Need a new ROS. Which festool?

[Charles Green]

I read some of the other threads and saw some different recommendations.

I would like to buy one of the festool sanders as I've read so much about them and I was very impressed with my friend's festool saw.

Anyway, I'll only be able to buy one and wanted to know if I should go ahead and buy the 5" (have funds in hand) or wait a few weeks and buy the 6" model? I build everything from small boxes to cabinets so size is a question mark for me.

I've been using a 5" ryobi for about 6 years for all my sanding needs.(takes a long time to sand panels flat).

Anyway, if you could only have one which would it be?

Thanks

[Mark Singer]

I have the Rotex 6" and the 150/3 fine sander...both great! I like the versatility of the Rotex. Stick with just 6" ....the paper is less expensive if you have more than one sander and they are the same size.

[Dan Clark]

I have the new 6" Rotex 150 FEQ. It's a great sander. I highly recommend it. But, it might be a bit much for a small box.

Dan.

[Dave Falkenstein]

I have both the Rotex 150 and the ETS 150/3. I switched from 5" sanders to 6" when I started buying Festool products a couple of years ago. I wanted to stick to one size of sandpaper, but I also now realize that a 6" sander covers 40% more area than a 5", which makes sanding go much faster. For smaller projects I added a DS400 detail sander when I needed one.

If you are doing mostly "finish" sanding, I'd start with a 150/3 or 150/5. The 150/3 will produce a finer surface, but lots of folks find the job done by the 150/5 is satisfactory. I opted for the 150/3 because I also bought the Rotex, which is essentially the same as the 150/5 in ROS mode. The Rotex is heavier, more aggressive and not as easy to handle as the ETS 150/3 or 150/5. Sanding is a chore for me, but the 150/3 makes it much easier than I had experienced previously, plus the dust extraction is as good as advertised.

[Thomas Walker]

I'm going to go the other way from most of the posters. I also have a rotex, and 6" orbital. I love the 6" sander (as long as it's combined with their vac). It's very smooth and great at getting the dust.

My experience with the rotex (unless it's been improved) is that it's just too hard to hold steady, it bounces all over the place.

[Bob Childress]

My experience with the rotex (unless it's been improved) is that it's just too hard to hold steady, it bounces all over the place.

I find that can be a problem in orbital mode with 50 grit paper, :eek: but in ROS it is smooth as silk. And when I need to remove some material, the Rotex really gets after it. :D For an all around, all-purpose sander, the Rotex 150 is hard to beat IMHO. :)

[Jim Becker]

I went with the 6" models and haven't missed the 5" format. The 6" machines are Smoooooooooth and a pleasure to use. As to the choice, I have both the Rotex 150 and the 150/3. I use the latter the most because it's more comfortable to hold with one hand and pull out the Rotex when it's the appropriate machine for the job. The newer Rotex design is a bit easier to hold, however. If I could only have one? 150/3 would be my choice for general ROS use. It's agressive enough for my needs most of the time. IMHO, of course...and don't forget the excellent dust extraction!

[Dave Falkenstein]

...My experience with the rotex (unless it's been improved) is that it's just too hard to hold steady, it bounces all over the place.

Thomas - Try reducing the amount of air flow on the dust extractor. You might have the dust extractor set to maximum, causing the Rotex to "stick" to the material being sanded.

[Russ Massery]

Another vote for the Rotex RO150 & the 150/3 combo. The 150/3 gets the most use in my shop. I use the Rotex mostly heavy stock removable ( in place of a belt sander) and Buffing. Which I have gotten excellent results with.:D

[Jesse Cloud]

Yet another vote for the Rotex and 150/3. I also, like Dave F have the DS400 for nooks and crannies. Definitely go with 6" format. I have gotten so spoiled, I just freak out when someone pulls out a sander with no dust control - kinda like someone lighting a cig and blowing smoke in your face.

BTW, if you haven't used a cabinet scraper yet, get one. It will save a lot of sanding!

[John Miliunas]

Unlike most of the rest here, I started my Festool "collection" with the 125, 5" unit. Still love it, still use it! :) However, if I were to buy one single unit, it would be the 150/3. If, OTOH, you do have needs for taking a significant amount of stock down and still want a smooth ROS for finishing, then the Rotex gets my vote.

Be warned, though: If this is your first Festool purchase, it won't be your last!!! :D :cool:

[JayStPeter]

I have a 150/5 and find it a great general purpose sander. I prefer the larger disc over the smaller 5" model I had previously. Someday I'll add a Rotex as well and it will be nice to share sanding discs.

