I should have bought a Festool [Archive] - Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community

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Don Bullock

07-11-2007, 11:04 PM

Well, in May I decided that I needed a new sander. My old Craftsman vibrating sander was just not doing the job and I thought it was getting unsafe (the grommet where the wires entered the metal case had disintegrated). I decided to buy the Bosch 1295DVSK 2.2 Amp 5-Inch Palm Grip Variable Speed Random Orbit Palm Sander with Dust Canister from Amazon. I've used it several times and thought it was doing a super job of sanding the oak and cherry that I'be been working on.

Monday morning I used it and all was fine. When I tried to turn it on Monday evening nothing happened. It wouldn't start. Yes, I tried it on several outlets and even bent the prongs of the plug to make sure it wasn't loose in the plug. When I contacted Bosch, all they would tell me by email today is to try to get the retailer to replace it or take to one of their service centers. I've had it for less than two months - maybe 4 to 5 hours of sanding with it! :eek: Anyway, I think I should have bought a Festool 5" random orbit sander ES 125 EQ from Bob instead of the Bosch. Even if I get the one I have to work I'll be waiting for it to fail again. I guess I'll have to go the the service center tomorrow and see what they have to say. Sorry for the rant. :mad: No, I don't feel any better.

Jim Summers

07-11-2007, 11:50 PM

Bummer man.

Who is Bob?

Thanks

Don Bullock

07-11-2007, 11:57 PM

Bummer man.

Who is Bob?

Thanks

Bob Marino posts a lot here on Sawmill Creek. Many have bought Festool products from him.

Link: http://www.bobmarinosbesttools.com/

Michael Weber

07-12-2007, 12:23 AM

I have had two and they can be a POS. Likely trouble spots are the speed control or the quick connectors on the wire from the brushes. The connectors are small and overheat easily especially if you tend to apply force downward when sanding. I was fortunate to be able to clean mine up and solder them to their terminals after reinstalling. When they overheat the metal becomes soft and loses it's spring which lessons the contact which causes more heating. A vicious cycle. The speed control failed in one and I just removed it and wired around it. I can also tell you that you might as well go ahead and order replacement hook and loop pads for the thing because they won't last a long time. The reason I got a second 1295 is that I had ordered two replacement hook and loop pads for the first one just before it failed again. So at least I'm set for hook and loop pad with three currently.

jonathan snyder

07-12-2007, 1:00 AM

Dennis Peacock

07-12-2007, 1:31 AM

All I can add here is: Once you go with a Festool sander? You'll never look back. :D

glenn bradley

07-12-2007, 1:53 AM

Sorry you had trouble. I've been using the heck out of mine with no problem. I do use it with a vacuum hooked up to it and never really see any dust. I wonder if their seals aren't as good as they should be(?).

On the upside, I had to have my Colt serviced and they had it back to me in a couple days. The service guy even called me to tell me what he had done and to make sure that there were no other concerns with the tool. Quick, courteous service.

Jason White

07-12-2007, 7:39 AM

Take it back and get the Festool (connected to a shop-vac with adjustable suction control). You will never regret it I have 4 Festool sanders and love them all!

JW

Well, in May I decided that I needed a new sander. My old Craftsman vibrating sander was just not doing the job and I thought it was getting unsafe (the grommet where the wires entered the metal case had disintegrated). I decided to buy the Bosch 1295DVSK 2.2 Amp 5-Inch Palm Grip Variable Speed Random Orbit Palm Sander with Dust Canister from Amazon. I've used it several times and thought it was doing a super job of sanding the oak and cherry that I'be been working on.

Monday morning I used it and all was fine. When I tried to turn it on Monday evening nothing happened. It wouldn't start. Yes, I tried it on several outlets and even bent the prongs of the plug to make sure it wasn't loose in the plug. When I contacted Bosch, all they would tell me by email today is to try to get the retailer to replace it or take to one of their service centers. I've had it for less than two months - maybe 4 to 5 hours of sanding with it! :eek: Anyway, I think I should have bought a Festool 5" random orbit sander ES 125 EQ from Bob instead of the Bosch. Even if I get the one I have to work I'll be waiting for it to fail again. I guess I'll have to go the the service center tomorrow and see what they have to say. Sorry for the rant. :mad: No, I don't feel any better.

