11 November 2026 · My Store Admin

Bosch PSM 100 A multi-sander guide: what it does and which pads to buy

Last updated 11 November 2026. Written by the Clean Smile Home team. We sell the Bosch PSM 100 A, so we have an interest in you buying one. We have tried to be straight about what it does well and where a different sander would suit you better. We don't run our own lab tests; figures below come from Bosch and from the retailers and reviewers we name.

The short answer

The Bosch PSM 100 A is a small 100 W corded detail sander with a pointed, iron-shaped pad. It is good for furniture, window frames, doors, shelves and corners. It is not built for floors or big tabletops. Buy hook-and-loop sheets in the same delta shape, and keep 80, 120 and 180 grit in the drawer.

Bosch PSM 100 A at a glance

These figures come from the Bosch DIY UK product page, with noise figures from the Tooled-Up listing because Bosch's UK page shows the labels but no numbers.

Spec	Bosch PSM 100 A
Power input	100 W, corded mains
Orbital stroke rate	26,000 per minute (no load)
Orbit diameter	1.4 mm
Sanding surface	104 cm²
Pad shape	Pointed delta tip at the front (often called a "mouse" or "iron" shape)
Sheet fixing	Hook and loop (Velcro style)
Dust	Built-in extraction into a Microfilter box; retailers including John Lewis and Wickes also list a connection for an all-purpose vacuum
Weight	0.9 kg
Size (L x W x H)	210 x 105 x 120 mm
Vibration	6.5 m/s² (uncertainty 1.5 m/s²)
Noise	83 dB(A) sound pressure, 94 dB(A) sound power (uncertainty 3 dB), per Tooled-Up
In the box	Sander, 3 sanding sheets, plastic carry case. Toolstop lists the sheets as 80, 120 and 160 grit
Guarantee	2 years, or 3 years if you register the tool with Bosch
Our price	£30.35 at the time of writing

You can see the current price and stock on our Bosch PSM 100 A Multi-Sander page.

What a multi-sander actually does

A detail sander, which Bosch calls a multi-sander, is a small orbital sander with a pointed pad. The pad moves in tiny circles, 1.4 mm across on this model, about 26,000 times a minute. That fast, small movement rubs the abrasive over the surface without the big swirl marks you get from sanding by hand in circles.

The point at the front is the reason to own one. A normal sheet sander or random orbital sander has a flat or round pad, so it can't reach into the inside corner of a drawer front, the angle where a chair leg meets a rail, or the edge of a window bead. The PSM 100 A's tip gets into those places. Wickes and John Lewis both describe the sanding plate as two pieces, with a delta tip you can take off and turn round, which lets you use a fresh part of the sheet once the point wears.

What it does not do is remove a lot of material quickly. At 100 W with a 104 cm² pad, it is a finishing and preparation tool. If you want to strip a whole pine table back to bare wood, or level a floor, you want something bigger.

Good jobs for the PSM 100 A

Keying gloss paint on skirting, architraves and doors before you repaint
Smoothing filler on walls and woodwork
Rubbing down window frames and sills, including the corners
Prepping a chest of drawers, bedside table or kitchen chairs for paint or chalk paint
Taking the shine off varnished shelves before re-coating
Light sanding between coats of paint or varnish
Cleaning up the edges of cut boards and shelving

Jobs it isn't made for

Floor sanding of any kind
Stripping thick layers of old paint over large areas (a heat gun or chemical stripper then a bigger sander is quicker)
Flattening a warped or very rough tabletop
Anything where the old paint might contain lead (see the safety section below)

Setting it up and changing sheets

Unplug the sander before you touch the pad.
Peel the old sheet off. Hook-and-loop sheets come away by hand.
Line up the new sheet so its holes sit over the holes in the pad. This matters. The holes are how dust gets sucked into the Microfilter box. A sheet fitted off-line blocks them and the dust ends up in the air and on your work.
Press the sheet on firmly, especially at the point.
Push the Microfilter box on until it seats, or connect your vacuum hose instead if you have the adapter and a suitable vacuum.
Plug in and switch on before the pad touches the work. Switching on with the pad already pressed down can gouge.

One reviewer on Tooled-Up mentioned that the on/off switch doesn't feel very positive. It's worth giving it a firm push and checking the motor has actually stopped before you put the sander down.

