Is there anything else like the new Festool sander?

[Gerald Senburn]

I've been looking for a new sander and seriously considering the new Festool RO90. As far as I can tell, it can act as a rotary sander, random orbit sander, and detail sander. Is there any other sander out there with that kind of versatility?

[David Weaver]

With a 3 1/2 inch pad, it's not going to be your main rig for everything, is it?

It's kind of hard to get cranked up over sanders, but it does look like an interesting little unit for someone who would be stuck sanding face frames and window frames all day.

As a non-commercial user, though, I have always been able to come up with a combination of sanders that does the same thing as one festool sander, but for a lot less, and have not yet worn any of them out though do have significant wear on some of them from just around-the-house-stuff.

I wouldn't have a comment as a commercial user, but I did hear a guy at rockler saying that the guys on his crew generally go through a porter cable sander in about 6 months, but that the festools last long enough to be easier on the wallet in the long run easily, and that he no longer buys what i'll refer to as tools that were once professional tools and now bear nothing in common with the pro tools except the brand on the sticker.

As far as anything else like it? Maybe not other than pneumatic sanders, which back in the day before we knew better about breathing the dust were sweeter than any electric sander that i've gotten my dirty mitts on still.

[Brad Gobble]

i have the Rotex 150 and it is awesome, but I agree with David ... get a couple of different sanders and a TON of paper. I bought mine used and cheap, and the dust collection is exceptional. I don't think it is $450 worth of exceptional... and for $300 for this new thing I believe you can buy a LOT of other little sanders.