Don Bullock

07-12-2007, 9:59 AM

Don,

The switch on mine failed too. Bosch replaced the switch under warranty. I put the sander in the cabinet and bought a vintage Stanley #4 smooth plane. I haven't taken the ROS out of the cabinet since!! No dust, no noise!!

I have a number of Bosch tools and like them for the most part, although the switch on my router also failed. Retailer replaced it!

Jonathan

I've had other Bosch tools with no problem, but I don't use them as much as I use a sander.

As for the plane, I haven't gotten into using them yet. It is on my "to do" list, but I have too many higher priority things on the list.

Sorry you had trouble. I've been using the heck out of mine with no problem. I do use it with a vacuum hooked up to it and never really see any dust. I wonder if their seals aren't as good as they should be(?)....

The reviews on the Bosch sander were very good and many like you had reported on the forums that it was working well for them. That's the main reason I decuded to buy one. Hopefully after it's repaired it will be a workhorse like yours.

Take it back and get the Festool (connected to a shop-vac with adjustable suction control). You will never regret it I have 4 Festool sanders and love them all!

JW

Jason, if I could I would at this point. Unfortunately even Amazon won't take it back now. I'll take it in today to get it repaired and then look into hooking up my ShopVac to it. We'll see what the repair shop says about it. I will, however, be buying a Festool as soon as I can.

Greg Funk

07-12-2007, 11:00 AM

Matt Day

07-12-2007, 11:05 AM

My Bosch has worked great without problems; I'd recommend it to anyone especially for the price.

Sorry you have an issue, but I bet it's a quick fix.

Cliff Rohrabacher

07-12-2007, 3:17 PM

I like 1/4 sheet sanders that Porter Cable has called the Speed Bloc

Don Bullock

07-12-2007, 4:15 PM

I think it's a bit silly to recommend buying Festool sanders just because Don had one problem with his sander. Festool equipment is not immune to failure and if you monitor the Festool owners group you will see that on occasion Festool has to replace defective product as well.

The failure rate on Bosch products is very low. Get the sander fixed and it will last for many years.

Greg

Greg, I'm the one who brought up the subject. After what I have just experienced, I do wish that I had bought a Festool. Yes, they may fail as well. Part of my feeling is based on the fact that I've had the Bosch sander for such a short time. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think that Festool would have been a little more sympathetic about it failing with so little use. Only time will tell if I'm right. I'm taking it in this afternoon. Hopefully I'll change my mind and will end up with a great sander. I guess I was spoiled with the old Craftsman sander that my dad bought in the mid '60s. It still works great. I may just find a grommet at Radio Shack and go back to it. For now, I'm back to sand paper and my favorite sanding block.;) :D

Greg Funk

07-12-2007, 4:31 PM

Greg, I'm the one who brought up the subject. After what I have just experienced, I do wish that I had bought a Festool. Yes, they may fail as well. Part of my feeling is based on the fact that I've had the Bosch sander for such a short time. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think that Festool would have been a little more sympathetic about it failing with so little use. Only time will tell if I'm right. I'm taking it in this afternoon. Hopefully I'll change my mind and will end up with a great sander. I guess I was spoiled with the old Craftsman sander that my dad bought in the mid '60s. It still works great. I may just find a grommet at Radio Shack and go back to it. For now, I'm back to sand paper and my favorite sanding block.;) :D
I see - you want to have your cake and eat it too.:) Festool dealers can afford top flight service because their margins are good. Bosch sells their products through lower margin channels like Amazon, consequently they can't afford the same level of service. Of course you could probably buy 2 or 3 Bosch sanders for the price of one Festool...

That having been said I think there are other good reasons to get a Festool. I have a perfectly working Bosch sander but will probably go ahead and get a Festool just because I like nice tools...

