Mirka sander vs Festool

[jack duren]

Tried both and the Mirka wins. The Festool was too bulky ...I I have the 3m which I thought was better than Festool....

[Joe Jensen]

Does the Mirka require a dedicated vacuum?

[Greg Castaneda]

Interested to know what difference there were to make you choose the Mirka
i am looking to alternatives to Festool, there pricing is just getting too steep for me to justify.
How did dust collection compare?
Can you connect the mirka to the festool vaccuum without any adapters?

[Jim Becker]

"How it feels" is very important. There's no bad choice between these two sanders here. :)

[Wade Lippman]

Tried both and the Mirka wins. The Festool was too bulky ...I I have the 3m which I thought was better than Festool....

I bought a couple Bosch ROS65VC-5. They were powerful yet vibration free; but were so bulky they were unpleasant to use. I sold them and went back to my PC333.

Anyone know how the ROS65VC-5 compare in bulk to the Festool? I would really like to upgrade my sanders.

[John Sincerbeaux]

For finish sanding.... Mirka Deros
For aggressive, course sanding... Rotex 150.
Different animals!
Mirka is compatible w Festool vacs.
Mirka Ceros/Deros sanders are like air sanders...low profile, palm held, very comfortable.
Mirka sanders w abranet discs are virtually dustless.
Mirka’s, like Festool are not cheap.

[jack duren]

Mirka was better on the hands and arms. The Festool was too bulky and difficult to manage... The 3M was close to the Mirka but pneumatic. Mirka $1100 with vac. Salesman said many skip the vac and do shopvac...

Festool lost for production work.

[jack duren]

"How it feels" is very important. There's no bad choice between these two sanders here. :)

Mirka felt better...

[John Kee]

Tried them both and in my case Festool won. I'm using a boomarm off the vac. I don't like paddle sanders and the instant off found on the ETS EC 150 works great. Again comes down to comfort. I tried and don't like Mirka Abranet for daily use, especially the price and the ease of ripping. I don't like the pricing of Festool now as I feel its in the stupid zone and really have a hard time justifing any future purchases. To each his own and like Jim said in the long run both sanders work well for sanding. My dealer told me at the time of my decision if going with Mirka that to be happy you should buy 2 of Deros, so you always have one while the other is out being repaired. I know 2 other Mirka dealers that expressed the same thing and only carry the sanders because they want the abrasive line. This was 2 years ago and Mirka may have their act together now.

[peter gagliardi]

I came to the same conclusion as John did. I used them both side by side, in all positions for over a week.
The Mirka was slightly smaller, but definitely less power, and not as smooth.

Oh, and if you think Festool is pricey, the Mirka was about $100-120.00 more!

I couldn't stand the paddle switch and pushbutton setup on the Mirka. A paddle works if you only sand horizontal, but I prefer a simple on/off switch for multipositional sanding.

[Jim Morgan]

Mirka Deros comes with either 2.5 mm or 5.0 mm orbits. Which did you choose? Why?

[jack duren]

Mirka Deros comes with either 2.5 mm or 5.0 mm orbits. Which did you choose? Why?

Hopefully neither. 15 sanders and vacs pretty expensive . Hoping to push.........

[jack duren]

A dozen guys who sand 8hrs a day made this decision. They use pneumatic and the Mirka was the closest...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py0w4PylbGE

[John Kee]

Jack it will be interesting hear how they hold up over a couple of years. I can see how the air guys would like the Mirka, how long did each of your guys get to test each sander and curious why an operation like yours would want to move from air to electric. I would assume something like a Kaeser screw compressor, a bunch of dynabrades with dust collection would be a good long term purchase.

[Mark Bolton]

Jack it will be interesting hear how they hold up over a couple of years. I can see how the air guys would like the Mirka, how long did each of your guys get to test each sander and curious why an operation like yours would want to move from air to electric. I would assume something like a Kaeser screw compressor, a bunch of dynabrades with dust collection would be a good long term purchase.

As your post states, I think your information is a bit out-dated. Mirka had some issues with the Ceros however we have had them for years (bought just after the Ceros issues) and have never had an ounce of trouble out of them. I was not happy when they did away with the Ceros and went to the Deros with the onboard transformer but look forward to getting my hands on one before we add more. If we dont care for the Deros it will either be SufPrep's electrics or the 3M electric version that looks identical to the air model pictured in a previous response.

[jack duren]

Jack it will be interesting hear how they hold up over a couple of years. I can see how the air guys would like the Mirka, how long did each of your guys get to test each sander and curious why an operation like yours would want to move from air to electric. I would assume something like a Kaeser screw compressor, a bunch of dynabrades with dust collection would be a good long term purchase.

They are trying to eliminate a lot of dust. You get 5-10 sanders in one area going and it becomes a problem. Their solution was the sander. my solution was a large sanding booth..Either sander cut production in half.