How to sand well with it

The biggest mistake with small sanders is pressing too hard. It feels like more pressure should mean faster sanding. In practice it slows the pad's movement, heats the sheet, clogs the grit and leaves scratches. Let the weight of the tool and a light hand do the work.

Keep it moving. Slow, overlapping passes. Parking it in one spot makes a dip.
Follow the grain where you can. Orbital marks are small, but finishing passes with the grain look better under varnish.
Use the point only for corners. Sanding flat areas on the tip wears it out fast and gives uneven pressure. Use the full pad on flat areas.
Turn or swap the tip. When the point goes bald, rotate the detachable tip if your sheet set allows it, or fit a new sheet.
Empty the dust box often. A full box stops collecting. Tap it out over a bin every few minutes on a dusty job.
Wipe down between grits. Grit from a coarse sheet left on the surface will scratch the finish when you move to a finer one.

We wrote a separate guide on how to sand furniture with a detail sander and which grit to use that goes through a full furniture job from start to finish.

Which pads and sheets to buy

This is the question we get asked most, so here is the plain version.

Shape and fixing

You need hook-and-loop sheets in the PSM 100 A's pointed shape, with holes that match the pad. Sheets sold for the PSM 100 A are the safe choice. Many third-party packs on marketplaces say they fit the PSM 100 A and several other Bosch "mouse" style sanders, and they usually come in mixed grits. Read the listing for the shape and hole pattern rather than trusting the title alone, and check the photo against your pad.

Avoid sheets that need clamping or self-adhesive (PSA) sheets. The PSM 100 A uses hook and loop, and an adhesive sheet will damage the loop face of the pad.

Which grits to keep

The box comes with three sheets, which Toolstop lists as 80, 120 and 160 grit. That's a sensible starting set. Here's how we'd use a wider range.

Grit	What it's for	Example job
40 to 60	Heavy removal	Taking off flaking paint on an outdoor window frame. Use sparingly on this small sander
80	Removing old finish, shaping	Rubbing back tired varnish on a shelf
120	General smoothing	Smoothing filler, taking out 80 grit scratches
160 to 180	Final prep before paint	Keying gloss so new paint sticks
240 and up	Between coats	Light de-nib between coats of varnish

The general rule is not to skip more than one step. Going from 80 straight to 240 leaves deep 80 grit scratches that the fine sheet takes ages to remove. Going 80, 120, 180 is quicker overall.

Paper, cloth or mesh?

Standard paper-backed sheets are fine for most home jobs and are the cheapest. Cloth-backed sheets last longer on edges and corners where paper tears. Mesh-style sheets clog less on paint and filler because dust passes straight through, but they cost more. If you only buy one type, buy paper in mixed grits and replace the 120 most often, because you'll use it most.

Do you need a finger attachment?

Some Bosch sanders can take a narrow finger attachment for slats and louvres. We couldn't find Bosch or a UK retailer listing one for the PSM 100 A, so we don't recommend buying one on the strength of a marketplace listing. For slatted shutters and spindles, the pointed tip plus a sanding sponge by hand is the honest answer.

Dust, health and safety

Fine dust from sanding wood, MDF, filler and paint isn't something to breathe in. Even with the Microfilter box, some dust escapes, especially from the tip in corners.

Wear a dust mask rated for fine dust, and eye protection.
Work with a window open, or outside if you can.
MDF dust is very fine. Use a vacuum connection rather than the box if you have the option.
Hearing protection is sensible for long sessions. Tooled-Up lists a sound power figure of 94 dB(A).
Vibration at 6.5 m/s² is normal for this kind of tool, but take breaks on long jobs to rest your hand.

Old paint and lead

Cambridge City Council's guidance says lead was used in some paints until the mid-1960s, so original coats in older houses can contain it. It warns that lead dust is released when that paint is sanded and says not to use dry sandpaper; it recommends wet abrasive paper, a chemical stripper or a hot-air gun kept below 450C, and a P3 filter mask. A detail sander is a dry sanding tool, so if you're working on original doors, sash windows or skirting in an older house, test the paint first (DIY lead test kits are sold in hardware shops) and don't use the sander if you're unsure.

How it compares with other Bosch sanders

Bosch's UK DIY range has a few sanders that people weigh up against the PSM 100 A. Prices below are as listed on the Bosch DIY multi-sanders page on the day we checked, and they move around.