Don Bullock

07-12-2007, 4:49 PM

I see - you want to have your cake and eat it too.:) Festool dealers can afford top flight service because their margins are good. Bosch sells their products through lower margin channels like Amazon, consequently they can't afford the same level of service. Of course you could probably buy 2 or 3 Bosch sanders for the price of one Festool...

That having been said I think there are other good reasons to get a Festool. I have a perfectly working Bosch sander but will probably go ahead and get a Festool just because I like nice tools...

The only reason I bought the sander from Amazon is that I couldn't find a local source, including several BORGs, that had it in stock (actually the price at LOWES was lower than Amazon, but they didn't have any in stock). I spent the better part of a day looking. In fact,I had to buy my Bosch jigsaw and a Bostitch 23 Gauge Pin Nailer through Amazon for the same reason. Yes, I live in a highly populated area with many retailers to choose from. None of them had any of these tools in stock when I wanted them.

True, the Bosch was about $100 less than the Festool, but cost was only one of the reasons I selected the Bosch. I like nice tools as well (I own a SawStop). One review I saw reported that the sanding pattern of the Bosch was even better than the Festool's pattern. There were, as I stated above, other good reviews and posts from people who own the Bosch. It sounded like, and still may be, a great tool.

Greg Funk

07-12-2007, 4:55 PM

There were, as I stated above, other good reviews and posts from people who own the Bosch. It sounded like, and still may be, a great tool.
It is a very good sander. Invest $2.95 and buy an RS006 vacuum adapter. It will get rid of all your dust.

Jason White

07-12-2007, 4:58 PM

If you're seriously considering a Festool -- you should go to a local Woodcraft store and try one out. They will let you plug them in and play with them. I'd try either the "Rotex" RO150 or RO125 if you want a good, all-purpose sander (both super-fine and aggressive sanding). But play with all of them and decide for yourself.

JW

The only reason I bought the sander from Amazon is that I couldn't find a local source, including several BORGs, that had it in stock (actually the price at LOWES was lower than Amazon, but they didn't have any in stock). I spent the better part of a day looking. In fact,I had to buy my Bosch jigsaw and a Bostitch 23 Gauge Pin Nailer through Amazon for the same reason. Yes, I live in a highly populated area with many retailers to choose from. None of them had any of these tools in stock when I wanted them.

True, the Bosch was about $100 less than the Festool, but cost was only one of the reasons I selected the Bosch. I like nice tools as well (I own a SawStop). One review I saw reported that the sanding pattern of the Bosch was even better than the Festool's pattern. There were, as I stated above, other good reviews and posts from people who own the Bosch. It sounded like, and still may be, a great tool.

Bob Childress

07-12-2007, 5:28 PM

Don,

Whatever you do, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT buy a Festool sander! :D I bought my first one 8 months ago and my third one is due to arrive tomorrow. :eek:

Dixon Peer

07-12-2007, 5:39 PM

All this palaver about Bosch, Festool, back and forth. Bosch makes a helluva good jig saw, and I've heard their other tools are very nice, good products. That said, I have many Festool sanders, and I have to say they are the best I've ever used. I've been building cabinets and all kinds of millwork for over thirty years, so there's a lot of experience behind my recommendations.

There is virtually no dust when using Festool sanders in conjunction with their dust collectors. At first it's a little disconcerting, not seeing any dust flying through the air. You don't believe the sander is working right...believe me when I tell you, they are the best on the market today.

Scot Ferraro

07-12-2007, 7:35 PM

I bought two of the 5 inch Bosch sanders from Lowe's and had trouble with each one within a few minutes -- each ran very hot, the black pad started to disintegrate on them and they were not smooth. I ended up buying a 6 inch Bosch and it has worked flawlessly -- very smooth and quite and excellent dust collection. While not as good as the Festool 150-3 I tried, for $100 less, it was the right sander for my needs at this time and I have no regrets. I think that Bosch has some quality control issues on the 5 inch.

