Should I buy a Festool ROS

[Edward P. Surowiec]

I do not own an ROS and wonder if its worth spending the extra $$ for a Festool and their DC.

Please send your advise and comments.
Thanks, Ed.

[Matt Meiser]

Only you can decide that, but here's my experience. I previously had both a 5" Porter Cable and a 6" Ridgid. The Ridgid was kind of a rough machine and hard to control, but the 5" was too small for really big areas. When I bought Festool, I bought just 1 6" machine which took the place of both of those. The dust control is much better as well. For example, I just completed a mirror for my bathroom. I sanded the face and outside edges of it without disassembly (I'd sanded the inside edge where the wood meets the glass before assembly.) First, I wasn't afraid of loosing control of the sander and hitting the glass, and second, when I was done I probably could have counted the number of specs of dust on the glass. When I first got my sander, I sanded a piece of walnut that had been through the planer and had very visible planer marks. I could actually see them disappearing as I sanded because there wasn't stray dust filling up the unsanded valleys.

I was concerned about consumable prices, but found that the Festool papers are comparable in price to the Mirka Gold I had been using--and I can get them at the local tool place or the local Woodcraft. I think if you look at what I paid for both of my original sanders, plus buying two sets of papers, the Festool would be pretty comparable.

The vacuum is nice as well. The Festool vac is my tool vac and works with not only my Festool sander, but my Porter Cable biscuit joiner, Porter Cable circular saw, and Dewalt Router without adapters. I kept my old vac for dirty jobs, mostly because I don't think it would be worth it to sell it. The Festool vac is definitely quieter. Even if you don't buy the vac, buy a Festool hose--they are a lot nicer than the hard plastic Shop Vac and Ridgid hoses. I don't think if you put the same hose on a cheap shop vac and a Festool vac, and put them in a soundproof box that you'd be able to tell the difference. Its all in the extra features and conveniences.

[Art Mann]

The combination you mention will cost $650 to $820 or so, depending on the models you select. By all reports, the system works very well. However, I doubt if it will make your project any smoother any quicker than other alternatives that cost less than $150. Whether the nice system integration and excellent dust control is worth the extra money is a decision only you can make. If I were you, I would go to a store that sells Festool and have them give you a demonstration.

Without a doubt, you are about to hear from many people singing the praises of Festool equipment. If you simply want someone to talk you into it, you have come to the right place.

[Edward P. Surowiec]

Thanks Matt. I considering a package deal on the Festool RO150 FQE and CT22 E DC. I'm not sure if the $769.50 is still available.

[Matt Meiser]

I would look at the ETS series of sanders. More of a finish sander, but agressive enough to level joints (if your joints are like mine, that's important :rolleyes: )

I was going to suggest the same as Art, but forgot--if you are by a dealer, stop in. Every place I've been that sells it has a demo area set up. If you buy online, by all accounts, Bob Marino is a great guy, and he's answered some questions for me here. I did buy locally though since I try to support my local guy whenever possible--especially with the current local economy.

[Edward P. Surowiec]

You are right Art.
I tend to oscillate between being a minimalist and the other extreme. Looking for reasons to spend $$ helps justify the cost. A rubber block with sandpaper wrapped around it will also get the job done. Time seems to be the driver. We need to get things done faster so we can do more things.:rolleyes:

[Curt Harms]

I haven't used a Festool sander but have a question. Is the vibration level significantly lower than more common ROS's? I have a P-C right angle ROS and it'll probably outlast me but if I use it for more than a few minutes I can feel the effects of the vibration. It seems like this could be an issue with those with hand issues, e.g. carpal tunnel or something like it.

Curt

[Allen Bookout]

Edward,

Very few of us can really justify all of our tools. After all it is a hobbey for many of us. Can anyone really justity new golf clubs or green fees, or a new fish finder for their boat, or a private airplane, or new tennis racquets and on and on. If you are a professional that makes money with your tools and can write them off the best that you can buy is a good choice. If you are like a lot of the rest of us and this is somthing that is stuck in your craw then nothing else is going to satisify you so I say "just do it". Most of us cannot really justify the dollars that we put in our hobby and that is OK if we have the money and it makes us happy. As soon as you place the order you will feel great and if the Festool tools are as good as everyone says you will feel great for a long time. This is much, much better than worrying about spending money on substandard tools that you are going to hate for a long time to come.

I am a non Festool owner so I hope that this view is not slanted.

"JUST DO IT" and let us know how it turns out.

Happy Sanding!!!! Allen

[Matt Meiser]

I haven't used a Festool sander but have a question. Is the vibration level significantly lower than more common ROS's?

Different people will probably give different answers. I noticed a difference between my 6" Ridgid, but really couldn't tell that much of a difference between my 5" Porter Cable. I've never used the 6" Porter Cable, but I understand its a pretty rough sander from what I've read.