Model	Power	Stroke rate	Orbit	Weight	Bosch list price
PSM 100 A	100 W corded	26,000 per minute	1.4 mm	0.9 kg	£41.35
PSM 200 AES	200 W corded	6,000 to 26,000 per minute	1.8 mm	1.4 kg	£101.20
EasySander 18V-8	18 V cordless	22,000 per minute	1.6 mm	1.2 kg	£54.55
UniversalSander 18V-10	18 V cordless	12,000 to 22,000 per minute	1.6 mm	1.3 kg	£73.91

A few points worth drawing out:

The PSM 200 AES has double the power, variable speed and a 164 cm² pad according to Bosch's filters. It's the one to look at if you sand a lot of furniture, and it costs roughly three times as much.
The cordless 18V models make sense if you already own Bosch Power for All batteries. Bosch's listed prices for these are often for the bare tool, so check whether a battery and charger are included. Our guide to Bosch 18V batteries explains which batteries fit which tools.
The PSM 100 A wins on price and weight. At 0.9 kg it's the lightest of the four, which matters when you're sanding a door frame above head height.

Price check: what others charge

We sell the PSM 100 A for £30.35 at the time of writing. On the same day we saw it at £40 at Wickes, Currys and Homebase, £38 at Howe Tools and £36.95 at Tooled-Up. John Lewis listed it as no longer available online. Prices change often, so treat these as a snapshot.

Running costs over three years

Sanders are cheap to run. The ongoing cost is mostly sheets.

Tool: £30.35 (our price at the time of writing).
Electricity: 100 W for one hour is 0.1 kWh. At an illustrative 25p per kWh, that's 2.5p an hour. Even 20 hours of sanding a year is 50p a year, or £1.50 over three years. Check your own tariff, but it won't move the total much.
Sheets: this depends entirely on how much you do. As an example, if you get through one mixed pack a year and pay £10 to £15 a pack, that's £30 to £45 over three years. Heavy users doing paint stripping will use more.

So a realistic three-year cost for a home user is roughly £60 to £80, with the tool itself under half of that. If you register it, Bosch's guarantee covers the first three years.

Who should buy which

First-time homeowner with a list of painting jobs

The PSM 100 A is a good first sander. It covers skirting, doors, frames and filler, which is most of what you'll do. It fits in a small toolbox alongside the basics in our first home DIY toolkit guide.

Upcycling furniture as a hobby

The PSM 100 A will do it, and the tip helps on drawer fronts and chair joints. If you're doing a piece a month, you may outgrow it and want the variable speed and bigger pad of the PSM 200 AES.

Renovating a whole house

Buy the PSM 100 A for corners and detail, and a larger sander for doors and big flat surfaces. One tool won't do both jobs well.

You already have Bosch 18V green batteries

Look at the cordless EasySander 18V-8 or UniversalSander 18V-10 first. No cable to drag around a room is a nice upgrade if the battery is already paid for.

Flat-dwellers worried about mess

The Microfilter box helps, but any sander makes dust. Sand outside or on a balcony if you can, and use a vacuum connection indoors.

Tips we'd pass on

Mark the surface lightly with a pencil scribble before sanding. When the pencil is gone, you've sanded evenly.
Buy more 120 grit than anything else.
Keep a sanding sponge alongside for curves and mouldings the pad can't follow.
Clean clogged sheets with a stiff brush. It brings back some life on paint-clogged grit.
Store sheets flat in a bag. Curled hook-and-loop sheets don't grip as well.
Register the sander with Bosch soon after buying to get the third year of guarantee.
Before drilling or fixing anything after you've finished, check for cables and pipes. Our guide to checking a wall before you drill covers how.

Common problems and fixes

Sheets keep flying off

The hook face on the pad is worn or clogged with dust. Brush it clean. If the hooks are flattened, a replacement pad is needed. Also check you're not using sheets meant for a different shape that overhang the edge.

It's leaving swirl marks

Usually too much pressure, too coarse a grit for the finishing stage, or bits of coarse grit left on the surface. Wipe down, move up a grit and ease off.

Dust is going everywhere

Check the sheet holes line up with the pad holes, empty the box and make sure it's clipped in fully. The Microfilter box won't catch everything, so a vacuum connection is better for big jobs.