Scot

Don Bullock

07-12-2007, 7:57 PM

Wow, I was just venting last night and didn't plan to start a Festool vs Bosch debate. I took the sander to the local Bosch Service location. The guy who fixes the tools blew it out with a high pressure air hose, but it still wouldn't start. He said he'd call sometime next week and added that he doesn't see many of the Bosch sanders in his shop. We'll see what happens.

It is a very good sander. Invest $2.95 and buy an RS006 vacuum adapter. It will get rid of all your dust.

Greg, if the sander is fixed I plan to do just that. Thanks for the suggestion.

If you're seriously considering a Festool -- you should go to a local Woodcraft store and try one out. They will let you plug them in and play with them. I'd try either the "Rotex" RO150 or RO125 if you want a good, all-purpose sander (both super-fine and aggressive sanding). But play with all of them and decide for yourself.

JW

Jason, the closest WoodCraft to me is a two hour drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I don't go there often. I have seen a Festool sander demonstrated, but I haven't actually has a chance to try one. The next time I'm at WoodCraft I'll see if they will let me try one out.

Don,

Whatever you do, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT buy a Festool sander! :D I bought my first one 8 months ago and my third one is due to arrive tomorrow. :eek:

Bob, thanks for the information. I'm sorry that you had so much trouble with the Festool, but it's nice to know I'm not alone on this one.;)

All this palaver about Bosch, Festool, back and forth. Bosch makes a helluva good jig saw, and I've heard their other tools are very nice, good products. That said, I have many Festool sanders, and I have to say they are the best I've ever used. I've been building cabinets and all kinds of millwork for over thirty years, so there's a lot of experience behind my recommendations.

There is virtually no dust when using Festool sanders in conjunction with their dust collectors. At first it's a little disconcerting, not seeing any dust flying through the air. You don't believe the sander is working right...believe me when I tell you, they are the best on the market today.

Dixon, I have no problems with Bosch tools. In fact I have one of their jig saws and it is as good as you say it is. The Bosch router that I have is a good tool as well. I just wish that I had "good luck" with the sander because it's a tool that I use a lot more than the others. Maybe a Festool would have been a better choice. I appreciate your input on the topic.

I bought two of the 5 inch Bosch sanders from Lowe's and had trouble with each one within a few minutes -- each ran very hot, the black pad started to disintegrate on them and they were not smooth. I ended up buying a 6 inch Bosch and it has worked flawlessly -- very smooth and quite and excellent dust collection. While not as good as the Festool 150-3 I tried, for $100 less, it was the right sander for my needs at this time and I have no regrets. I think that Bosch has some quality control issues on the 5 inch.

Scot

Scot, your input on the 6" Bosch vs the 5" is interesting. It may be worth looking into. I actually loved the results I was getting from my 5" sander. It's the premature failing that I'm upset about. As for it running hot, that's something that I didn't notice. Hot is a relative term, but my old Craftsman ran a lot hotter than the Bosch was running. So far the pad on mine was fine, but it's white. Perhaps they have changed that. Thanks for your thoughts on my situation.

Rick Christopherson

07-12-2007, 8:47 PM

Don,

Whatever you do, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT buy a Festool sander! :D I bought my first one 8 months ago and my third one is due to arrive tomorrow. :eek:
Bob, thanks for the information. I'm sorry that you had so much trouble with the Festool, but it's nice to know I'm not alone on this one.;)
Bob, Bob, Bob...Why are you always badmouthing Festool like this :D.

Don, Bob was joking, and was explaining that once you buy one...well, you just want more. I don't believe he had problems that required 3 sanders--he just wanted 3 sanders.

Don Bullock

07-12-2007, 9:26 PM

Well, if this works out "just right" I may end up with two sanders. It won't be soon, unless the Bosch situation isn't "fixed" under warranty, but I do plan to get a Festool, even if Bob doesn't like them. Right now, I'm recovering from all my tool purchases, and simply don't have the $$$.;) Maybe, like Bob, I eventually end up with three of them. :p

Jim Dailey

07-13-2007, 1:52 AM

Cliff wrote "I like 1/4 sheet sanders that Porter Cable has called the Speed Bloc"

Cliff I have to agree about the Speed Blocks. It's one tuff little sander. Thousands & thousands of board feet have gone under my several Rockwell/PC Speed Blocks. It was my all time favorite sander.... "was" is the key word... until my Festool DTS 400 & RTS 400's. I hate to think how much dust I swallowed with the Speed Blocks!!!

