeowners, DIYers, and weekend warriors to add to their tool collection

Sure, there are other more expensive options out there that the occasional user could reach for – random orbital sanders that have more power, more consistency, and a better reputation for longevity – but you just won’t find many other options that offer the blend of power and performance this unit offers at this price tag.

Source: http://www.toolerant.com/black-decker-bdero100-review/