Need new RO sander ideas

[Tom Cullom JR.]

I am looking for a new RO sander I have a Milwaukee right now. Every time i use it ( sometimes only 1 hours use) i have to replace the brake pad so the sanding pad dose not spin at a high rate of speed. Are there any sanders out there that uses a different breaking system. I'm tired of the high price of consumables for this sander to keep running.

[Jim Andrew]

My old Bosch 3107dvs is about 15 years old, and on it's last leg, but am considering fixing it up rather than buying a new one. Parts are available on e replacement parts.

[Dave Sabo]

I’d suggest a serious look at festool sanders. Sure , the prices look dear; but my experience is they deliver a pretty good value.

The ets125 is a great finish sander, especially between coats. It’s not going to be much use for things like removing old finishes or smoothing rough boards. The lack of vibration is hard to describe, you just have to try it. I’ve had pretty much every sander from Porter Cable, Dewalt, Bosch, B&D and wish I’d got the little 125 a lot sooner.

[Wayne Cannon]

FWIW, a local company makes motorized San Francisco Cable Cars for winery tours and excursions. They have a lot of oak trim, seat slats, etc., that they sand. In the process, the wear out a lot of sanders. They found that the DeWalt ROS held up best. That's only one data point, and that information is about five years old.

[Carl Beckett]

I have a Bosch (3727 I think) that has been a great sander for me. Also often I used my automotive DA air powered sander but for finishing could pick up some moisture or worse, a drop of oil would leak out.

Recently I purchased a Festool ETS EC series (5mm stroke). It is a nice sander and I like it. It cost a bazillion dollars.

If I were trying to maintain some sense of practical cost consciousness, I would buy the Bosch again. It has been a workhorse for me. If I didnt care how much it cost, I would buy the Festool or a Mirka Deros

[Joe Hendershott]

I’d suggest a serious look at festool sanders.

Before I bought the Festool Rotex 150 and 90 I went thru several Bosch 3275 sanders. The difference is indeed like night and day. So much less vibration, much better dust collection, none of that high RPM buzzing. I have zero regret spending that huge amount of Festool- totally worth it. If you doubt you need to find a place to try them side by side with the other brands you consider.

[Tim Bueler]

I'm another one who likes the Festool Sanders. I have both a ETC EC 150-5 and 150-3. Like Joe said, they are a night and day difference. I had an old PC that did a decent job sanding but awful dust collection, and a brand new Bosch, not sure of the model, that had mediocre dust collection but but was agonizingly slow. Both made my hands buzz. Ponying up the money for Festool (or Mirka) is a tough pill to swallow but I would do it again. No regrets. And, I have sanded literally all day w/o hand buzzing issues.

Of course, they only have great dust collection if paired w/ a dust extractor of one brand or another. I chose to stay w/ the brand and bought a CT 26 at the same time. Again, no regrets.

[Jim Becker]

I originally used PC sanders. They were ok, but my hands were constantly made numb and that limited sanding session time and prolonged project completion time. I moved to Festool specifically for lower vibration which cured the original issue and benefited from better sanding and excellent dust extraction. (which also improves sanding results and makes abrasives last longer) Yes, not inexpensive. But mine are north of 10 years old and working like new. I've only replaced the hook and loop pads which is something that one must do with any brand over time due to the effects of heat from friction. So the actual cost of my Festool sanders is pretty low on an amortized basis and getting better with each passing year.