I've owned just about every PC model & many Bosch model sanders... but I have long since slide down the slippery Green slope. Today I own 9 different Festool model sanders. Personally I don't care if they are wood tool fashionable or Festool kewl. They work nearly dust free better than anything I've tried before... one sander has "sold" for me the "next" model & the "next" the following... that's why I own 10 total... And they haven't caused me a single service issue.

I'm not saying they are for everybody.... but they work (dust free) for me.

jim

Scott Lingle

07-13-2007, 7:23 AM

I won't get into the whole Festool debate, but, my recommendation would be to *call* Bosch (instead of emailing them). I have a Bosch compound mitre saw. Shortly after I got it, through only my own stupidity, a kickback caused the blade to flex and nick one of the inserts in the table. It wasn't bad, certainly livable, but I decided I didn't like the 'abused' look, so I call Bosch to buy replacements. The guy who answered the phone (without having to go through all the "press one for sales, 2 for service crap) got all the pertinent information and sent me both left and right inserts as well as a new sticker set for both...at no charge (not evening shipping)! I even offered again to pay for them (remember - it was my fault, and I let him know that) a he still declined. It was one of my most pleasant customer service experiences in recent history. I have had friends say the same thing. They don't seem to worry about whose 'fault' it is. They just want to make the customer happy. Heckuva way to keep brand loyalty IMHO.

Scott

Bob Childress

07-13-2007, 7:41 AM

Bob, Bob, Bob...Why are you always badmouthing Festool like this :D.

Don, Bob was joking, and was explaining that once you buy one...well, you just want more. I don't believe he had problems that required 3 sanders--he just wanted 3 sanders.

Yep. RO-150, then a DX93, now an ETS 150/3. :D

Andrew Williams

07-13-2007, 7:54 AM

Ok just to confuse you even more....

I haven't used a Festool sander but have had a Milwaukee 1/4 sheet finishing sander for many years, probably since 1994, and it is still going strong.

Henry Cavanaugh

07-13-2007, 8:55 AM

Don Bullock

07-13-2007, 9:23 AM

I won't get into the whole Festool debate, but, my recommendation would be to *call* Bosch (instead of emailing them). ...They just want to make the customer happy. Heckuva way to keep brand loyalty IMHO.

Scott

Scott, if it doesn't get fixed by the service center, I'll do just that. At this point it's literally out of my hands. I'm not one for "brand loyalty." My shop is equipped with many of the major brands, but it's good to know about your experience with Bosch customer service.

My Bosch 5" 3725 has been working great for many years.I dont like the dust canister and plan on hooking it up to my shop vac once I can find any apator for it. I do plan on buying a CT22 Festool vac some day to have a quiter unit and hepa filters, and slow down the speed feature. If my bosch works good on it why change. My goal is to use a plane and card scrapper more and sander a bit less.

Henry, I'm interested in using a card scraper, but I just haven't had the time to practice with one. It's a good way to go. Thanks for the suggestion. I've only seen one source for the Bosch sander vac attachment. I'll search that out and get back to you this evening (going to be out all day).

Cliff wrote "I like 1/4 sheet sanders that Porter Cable has called the Speed Bloc"

Cliff I have to agree about the Speed Blocks. It's one tuff little sander. Thousands & thousands of board feet have gone under my several Rockwell/PC Speed Blocks. It was my all time favorite sander.... "was" is the key word... until my Festool DTS 400 & RTS 400's. I hate to think how much dust I swallowed with the Speed Blocks!!!