They do about 10mil. There trying to double this and it's hard unless they contain the dust...

[John Kee]

As your post states, I think your information is a bit out-dated. Mirka had some issues with the Ceros however we have had them for years (bought just after the Ceros issues) and have never had an ounce of trouble out of them. I was not happy when they did away with the Ceros and went to the Deros with the onboard transformer but look forward to getting my hands on one before we add more. If we don't care for the Deros it will either be SufPrep's electrics or the 3M electric version that looks identical to the air model pictured in a previous response.

Sorry Mark but the 2 Dealers I spoke with were early this year and specifically were talking the Deros not the Ceros. The Ceros issues were another thing they weren't happy with specifically with the actual support from Mirka and the loss of a lot of money keeping their commercial customers happy. Maybe your support was different on your side of the border. As far as another sander brand, I've been using Festool for 10 years now on a daily basis without any issues except for having to change pads and brushes. If I ever need more sanders it also won't be Festool or Mirka they way their pricing is.

[John Kee]

They are trying to eliminate a lot of dust. You get 5-10 sanders in one area going and it becomes a problem. Their solution was the sander. my solution was a large sanding booth..Either sander cut production in half.

They do about 10mil. There trying to double this and it's hard unless they contain the dust...

Interesting, Thanx. The extraneous dust the 5 to 10 sanders with dust collection are going to produce is still going to be noticeable without your sanding booth and good air recirculation. The DC on these sanders is good on bigger panels, not as good on stuff smaller than the disc size IMHO.

[Darcy Warner]

Had a Mirka, I like the brushless festool much better. Sold the mirkas.

[Jim Morgan]

Hopefully neither. 15 sanders and vacs pretty expensive . Hoping to push.........

?? Did you get a 625 or a 650? Or something else?

[Mark Bolton]

Sorry Mark but the 2 Dealers I spoke with were early this year and specifically were talking the Deros not the Ceros. The Ceros issues were another thing they weren't happy with specifically with the actual support from Mirka and the loss of a lot of money keeping their commercial customers happy. Maybe your support was different on your side of the border. As far as another sander brand, I've been using Festool for 10 years now on a daily basis without any issues except for having to change pads and brushes. If I ever need more sanders it also won't be Festool or Mirka they way their pricing is.

Interesting. Figured it was the old ones due to your saying they may have gotten issues worked out in the last couple years.

I just spoke with rep for Mirka US a bit back and he said other than in UK and Europe he has had very few issues with the Deros. As you say maybe it's a location issue. If the shop jack is at is running a batch of them at that level it'll show up quickly.

I'm not sure id be keen on the Deros but haven't had one in hand. Surfprep or 3m are similar envelope but none of them are easy on the bank.

[Martin Wasner]

We haven't had the Deros long, probably only a few hundred hours on it.

I've got a Ceros that keeps eating power supplies and is out of rotation, I bet that one has over 1000 hours on it.

What should the lifespan of a sander be?

[Martin Wasner]

I'm not sure id be keen on the Deros but haven't had one in hand. Surfprep or 3m are similar envelope but none of them are easy on the bank.

I was positive I'd hate it, but it's not bad. I too want to try out the surfprep sanders.

[Mark Bolton]

Sorry Mark

Ahh, your statement "I know 2 other Mirka dealers that expressed the same thing and only carry the sanders because they want the abrasive line. This was 2 years ago and Mirka may have their act together now" made me think you were thinking of the old Mirka issue. Its amazing how one issue can taint a brand for life. I spoke with the US Mirka rep around the time of that recall as we were buying then and he said it was limited to specific S/N ranges so areas got entire batches of problem units but all the inventory had been purged by the time we ordered but, while my memory is foggy, I think this was even longer than two years ago though Id have to look.

Perhaps your comment about regional issues may be correct. I spoke with Mirka not too long ago and asked about the Deros and they said other than some issues in the UK theyd heard of there have been very little issue with the Deros in the US which gave me comfort.

We dont really care for the abranet. Still bleeding the last bits out of our stock (higher grits that we dont use much).

As I mention Im unsure of the Deros and lean towards Surfprep or the 3M electric that is identical to what Jack posted. We unfortunately lost our local distribution for Surfprep as of Jan 1 so the chance of getting one in-hand to try will be slim to none. The 3M pricing Ive gotten locally is even higher than the Ceros/Deros. Id gladly pay what we paid (or even a bit more) for more Ceros. We love them. Tiny, smooth, easy on the hands, and fast. I can agree with the comments about the pushbutton and paddle a tiny bit though I do throttle the sander down quite often but rarely use the fully variable option on the paddle unless Im doing some personal body work on a vehicle or something. I have never experienced an issue with the paddle in any sanding position whatsoever. Upside down, overhead, and so on.

[Mark Bolton]

I was positive I'd hate it, but it's not bad. I too want to try out the surfprep sanders.

