Metabo SXE450 RO sander (is it a cheaper Festool?)

[Dan Friedrichs]

Can't find much information about this:
https://www.amazon.com/Metabo-TurboTec-Watt-Electronic-Sander/dp/B0019IF93U

(Other than that Metabo used to make a model for Ridgid, but doesn't any longer).

Based on specs and general appearance, this looks pretty comparable to a Festool Rotex that sells for 3x the price. Anyone have one?

[Van Huskey]

OPPS was thinking of the SXE400 vs RO90!!! No personal experience with the 450

[Rich Riddle]

Metabo makes some high-quality grinders but the Metabo random orbit sander I had was inferior to Festool. It's a "good enough" sander for many things but not one I would purchase. It's a good one to lend others when they want to borrow a random orbit sander.

[Dan Friedrichs]

My father REALLY liked my RO125, but the price tag has 2 more zeros on it than he's willing to spend ;)

He likes a Makita for $80 that looks decent (https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/BO5041), but I was just wondering if the Metabo might be somewhat comperable to the Rotex. It's just for occasional use "around the farm"...

[Van Huskey]

My father REALLY liked my RO125, but the price tag has 2 more zeros on it than he's willing to spend ;)

He likes a Makita for $80 that looks decent (https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/BO5041), but I was just wondering if the Metabo might be somewhat comperable to the Rotex. It's just for occasional use "around the farm"...

The question is does he need a simple ROS or will his uses lend themselves to a dual mode sander? "Around the farm" sounds more like he needs the gear driven mode, while the Metabo may be good, I don't know, the Bosch 1250 DEVS is a decent Festool alternative but none of the gear driven dual modes will be cheap.

[peter gagliardi]

That sander looks nothing like a Rotex. It does look like the regular festool pad sander though. If you need/want to save money, over the Rotex you will need to settle for less of a sander in my opinion.

[Frank Martin]

The sander that is very comparable to the Rotex is Bosch 1250DEVS. I had the Bosch first and then "upgraded" to the Rotex only to find out that there was not much of a difference between the two. Only reason I still have the Rotex is that unfortunately before really using the Rotex enough to see the difference I had already sold the Bosch and it was more than 30 days from the purchase date for Rotex. When I had the Bosch it was made in Germany or Switzerland, in my opinion 99% as good as the Rotex.

The Metabo you show is not a gear driven sander, it just has two different orbit sizes. The larger orbit is a faster but not anywhere near the gear driven mode on the Rotex / Bosch.

[Joe Spear]

I had an earlier version of that sander for years. It has the two orbit sizes, which didn't seem to make much difference for what I did. It was a good sander but heavy. I sold it when I got a Deros, which is expensive but a lot lighter and better.

[Wade Lippman]

I have two of them. It is a nice sander, but nothing special. Admittedly I have never used a Festool, but understand they are ​special.

[Martin Wasner]

I think I read somewhere that Metabo is owned by Makita? That could be heresy and lies.

[Jamie Buxton]

I think I read somewhere that Metabo is owned by Makita? That could be heresy and lies.

No, Metabo was purchased lin late 2016 by Hitachi.

[Martin Wasner]

Hitachi. I knew Makita didn't sound correct.