I've owned just about every PC model & many Bosch model sanders... but I have long since slide down the slippery Green slope. Today I own 9 different Festool model sanders. Personally I don't care if they are wood tool fashionable or Festool kewl. They work nearly dust free better than anything I've tried before... one sander has "sold" for me the "next" model & the "next" the following... that's why I own 10 total... And they haven't caused me a single service issue.

I'm not saying they are for everybody.... but they work (dust free) for me.

jim

Jim, I jhaven't tried any of the PC sanders. It's good to know about the Seeed Blocks. I'm planning on joining you on that slippery slope toward Festool. As I stated in another post, I'll have to wait a while to save up some $$$.

Greg Funk

07-13-2007, 10:35 AM

My Bosch 5" 3725 has been working great for many years.I dont like the dust canister and plan on hooking it up to my shop vac once I can find any apator for it. I do plan on buying a CT22 Festool vac some day to have a quiter unit and hepa filters, and slow down the speed feature. If my bosch works good on it why change. My goal is to use a plane and card scrapper more and sander a bit less.
The adaptor model is RS006 (Coastal tool sells them for $2.95). I have the same sander and got one of these recently. I use it with a CT22 and it works very well. You do have to run the vacuum at a slower speed otherwise the sanders gets sucked down and it is harder to manage.

Greg

P.S. If you order from Coastal you need to call them as the part is not listed on their site.

Don Bullock

07-13-2007, 10:57 AM

Thanks Greg. I thought that someone would jump in with the information before I got a chance to search for it. That's one of the many great things about this place.

Henry Cavanaugh

07-13-2007, 11:18 AM

Thanks Greg for the tip

Steveo O'Banion

12-01-2007, 10:23 AM

My last class of the day is a special ed class and we're currently doing end grain cutting boards 12" x 18". We rough sand with beltsanders and do our finish sanding (starting with 120 and ending at 320) is done with three different 5" ROS. We use a 12 YO DeWalt and brand new Hitachi and my new Festool 125.

The kids argue over who gets the Festool first. It's quieter, vibrates less and does appear to cut significantly faster. I'm not saying the other tools are trash, just that this Festool sander is much better. (It better be at the cost!)

I wish I had bought the larger sander now instead.

Check this, but I think Festool has a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. You could buy one, do a side x side comparison yourself on your next big project and decide if it's worth the money.

Steve

Steve

Don Bullock

12-01-2007, 8:04 PM

Wow, Steve, you dug deep to find this post. For now my Bosch sander is working great with a Oneida Dust Deputy hooked inline with my ShopVac. I do, however, plan to go with a Festool sometime in the future. Right now SWMBO wouldn't like the idea. While she's supported all my tool purchases, which there have been many this year, paying the $$ needed for a Festool would be pushing it a little too far. Remember, she did want me to buy my SawStop.:D

Jesse Cloud

12-01-2007, 8:24 PM

For what its worth, I have been using Festool sanders for about a year now, and boy am I spoiled. I'm taking a woodworking class and all the school has is Bosch sanders. I am covered with dust, my hands tingle from all the vibrations, and all day long I kept thinking - If I were using the Festool, I would be done by now.

The excellent dust extraction not only keeps things cleaner, but it makes the work go faster and leaves fewer swirls to sand off with the next grit. Sandpaper lasts longer too.

I would agree with the advice to try the Festool before you buy. Every Festool sander I have is a joy to use, but they do very different things - The Rotex 150 is fast and aggressive (sold my belt sander), the 150/3 is smooth and produces an exceptionally smooth surface, I also have an excellent detail sander and a linear profile sander. Wouldn't give up any of them, but they excel at different things. The 150/3 gets used in every project, the Rotex when I need to do serious material removal.

Jim Kountz

12-02-2007, 9:36 AM

That said, I have many Festool sanders, and I have to say they are the best I've ever used. I've been building cabinets and all kinds of millwork for over thirty years, so there's a lot of experience behind my recommendations.

There is virtually no dust when using Festool sanders in conjunction with their dust collectors. believe me when I tell you, they are the best on the market today.