[Jim Becker]

Yes, absolutely worth it to me. I can now sand for hours due to the low or no vibration and the dust extraction is excellent. The two PC sanders I used to own could only stay in my hand for about 20-30 minutes tops before my hand went numb. The latter also contributes to the life of the abrasives. But for some, they are quite happy with more economical solutions.

[John Thompson]

Morning Ed..

I would grab a cup of coffee and have a good look around my shop. That would tell me if I even wanted to entertain the idea of spending that amount for a sander that has a 1-2 warranty. Why not longer if you are supposely paying more to get the quality claimed?

What pieces of the "big picture" are missing that are really needed momentarily for the long haul? Fortunately after all these years, I can personally say none. So.. should I replace my ROS's with one?

With the warm weather here in Atlanta that allows me to open an outer door while sanding with either a PC 5" or Metabo 6" I can place a 20" floor fan behind my standing station and blow it out as I work while I wear a dust mast.

So far.. I have never had a project come up short using the ROS's I have. If I do in the future, I probably won't blame it on the fact that I didn't have a Festool. I have a feeling that it will more likely due to a lapse in concentration on detail than how much I paid for my sander.

Good luck with your decision...

Sarge..

[Mick Zelaska]

I bought the Festool Domino and CT-22 because I had a need and there is nothing comparable on the market. Since I already made that initial investment, when my old jigsaw just wasn't cutting it (pun intended), I opted for the PS 300 EQ as a replacement. If you have the CT-22 or CT-33, you have already bought into the Festool system and it only makes sense to take advantage of the dust control compatability of Festool handtools. As I feel the need to replace or upgrade other tools, I will probably look to Festool first. Right now I'm hoping to feel the need for a new sander very soon.;)

[Dan Clark]

Ed,

The Festool sanders are pretty much excellent across the board (pun intended). However, I believe the DC is more important. Festool (and Fein) make EXCELLENT DCs. However...

While I use my RO150 some of the time, I use my CT22 all the time. I hook it up to all my Festool and non-Festool tools. This includes hand sanders, drywall sanders, Rotozip, Makita Belt sander, and others. It's quiet, adjustable, powerful, and can be configured with multiple options that make it even better.

Further, it got lots of little touches that you appreciate as time goes on. For example, the disposable dust bags have a little cap attached that covers the hole when the bag is full so no dust escapes while disposing of it.

OK... /Soapbox = off.

My point is that the DC is one of the two core components of the Festool system. Once you have that, adding other components is less painful.

And it's difficult to appreciate using a sander with built-in dust collection. Once you've tried one, you'll never go back. I agree with another poster here - find a local store that sells Festool and try a Festool sander WITH the DC attached.

First, turn down the suction to about 50-60%; that should be adequate. Try the Rotex 150 first with some aggressive sandpaper - say 30-50 grit. Bear down HARD and watch the wood disappear. Then yank off the hose for a minute and repeat the test. Notice a bit of a difference?!? :D

Just for grins, repeat the test using a TS55 or TS75 saw. (Increase the DC suction to 100% however.) Just make sure that the dust hole is pointed away from you when you have the hose off. :D

IMO, Festool sanders are very good, but it's the DC that make the most difference.

Good luck with your decision,

Dan.

[Greg Funk]

Ed,

I agree that having a good dust collection system on a sander makes a boring chore more tolerable. You don't necessarily need a Festool sander to have good dust collection however. I use a CT-22 with a Bosch ROS and the dust collection seems to be 100% with no need to wear a mask. I don't believe the Festool would offer any improvement as far as dust collection. It might be better for vibration but I haven't used a Festool sander so I can't compare although I've never been bothered by the vibration from the Bosch.

In a recent test of 9 ROS sanders FWW rated Bosch best overall and best value.

Greg

[Michael Lutz]

Ed,

I will preface this as saying that I currently don't have a festool sander, but will probably get one when my current PC 5" dies since from reading sander posts it seems to happen frequently.:rolleyes: I used to use the sander with out the vac, but since I bought my Fein vac I decided to hook it up to the vac with a thinner flexible hose. What a difference a vacumn makes to the sander! My sheets last longer, and the dust is almost non-existant with my vac and sander. I used to think of needing a downdraft sanding table, but no more. Just to let you know that you can get dust collection on a sander without buying a festool sander or vac, even with a less expensive vac than the fein or festool also. After setting that straight, the reason I would go to a festool sander would be to upgrade from a 5" to 6" sander and to upgrade the sanding experience (less vibration). During extended sanding periods the PC sander vibration causes slight tingling in my hands.

I would also hold the 150FEQ sander and try it out. It feels to large and ungainly to me to be used as my primary ROS. The 150ETS feels much better ergonomically to me.