[Greg Mann]

Like many others, I like the RO150 and 150/3 set. But one sander that doesn't get much talk-up is the RS2E. It is essentially a half sheet ROS with 2.5mm orbits. Its merits are: 1. It can do corner work as well as the 400 series sanders. 2. It covers 40 sq inches. Even the 150s above only cover 28 sq. in. and they are a huge step up from the 125s or 5 inchers. My progression has been: RO150, Linear, 150/3, and the RS2E is in Brown's truck (stealth gloat). I have a multimaster from Fein or I would probably have the Deltex. Oh yeah, I have the 115 for paint removal and other rough stuff like sharpening the garden tools. ;)

I just resurfaced/finished a bedroom floor with the RO150 which was in really bad shape due to 50 years of use and abuse. Water stains from an outside door being left open during rainstorms and who knows what else. I needed to level out warpage too. I actually started out with 24 grit paper. With the C22 hooked up I didn't even bother to take the clothes out of the closet, just worked right underneath them! Scored a lot of points with the girlfriend with that job.

BTW, the linear was used along the walls and the 150/3 took care of final sanding after the new finish was put down. Like John said, if this will be your first Festool, you are in big trouble.:D

Greg

[Dennis Peacock]

I have the ES125, 5" and use it for almost 100% of everything I do. I also have the ES150/5 and use it when I need to cover some serious territory. I highly recommend either one.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Porter Cable Speed Blok.
The thing nearly sands all by it'self.
It uses quarter sheets
No DC option though

[Joe Jensen]

Like many others, I like the RO150 and 150/3 set. But one sander that doesn't get much talk-up is the RS2E. It is essentially a half sheet ROS with 2.5mm orbits. Its merits are: 1. It can do corner work as well as the 400 series sanders. 2. It covers 40 sq inches. Even the 150s above only cover 28 sq. in. and they are a huge step up from the 125s or 5 inchers. My progression has been: RO150, Linear, 150/3, and the RS2E is in Brown's truck (stealth gloat). I have a multimaster from Fein or I would probably have the Deltex. Oh yeah, I have the 115 for paint removal and other rough stuff like sharpening the garden tools. ;)

I just resurfaced/finished a bedroom floor with the RO150 which was in really bad shape due to 50 years of use and abuse. Water stains from an outside door being left open during rainstorms and who knows what else. I needed to level out warpage too. I actually started out with 24 grit paper. With the C22 hooked up I didn't even bother to take the clothes out of the closet, just worked right underneath them! Scored a lot of points with the girlfriend with that job.

BTW, the linear was used along the walls and the 150/3 took care of final sanding after the new finish was put down. Like John said, if this will be your first Festool, you are in big trouble.:D

Greg


The RS2-E is my FAVORITE sander. Super smooth, nicest made tool I've ever used. I have the RO150, and it's a brute, dust collection is awesome, but it's nowhere near as smooth to use as the RS2-E...joe

[Greg Mann]

The RS2-E is my FAVORITE sander. Super smooth, nicest made tool I've ever used. I have the RO150, and it's a brute, dust collection is awesome, but it's nowhere near as smooth to use as the RS2-E...joe

Joe,

That's nice to know since my reference to it is just speculation at this point. Mine will be here in a few days and I will be using it on the hallway floor, which is an extension of the aforementioned bedroom job. Can't wait to get down on my knees to see how well that one works. Probably better than my 58 year old knees will.

Greg

[Jim Dailey]

Cliff,
The Rockwell then relabeled PC Speed Block was my favorite sander for cabinet work or overhead..... I wore out a number of these over the years..... "was" is the key word. The Festool RS 400 EQ smooth/quality feel with the pad not beating the hell out of adjoining surfaces like the speed blocks' paper clamps coupled dustless sanding made it an instant favorite. Of course I say similar things about other 8 Festool sanders:o

Hope this helps, jim

[Dan Clark]

Thomas - Try reducing the amount of air flow on the dust extractor. You might have the dust extractor set to maximum, causing the Rotex to "stick" to the material being sanded.

If using a Fein or other non-adjustable DC, or a Festool DC turned all the way up, the Rotex 150 can stick. Combine that with an agressive grit, high speed, and Rotex mode, and it can be a beast.

With a Festool DC, just crank down the vacuum a bit (1/2 to 2/3) and you still see all the dust disappear but the Rotex 150 works very nicely. You'd still probably want two hands, but it's very nice to manage.

Now change to less aggressive grit (say 80 or 120) and change to RO mode. It's a very nice little kitty cat then. I used 120 grit, speed 6, in RO mode and sanded my whole bathroom subfloor (140 sq ft) with one hand on top of the head. Nice kitty.

Dan.

[Charles Green]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I think I'll get the 6" as most small boxes and things I usually do a lot of hand sanding anyway.