Ok Dixon, Im not here to argue but I hear this stuff all the time about the ridiculously priced mighty Festool products and Im trying to see where the extra cost is worth it but no one can really tell me why. My sander is var speed, connects to a vacuum system and is virtually dust free as one can get with a sander anyway. (yes I have used a 150 Festool and saw no difference in dust collection even when hooked to their own vac) Mine removes stock very quickly and leaves no marks when you progress through the grits properly as you should with any sander. I paid $49 for mine at a tool sale and its a refurbished Ridgid from HD. So tell me, what exactly does the Festool sander do that mine doesnt and how does it do it differently. By the way, my sander delivers the same OPM as the 6" Festool so I know its not any faster unless somehow it orbits in some special Festool way.
Dont get me wrong Im not trying to start something here Im really not, Im just trying to understand. I know there is a tendency to buy overpriced tools if for no other reason to say we own them but thats silly to me and I just cant justify the expense without something concrete and factual. Can you help me out with that since you do own them and are as you say well experienced??
Thanks!

Jim Kountz

12-02-2007, 9:48 AM

Another quick note about longevity in sanders, I have two other PC sanders, a Bosch and an old Dewalt that Columbus threw off the ship when they landed. All still going strong however no dust collection to mention on any of them except maybe the Dewalt, it works ok when connected to a shop vac or a DC. This Ridgid I bought has excellent dust collection and unless you're sanding an edge of something like that it gets the dust out of your way.

Justin Bukoski

12-02-2007, 9:49 AM

dang it Jesse, now I'm going to have to buy a 150/3 to go with my Rotex. Don't you know there are tool addicts on here? :D

Gary Keedwell

12-02-2007, 10:02 AM

:(:( Winter is here...which reminds me that it is time for the yearly migration of the Festoolians from down under:rolleyes::rolleyes::o Gee, I missed them ...for all these months..........

Doug Shepard

12-02-2007, 10:50 AM

Well I dont know how the Festools compare to other sanders hooked to other vacs but IMHO I've found the holy grail of dustless sanders so I'm not going to bother looking elsewhere. I've lately had to move a workbench top build into the living room on sawhorses. This was done due to temps too cold in the GaShop for gluing. During this I discovered a couple of areas that needed additional sanding before gluing other parts on. Not really wanting to move this back and forth again and having all my prior move helpers up north for hunting season, I decided to risk it and see what happended. I'm aprox. 2.5 ft from a large screen TV and to date there's not one speck of dust on the screen. This is after aprox a total of 1 hour of use spread out over a few weeks and most of it on a 4" edge where the disc was off the edges. Tried to keep the vac port on the disc centered, but was worried about throwing dust off the disc edges. It wasn't a problem. Anyway, the DC on these things REALLY works.

Jesse Cloud

12-02-2007, 1:08 PM

Ok Dixon, Im not here to argue but I hear this stuff all the time about the ridiculously priced mighty Festool products and Im trying to see where the extra cost is worth it but no one can really tell me why. My sander is var speed, connects to a vacuum system and is virtually dust free as one can get with a sander anyway. (yes I have used a 150 Festool and saw no difference in dust collection even when hooked to their own vac) Mine removes stock very quickly and leaves no marks when you progress through the grits properly as you should with any sander. I paid $49 for mine at a tool sale and its a refurbished Ridgid from HD. So tell me, what exactly does the Festool sander do that mine doesnt and how does it do it differently. By the way, my sander delivers the same OPM as the 6" Festool so I know its not any faster unless somehow it orbits in some special Festool way.
Dont get me wrong Im not trying to start something here Im really not, Im just trying to understand. I know there is a tendency to buy overpriced tools if for no other reason to say we own them but thats silly to me and I just cant justify the expense without something concrete and factual. Can you help me out with that since you do own them and are as you say well experienced??
Thanks!
Hey Jim,
I'm a big fan of Festool, but if you have another sander that works well for you, then stick with it. Personally, I can't get the same performance out of other sanders, though I've never tried a Ridgid. When I bought the Festool, I thought I would keep the PC and DeWalt sanders around, but I didn't use them for a year, so they went on Craigslist.