Mike

[Mike Henderson]

I could never justify it for my shop, but friends who do commercial work swear by Festool because it allows them to do some work at the customer's location without getting dust all over. The time savings over rigging plastic sheeting, and the customer satisfaction makes it well worth while.

Mike

[Edward P. Surowiec]

Thank you all for your advise and comments. I plan to refinish a flight of stairs ( about 12 steps) and your advise on the DC is very helpful.
Considering the vibration issues and the DC I'll probably go for the Festool. But first I'll try both the RO 150 E and the ETS 150.

How good is the Polisher feature on the RO 150 E????:confused:

[Jason White]

Yes, it is worth the money. I have several Festool sanders, but the best "all around" workhorse sander is the ROTEX 150 6" ROS sander. Go over to the Festool Owner's Group website if you want to ask some folks who really know these tools...

www.festoolownersgroup.com.

JW


I do not own an ROS and wonder if its worth spending the extra $$ for a Festool and their DC.

Please send your advise and comments.
Thanks, Ed.

[Edward P. Surowiec]

Thanks Jason, I'll visit the site tonight.
Ed

[Mark Valsi]

Heck Yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Don Bullock]

Ed, your choice of sander is really a question that only you can answer. None of us here know what you intend to use it for now and in the future, nor do we know how much you can "afford."

As many of the posts have stated the festool sanders are great tools, especially because of the dust collection. Some have suggested other alternatives that may possibly be just as good, but less costly to you. Do the Festool sanders do a great job? Evidently they do in many, if not most, tasks that woodworkers use a sander for. There are several to choose from, so you'll need to get specific advice on each of those choices before you can decide. Will another less expensive sander be "good enough" to meet your needs? Perhaps.

From my perspective as a hobbiest who does quite a bit of sanding I decided that right now I couldn't justify the cost of a Festool. So instead I bought a Bosch ROS. Yes, it does a great job for the work I have been doing, but I have yet to try hooking it up for any type of dust collection and it's already been in to be repaired under warranty due to a bad switch. I have no idea if a Festool would be better for me, but in the future, when I'm not making all the tool purchases that I'm making this year, I do plan to buy one of their sanders and vacuum system and give it a try. At this point I would only be out the $70 that my Bosch sander cost me and hopefully I'll be able to use it for quite a while. I'm still not sure that I made the right decision on my sander, but for now I'll have to live with it.

[Dave Rudy]

Ed,

Two reasons you will never regret buying (either) Festool sander: Dust collection and no vibration. The dust collection on all the Festool sanders is unbelievable -- you can even use them in the house!

The ETS 150 is so well-balanced that I was able to sand a boxed beam directly over my head for a prolonged period without arm or wrist fatigue. The RO 150 is much more aggressive (even in orbital mode) but does an exceptional job as a wood-remover and polisher in addition to being a full-service orbital sander.

Decide which one you would use more and go for it. You have two choices: go to a local stocking dealer and try both of them out for a while in the store, or buy one (I would recommend bobmarinosbesttools.com) and you have an unconditional 30-day money back guarantee.

Dave

[Mick Zelaska]

Ed,
Just to confuse you, here is an interesting review comparing the Rotex 150 and 125.

http://www.festoolusa.com/Web_files/RO_125_Review.pdf

[Bob Childress]

All I can say is that sanding has turned from a chore to something almost enjoyable since I got my first Festo sander. :) I just ordered my fourth (different) model and can't imagine owning any other kind from now on.

[Steven Herbin]

I have a Festool ETS150/3 and the CT22. I am in the middle of building a dresser for my granddaughter out of red oak.

Last night I was sanding the drawer fronts and a door. They are all roundered over and needed edge grain and surface sanding. I also didn't do a great job joining 2 pieces of oak together for the door. So I got out the sander, hooked it up to the CT22 and less than an hour and a half later, I progressed from 50 to 120 to 180 to 320 on the sandpapers on the door and from 120 --> 320 on the 3 drawer fronts. There wasn't a speck of wood dust anywhere, I didn't have to wear my goggles or dustmask or ear protection (but SWMBO already complains that I'm deaf).

... and when SWMBO came in to see what I was doing, she (who is a born critic) couldn't get over the glass-like finish. She just said "wow."

In short, I am a great fan of the Festool sanders and CT.

As the old saying goes, pay me now or pay me later. The tools are more expensive, but you only have to buy them once!

[Eric Gustafson]

Finewoodworking rated a bunch of ROS sanders including the Festool 125. It surprised me that they rated the Bosch 1295 DVS as the best performer. Amazon has the Bosch for $69.97 with free shipping. You need to buy an adaptor to use it with a vac, it is pretty cheap though.