Yeah, you've told me that before which is why I still want to get one in hand. The nearest place that may ever have one in-stock is 1.5 hours away. If I ever get out that way its on my list to demo one for a bit. Been nothing but pleased with the Ceros. Wish we'd bought several more but at the price its a tough one to pull the plug on.

[jack duren]

?? Did you get a 625 or a 650? Or something else?

Right now nothing. They need sanding booths rather than sanders. We changed to SurfPrep paper and they will probably go to SurfPrep sanders...

[David Sharp]

I was pretty disappointed when my Ceros died about 2 months out of warranty and costs north of $250.00 to repair. It's about as close to an air sander as you can get but, for the price I was expecting a more durable tool.

[Mark Bolton]

We haven't had the Deros long, probably only a few hundred hours on it.

I've got a Ceros that keeps eating power supplies and is out of rotation, I bet that one has over 1000 hours on it.

What should the lifespan of a sander be?

Martin, the ceros looks to have only two leads in the cord from the power supply to the sander. Wonder if mode/speed switching is done in the ceros or in the transformer. Be interesting to try powering the ceros off a generic 24vdc power supply. If you've shelved it or may be worth a try or maybe you'd like to sell it (wink wink)

[Jeff Duncan]

Just curious if you tried Festools "normal" sized ROS as well? Not sure the model number but the typical 5" 9 hole size without the bulky handle that runs about $200? I liked the one I had but it burned out after about 3 years of use. The Mirka's are too expensive for what they are, (just my opinion), and my compressor is too close to the bench and too loud to go with Dynabrades. I had to run out and buy a cheap ROS to get me through a couple jobs when nobody had the Festools in stock a couple months back, but it needs to be replaced soon and thinking about getting another Festool....just hoping I get more than three years out of the next one!

JeffD

[Martin Wasner]

Martin, the ceros looks to have only two leads in the cord from the power supply to the sander. Wonder if mode/speed switching is done in the ceros or in the transformer. Be interesting to try powering the ceros off a generic 24vdc power supply. If you've shelved it or may be worth a try or maybe you'd like to sell it (wink wink)

The speed control is in the handle. I had a cord that was worn through a foot or so out from the sander from rubbing on the edge of the down draft table. I pulled it apart and re-soldered the cord back onto the ESC.

The transformer is just a power supply.

I've kicked around making cords with less insulation. They won't wear as well, but I've always hated how heavy that cord is. It's only like 300 watts, and at 24 volts that doesn't require much copper. I don't think it's 24 volts either. I'll have to look, but it's something strange like 22V.

I should hand it off to an electrical engineer friend of mine and see what is outta whack on mine. Especially since I need a couple more sanders and I'm not real excited about spending $1200 on two more along with the all the other crap to outfit two more benches.

[Martin Wasner]

If I could figure out a speed control and a brushless motor from RC stuff that would work, I could keep them alive for pretty much forever.

[Mark Bolton]

If I could figure out a speed control and a brushless motor from RC stuff that would work, I could keep them alive for pretty much forever.

I wondered if all of the speed control and mode switching was done in the head (on board the sander) and all the power supply did was feed the 24v. The power supply says its outputting 22v. I never put a meter to it but it wouldnt seem the Mirka power supply would be necessary if there is no control being done in the power supply itself.

[Martin Wasner]

[SNIP] but it wouldnt seem the Mirka power supply would be necessary if there is no control being done in the power supply itself.


Ah. But the motor is a 3 pole and it's DC, the power coming out of the wall is single phase AC. So the power supply is just turning AC into DC. Then the ESC makes the three legs of power.

On the Deros, all of that inverter stuff is in the handle. I wish they would've kept the profile of the Ceros and put all the inverter stuff in the plug on the Deros. That would be a sweet little unit. With a lighter cord, that would pretty much eradicate anything negative I had to say about the Ceros. The box is a pain, and I don't care for the weight of the cord. The new poly hoses were probably the best thing to happen to the Dynabrade sanders, they became so light and so maneuverable once the big rubber hoses went away. The inverter box isn't a big deal, but it is less convenient than if it weren't there.


I found a picture of the one I had to take apart to shorten the cord on. The ESC is still connected to the motor. I'm not sure what the two smaller wires are. But you can see just two leads coming into the ESC. Possibly the other two are sensor wires? A lot of surface RC stuff runs sensored motors, but it's usually like six wires keeping track of the motor position rather than two. I just took apart what I had to and didn't touch anything else.

And yes, it wasn't the easiest tool to take apart.



http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=375334&d=1515013410

[Ken Grant]

We changed to SurfPrep paper and they will probably go to SurfPrep sanders...

Hey just curious what you think of the surfprep paper? Are you talking widebelt paper or the film sanding discs they sell?
I have not been able to find many people actually using their products-paper or sanders. Thanks