Rectangular ROS Suggestion

[Brad Shipton]

I have been doing a bunch of sanding and finishing lately and I am tired of the extra time swapping between sanders or hand sanding corners. I have 50 cab doors to finish in the next week or so. I am looking for a suggestion if either of the rectangular orbital sanders below are worth it. I have an old black and decker, but it is loud and useless. I did a search for the two I am interested in, but did not find any discussion. I like the festool since it will work well with the other sanders I have, but I know the Mirka would be good too. The air options are nice, but I am about 4cfm short with my compressor. Opinions?

Mirka 3"x5" Deos:
https://www.mirka.com/mirka-deos/

or Festool RTS400:
https://www.festoolcanada.com/products/sanding-and-brushing/direct-drive-orbital-sanders-for-fine-sanding/201221---rts-400-req-plus-usa

[Nick Decker]

Don't know about the Mirka, but the RTS400 is an ORBITAL sander, not a RANDOM orbital sander. Don't know if that distinction matters to you or not.

[Jamie Buxton]

I have the Festool, which I bought specifically because it can sand into square corners. It works well for finish sanding.

When I'm doing a bunch of work with both the RTS400 and a regular ROS, I plug them both into a multi-tap outlet which I plug into the vacuum. That way, either sander will trigger the vacuum. Switching sanders is then only a matter of switching the hose. I've considered doing the same with the hose, but haven't gotten around to inventing a Y fitting for two hoses.

[Nick Decker]

I use the RTS400 too, and like it for the reason Jamie mentioned, and because it's small. In use, I've never noticed any pattern of orbital swirl marks, probably because the orbit is so small on that sander. That and, as a finish sander, you're generally using fine grits.

[Doug Dawson]

I use the RTS400 too, and like it for the reason Jamie mentioned, and because it's small. In use, I've never noticed any pattern of orbital swirl marks, probably because the orbit is so small on that sander. That and, as a finish sander, you're generally using fine grits.

I don't have the RTS400, but I do have the DTS400, and it's a nice tool with a 2mm stroke. It depends on what I'm doing, but I seem to usually finish off with the RO 90 when there's any question, so whatever inadequacies the 400 series present are not obvious to me. Bottom line: you should consider an RO 90. Unless you're "clearing vast tracts of land", it's a nice tool for finishing off your work. What's the big deal with rectangular anyways? The RO 90 goes round and triangular, so that should cover your bases.

[Nick Decker]

Doug, I used to have the Rotex 90, sold it to a fellow Creeker. I found it cumbersome to use with one hand, but maybe that's just me.

I do like the ETS 125. When sanding small pieces ( a lot of my work) I usually wrap one hand around the body of the sander, right next to the rotating pad, then hold the wood being sanded with the other hand. Works well for positioning both the sander and the work very easily.

[Brad Shipton]

Thanks all. The festool is quite a bit cheaper than the Mirka. I suspect the Mirka is worth it, but...

Jamie, I have no idea why I never thought of a duplex plug on the vacuum. What a great idea.

Nick, Festool sucked me in with that ETS125. I held off ordering discs for it for quite a while, but I finally caved. Now I prefer it over the bosch. I guess they won with that promo.

[Victor Robinson]

It's worth pointing out that the DTS and RTS are the same sander except for the pad. So it is feasible to change back and forth between the delta pad and rectangular pad, though it takes a few minutes and a Torx screwdriver.

The downside is of course it will void your warranty. Festool can tell you've done it because to do the changeover you need to replace the metal band clamps (the Festool replacement part is an adjustable clamp instead of the ones that come on the sander). But if you have an out-of-warranty DTS/RTS and find yourself pining for the other pad, it's worth considering.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, I have the Festool DTS400, it works great for sanding corners..............Rod

[Dave Zellers]

I used the $50 coupon from the promo to buy the 400RTS and really love it. It's very gentle, especially when you dial it down.

[Brad Shipton]

Thanks Rod.

Dave, now that you mention it I don't think I ever used that coupon. I will have to see if it is in the box.

[Dave Zellers]

:eek: Pretty sure it expired and the end of last year.