It feels underpowered

One Tooled-Up reviewer called it "not very powerful". That's partly the nature of a 100 W detail sander. Try a coarser grit for the first pass and a fresh sheet. If you're regularly fighting it, a bigger sander suits your jobs better.

The tip has worn through

This happens fastest. Rotate the detachable tip if your sheet type allows, or replace the sheet. Using the tip only for corners makes sheets last longer.

The sheet is clogging with paint

Paint, especially newer latex paint, gums up grit quickly. Let paint cure fully before sanding, use mesh sheets, and change sheets more often.

What reviewers and buyers say

We couldn't find a full independent test of the PSM 100 A from Which?, Expert Reviews or T3, so we won't pretend there's one. Customer reviews are mixed. On Tooled-Up it has 3.5 stars from 6 reviews. Several buyers praise the build quality and say it's what they'd expect from Bosch. One mentions the switch, one calls it not very powerful, and one gave it a single star after the base wore badly. Six reviews is a small sample, so read them as individual experiences rather than a verdict.

Our verdict

The PSM 100 A is a light, cheap, simple detail sander that does what it says: corners, edges, frames and furniture. It isn't powerful and isn't trying to be. If most of your sanding is prep before painting, it's good value, especially at our price. If you sand large surfaces regularly, spend more on the PSM 200 AES or a bigger orbital sander, and keep the PSM 100 A, if you have it, for the fiddly bits.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Bosch PSM 100 A used for?

The Bosch PSM 100 A is a small detail sander for furniture, doors, window frames, shelves and corners. Its pointed pad reaches into inside corners that round or square sanders can't. It suits paint preparation and light smoothing rather than heavy removal or floors.

What sanding sheets fit the Bosch PSM 100 A?

The Bosch PSM 100 A takes hook-and-loop sanding sheets in its pointed delta shape, with holes matching the pad for dust extraction. Sheets sold for the PSM 100 A fit. Check shape and hole pattern on third-party packs, and avoid self-adhesive sheets.

What grit sandpaper comes with the Bosch PSM 100 A?

The PSM 100 A comes with three sanding sheets. Toolstop lists them as 80, 120 and 160 grit, which covers removing an old finish, smoothing and final preparation before painting.

Is the Bosch PSM 100 A powerful enough to strip paint?

It can rub back small areas of flaking or loose paint, but at 100 W it's slow on large areas. For a whole door or table, a heat gun or chemical stripper followed by a larger sander is quicker. Never dry sand old paint that may contain lead.

Does the Bosch PSM 100 A have dust collection?

Yes. It has built-in extraction into a Microfilter dust box. John Lewis and Wickes also list a connection for an all-purpose vacuum cleaner, which is better for dusty materials like MDF.

How heavy is the Bosch PSM 100 A?

Bosch lists the PSM 100 A at 0.9 kg, which makes it the lightest sander in Bosch's current UK multi-sander range and easy to use one-handed on frames and overhead work.

Is the Bosch PSM 100 A cordless?

No. The PSM 100 A is a corded 240 V mains tool. Bosch's cordless detail sanders, such as the EasySander 18V-8, use Bosch 18V Power for All batteries.

What is the difference between the Bosch PSM 100 A and PSM 200 AES?

The PSM 200 AES has 200 W instead of 100 W, variable speed, a larger 1.8 mm orbit and weighs 1.4 kg against 0.9 kg. Bosch lists it at about three times the price. It suits frequent furniture sanding; the PSM 100 A suits occasional jobs.

Can you sand a floor with the Bosch PSM 100 A?

Not realistically. The 104 cm² pad and 100 W motor are made for detail work. Floors need a floor sander or at least a large random orbital sander, though the PSM 100 A is handy for the edges and corners of a small floor.

How long is the warranty on the Bosch PSM 100 A?

Bosch DIY tools come with a two-year guarantee, which Bosch extends to three years if you register the tool on its website after buying.

Can I use the Bosch PSM 100 A for polishing?

Some retailers mention polishing, but we couldn't find a Bosch polishing pad listed for this model. It's best treated as a sander. Use a dedicated polisher for car paint or anything you care about.

How loud is the Bosch PSM 100 A?

Tooled-Up lists a sound pressure level of 83 dB(A) and a sound power level of 94 dB(A). That's loud enough that ear protection is sensible for long sessions.

Sources

Bosch
DIY
guides
sanding